Students pick a book of their own

LAFAYETTE —J. Wallace James Elementary preschoolers Friday had their first pick of more than 6,000 books donated during the Barnes & Noble Booksellers holiday drive in November and December.

Barnes & Noble, the Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and others were partners in the effort.

“We’ve put so many books in the hands of children and we’ve given the community a chance to help do that,” said Drew Zeigler, manager of the Lafayette store. “...To me, it’s the most important thing that happens in my store each year.”

About 3,800 of the books will be distributed to preschool students in Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes and the remainder will go to Head Start and child care centers who partner with local school districts, said Nancy Manuel, literacy coordinator at the Picard Center.