First Lady gives out books to school kids

The 41-thousand kindergarteners in Iowa and every kindergarten teacher in the state is getting a new book. It’s one of First Lady Christie Vilsack’s projects. She and her husband raised 200-thousand dollars so kindergarteners in Iowa can have their own book.Mrs. Vilsack says having a book of your own is very important, because it’s tangible evidence of what you’ve learned. The first page in the book being given to the kindergarteners has a space for writing their name. Mrs. Vilsack says she remembers her first book, which she wrote her name in the Laura Ingels Wilder book.The book’s titled “Bells Goes to the Fair” and it’s a story about a dog named Bells. There’s a State Fair map included, and kids can track the dog’s travels around the grounds. The right pages in the book are for new readers; the left pages tell the same story but with more complicated words for older readers. Mrs. Vilsack says that makes it a book for the whole family. Mrs. Vilsack began a “book tour” of the state this morning at a Des Moines elementary school. She visited elementary schools in Marengo and Cedar Rapids today. On Monday, she’ll stop at schools in Alden, Clarion and West Bend; on Tuesday, she’ll stop at schools in Charles City, Fredericksburg and Reinbeck; on Wednesday, she’ll visit schools in Albia, Mt. Pleasant and Columbus Junction; and on Friday, she has stops scheduled at schools in Missouri Valley, LeMars and Orange City.