Just thinking about how kids don’t have access to a library and that they don’t have access to these stories and books really made me want to help them in some way.

Anneliese Ballesteros

By Kiara Amaya

Passionate about fostering a love of books in the next generation of young readers, senior Anneliese Ballesteros founded Achieve Book Club for like-minded students who want to get involved in community service. 

Their goal is to help children tackle two very prominent issues in the Los Angeles area: the literacy gap and the library crisis. As Ballesteros informs her club members, the literacy gap is when any student is more than one grade level behind on their reading and comprehension skills. Going hand in hand, the library crisis explains the lack of funding for public libraries, lessening the access that students have to books. 

Through a partnership with the non-profit Access Books of LA, the club is holding an ongoing book drive in hopes of collecting books to donate to refurbish the library of a school in need.

“By the spring, we’re going to visit an elementary school that the organization will pick for us and build a library, paint murals, decorate, and organize the books that we donate,” senior Anneliese Ballesteros said. “We also hope to read to kids in the TK-8 school, and involve older and younger Granada students.” 

Ballesteros aspires to gather numerous book donations to ignite a passion for books and stories in children who may have missed out on such opportunities due to inadequate scholastic funding. She hopes that through this process, kids will gain an interest in reading as a hobby, leading to bettering their education, educating them about the world, improving reading levels, and cultivating social skills. 

Beyond creating opportunities for community service, Ballesteros has a deep love for reading that began in her childhood. 

“I love to read,” Ballesteros said. “My parents are the same way. Books were always the most important thing in our family. My mom always said that there is nothing more valuable than a book and its knowledge. That really inspired me, and I go to the library often.”

As of now, meetings have focused on informing members of the library crisis and literacy gap. 

“We’re having bookmark makings and other similar events to give people the chance to get involved in community service,” Ballesteros said. “Even if they can’t go to the event where we build a library, we still want them to feel involved in some way.”

Ballesteros’ immense care for the cause is contagious. It is truly special and admirable to witness how her love of books and stories has turned into a passion project to carry on these feelings to new readers.

If you would like to join Achieve Book Club and their cause, meetings are held every Monday at lunch in room AG.