Lillian Larsen Students Receive Free Books

Donations to KSBY's 'If You Give a Child a Book' campaign provide every student with 5 new books.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 9:06pm

A grid of brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen images of stacks of children's books in various neon shades, capturing the celebratory spirit of the book donation campaign.A colorful celebration of the free books donated to local students, transforming the everyday into vibrant pop art.San Miguel Today

Hundreds of books were distributed to students at Lillian Larsen Elementary School in San Miguel, California, thanks to donations made to KSBY's 'If You Give a Child a Book' campaign. Each student was able to choose 5 free books to take home and add to their personal libraries.

Why it matters

Access to books and reading materials is crucial for early childhood literacy development. This book giveaway program helps ensure all students, regardless of family income, have the resources they need to build strong reading skills and a love of learning.

The details

The book distribution event took place at the school's Scholastic Book Fair, where first-grade students excitedly picked out their new books. Teachers noted the students selected a variety of titles that matched their individual interests, from sports books to fairy tale stories, allowing them to explore different genres and find reading material they were genuinely excited about.

  • The book giveaway occurred on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

The players

Lillian Larsen Elementary School

A public elementary school located in San Miguel, California that serves students from preschool through sixth grade.

KSBY

A local television news station serving California's Central Coast region, which organized the 'If You Give a Child a Book' donation campaign to provide free books to students in need.

Fernanda Garcia

A first-grade teacher at Lillian Larsen Elementary School who observed the students' enthusiasm for selecting their new books.

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What they’re saying

“Yay, I Love books!”

— Allison Vasquez, Student

“These are very nice books, and I like reading them at my house.”

— Adan Barrera, Student

“I am going to read, like, for, like, playtime and this one I am going to read, I am going to try to read it with my mom and dad.”

— Sierra McCall, Student

“Some of them, I knew they were going to get sports books, I knew they were going to get the ones with the cutesy fairy stuff, so it definitely fits their personalities.”

— Fernanda Garcia, First Grade Teacher

What’s next

KSBY plans to continue the 'If You Give a Child a Book' campaign, providing free books to students in need across the Central Coast region.

The takeaway

This book giveaway program demonstrates the power of community-driven initiatives to improve childhood literacy and ensure all students have access to the reading materials they need to succeed. By tapping into the generosity of local donors, KSBY has made a meaningful impact on the lives of young learners in San Miguel.