The Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence, with the Tift County School System and the Tifton Rotary Club, met earlier this month with the parents of students at G.O. Bailey Primary School who had younger siblings at home. Under the program, the parents agree to read or have someone read to the younger child every day in exchange for a new book to be mailed to the child every month and bookends for the child's personal library.  

The goal is for the younger children to be prepared for school when they start kindergarten. Foundation director Mike Brumby said Tuesday that the breakfast meetings with parents were well-received and the school expects to have about 106 young "reading ambassadors" taking books home to a brother or sister. Training sessions for the readers will be held soon.  

While sponsors have been found for the new books, the organizers would also like to send other books home with the older child from time to time. That's where the public comes in.  

"We need very simple books for children under 5," said Brumby. "If anybody has any that they can donate, we'd like to have them."  

The program needs between 300 and 500 used books, Brumby said. Books may be dropped off at G.O. Bailey or at the Gazette, preferably within the next two weeks.