Donna Thompson
The Arizona Literacy Fund, based in SaddleBrooke, recently donated 100 copies of Adventures of Carly and Charly books to San Manuel Elementary school on McNab Parkway. It was a small gift, but small gestures can matter enormously in rural Arizona. Mrs. Walden, the school principal, graciously accepted the donation. Even the school mascot, The Miner, was on hand to help out.
At this small public school in San Manuel, these new fun books can do more than fill a bookshelf. They can put new stories into children’s hands, give a child a reason to read for pleasure, and remind an entire community that literacy is something we can all help build.
Overall, Mammoth-San Manuel Unified School District serves fewer than 400 students from San Manuel, Mammoth, and Oracle. The district also receives federal Title I funding, reflecting the economic needs of many of the students it serves.
And the need for strong reading skills extends far beyond one school. In Pinal County, only about 31% of third-graders passed the statewide English Language Arts assessment in 2024. That means roughly seven out of every ten students did not meet the state’s passing standard.
But the good news is Mammoth-San Manuel was recently recognized by the Arizona Department of Education for incredible improvement in student achievement. Teachers and administrators have been working on new instructional strategies, assessment practices, and ways to help students understand what successful learning looks like.
Children need excellent instruction, but they also need books that make them want to read. They need stories that are entertaining, characters they enjoy, and opportunities to discover that reading isn’t simply something they have to do for school—it can be something they choose to do.
So what can you do?
You can give a book. You can volunteer. You can read with a child. You can donate money for books or literacy programs. You can encourage a young reader. In a small community, those contributions aren’t insignificant. They are personal. And one story can be the beginning of a lifelong love of reading.
For more information, reach out to arizonaliteracy@outlook.com.