Book Bash at the HUB

6/4/25, 4:00 PM

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Educators say that often times learning loss is on the rise during the summer months.

The Hub for Community Innovation, RISE Augusta, Harris Literacy Center, and United Way are working together to keep books in homes over the summer.

The Book Bash is free to the public, and they will be giving out 1,500 book bags with around 5-6 books for each child.

The books range from infant to high school senior, so no one is too young or old to attend the event.

Angela Prince, Director of STRIVE Program, explains why they are doing this for the community.

“To get books in the hands of little kids. We really want to build their little libraries over the summer because you know, I know school ends in May, but we want them to continue learning and continue reading through the summer,” Prince said.

According to the United States Department of Education, kids ranging from 3rd to 5th grade lose about 20% of what they learned in reading over the summer.“

Literacy is a skill; it’s not like language. Language we’re all born with ways to communicate but with literacy it’s a skill, and the more you practice the more you do, the more you hear, the more you read the better you are at it,” said Laurie Cook, Executive Director for RISE Augusta.

Another organizer of the Book Bash, Sam Klein, Business Operations Specialist at The Harris Literacy Center, says that reading is not only for learning but also for enjoyment.

“Keeping their minds on books so that they can not only just, yes literacy is important, education is important, but also just kind of get away like enjoy the fantasy world of Dog Man or some of the other books that we have here,” Klein said.

The Book Bash is happening Saturday at The Hub for Community Innovation from 11-2.