CALL FOR EVERYONE: HELP ENRICH THE SCHOOL LIBRARY IN TRNOPOLJE

An initiative to collect books for children and teenagers has been launched at the “Ćirilo i Metodije” Elementary School in Trnopolje, with the aim of enriching the school library and giving students an opportunity to discover new worlds, develop their imagination and find inspiration through reading.

The initiative was launched by a teacher who has been working at this small rural school for 17 years, with the desire to bring books closer to students as a source of knowledge and imagination, but also as a way to travel beyond their everyday surroundings through stories.

The idea was particularly inspired by a conversation with students after the summer holidays, when several of them said they had not travelled anywhere during the break.

“Several of them said they had not left Trnopolje. Some had not gone further than their own yard. They had not gone swimming in the river or at a swimming pool. They had not even visited Kozarac, which is only a few kilometres away,” she said.

The conversation reminded her of her own childhood, marked by hardship, war, life without electricity and many challenges.

“Books gave me imagination. And imagination helped me survive difficult days, be brave and believe that the world could be bigger and more beautiful than what I could see around me,” she said.

BOOKS THAT CHILDREN WANT TO READ

The school library is called “Zvjezdobroj”, and the aim of the initiative is to fill its shelves with books that children will genuinely want to pick up and read.

The campaign is therefore not limited to school reading assignments. The school is also looking for novels, comics, adventure and fantasy books, as well as popular titles for children and teenagers.

Among the desired titles are, among others, the “Harry Potter” series, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, “Gangsta Granny”, “Geek Girl” and “Night School”.

“Let them start with what makes them happy. What matters is that they start reading. There is time for everything else,” the initiator of the campaign said.

She points out that a small rural school has one important advantage – teachers know their students well and can recognise when they need additional attention and support.

“We have few students, but we know them. We notice when they are not doing well. We hear even what they do not say,” she said.

For this reason, she wants to give the students an opportunity to discover new worlds through books and perhaps find interests and dreams they have not yet had the chance to explore.

A BOOK CAN OPEN THE DOOR TO A NEW WORLD

Everyone who has books for children and teenagers in good condition that they no longer read is invited to donate them to the school library in Trnopolje.

Those interested in donating can contact the initiator of the campaign to arrange the collection of books, while citizens are also encouraged to share the appeal so that it can reach as many people as possible.

A single donated book may seem like a small gesture, but for a child, it can be the beginning of a new story, a new interest and a new world waiting to be discovered.