Guilford Grangers Give Third Graders Dictionaries
BY TERRY STACKHOUSE
For more than a decade, Valley Grangers in Guilford have given young readers a book, to help them grow their vocabulary.
On Monday, third graders from Piscataquis Elementary School were the gracious recipients of a new dictionary.
They visited the grange hall for a history lesson and to accept their gift from the group.
Organizers admit, in the digital age, it’s not easy to get kids excited about books.
“When I got there I was amazed at how excited these kids get over a simple little dictionary,” said Walter Boomsma, the grange’s program and publicity director.
He understands that a Google search can give young ones a definition, but students in this agricultural community find flipping through pages empowering.
“I like to actually do it myself because sometimes the internet doesn’t give me a good enough description,” said visiting 6th grader Olivia Riitano.
One thankful third grader, Adam Taylor, said, “I think I am going to use it for when I am reading a book and I come across a word that I don’t know.”
