By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/1/04)

How do you get 4,000 books from Alexandria to Arkansas?

This is a dilemma Kathleen Dolan, principal, and Lou Frisenda, assistant principal, are happy to face after students at St. Mary School in Alexandria collected books for a public school in DeValls Bluff, Ark.

Last summer on a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi, Dolan met and befriended Elizabeth Hutson, "Miss Libby," a second-grade teacher at DeValls Bluff School. The two women quickly learned they had a lot in common, including many years in the education field and a love of children, but they also learned their schools were very different.

St. Mary School, with an enrollment of almost 700, is approximately the same size as the entire town of DeValls Bluff, which is located about halfway between Little Rock and Memphis, Tenn. DeValls Bluff School has about 350 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Dolan decided to help Hutson and her school by introducing her students to the students in Arkansas through a pen pal program. While the students have found some similar interests, they are also learning about their differences. Children from Arkansas have written letters asking what lacrosse is, and what their new friends name their cows. DeValls Bluff students are surprised St. Mary students don’t have grass to play in. They don’t know what a blacktop is. They don’t know who pop singer Avril Lavigne is.

But what they do share is a love of books.

St. Mary students in the Corporal Works of Mercy Club decided to collect books for their friends in Arkansas. The original goal of 2,000 books was doubled when the entire school became involved.

While some students passed on old favorites, most of the books were bought by students with their own money.

"We all really like to read," said eighth-grader Kathryn Lang.

"Once you finish a good book you should share it with other people," said Brendan Riley, also in the eighth grade.

The books were presented to Hutson and Scott Jones, principal of DeValls Bluff School last week at St. Mary School.

At the assembly, St. Mary students listed reasons why they love books. Among the reasons were "It doesn’t require batteries," "there are no commercials," "it can make you laugh or cry," and "it is the cheapest way to travel the world."

"I’m overwhelmed," said Jones. "This is more than I ever expected. We’re really excited. Our kids are excited."

"All my students wanted to come with me," Hutson said. "They wanted to meet their pen pals."

Mike Sayger, a sixth-grade student at DeValls Bluff, said in a phone interview with the HERALD, "I think they’re really nice. I want to say thank you, mostly."