Local 10’s ‘Big Book Drive’ connects viewers, third graders

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Last month, the morning co-host and the Local 10 team visited four South Florida schools to distribute new books.

It was all part of Local 10’s ninth annual Big Book Drive.

At one of those schools, Lake Forest Elementary in Pembroke Park, Local 10 News’ Eric Yutzy met Janay Clacema, a third-grade student, who mentioned that she had never had a book of her own.

“You can get a library card, you can go to the library, if you don’t get free books, you’ll have to return them and it will be a lot,” Clacema shared with Yutzy. “But this one, you can keep it forever. It makes you happy.”

Clacema, along with all his classmates, received a new book. But her story doesn’t end there.

Miami author and activist Femi Folami-Browne saw that report and immediately got in touch to help build Clacema’s personal library.

“We want her to know that we support her love of reading and want to keep her stocked with books to read to her little sister all summer long,” Folami-Browne wrote in an email.

Local 10 organized a surprise for Clacema at her school with Folami-Browne and former journalist Bea Hines. She was brought a new backpack filled with more new books and a Kindle tablet. Among the new books was Hines’ own, which he signed for Clacema.

“Thank you for your help in making this possible,” Folami-Browne said. “Janay deserves it.”

Since 2016, Local 10’s Big Book Drive has distributed more than 157,000 new books to children in South Florida.