John Muir Receives $5,000 Laura Bush Foundation Grant for School Library

John Muir Elementary School, in Glendale, CA, NAMED AS A RECIPIENT OF THE LAURA BUSH  FOUNDATION FOR AMERICA’S LIBRARIES GRANT 

John Muir Elementary School was one of 300 schools from 36 states across the country to receive a $5,000 grant  through the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. This year, the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries  awarded $1.5 million in library grants this year. 

Many of the libraries will use the funds to update and diversify their collections.  

“Congratulations to the 2023 Laura Bush Foundation Grant Recipients! I am thrilled that school librarians across the  country will soon be able to update their library collections,” Mrs. Laura Bush said. 

“We are extremely grateful for the Laura Bush Foundation Grant! We will be able to purchase additional books for all  our students to enjoy. The grant will allow us to purchase books that represent our student population which is  important. We truly appreciate this gift and I know Muir students will benefit greatly from it” said Jessica Zavala,  Principal of John Muir Elementary.  

“We are so very excited about what this grant means for our school library. We will be able to add so many new and  diverse books to our school collection. We plan to include books in Spanish and Armenian. In addition we plan to use  some of the funds for chapter books for the older students. We have a diverse student body and our library will reflect  that” said Sonal Patel, President of the John Muir Elementary Foundation.  The JMEF helped secure the grant for John Muir Elementary. 

Mrs. Bush revealed her 2023 summer reading list, which includes recommendations for young readers through middle  schoolers at the annual Laura Bush Book Club event, as part of the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by  NexPoint, with support from H-E-B. Selections feature books on family, adventure, and gratitude. The list contains  classics like The Little House as well as new releases like The Loud Librarian, featuring Dallas illustrator, Erika Lynne  Jones.  

“This year’s summer reading list includes an old favorite, Charlotte’s Web, which I remember reading to my daughters  when they were little,” Mrs. Bush said. “As a former teacher and librarian, I know that the most important thing parents  and caregivers can do for their children is to read to them. So I hope you 

bring this list to your local library, and pick out a few books to read with your family this summer. Your kids will love it, and so will you.” 

Grant applications for the 2023-2024 school year will open in late 2023. Visit laurabushfoundation.org to learn more.  

The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries supports school libraries with the greatest needs with the goal of  encouraging all students to develop a love of reading and learning. Since its inception in 2002, it has awarded $21 million  to more than 3,600 schools across the country.  

The George W. Bush Institute’s Education and Opportunity work, which houses the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s  Libraries, is generously supported by The Allstate Foundation. The Laura Bush Foundation is managed as a restricted  fund at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. More information can be found at  laurabushfoundation.org and www.bushcenter.org. 

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George W. Bush Institute 

The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for  all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the  Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and  lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to  national and global issues of the day by influencing policy, not politics. Learn more at bushcenter.org.