A Story Shared at Bedtime: GLXi Book Drop Transforms Classrooms and Lives
Early one morning in the village of Aldea La Esperanza, a mother walked into a local public preschool with a unique request. The night before, her young son, Antonio, had come home from class bursting with excitement. He couldn't stop talking about a character in the book “Monito Tito and the Little Monkey”, a story his teacher had shared that day. Antonio had begged his mother to read it to him again before bed. But their home, like many in rural Jalapa, had no children’s books.
His teacher, Irma González, smiled and handed over the book to Antonio’s mother, for him to have at home. The next morning, Antonio returned to class beaming with pride, carefully placing the storybook back onto his classroom’s new reading shelf.
Before this school year, Irma had to rely entirely on her own memory or government teaching guides to share stories with her preschool students. The children simply had no storybooks to look at.
Today, Antonio and his classmates eagerly await reading time each day with intense joy and curiosity; each trying to guess what the new book of the day will be.
"As an educator, having these physical tools is very rewarding," Irma told us. "Our greatest hope is that books will stop being only colorful images, and that the day will come when the children will be able to read them entirely by themselves."
This is the real magic behind a Global Learning Exchange Initiative (GLXi) "Book Drop."
Every book placed into a child's hands is so much more than paper and ink; it is a treasure chest of opportunity. These vibrant collections represent a world of possibility placed right into their hands, often serving as the very first brand-new books these students have ever been able to call their own.
This year, the GLXi team completed a coordinated logistical effort to distribute 3,360 brand-new books across 33 different public schools in Guatemala. This massive delivery successfully equipped 40 teachers and classrooms at the beginning of the school year, immediately providing 1,200 children with daily, active, and tactile access to literacy resources.
That’s 1,200 children who for the first time are experiencing the spark of imagination that a book can provide.
“The children feel motivated and excited when it is their turn to visit the communication and language learning corner to explore and learn about these books that they enjoy so much,” Irma said.
It is those moments of discovery that show the true power of a book. And we are excited to share them with you, because these moments would not exist without your ongoing support.
The Comfort of Family Found in a Book
In the rural, under-resourced community of Colonia San José Los Encuentros, everything that reaches the preschool classroom is the result of sheer grit and self-effort. Before GLXi’s book delivery, Teacher Gloria Flores had no classroom library at all. Her students simply did not have access to colorful, age-appropriate books.
Because her preschool students cannot yet read text, Gloria uses the illustrations in the GLXi-supplied books to teach visual interpretation, letting the children create their own narratives from the imagery. The arrival of the books transformed her teaching process entirely.
Books that have been carefully packaged for GLXi students are loaded into a van to be distributed to 40 different classrooms across Guatemala.
One title in particular, Black and White, completely transfixed a little girl named Alexa. She was captivated by a picture of a character named Lalo the bear carrying another little cub. To Alexa, the scene was not just an abstract story; it represented the safety of home.
Looking up at her teacher with tenderness, Alexa whispered, "Teacher, that’s how my mom and dad carry me."
"They do not yet know how to read," Gloria notes, "but at their age, they are brilliant at imagining and interpreting stories."
Loud Enthusiasm in Sacatepéquez
Teacher Claudia Vallejo watched the entire energy of her preschool classroom shift in an instant when her new books arrived. Before the distribution, her students had to share just 25 tattered books among the entire class, making spontaneous reading difficult.
The arrival of the new physical libraries turned reading time into an active, joyous celebration. The dinosaur books, in particular, sparked an immediate explosion of curiosity among the children, she said.
"The atmosphere during reading time has changed noticeably," Claudia reports. "The students show more enthusiasm, curiosity, and excitement while exploring. Many of them want to share what they discover and talk about the stories that capture their attention the most."
Now, she said, lessons can be enriched with more varied and interactive stories, allowing students to become more involved and develop their imagination, comprehension, and love for reading.
Having new, attractive, and beautifully illustrated books has sparked greater interest in reading and strengthened the children’s participation during activities.
Sixteen Brand-New Lifelines in Quiché
At a multigrade classroom within the Official School of Special Education in Caserío Parraxquín, Teacher Elvis Conoz guides a unique group of 16 students through their lessons. For every single one of these children, this distribution marked the first time in their lives they had ever held a completely new book.
Previously, the children only had access to books provided by the government and a few booklets used during class activities.
Elvis is integrating these physical libraries to build inclusive, student-centered, and multisensory lessons adapted to each learner's specific pace. The books are already strengthening communication and independence among his students, he said. They have also unlocked emotional healing.
A book that features The Three Little Pigs immediately caught the eye of a student named Irma Macario Pacheco.
Seeing the characters on the page brought back a flood of memories of her father. Irma shared that when she was little, her father used to sit with her whenever she felt sad or discouraged, drawing scenes from that exact story to comfort her and dry her tears. Finding that same story on her classroom shelf transformed the library into a space of deep emotional security.
A book called “The Dog and the Cat” is also a favorite of his students and one they ask to see the most, sparking endless conversations about happy times with pets at home.
“The space now feels more dynamic, calm, and participatory because the books capture the children’s attention and spark their imagination,” he said. “During reading time, there is greater interaction, better communication, and more confidence in expressing ideas, emotions, and questions.”
In Their Own Words: The Voice of the Future
Through the Open Books, Open Minds program, the distribution brought 3,360 books across 7 departments of Guatemala: Guatemala, Sacatepéquez, Jalapa, Quetzaltenango, Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Totonicapán. By allowing children to handle the physical text kits, touch the pages, and explore colors and letters, GLXi is systematically raising literacy levels across the country.
Every book placed in a child’s hands is a physical bridge over social and cultural divides that have limited opportunity for generations. With each box unboxed, each corner decorated, and each page turned, a new story begins for a student, a teacher, and an entire community.
And the ultimate proof of impact comes straight from the students themselves:
“I really liked the books because they have very colorful illustrations and the letters are very large. I want to read all of them because I love reading!”
“I love coming to school because I will be able to read. The books are designed for children our age and enrich our knowledge”
“I loved the books because many of the stories are classics. I had seen some of them in movies or cartoons, but I had never seen them before in books. They are so eye-catching.”
When you Sponsor a GLXi teacher, you are making book distributions like this one possible. Follow our journey this month to meet the teachers you're empowering.
