Embassy News 2007
U.S. Ambassador Gives More than 4500 Books in English to Icelandic Children
February 7, 2007 – U.S. Ambassador Carol van Voorst announced today the gift of more than 4500 children’s books in English to the Ministry of Education for the benefit of Icelandic children across the country. The announcement was made at the Ministry of Education.
Ambassador van Voorst said the presentation of the books was a great pleasure for her personally, since reading has been central to her life. She said the earlier a child begins to read in a foreign language, the easier it is to feel at home in another language. The more fascinating those books are the more incentive a child has to pick up another and another.
The books given to the Icelandic children are favorites of American young readers.
Minister of Education, Science and Culture Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said she wanted to thank the Ambassador personally for the gift. “It is a funny coincidence that you are giving 4500-4600 books since about 4500 or 4600 children are born in Iceland every year.” The Minister added, “This gift is symbolic of the goodwill and friendship between our two nations.”
The books consist of more than 90 sets of 50 books, chosen for the levels between third and sixth grade. In all, there are more than 200 different book titles. The books include some classics of children’s literature, such as “Charlotte’s Web,” books of Dr. Seuss and Harry Potter’s adventures. There are also books on science, U.S. history, and biographies.
The books were published by the Scholastic Book Company, the largest publisher and distributor of children’s literature in the world. Their books reach over 35 million children and are found in nearly every school in the United States.
The Ministry of Education has offered the assistance of the Ministry and the National Center or Educational Materials (Námsgagnastofnun) to help distribute the books to schools around Iceland.