Canton Girl Scouts Launch Book Drive

Editor's note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the spelling of Christina Christenson's name. Patch regrets the error.

Maha Zahid and Christina Christenson of Canton are both 13 and members of Girl Scout Troop 40196. They are also working on the Girl Scout Silver Award by collecting books for the students of Bennett Elementary School in Detroit.

The school at  2111 Mullane in Southwest Detroit, has been closed since it caught fire on Dec. 26, 2007, but has since been renovated and is scheduled to reopen on Aug. 29.

Not included in the renovation budget: money to replace the library books or those provided for the 23 classrooms.

Maha Zahid said in a telephone interview she wanted to help replace the school's books. She and friend Christina Christianson agreed to organize the book drive as they develop skills required to receive the Girl Scout Cadettes' highest honor, the Silver Award. Girls in sixth, seventh or eighth grade earn the award by demonstrating leadership through a community service project.

The girls have coordinated two separate book donation stations: Plymouth District Library through July 26 and, starting today, at through July 18. Visitors will find decorated boxes at each location.

"We need preschool to fifth-grade books," said Maja Zahid. She said the main kinds of books needed are accelerated reader books, chapter books, dictionaries, thesauruses and encyclopedias. She said the original goal was to collect 100 books "but we found out that sometimes the kids really like the books and they take them home," she said. "So we want to get extra books so we can give them to the kids, too."

So far, nearly 15 books have been donated at Plymouth's library. Zahid said she will keep Canton Patch readers posted on the donation numbers. She and Christianson are taking turns checking the boxes on a daily basis.Donors can leave the books at either library, each of which has a box decorated by the Girl Scouts.For details on this donation program, call the Plymouth Library at 734-453-0750, extension 242 or at the Canton Library at 734-397-0999.