A Canyon High School freshman Madelyn Krestul has pledged to donate 2,000 new books to Mint Canyon Elementary School, following in her sister’s “Code Read” footsteps.

For the Krestuls, reading is a family mission. The non-profit “Code Read” was established in 2016 by Mackenzie Krestul, Madelyn’s sister. The organization advocates for youth literacy, with the mission to provide kids with equal access to reading material.

“The goal is creating an air of anticipation and eagerness, with books being something special to be treasured and looked forward to,” said Mackenzie Krestul.

Code Read has been awarded grants from The Nora Roberts Foundation, The Water Buffalo Club, The Walmart Foundation, Believe in Reading and the Sundt Foundation.

In 2021, Code Read embarked on a capital campaign to raise funds to purchase a custom Bookmobile.  This free bookstore-on-wheels will be equipped with book carts, which store up to 2,000 books. The Bookmobile would allow Code Read to increase outreach, visiting Head Start Centers, Children’s Hospitals, Juvenile Detention Centers and Senior Centers.

The mission stems from findings that reveal a strong correlation between literacy and socioeconomic status.

“Students from higher income homes seeing higher literacy levels, and students from low-income homes falling behind, often years behind their peers,” states the Michigan Journal of Economics.

According to Code Read, research has shown that increasing access to books and giving children the opportunity to choose what they read boosts literacy levels, bridges the gap between privileged youth and low-income youth, and improves attitudes toward reading and learning.

Now, at 15, Madelyn is following in her sister’s legacy, planning to donate 2,000 books to Mint Canyon  Elementary School, which brings Code Read’s total donated books to over 50,000.

Every student at Mint Canyon is expected to be able to choose four new books to take home along with a book bag and bookmark.

More information about Code Read can be found here.

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