WESTBROOK, Maine — School libraries across Maine are set to receive a bundle of new books, all aimed at increasing representation and diversity.
The Pine Project is an initiative created between the nonprofit I'm Your Neighbor Books and the Maine Department of Education in order to drive conversations and lessons of diversity and acceptance with students and their teachers.
A few years ago, the nonprofit started offering a bundle of books known as the "Welcoming Library" to schools across Maine and nationwide a month at a time.
Each book explores themes of immigration, diversity, cultural competency, and belonging.
"Could a small group of volunteers, calling themselves 'I'm Your Neighbor' use words and stories to shift the perception of welcoming and belonging in America?" I'm Your Neighbor Books Executive Director Kirsten Cappy explained.
Now, each school district in Maine will receive its own collection known as the Welcoming Library: Pine Collection.
"These books are not just pages filled with words and illustrations. They're windows into lives and cultures that deserve to be seen and understood," I'm Your Neighbor Books board member Charles Mugabe said.
Along with receiving the books, the collection comes with educational resources for teachers and a Maine-made bookshelf, designed by Nomak Design based in Biddeford and created by Orion Woodworking out of Lisbon Falls.
Francie Latour is an author of one of the books in the collection: "Auntie Luce's Talking Paintings." She said she hopes her story will help foster a sense of relatability for young students.
"When I was their age, I never saw any books like this that reflected myself," Latour said, inspiring her to write her own. "The world is poorer by not having these stories and experiences and historical truth-telling."
The Pine Project initiative was made possible through federal emergency relief funds, as part of Maine's Whole Student Pandemic Response.