Braintree middle school students are the recipients of 140 copies of the family classic “The War of the Worlds,” written by H.G. Wells. The donation was made possible by The Boston Globe in association with Paperview S.A., as part of an ongoing commitment to literacy in the community.
The books were delivered to more than 50 schools in November and December, as part of a program initiated by the Boston Globe to donate more than 15,000 copies of the book to schools across Greater Boston.
“The War of the Worlds” is the first book in a series of Boston Globe Family Classics. The collection of classic books features 10 titles including “Treasure Island,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Little Women,” “Black Beauty” and “Narrative of Sojourner Truth.” A full set of the Family Classics Book Collection has also been donated to every middle school in the Boston public school system. The entire Family Classics Books Collection will be available through mid-January 2006 at participating retailers. The collection can also be ordered at The Boston Globe Store at http://www.bostonglobestore.com/
To bring “The War of the Worlds” story to life for area children, the Boston Globe teamed with WBOS 92.9 FM Radio to visit five middle schools in the Greater Boston area to read from “The War of the Worlds” and discuss the national scare generated when it debuted on the Mercury Theater radio broadcast on Halloween night in 1938. By setting the story in contemporary America and telling the story through a series of news flashes, thousands across the country believed that Martians had invaded the United States.
“The historical broadcast shows the power media can have over the local community,” said Hugo Colasante, Director of Single Copy Sales and Marketing, The Boston Globe. “The donation of copies of “The War of the Worlds” to local schools has allowed us to share that historical perspective with the students while simultaneously helping us reinforce the importance of literacy in our community.”
The donation is part of more than 15,000 books donated across the region.