PS MS 29 students visit Storyland The Bronx Book Haven. (Credit: Jonathan Calixto)
Storyland the Bronx Book Haven, a reading lounge at the Bronx Terminal Market, opened its doors to student visitors for the first time on Oct. 23.
“This is not a library, and it is not a bookstore. It is literally a reading lounge,” said Sulma Arzu-Brown, 46, executive director of the new book lounge.
More than 20 students from PS MS 29, from second to eighth grades, were the first to step foot in the new space. Jodi-Ann Morris, a Bronx author, engaged with the students by starting with a dance session followed by a story time, reading her self-published book “Suwie.”
“It feels amazing because I get to read new books,” said Rosalie Rodriguez, 7, one of many students excited about the visit.
Reading skills are a pressing issue for New York City schools, especially in the Bronx. The 2024 Math and English Language Arts results by New York City Public Schools, released in August, show that third and eighth grade English Language Arts scores are trending downward: third-grade reading scores decreased by 3% and eighth-grade scores by more than 6%, in comparison to last year. According to a documentary, “One Point Five Million” by Gregory Hernandez, a Bronx native filmmaker, 70% of third-grade students in the South Bronx are unable to read at grade level.
Morris said change is possible, and it starts with not just a space for reading but also offering a diversity in books. “Sulma has books from different ethnicities,” she said. For Arzu-Brown it is important to also give easy access to families with a book lounge in their “backyard.” “They don’t have to go to Manhattan, like I used to do with my kids,” she said.
Author Jodi-Ann Morris reads a copy of her book to a 2nd grader. (Credit: Jonathan Calixto)
The Storyland project began in April, when Janet Jimenez, general manager at Bronx Terminal Market, was brainstorming with Maria Armstrong, co-chair of the board of directors at Storyland, and Arzu-Brown about creating a reading space for families. The lease was signed on July 1, and almost three months later the opening is happening in a location Jimenez said has been a part of special causes.
“This space was the foundation of food distributions during Covid, and now to give it a space for the community to connect, it is amazing,” Jimenez said.
Arzu-Brown said getting to opening day took a lot of kindness from the community. “Mostly everything you see has been donated and built, brought-in, painted and organized by volunteers,” she said. Arzu-Brown will launch a GoFundMe later in November to continue to fund this project, in the meantime, “we have come out of pocket personally,” she said.
Storyland plans to hold financial literacy programs and to create a reading room for expecting parents, but Arzu-Brown is ”excited to hear what the community wants.”
Arzu-Brown thanked more than 55 people from donors to local businesses, and credits the idea for change to children. “If you really want something dope in the Bronx, ask the kids what they want to see and implement it,” Arzu-Brown said.
