Submitted photo Eastern Greene Elementary School was recently awarded a Dollar General Store Back-To-School grant which totaled $1,666.The grant helped purchase more than 100 new non-fiction books and corresponding Accelerated Reader quizzes for E-G Elementary students. Pictured enjoying the new titles are Martha Marmouze, a fourth grade teacher, and her class.

Eastern Greene Elementary School was recently awarded a Dollar General Store Back-To-School grant which totaled $1,666.

The grant helped purchase more than 100 new non-fiction books and corresponding Accelerated Reader quizzes for E-G Elementary students, explained Susan Dare, grant writer and EG Elementary School librarian.

"It's phenomenal. When I was doing the automation about two years ago ... and when I went through the nonfiction books it almost brought tears to my eyes. ... A lot of them (books) were from the 1960s," Dare said.

The books are aimed at the lower-level readers.

"To me it's just so important to get them reading young," Dare said. "The (new) books are in circulation. They're almost all checked out."

Word on the grant came about a month ago.

She explained, "I was ecstatic. They brought the letter in to me and I assumed it was a letter thanking us for participating. ... I opened it up and let out a little screech. ... This is a big thing for us."

Newly added to the library collection is about 50 non-fiction books on dinosaurs, among several other books.

The "It's Facts, Not Fiction" grant is aimed at providing funds to assist schools and enhance or expand school libraries, media centers or literacy programs.

Many Eastern Greene Elementary students prefer non-fiction books, Dare added.