Alvina Lei - age 9, 4th Grade Student, San Miguel Child Development Center, " A Living Library is part of nature and it can be part things that are alive like us. It is also part of things that are useful for us and nature. Just like water and trees, also vegetables for us to eat and sell to other people for money."

Neilson Chan - age 8, 3rd Grade Student, San Miguel Child Development Center, "A Living Library is something that is living and what people create. Nature is part of a living library, a garden, vegetables, buildings, etc. A living library is very beautiful. Everything is part of a living library. A living library is everything around us."

Stan DeBella - Head, Science Department, Balboa High School, "I believe that A Living Library will be a valuable asset to the science programs at all three linked campuses. The Elementary, Middle School, and High School students are only familiar with an urban environment generally. By setting up model plant communities they can see the critical interactions necessary to form a community. By participating they also get "buy in" and feel that they are also responsible for the care and maintenance of these sites."

Dennice DiGirolamo - Lead Teacher, San Miguel Child Development Center, "Children learn best in settings that clearly relate to real life. This is just one reason why it is important to further develop and implement the OMI / Excelsior Living Library & Think Park. It has and will provide a context in which children can define for themselves the relationships between ideas and learnings and their applications to real life situations. It provides a setting in which children can apply what they are learning, test out new ideas and learn to work with others on common goals."

Terry Chan - age 9, 4th Grade Student, San Miguel Child Development Center, "A Living Library is nature. Nature is part of A Living Library; I feel alot of living things here. A Living Library are living things. Everthing is like a living library."

Simon Zhong - age 9, 4th Grade Student, San Miguel Child Development Center "A Living Library means nature and I think it means a library with different stories that come to life !!!!!!! And that is my theory. Buildings and things people make is part of A Living Library too."

Thomas Lei - age 9, 4th Grade Student, San Miguel Child Development Center, "I feel every thing like nature feels. I think a living library is something that lives. The second thing I feel is that god gave us this. I like every thing in a living library."

Tony Wolcott - President, Urban Tree Foundation, "A Living Library is something without boundaries. We always think in terms of boxes and if there's anything that can tear down those boxes, then it is all to the good. You take some plants and as a group plant them. The benefit lies in the process of the doing. So people learn about what species to plant, how to plant properly, and how to work together with other people. Over a period of time, plants will grow and everybody's understanding will also grow. A Living Library is creating an ongoing process that is always producing benefits."

Michael Gemmet - Dean and Head Counselor, James Denman Middle School, "A Living Library is a wonderful way to give students the opportunity to learn, work cooperatively with others, and take pride in their environment. It also provides a way to give students who have experienced truancy problems, a compelling reason to once again be interested in their studies."

Mary Phelps - Speech & Language Specialist, James Denman Middle School, "The concept and program of A Living Library helps kids with language development. I'll never forget the smile on David Talo's face as he watered the garden. I'm sure this contributed to his feeling of self worth."

email:bonnieora@alivinglibrary.org

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