About Friends Through Books

In March 2009 we had the amazing opportunity to travel to the Caribbean island of Carriacou with our family. Our parents were there as part of The Ashby Windward Foundation, which helps provide free medical care to the citizens of Grenada on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. While our physician parents were working at the Carriacou Health Services Clinic, we visited a local Roman Catholic school, The L’Esterre Rosary School.  It was our intent to meet some of the students in our grades and see if there was anything that we could do to volunteer our time at their school. While there we realized that the school did not have a library. We have always been avid readers and thought this would be a great opportunity to donate our previously read books to the school. During the remainder of the school year we enlisted the help of our classmates in Boise Idaho. The response was so great that we decided to start Friends Through Books as a way to continue to give to the many elementary schools on both Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

All books that are donated go directly to the schools in these areas. We also though it would be fun to develop a pen pal program between these students and those in our community. Every book that is donated is marked with the name and address, or email address, of the donor so that when a student reads their donated book in Carriacou or Petite Martinique, they will have the  opportunity to  correspond with the student in the United States. We are hoping to develop new friendships through our mutual love of books.

Kyle Ashby Kyle is currently an eighth grade student at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Boise, Idaho. She enjoys volleyball, traveling, swimming, reading and spending time with her friends and her Australian Shepherd, Owen. Kyle has participated in the National Science Olympiad for the past 2 years and has won first place in Ecology, second place in Rocks and Mineral and Physics Lab, in addition to making the National Team representing Idaho 2 years in a row. She is a member of the Junior National Honor Society, concert band and the volleyball team . She is interested in pursuing a career in Law or Forensic Science.

Graham Ashby Graham is currently a 9th grade student at Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, Idaho. She enjoys tennis, swimming, traveling, reading and spending time with her friends and her Pug, Winifred. Graham has won several academic awards including 3 first place medals in the subject of Anatomy for the state of Idaho in the National Science Olympiad competition. She is a member of the Junior National Honor Society, concert band and the tennis team. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine and become a Cardiologist or a Radiologist.