GLASTONBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — With the help of its community, a Glastonbury book store is donating books to local children, keeping them entertained and educated during the pandemic. 

“We have decided to put together some book bundles to give to kids who are suffering with a lack of fresh reading materials at their homes due to school and library closures,” said owner Meghan Hayden of her shop’s ‘Book Bundles.’ 

Through community donations, she was able to curate age-appropriate books and hand them out at both the Glastonbury and East Hartford school lunch distribution sites. 

“We put a call out to our community for a little support and we sold book bundles for $25,” she explained. “We said that we would get seven to 12 books into the hands of local kids.” 

To date, they’ve donated 2,200 books and these bundles have become so popular that they’re working on a few hundred more to give away in the next few weeks. 

River Bend Bookshop Manager Audrey Beatty told News 8, “Really I feel like books are everything for a kid at this time because we’re so limited in what we can do and where we can go during a pandemic that books are really a gateway to the world.” 

More donations are in the works and for those looking to help, there’s an option to ‘buy a bundle’ on the River Bend Bookshop website. 

Hayden says she’s excited to provide even more books and credits the power of community for the project’s success. 

“The outpouring of support has proven that our community is a lot closer,” she said. “And we’re flexible and creative and have figured out how to adapt.”