Bringing books

Cristina Fernandez

16岁女孩发起了一场名为“For Love&Buttercup”的捐书活动，专门帮助在医院治疗的患癌儿童。

Bhatnagar has always loved reading.“Growing up, I was really shy, so I always turned to books.They became my best friends when I didn't have one,”she said.

In 2019, when Bhatnagar was in her second year of high school, her dad suffered from cancer.The news was difficult for the family.Books became an even bigger comfort, and she started thinking about families in similar situations.When her father recovered, she came up with a plan to help others.The idea came from the fact that there were kids who were facing the same problem.

Then, Bhatnagar started a book drive in her hometown, Gaithersburg, Maryland.The goal was to collect books and give them to kids being treated for cancer in local hospitals.Her father was not surprised by this plan.“She always wants to do things for the neighborhood,”he said.Since the start of the book drive, which she calls For Love & Buttercup, Bhatnagar has collected more than 10,000 books.Bhatnagar had no idea how much attention her work would get.She started by posting on social media, asking people in her area to donate.“I was expecting maybe two or three neighbors to do it.But it ended up blowing up, especially when newspapers began reporting it,”she said.

Bhatnagar continues to run the book drive with her parents' help.She hopes to one day make it reach more kids.The memory of the first time she visited children who'd received her books moved her.“It was the best day of my life.I realized I wanted to do this type of work forever,”she said.

Reading Check

Why did Bhatnagar start the book drive in her hometown?

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