Teen delivers on goal to give away books

A little more than a year ago, it was much easier for Megan Mettler s parents to get the car into the garage of their Santa Ana home. But since then, their 13-year-old has collected more than 17,000 children s books that she has distributed to needy children, schools and hospitals. That means at any given time, a few thousand books find a temporary home in their garage. On Sunday, Mettler, an eighth-grader at Fairmont Schools Anaheim Hills campus, took up a collection at the Orange County Children s Book Festival in Costa Mesa, getting sponsors to hand out coupons for donors who brought books. Within a couple of hours she had amassed hundreds of titles. We may have to clear out part of the living room, quipped Mettler s father, Markus. Megan Mettler got the idea last year How to help Got some old Richard Scarry books that could use a new home? Email Megan Mettler at lsreail to donate them while volunteering in the soup kitchen at the temple her family attends eless children. I thought, They need books, Mettler said I love books. I can t remember a time when I didn t have a book in my hand. That s when Mettler cleared her bedroom, starting the drive. She thought she would collect a few hundred books, but instead amassed thousands as word of the Kids READ! Drive spread Mettler wanted to collect 13,000 books by her 13th birthday in March - a goal she reached. The highlight came in July, when Met tier and her family delivered 3,000 books to tornado-ravaged Joplin, which had lost several of its hools. Markus and his wife, Mary, said they re proud 'their daughter had the initiative to^ start her own charitable program, rather than simply joining an existing one. Some of the kids write thank-you notes, and that s inspired (Megan) even more, Markus said. Some of them say, This is the first time I ve ever owned a book. Mid-moming, Megan Mettler uding Clifford and Lemony Snicket, filling many of the car aboard banana crates her parents had stockpiled. It s great they re able to help and they re willing to, Mettler said. It s not Just thinking about it, it s