| There was a group of children in one of
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| | have remained in the dark had something
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| the Seattle schools who came up with an
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| | bad not happened. A month ago, Mary
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| idea. They wanted to turn sad things into
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| | Cooper and her daughter Susanna Stodden
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| happy things, find the positive in the
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| | went for a hike in the Mount
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| negative. The idea came about because
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| | Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. They
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| when you are in the third or fourth
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| | were found shot to death in a double
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| grade, life can be sweet one moment,
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| | slaying that convulsed the region.
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| stale candy the next. One of the girls in
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| | The unsolved murders particularly hit
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| the group, Amy, who just turned 11, had a
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| | home for the children at Decatur AEII
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| beloved pet bunny named Roger who died.
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| | Elementary School in North Seattle
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| The loss still smarts.Through their
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| | because Cooper was their librarian, the
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| informal club, Amy and her school
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| | keeper of their stories, a smiling
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| pals—Jasmine, Chloe, Hailey, Annie,
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| | inspirer of their dreams. "Mary in the
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| Madi and Naomi—would try to turn
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| | Library"—as children sweetly
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| frowns upside down. The only question was
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| | christened her—transformed an
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| how.
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| | ordinary place into an extraordinary
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| The children thought about it. They
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| | space.
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| decided that books would become their
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| | On a recent afternoon the school's
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| tool for making a difference. School had
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| | library was summertime silent. Atop a
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| deepened their love of books. They
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| | wood table sat a cardboard box that held
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| respected the power of words on the
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| | three dozen books, including one about
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| printed page—no small feat in a
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| | brainy bunnies and another about that
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| television age. Books could offer stories
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| | mischievous cooking pot. These were
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| with powerful messages, they knew, and
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| | books—along with "Peter and the
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| such messages could inspire. The girls
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| | Starcatchers" and others—that
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| asked people in their neighborhoods as
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| | Cooper had on her wish list.
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| well as the parents of classmates to
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| | Her wish came true thanks to Amy,
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| donate toasters, baby toys and whatever
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| | Jasmine, Chloe, Hailey, Annie, Madi and
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| they could for a big garage sale the
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| | Naomi—along with everyone who
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| first week of June. They raised $400.
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| | pitched in to help these Decatur
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| The girls bought 36 books. They already
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| | students. After the unthinkable happened,
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| had a home for them inside their
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| | the girls got together. They crafted
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| elementary school library, where one wall
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| | designs for a bookplate that will go
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| features a poster from the 1963 March on
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| | inside each of the new books before
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| Washington and another bears a photo of
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| | school starts. The plate has a sun in one
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| the late Coretta Scott King. Inspired by
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| | corner, a moon in another. It shows an
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| a school librarian, they worked as a team
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| | open book with its front and back covers
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| toward a goal.
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| | in view. One cover says "Mary" and the
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| It is easy to miss such learning that
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| | other says "Cooper." Down the spine are
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| occurs regularly in the public schools.
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| | three words: "In Memory Of. Such a worthy
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| Budget woes, school closures and scandals
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| | tribute is one way a group of dedicated
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| involving high school hoops teams tend to
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| | children is forging lasting good out of a
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| make for juicier headlines. The book club
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| | lingering horror.
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| is one of those quiet stories that would
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