Teen Leads Book Club for Kids Who Have Parents Behind Bars

It started with an Angel Tree.

One Christmas, Olivia Stinson met kids whose names hung on a Christmas tree at her church. Their names were there because their parents weren't; they were in prison.

Olivia met them again the next year. But she wanted to do more than see them once a year.

So she started the PEN Pals Book Club, a combination literacy and support program for children with a parent behind bars. It has about 80 members including adult volunteers and mentors.

This week, the 16-year-old sophomore from Mallard Creek High was named a winner of the Nestle Very Best in Youth Competition. She and 23 other honorees each won a $1,000 donation to a charity of their choice and a four-day trip to Los Angeles in July.

It's only the latest honor for Olivia and PEN Pals. With the help of her mother, Jackie, she's won at least four grants totaling $6,500, all of which have gone into the book club.

"She's a fantastic student," says Rachel Brand, her school guidance counselor. "She has always been a pleasure. Always smiling, willing to help and wanting to be involved."

The Stinsons say they've learned there are 5,600 children of incarcerated parents in Mecklenburg County. The club originally served kids 12-19. This year it began inviting those as young as 5. About two dozen come to monthly meetings.

They gather for dinner and book discussions at Greenville Memorial AME Zion church. For older kids, Olivia picks out and buys books, such as "Tears of a Tiger," a novel about a young black man involved in a drunken driving accident.

She chooses books that deal with self-esteem and other issues teens can relate to.

"It's like a social event when we see each other," says Olivia, a slender girl with straight black hair. "We have fun. We talk. We laugh. We play."

Her mom, Jackie, a former teacher, said one mother recounted how her child had no interest in books until joining the club. The mother teared up describing the new-found love of reading.

Since it started in 2007, PEN Pals has evolved into more than a book club.

Tonight, for example, members will go bowling. They've attended dance recitals, a Charlotte Bobcats game and performances such as the "Nutcracker" at the Blumenthal. They've also reached out through service projects.

They collected 336 pairs of jeans for needy kids, donated school supplies for an after-school program and provided child-care services.

The club has "adopted" three families with incarcerated parents, helping them with clothing and other supplies. Jackie Stinson even has become foster parent to a 2-year-old girl through the program.

Olivia, who loves to shop and put together puzzles, has found a lot in common with the kids in her club.

"We're all alike," she says, "except I live with my mom and they might live with another relative because their parent made a mistake."

Around school, Olivia doesn't brag about her accomplishments, says Brand, the guidance counselor.

"Sometimes I wish kids like that would boast," she says, "because it is important to have good role models."

SOURCE: Charlotte Observer

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