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FRASER — Inspired by his mother’s love of reading, one student at Emerson Elementary school donated money to create his own reading corner in the school’s library.
Cody Conser-Quarterman said his mom inspired him to create his corner in the library. His mother passed away when he was just 5 years old.
“She always had a book in her hand,” Conser-Quarterman said.
His grandparents, Robin Quarterman and Paul Quarterman, helped fund the corner. Robin said one day her grandson noticed the dedications in some of the books at the library.
“He asked if we could do it and I said, ‘How much do you think is a good amount?’” Robin said. “And, you know, he was 7 years old. He said, ‘Fifty dollars is good.’ I said, ‘Well, we could probably do better.’ I said, ‘What about $500?’”
Robin said with a laugh that Conser-Quarterman then said librarian Jennifer Barozzini was going to be happy. Barozzini said she was in fact happy and that it made her cry.
“But good cry,” Barozzini said. “It was a good cry.”
Robin and Conser-Quarterman then went to the principal of the school with the idea, and he was on board with it.
Together Conser-Quarterman and Barozzini selected the books for the corner. A few of Conser-Quarterman’s favorite books are displayed in his corner along with a few he hasn’t read yet. His favorite book is called “The Invisible String.” The book says that no matter how far a loved one is, they are attached by an invisible string.
He said the book is about love.
“I like it because my mom always had a book in her hand,” Conser-Quarterman said. “And she kind of loved the world. She always went everywhere.”
“‘The Invisible String’ is about being connected to his mother in heaven,” Paul said. “From down here, up there, that she’s never going to be completely away from him.”
Barozzini said they chose a lot of books about music because Conser-Quarterman’s mother loved music. She also said they chose a lot of books about space and knowledge.
“Because every time Cody would come to the library, he would grab a book and he would ask me, ‘Is this the most intellectual book that you have?’” Barozzini said.
She went on to say that they chose books they thought Conser-Quarterman would like.
“And we also kind of aged them up,” Barozzini said. “So he could read them now and then there’s books that he could read all the way up through sixth grade.”
Conser-Quarterman was a part of the whole process from scanning the books into the computer to placing the dedication label onto the front inside cover. However, the reading corner was a complete surprise.
“He did not know that was coming,” Robin said. “None of us knew that was coming. We knew the books were coming but we didn’t know the corner was coming.”
Other students have asked about Cody’s Corner, Barozzini said, and they open up about passed loved ones.
“They’re not sad when they talk about it, you know,” Barozzini said. “I had a couple little girls that kind of opened up to me a little bit because of it.”
Robin said the books help ease the conversation about death and make it not as taboo. She hopes other kids are inspired by Conser-Quarterman and his kindness and said she is very proud of him.
“I mean, for him to think of that, he just has a lot of empathy for a little boy. He thinks of others all the time,” she said.
