{From the 2023 Christmas Newsprint Magazine}
Written by Taylor Flynn | Photos by Susan Blackburn Photography
While you will not find Saratoga Children’s Literacy League (SCLL) co-founders Debra Nicastro and Erin Smith in a sleigh on your roof this Christmas Eve, you can certainly catch them driving their book bus throughout Saratoga County all year ‘round. Named after their adorable dogs, Clifford and Ollie’s Book Bus has provided over 1500 free books to children since late August. The organization’s “simple” mission is to collect new or gently used books, refurbish them if necessary, and distribute them to children to help them establish a home library and a love of reading.
Nicastro’s and Smith’s passion and friendship is immediately evident, one often finishing the other’s sentence; Smith starts, “People just keep reaching out with ideas and I’m like . . .” “I feel like I just won the lottery!” Nicastro excitedly exclaims. Numerous local organizations have partnered with SCLL since their founding in March, Nicastro asserting, “anywhere there’s a need we’ll figure it out.” The ladies visited summer camps, attended multiple Trunk-or-Treats this past Halloween, currently work with Head Start every Monday, have teamed up with a local Girl Scout Troop as well as Four Winds, Rise, and Skidmore College, and plan to place shelves filled with their books around the county, notably at Franklin Community Center. These partnerships along with their desire to engage with the community, specifically through their book mending workshops, are another essential part of their rapidly successful endeavor.
“You really see the magic when the kids are coming up and picking out books and then they leave super psyched and super happy,” professes Nicastro. She and Smith emphasize that although libraries are a great way to access books, “it’s really nice to be able to have a bookshelf in your home where you can . . . grab a book at any time and you know that they’re yours.” The book bus allows children to pick out books they are truly interested in reading and is the perfect way for parents to give a new life to books their family has outgrown.
∅The organization’s first official fundraising event will be held on Jan. 31 at Cantina. You can visit SaratogaChildrensLiteracyLeague.org to learn more or make a monetary contribution to support the purchase of their new book bus. For book donations, email
