An island teen hoping to instill the love of reading in young children and improve literacy has launched a book drive.

Isaac Roter, a student at Vashon High School, is asking islanders to donate books in good condition for the Vashon Kids program, a child care program Vashon Youth & Family Services runs at Chautauqua Elementary School for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Books can be dropped off until May 31 at the Vashon  Bookshop, Bookman West (in the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie building) and the Vashon High School library.

Roter said the idea came to him while attending a youth leadership program in North Carolina, where participants were charged with creating a program that would better their communities.

A friend at the conference said she wanted to center her project on literacy, and Roter said this sparked something in him, and he created the READ program, which stands for Read, Enjoy and Discover.

“Reading is a passion of mine and has been since I first learned to spell,” he wrote in a recent email to The Beachcomber. “I want to share this passion with those who need help unlocking the joy of reading.”

All the books he receives will augment the books already at Vashon Kids and will be used in its summer program. At the end of the summer, Roter said, children can take the books home if they would like.

While the program is under way this summer, Roter said the focus will be meeting children’s reading needs and providing more exposure to books for those who would benefit from one-on-one time with a teen reading coach.

For more information about the program, email Roter at isaacflame@gmail.com.