Assistance League of Bend will be providing free Scholastic books at the upcoming Tower Theatre’s Free Family Movie Night on Friday, May 12. Children from Elk Meadow Elementary School, a Title 1 school in Bend, will be given priority tickets to attend the free showing of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”. At the previous Free Family Movie Night at the Tower Theatre on March 10, children from Bear Creek Elementary School (also a Title 1 school in Bend) were given priority tickets to the event. Assistance League of Bend members were on hand to distribute over 370 free Scholastic books. Thanks to their Operation School Bell^®  literacy initiative, families were able to select age-appropriate books based on their child’s grade level: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.  A third literacy event took place at La Pine’s Pinefrost Festival on Saturday, February 4 at the La Pine Community Center where 161 books were given to children. Studies show that encouraging children to read helps to improve their skills and promotes a lifelong habit.