SUDBURY -- A teacher, author and literacy advocate is helping educators in the United States and Canada fill classroom libraries with books.  

Penny Kittle and her husband, Pat, created the Book Love Foundation with the goal of getting generations of students to fall in love with reading.

"Choice inspires reading" is the motto of the non-profit organization.  

Kittle's belief is given the right books, time to read, and regular response to their thinking, kids can develop a rich reading life.

For the past seven years, deserving teachers have received donations of classroom libraries of approximately 200 books.

"We get about 500 applications a year from teachers in Canada and the U.S.," said Kittle. “They fill out that application and it goes to a pair of readers. And then, that pair of readers chooses finalists, and then we determine the grant winners."

Kittle says 100 per cent of the donations received by the foundation are used to buy books for students.

Grant applications for 2020 are being accepted until March 15.

Catch my full interview with Penny Kittle on CTV News at 5 or later online.