RALEIGH, N.C. — Debbie Semple knows a thing or two about picking out a good book. 

The former Wake County teacher even saw a couple of favorites at a recent free book drive at Lincoln Heights Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina. But these fun reads took second place to her favorite part of this event. 

“The kids' smiles, that's the best," Semple, who was volunteering at the event, said. "They’re so happy to get these books and know they’re going to be able keep them, and they’re there. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”

This book drive was put together by WAKE Up and Read, a group helping improve literacy among children.

With hundreds of young minds prepped with bright orange bags, and the ability to pick whatever book catches their eye, there was a real need to keep up with demand.

That’s where Semple and her group at the Fuquay-Varina Women’s Club stepped up. 

“We ended up collecting 2,033 books, which was a record for us," Semple said. "We’ve done this for three years now and that’s the most we’ve collected." 

As a retired teacher, who spent much of her career in Fuquay-Varina, Semple is no stranger to the school library. She says books are the foundation to a good education. 

“You can’t learn if you don’t know how to read," she said. "It’s so important to get them into a love of reading and learning, and then they’re set for life.”

Helping the children assemble bags full of page turners for the summer, Semple says these kids are set up for a better future. 

“One little fella, he said that he didn’t like books, but he found some that he liked," Semple said. "So that piques their interest and gets them to want to know what’s in the book and this just makes me happy.”