Books Open Horizons: The Power of Imagination
I am Georgina Bacchelli, a literature teacher and co-founder of the David Blanco Community Library. For more than 14 years, together with my team, we have been working in Mendoza, Argentina, to ensure that children in vulnerable situations have access to books, culture, and community. On the occasion of International Children’s Book Day, I would like to share what this work can mean for children.
In the neighborhoods where we work, poverty, insecurity, addiction, and violence are part of many children’s daily lives. Many parents never entered the education system or did not complete elementary school. In this context, the following idea takes on special meaning: when everything seems limited, the ability to imagine another reality becomes an essential tool.
Books Create New Worlds
For many children, their first encounter with a book does not happen at home or at school, but through our initiatives. For example, we started by bringing books directly to children using a shopping cart, going door to door. Children approach with curiosity to see what we have brought. They can choose interesting books, flip through them, and experience for the first time that reading is something alive and personal.
Reading is not just about understanding words. It is about discovering stories, recognizing oneself in characters, and expressing emotions for which there may not yet be words. Reading develops patience, concentration, wonder, and the ability to be calm — skills that are especially valuable in uncertain environments.
Even more important is the imagination that books awaken. They allow children to think about other worlds, imagine new ways of living, and question their own reality. For children growing up in precarious conditions, the ability to dream and visualize a different future is not a luxury — it is a tool to avoid becoming trapped in limiting patterns.
This is where the book begins to take effect. It does not immediately change circumstances, but it changes the way a child sees the world. And this shift in perspective is the first step toward building their own path.
The Power of Collective Work
Something I consider essential is that, through books and our initiatives, children not only learn about stories and fantasy, but also discover what can be achieved when people organize and work together. They see that collaboration, commitment, and solidarity create a powerful impact.
Currently, our library operates in a container, but we are searching for better spaces where children can feel comfortable, learn, play, and read. Our vision is to provide them with a place that sparks curiosity and encourages creativity.
The women who run this organization, myself included, hold multiple jobs to sustain the project, and we do not receive financial support from the municipality. To fund the library, we organize raffles, prepare homemade jams, and carry out other small initiatives. We also depend on donations for materials, books, and infrastructure.
This work is only possible thanks to commitment, creativity, and support. Every contribution — whether time, knowledge, or resources — makes a real difference for children.
The team behind this project works with great heart and limited resources to bring culture and education where they normally do not reach. In Mendoza, there are also many other libraries and social projects with the same goal: bringing literature closer to children with fewer opportunities. Despite scarce resources, these initiatives often have a profound impact on children’s lives.
In the end, all these efforts serve something bigger. What matters is not only that a child has a book, but what happens when they open it. A story opens — and with it, a possibility. A thought, a feeling, an idea. Perhaps even a new way of seeing themselves.
“A book does not change reality on its own. But it can change how a child understands it, imagines it, and faces it. And in that small — and enormous — change, everything begins.”
And when that change begins, nothing is ever the same again.
Greetings from Mendoza, Argentina, and Happy International Children’s Book Day.
Georgina Bacchelli
Literature Teacher and Co‑Founder
David Blanco Community Library
Mendoza, Argentina
