The books were on display during a recent open house at the media center. Students, staff, and township and school officials were invited to browse through the newest additions to the media center collection, which now numbers 13,000 books, said Mary Henderson, media specialist at the school.

"The books are a welcome addition to our collection," said Henderson, who displayed the new books on tables. "It costs about $20 for each library-bound book."

"We were lucky to be able to buy so many at one time. We also used the grant to buy two desktop computers for the library and one laptop that I can put on a cart and bring from classroom to classroom to teach lessons via an overhead projector," she said.

The school was one of 116 in Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex counties that applied for the bank foundation's 2007 grant program. Manchester and Ridgeway elementary schools, both here, each received $10,000 grants, said Frances Scudese, principal at Manchester Elementary.

Henderson said in her grant application that she would buy elementary school-level books that will help children learn about manners, civic responsibility, patriotism, the voting process, community service, and local, county, state and federal governments.

"We want our students to learn about the rights and responsibilities they have as citizens, but first they need to learn the very basics — manners and values," she said.

Henderson said she also selected biographies about people who made a difference in the world.

Scudese said $10,000 is a large amount of money for an elementary school to receive to buy library materials.

"An elementary school can do a lot with that kind of money," she added.

Two members of the school's Impact Club, whose members do community service, assisted during the open house and looked at the new books.

Grace Teeple, 10, said she loves books and reading and easily found a biography about Gen. George S. Patton Jr., whom she called her "favorite soldier."

"I have a really thick book about him at home in my room," she said as she paged through the new book in the library.

Sam Lychock, 9, said he likes Dr. Seuss books, but he took a look at a book about Milton Hershey, the chocolatier.

Sam said he would rather do research in the library using books rather than on a computer.

"I looked up Teddy Roosevelt once, and teddy bears kept popping up on the computer," he said. "With a book, you find the title and open the book up, and the information is all in one place."

Some of the new titles include "School Rules," "What Freedom Means to Me," "A Flag for Our Country," "Out and About at City Hall," "Knowing Your Civil Rights," "The Copper Lady" and "The Liberty Bell."

Bonnie Delaney: (732) 557-5738 or bdelaney@app.com