Meet Nazareth's "Whiz Kid" Alysse Danyi

"Whiz Kid" Facts:

• Name: Alysse Danyi
• School: 4th grader at 
• Church: 
• School Activities: Alternate for Student Council
• Activities: Girl Scouts; Plays basketball, soccer and softball for the Nazareth recreation league; Attends the Art of Dancing School in Bethlehem.
• Accomplishment: Collected 1,020 books in about three months for the Cops ‘n’ Kids Literacy Program.

"Whiz Kid" Key to Awesomeness:

According to Alysse Danyi: “I’m a good kid."

According to Michele Danyi, Alysse’s mother: “Alysse has an uncanny ability to look beyond herself, which I think is very admirable of her -- and at this age."

When Alysse was about to turn 10 years old this past January, her mother was planning a birthday party for her daughter and her friends. Michele asked Alysse what she would like for her birthday, but the answer was surprising: she told her she didn’t want anything.

This posed a minor problem since party guests are normally expected to bring a gift. The pair thought about it, and together decided to request children’s books as gifts, which they would then donate to the Cops ‘n’ Kids Literacy Program.

According to the literacy program's website, "The Cops ‘n’ Kids Children’s Literacy Program is a national initiative founded by Julia Burney Witherspoon, a police officer from Racine, Wisconsin. In 2003, the program was formally adopted by Quota International of Bethlehem, establishing the Quota International of Bethlehem Charitable Trust Cops ‘n’ Kids Children’s Literacy Program."

But, back to our "Whiz Kid."

“I love reading,” according to Alysse, because “you feel like you’re actually in there and it’s cool. You get to see things that aren’t real. But if they were really real, you get to know what it would be like.”

In about three months, Alysse was able to collect 1,020 books for the local literacy program, with a little help from her friends, family and neighbors, of course.

A book drive was also held at Nazareth Area Intermediate School, and Alysse received donations from and where her mother works as an English as a Second Language teacher.

Alysse and her mother plan to make the book drive an annual event, according to Michele. “Fill the bins” is their motto.

To date, 391,461 books have been donated to the Cops ‘n’ Kids Literacy Program in the Lehigh Valley, Michele said. The books are kept in the Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room at Northampton Community College's .

“They have nice, comfortable couches,” Alysse explained, adding that she hopes to volunteer this summer at the Reading Room.

The Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room is located in room 403 at the Fowler Family Southside Center. For more information, call (610) 861-5526 or visit www.copsnkidslv.org.