By Cecilia Nasmith

It's wonderful to think that the good old days of public-spirited children setting up lemonade stands to raise money for a cause dear to their hearts are still with us.

Only in the case of young Charlotte Read, it will be a giant book sale Oct. 16. And it will be in the Cobourg Collegiate Institute parking lot instead of in her front yard.

And the special cause? Children with diabetes.

Now a Grade 4 student at Camborne Public School, Charlotte was diagnosed at age five with Type 1 diabetes. Her mother Katrina (a teacher at CCI) recalls that she used needles for a year, but then began using an insulin pump. Since then, Katrina said, maintaining her insulin had become second nature for Charlotte.

“And it gives her more independence,” she added.

Charlotte has also discovered the wonderful world of the D-Camp in Huntsville, designed especially for children with diabetes. It was an experience Charlotte described as “super-fun – there were always activities and things to do like archery, high rope, trampoline, paddling.”

Charlotte wants to ensure other children with diabetes can attend D-Camp, and also wants to support diabetes research that – the family observes with hope - seems to be edging toward some kind of cure.

“Science makes leaps and bounds,” Katrina said.

At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, she expressed confidence that the cure may even come in Charlotte's lifetime.

To help make it happen, Charlotte did have the idea of setting up a lemonade stand. She learned that you can't sell lemonade that's out in the open, however, so she shifted her plans to a book sale. And they will still sell lemonade in juice-box form.

And for the grown-ups, Katrina added with thanks, the new Cafe Happenstance in downtown Cobourg will donate their “out-of-this-world coffee.

“Now we just need lots of people to buy all these great books.”

In advance of the big day – Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the school at 335 King St. E. in Cobourg – Charlotte is encouraging everyone to clean out their bookshelves and make donations to help make the big day a success.

Books for any age are welcome. If you can help, text Katrina at 905-269-9090 or Martha Walkey at 905-377-3257 to arrange a pick-up.