One woman was supposed to observe a school, but went beyond and made sure students had books to read this summer.

Alisa Wareham, of Skaneateles, collected nearly 3,000 books for two Syracuse elementary schools after discovering a need while observing in an inner-city school once a week.

Wareham, who is earning her degree in school psychology, spent one day a week at Blodgett Elementary and wanted to help students have more access to books.

Teaming up with her 11-year-old daughter, Allena Arciszewski, they thought of a book drive. The 11-year-old began by writing letters to her principal asking for donations.

As it happened, the timing was perfect. The State Street School is in the midst of a capital project which means people had to pack up and move, and the book drive was a great way for them to lighten their loads.

Last month, Wareham gave the first 2,000 books to Blodgett Elementary, which provided students with about three books with some left over.

From there, she heard there was another van load for her to pick up from Waterman Elementary.

She gave those to a private school in Syracuse. She estimated they collected nearly 3,000 children's books in total.

“There was a huge amount of books that were donated by the schools,” Wareham said.

The mother-daughter duo worked so students could receive those books before summer break.

The neighborhood surrounding the Syracuse school is a tough one. On Wareham's first day, two students' mother was stabbed the night before. During the school year, there were four murders in the area.

For some, school was a break from troubles.

Now with the help of her daughter, Wareham hopes the books can make a difference this summer.

“They were excited,” Wareham said of the young students. “They were asking for books to read and asking if they could take more.”

The teachers especially were appreciative, she added. They searched through the collection to find the proper gift for the students' right reading levels.

One teacher pored over the books, delighted to have someone else providing books. He often bought reading material himself.

“An elementary teacher came up to me and said this was so great,” Wareham said. “I bet if you did this every year, you'd have the same amount.”

She wants to continue collecting books each year, but may donate them to different schools in needy areas.

While Wareham saw the need to contribute, it was her daughter who pointed to the fact that people have food drives and coat drives, so why not collect books?

While Allena was shy about getting attention, she already sees the importance of giving back and the insignificance of getting credit for her good works.

“She's a pretty insightful 11-year-old,” her mother said. “But I told her (it's great) if people can see one person can make a difference, especially a young person.”