News release  Code Read, a youth-led nonprofit organization dedicated to providing new books to children in need, announced that it has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation.   Founded by Mackenzie Robin Krestul, the Santa Clarita Valley-based Code Read is committed to bridging the literacy gap by making books accessible to all children, the organization said in a news release.   Since its inception, Code Read has partnered with local Title 1 elementary schools, Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, family court, and pediatric clinics to distribute over 60,000 new books to young readers, the release said.  “Reading and access to books should be a right, not a privilege, and this grant will allow us to expand our reach and provide even more students with the resources they need to succeed,” Mackenzie Robin Krestul, founder and president of Code Read, said in the release.  “Thanks to this grant, more kids will get the chance to discover how amazing books can be,” 16-year-old Madelyn Krestul, Code Read senior ambassador, said in the release. “Every story opens up a new world, and I’m excited to help more kids find their favorites and grow their love for reading.”   The grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation will be used to purchase new books, expand Code Read’s book distribution programs, and support new, literacy-focused initiatives and partnerships.   For more information about Code Read, visit www.coderead.org.   The post Youth-led nonprofit Code Read receives $10,000 grant    appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.