Disney and ABC7 surprise Palisades students with hundreds of free books

After a school year filled with changes and challenges, hundreds of students impacted by the Palisades fire got a big surprise, thanks to our friends at Disney.

ABC7 political reporter Josh Haskell popped up at Marquez Charter Elementary Friday to help inspire our next generation of storytellers, as part of Disney's Magic of Storytelling campaign.

Haskell, who grew up in Pacific Palisades, revealed during the morning assembly that each child would receive a free book to help build their own home libraries.

Hundreds of other books were also donated to help teachers and librarians fill the bookshelves at Marquez.

Capping off the final assembly of the school year, Haskell read Shel Silverstein's classic, "The Giving Tree," before a crowd of students, faculty and parents.

Marquez students moved back to their campus last September after the fire destroyed their school, forcing them to merge with another school for months.

LAUSD leaders said Disney’s gift comes just in time for summer reading, encouraging students to visit LA Public Library or use the Sora reading app in the coming months.

Since 2000, Disney's Magic of Storytelling has donated more than 90 million books to low-income and disaster-impacted students, teachers and communities.