Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Media Kit
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    How You Can Help Underfunded Schools, Libraries, and Literacy Programs

    Guest PostsBy Guest Posts6 Mins Read Quest for Literacy
    How You Can Help Underfunded Schools Libraries and Literacy Programs
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Gary Mlodzik | The Children’s Book Review | May 25, 2017

    Grow Your Library! Developing Young Readers by Planting Seeds of Literacy in Public Libraries

    Thank you for this amazing gift you provide to our local library. Such an amazing staff, and just a really great place to foster a lifelong love of reading!! —Megan Corbett, Huachuca City, Arizona, November 4, 2015

    In this digital age of instant gratification, how many of us truly consider a book to be “an amazing gift”? Sure, there are still reading enthusiasts who get giddy over the newest release by their favorite author or reread a classic that carried them lovingly into a world of escape during a dark time. But really, what’s another book on the shelf? For someone like Megan Corbett—a mother of five children—owning books is a luxury. Megan uses the Huachuca City Public Library to educate and entertain her children. Huachuca City is a community with a 70% poverty level and money is not spent on nonessential items like books. Even the public library buys less than fifty children’s books in a calendar year.

    The library staff of this Southern Arizona community was in awe when asked if they would like a donation of 200 free books. To say they were overjoyed would be an understatement.

    What a treasure trove of books! All I can say is “thank you”. Thank you on behalf of our little library and thank you on behalf of all the Huachuca City children who will get to enjoy this embarrassment of riches you have provided! —Suzanne Harvey, Children’s Librarian, Huachuca City Public Library, Arizona, August 31, 2015

    I volunteer with the national literacy foundation, Kids Need to Read (KNTR). The mission of KNTR is to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children. I am honored to serve on their board of directors.

    In 2015, I developed the Grow Your Library program for KNTR. The organization provides 200 books to four carefully selected, economically challenged libraries in the USA per year. This donation includes board books, picture books, chapter books and even young adult literature. In addition to the book donations, my wife, Tina, and I visit the library and conduct a story time. To encourage philanthropy among the children, we explain how the kids can “donate” more books to the library just by emailing KNTR with a short note regarding what they like about reading, or what they like to read. Then an extra book is donated to the library with the child’s name on a book plate inside the cover! It’s the child’s gift to the library! Each child in attendance also gets a free book and a Highlights magazine to keep. Sometimes the kids are astonished that the book is really theirs for life. At a recent story time, Tina helped a young child select a book and the little girl just stared at the book, looked up at Tina and said, “Is this really mine to keep forever?” An amazing gift indeed.

    As with any non-profit organization, finding funding for new programs is challenging. I have been blessed with support and encouragement from many sources. I reach out to friends annually through Facebook to raise money for program and shipping costs to deliver these literary treasures to the libraries Grow Your Library visits. I write to authors and ask for book donations—four books, four sets of books, whatever they can do to support these public libraries in dire financial situations. To have authors respond with such enthusiasm is humbling:

    This sounds like a wonderful program, and I’d be happy to donate some books. —Jennifer E. Smith, Author, March 15, 2016

    I am excited about what you are doing and am shipping out some books to help out. —Mercer Mayer, Author, April 25, 2016

    I strongly support you in this very worthy program, and some books are on the way. —Joan Bauer, Author, June 19, 2016

    I am grateful for the number of people who, like me, believe that public libraries need our support to provide services for future generations. As for me, I am just some guy who went to the little public library in Kewaskum, Wisconsin on a regular basis as a child and discovered there was a big world outside of my rural farming community. Now, when I receive an email from an author known worldwide, like Shannon Messenger or Roland Smith, with kind words about Grow Your Library, it humbles me to know I can and will make a difference in the lives of others through this program. A short time ago, my phone rang on a Friday afternoon with a number I did not recognize. Lauren Tarshis, best-selling author of the I Survived series, wanted to discuss how she could further help with Grow Your Library. I was giddy and yet honored by that call. To me, that was the equivalent of being an eighth grade music teacher and having Eric Clapton call and ask to stop by to help the kids with some guitar lessons.

    How to Support the Grow Your Library Program

    If readers would like to support this endeavor with a financial donation, please visit the KNTR webpage: kidsneedtoread.org/donate

    If you have a favorite children’s book you would like us to include in the Grow Your Library program, you can send new books directly from Amazon to: Kids Need to Read, Attn: Grow Your Library, 2450 W. Broadway Road, Suite 110, Mesa, AZ 85202. Multiples of four books per title are best, so we can provide one to each library we visit annually.

    Tina and I hope you see the Grow Your Library program and Kids Need to Read as worthy of your support. Books deliver hope, escape and a glimpse outside the norm of poverty. We would love to have you as a member of the Grow Your Library team, providing these opportunities for children and young adults across the country.

    More information about Grow Your Library: kidsneedtoread.org/growyourlibrary/

    The article How You Can Help Underfunded Schools, Libraries, and Literacy Programs was written by Gary Mlodzik, Grow Your Library Director. For similar articles, follow along with our content tagged with Book Donations and Literacy Resources.

    How You Support The Children's Book Review
    We may receive a small commission from purchases made via the links on this page. If you discover a book or product of interest on this page and use the links provided to make a purchase, you will help support our mission to 'Grow Readers.' Your support means we can keep delivering quality content that's available to all. Thank you!
    Book Donations Literacy Resources
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleThe Art of Writing the Follow-Up Novel
    Next Article Otis the Owl, by Mary Holland | Book Review
    Guest Posts
    • Website

    The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by a guest author.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • The Song for Everyone | Book Review
    • The Museum of Lost Teeth | Dedicated Review
    • The Museum of Lost Teeth | Awareness Tour
    • Ona Gritz Discusses August or Forever
    • The Only Me, by Marissa Bader | Dedicated Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Book Shop
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • Buzzworthy Mentions on the Path to Growing Readers!
    • About TCBR
    © 2023 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.