By Denise Gary
Photographs © Denise Gary
Thanks to the enthusiastic assistance of two local Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Kids Need to Read recently provided several thousand books to twenty-two organizations on our waiting list. Organizations on the list included fourteen schools, four mental health treatment centers, a juvenile detention center, an afterschool program, a community health care clinic, and a therapy dog program. Sibley Giles of Chandler Fashion Mall (Chandler, AZ) and J. Paul Deason of Dana Park Village Square (Mesa, AZ) rallied their respective stores to gather 2,307 brand new books valued at $13,700 during their 2011 Holiday Book Drives! These books were of excellent quality and for children of all ages, so there was something for everyone. We were able to combine the donated books with others we had on hand to create wonderful book packages to send to organizations that had been told we could not assist them at this time. It was a fantastic holiday surprise for these folks desperately seeking books for the kids they are teaching or assisting. (See letters below.)
Just as last year, the Holiday Book Drive was a huge success due to the enthusiastic commitment to childhood literacy of the stores’ employees and people of the local community. The Barnes & Noble book drives have a large impact on our ability to expand the assistance we provide for the most disadvantaged children. It is disastrous that so many of our nation’s schools and libraries no longer have budgets for books or remedial reading programs. Our children deserve better! Barnes & Noble, as well as their customers, have demonstrated a passionate commitment to the cause of childhood literacy by conducting their annual year-end book drives on behalf of Kids Need to Read and other organizations working hard to raise literacy rates in this country.
We sincerely thank Sibley Giles, J. Paul Deason, the teams at Barnes & Noble Chandler and Barnes & Noble Mesa, and their very generous customers!
Letters from Recipients (including some students):
Tracy Johnson
Science Teacher, Mainstreet School of Performing Arts, Hopkins, Minnesota
January 25, 2012
We received the books, and are delighted to be stocking them on bookshelves this week! There was some competition over favorite titles among the staff, and we found so many treasures among the selection. Thank you so much for all you’ve done to provide us with more reading material. It will make such a difference in our reading/literacy initiative!
Toni Stratman
Learning Resource Teacher, Fairview School, Normal, Illinois
January 20, 2012
We received our box of books from you! They are brand new!!! I wasn’t expecting that! The kids are so excited! They already helped me organize them according to their reading level! Thank you so so much! My students and I are so grateful!! What an amazing program!
Mary Ellen Clements
Librarian, Lyons Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona
January 19, 2012
All I can say is Wow! and thank you so much. Our students have reading goals each month and if they meet their goal 6 months out of 8 we give them a book of their own. Now I have those books to give out. Seventy-five per cent of our kids are on free or reduced lunch, so many do not own a lot books; we so appreciate this gift to us.
Kathleen Goran
January 19, 2012
Librarian, Lloyd Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois
Books arrived today! I cannot thank you enough for all your generosity. I am already in the process of scanning the hardcovers into my library system. The kids are already asking when they can check them out. I know two teachers in my school that have been applying to countless numbers of grants to build their classroom libraries and they will surely appreciate the paperbacks you donated.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Temeka Butts
Library Media Specialist, Macon County Middle School, Montezuma, Georgia
January 18, 2012
WOW!! Thanks a bunch for all these books. I didn’t expect the mixture of hardbacks and paperbacks, fiction and nonfiction, and I am amazed, and my students will be very appreciative. So on behalf, of Macon County Middle School: Kids Need to Read… ROCKS!!
Carlos
Student, Cedar Creek Day Treatment Center, Montrose, Colorado
January 11, 2012
Thank you for sending us those awesome books. My favorite book was the GREEN EGGS AND HAM. I used to have that book, but it got torn up. But since you sent GREEN EGGS AND HAM with the books, I can read them over and over and I still won’t get tired of them.
We needed books too. We didn’t have money (for) books in our class. You made our day. Thank you very much for bringing those wonderful books!
Tommy
Student, Cedar Creek Day Treatment Center, Montrose, Colorado
January 11, 2012
Thank you for all of the great books that we very much appreciated. So far I have started reading THE 39 CLUES, by Rick Riorodan. Next, I’ll read HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, by J.K. Rowling.
Again, thank you so very much for all of the awesome books that you sent to us. You made our day.
Warren
Student, Cedar Creek Day Treatment Center, Montrose, Colorado
January 11, 2012
Thank you for the books for the class room. They are great books like GREEN EGGS AND HAM and THE 39 CLUES and others. When I read the other books, I’ll say “This is a great book!”
Justin
Student, Cedar Creek Day Treatment Center, Montrose, Colorado
January 11, 2012
Thank you for sending us so many great books. My favorite is ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH. I plan on reading it again. I also plan on reading THE RANGER’S APPRENTICE series.
We needed books in our class room. You made our year!
Martin Chelich
January 2, 2012
President, Special Spaniels Therapy Dogs, Inc., Hobart, Indiana
What a fantastic way to start the New Year! Thank you so much! We are so excited to begin our visitations for the New Year and see the smiles and bright eyes of the children who will receive the books. Thank you for all your time and help in arranging this for Special Spaniels.
Erica Blodgett
Development and Communications Director, VIP Community Mental Health Center, Los Angeles, California
December 29, 2011
Just wanted to let you know we have received both boxes of books. A formal acknowledgment will be mailed out soon. But thank you so much! It was a wonderful collection. Many titles that were favorites of mine and many that I might still be tempted to read! And it was great to have books for our teens.
You all clearly are so passionate about literacy and the creativity that comes from reading. Thank you and we look forward to a continuing partnership with your organization. If you or any of your Board or staff are ever in our neighborhood in Los Angeles please don’t hesitate to stop by!
Ivy Staten
Director of Operations, Mature Cradle, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 21, 2011
On behalf of Mature Cradle Inc. Non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the educational journey of youth and young adults through various educational programs, we would like to thank you for four boxes of books we received from KIDS NEED TO READ.
We are delighted in your willingness to contribute to our mission. With these books we are currently planning a READERS ROCK CAMPAIGN and in our first event next month we are teaming up with two councilmen in our city, and our Parent Power group to encourage, inspire, and provide opportunities for our youth and communities to embody the richness of reading.
We look forward to keeping you updated on the event and the special highlight for your org KIDS NEED TO READ on our website and possibly shirts.
Supporting the Holiday Book Drive
Holiday Book Recipients
Augusta High School
Augusta, Arkansas
Cedar Creek Day Treatment Center
Montrose, Colorado
Collegiate School of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Dalewood Middle School
Chattanooga, Tennessee
El Dorado Elementary School
San Francisco, California
Fairview Elementary School
Normal, Illinois
Focus on Renewal (FOR)
McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
Friends of the Timberwolves
Newark, Arkansas
Lloyd Elementary School
Chicago, Illinois
Lubbock Juvenile Justice Center
Lubbock, Texas
Lyons Elementary School
Tucson, Arizona
Mainstreet School for Performing Arts
Hopkins, Minnesota
Maritime Industries Academy
Baltimore, Maryland
Mature Cradle, Inc.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Odyssey Preparatory Academy
Buckeye, Arizona
Parkland School
El Paso, Texas
San Antonio State Hospital
San Antonio, Texas
Special Spaniels Therapy Dogs, Inc.
Hobart, Indiana
Swinomish Head Start
La Connor, Washington
Valley Christian School
Spokane Valley, Washington
VIP Community Mental Health Center
Los Angeles, California
West Point Independent Schools
West Point, Kentucky
Related Blog: Barnes & Noble Chandler: Wow! What a Way to Start Off the New Year!
Related Blog: PJ Haarsma Creates a Stir at the Chandler Barnes & Noble Holiday Book Drive
