Books N Bags

Mission: The Books N Bags program nurtures lifelong literacy through book choice and ownership for children at a number of participating elementary schools.

Description: Books N Bags fosters the love of reading through book ownership and encourages reading at home by providing children with new and gently used books for their home libraries to read and reread. Each child also chooses a one-of-a-kind handmade book bag to carry the books home.

To get the books into the children’s hands, we organize a Books N Bags event at a school inviting children to choose 5 books they want to own and to pick out their very own book bag. During the event, our Book Friends (volunteers) help the children choose books and read to them from their book selections. The children, teachers and volunteers enjoy the event and there is reading joy for all.

Our volunteers make the Books N Bags program possible. They collect kids’ books in the community and make fun book bags using recycled and new materials. Books N Bags welcomes book and fabric donations, and volunteers who have interest in sewing, helping collect books and fabric, and reading to children.

Quotes from kindergartners:
…”my books and bag are magical”
…”reading gives me the whole world?
…”my mom read the books to me when I got home”
…”my brother read my books to me”

Quotes from kindergarten teachers:
“Thank you and all for your amazing volunteers for making this happen. The kids were so thrilled and loved the books and the incredible bags! Honestly, I think yesterday’s visit was pretty perfect, I wouldn’t change or add anything! It was truly amazing! Thank you again for thinking of us! Our kiddos felt your love for children and books yesterday!”

Quotes from our Book Friend volunteers:
“It was fund to spend the morning reading.”
“It was such a joy to see their enthusiasm. A great way to spend the day.”

Quotes from donors:
“I love the smiles on the faces of the kids. How heartwarming. I had goosebumps looking at how happy the children were while looking at the books.