A Book Drive for Children's Books Makes for a Fabulous Service- Learning Project

Source: The Children's Book Project

 By Sam Piha  

In our previous paper entitled, Reading Buddies: Promoting Literacy and Community Engagement, we promoted the idea of the youth sponsoring a book drive for the Reading Buddies program. But you don’t have to have a Reading Buddies program to sponsor a book drive. The books could go to anybody who could use children’s books- the school, an individual classroom, or any organization serving children. 

“Book drives make a fabulous Service-Learning Project. They are very motivating, and kids have the best ideas. They love to make posters, decorate boxes and deliver books to places that need them.” - Laurie Grossman 

ORGANIZING A BOOK DRIVE
A book drive can be done in person or online. Below are some suggestions from The Children’s Book Project:   

“In-Person Drive 

1. Select a particular period of time — from a day, a week, to a month or more — to hold your children’s book drive and coordinate with the organization, school, or business where it will be held. 
2. Let your community know a few weeks in advance that you’ll be collecting new and like-new children’s books to promote literacy. Notify donors about your children’s book drive through social media, newsletters, email, flyers, posters — whatever works best for your community. Include your contact information, locations of collection bins, the beginning and end dates of your children’s book drive, and a link to childrensbookproject.org.
3. Review our donation guidelines at Give Books, and be sure to stress that we need only children’s books in new and like-new condition. We cannot use: textbooks; encyclopedias; library discards; moldy, torn, smelly, or obsolete books; and books for adults. 
4. Provide large, sturdy, and well-marked collection bin(s) in an accessible and protected location. 
5. Give frequent updates on how your children’s book drive is progressing and encourage more donations before your deadline. 

Online Drive 

1. Let your community know you’ll be collecting children’s books to promote literacy. Communicate with your donors a few weeks in advance about your children’s book drive through social media. Include links to our website, along with our curated online amazon.com or bookshop.org wishlists at Give Books — or your own wish list — along with the beginning and end dates for your drive 
2. Consider having the books delivered to your home or business so you can directly track how your drive is going. (On the receiving end of direct shipments from online sellers, we can’t tell who donated which books.) 
3. Give frequent updates to your community on how your children’s book drive is progressing and encourage more donations before your deadline. 
4. When your children’s book drive is over, you can make an appointment at where their books are going! 

Feel free to contact The Children’s Book Project for further support.” 

MORE ON ORGANIZING A BOOK DRIVE
According to ChatGPT, “Organizing a children’s book drive can be simple and very effective when you focus on a clear audience, easy donation methods, and strong community partnerships.

Step 1: Define the Purpose Choose who will receive the books. Examples: 

• Afterschool Programs 
• Elementary schools Be specific in your messaging: 'We are collecting new and gently used picture books for children ages 0–8 in underserved communities.' 

Step 2: Decide What Books to Collect Set clear guidelines. Recommended: 

• Picture books for ages 0–8 

• Diverse and inclusive stories 
• New or gently used books 
• Bilingual books

Avoid: 

• Torn or damaged books 
• Outdated textbooks 
• Books with writing or missing pages 

Step 3: Set a Timeline Most successful drives run 2–6 weeks. 

Source: The Children's Book Project

Step 4: Create Collection Points- Ask local organizations to host donation boxes: 

• Schools 
• Libraries 
• Coffee shops 
• Churches 
• Community centers 
• Bookstore
• Businesses 

Use: 

• Large, labeled bins 
• Flyers explaining the mission 
• QR code for monetary donations 

Step 5: Promote the Drive- Use simple, emotional messaging. Sample slogan ideas: 

• ‘Every Child Deserves a Book’ 
• ‘Share the Joy of Reading’ 
• ‘Help Build Young Readers’ 

Promote through: 

• Facebook groups 
• School newsletters 
• PTA/PTO 
• Instagram 
• Local newspapers 
• Community bulletin boards

Optional additions: 

• Add bookmarks 
• Include literacy tips for parents 
• Add personalized notes 

Step 7: Thank Supporters- Share results publicly: 

• Number of books collected 
• Photos (with permission) 
• Stories from recipients Example: ‘Thanks to our community, we collected 2,300 picture books for local children!’

Step 8: Helpful Materials to Create -You may want: 

• Donation flyer 
• Social media graphics 
• Press release 
• Sponsor request letter 
• Volunteer signup sheet 
• Book sorting checklist.”

NOTE: ChatGPT can also help you create: 

• a printable flyer, 
• a sponsor outreach letter, 
• a social media campaign, or 
• a complete Book Drive Toolkit.

If you'd like to learn more about supporting youth in afterschool, we are sponsoring a few upcoming webinars that you should check out. Click the titles below to learn more and register:

• Thur. 9/24/26: Supporting Youth with ADHD Features in Afterschool Programs
• Fri. 9/25/26: Addressing the Needs of Foster Youth in Afterschool Programs

Dolly Parton- Never Apolitical

Source: BBC.com

By Sam Piha

Dolly Parton grew up in abject poverty, raised in a one-bedroom log cabin alongside 11 siblings. After her passing we learned a lot about Miss Parton that we didn’t know before. One of her amazing feats was her ability to express strong beliefs that seemed to oppose her fanbase, without causing blowback.

“Even though she avoided partisan politics, Parton was never apolitical - speaking about subjects including women's rights, LGBTQ equality and Black Lives Matter. With a fanbase that included grandmas and Gen-Zers, Republicans and Democrats, drag queens and evangelicals, Parton was a kind of unicorn in America's polarized society. ‘Dollitics’, a phrase coined by the singer's nephew to describe her way of handling thorny political subjects. ‘She wants all boats to rise.’" [1] 

"I think of myself more as a diplomat. That's the kind of people who tell you to go to hell in such a way you look forward to the trip." - Dolly Parton

Women’s Rights
"’She has always been a model for women, carving your own path, looking out for yourself, making sure that you retain the rights to your intellectual property, looking out for your own financial and creative independence,’ Phillips told the BBC. ‘And if that's not feminism, I don't know what is.’" [2]

"I respect anybody's beliefs and the fact that they're willing to stand up for whatever it is. But I'm also the kind of person that if I don't like where you got it, I can tell you where to put it." - Dolly Parton

“In 1980, she made her film debut in 9 to 5, a dark satire about women's rights in the workplace helped by Jane Fonda. Fonda was persona non- grata in many parts of the country for her anti-Vietnam War activism. 

Source:BBC.com

But Parton refused to distance herself from Fonda just to appease her more conservative fans. She said: ‘I respect anybody's beliefs and the fact that they're willing to stand up for whatever it is. But I'm also the kind of person that if I don't like where you got it, I can tell you where to put it.’" [3]

Dolly Parton was also an active philanthropist- like her Imagination Library, which sent free books to children around the world- a project dear to our heart as we have worked to promote youth led book drives to collect and distribute children’s books and promoted the benefits of Reading Buddies. (See past blogs on Reading Buddies here.) 

Source:BBC.com

END NOTES
[1] Robin Levinson-King and Sheila Flynn, Dolly Parton was the one thing most Americans could agree on
[3] IBID.

[2] IBID.

READING BUDDIES: Pairing older elementary students with younger ones

Source: www.communityreadingbuddies.org

Guest Blogger Ryan Wheeler, Edutopia. Originally published 8/8/18 © Edutopia.org; George Lucas Educational Foundation. All rights reserved.

Peer mentoring is a powerful, underused tool in schools. One study suggests that partnering with higher achieving peers can have a positive influence on a student’s learning, and students who are older, more capable readers can be these peers for young students. With this in mind, I have used a practice called Reading Buddies in elementary schools to great effect.

Reading Buddies is a concept that pairs different grade-level classrooms for community reading time—an upper-grade classroom connects with a lower-grade one, and students partner for time with books.

Establishing a Reading Buddies Program

The structure is simple: Pair upper-grade classes with lower-grade ones. Ideally, in a pre-K through fifth grade elementary school, third graders pair with prekindergartners or kindergartners, fourth graders with first graders, and fifth graders with second graders. It’s best to have students work in pairs, but groups of three are fine as well. Set aside at least one 30-minute session per month for the students to read together.

Gather the students in a classroom, the library, the cafeteria, or even outside on a sunny afternoon. Let the younger students pick the books at first so they get hooked with an interesting read. Later you can have the older students share some of their favorites. As the year progresses and the skills of the younger readers increase, you can have the students take turns reading to each other, giving everyone a chance to show off.

Source: Bolton County School District

The benefits are profound. Reading Buddies allows younger readers to see what being fluent looks like as they have a peer model demonstrating reading skills; they can also acquire a positive role model with some intentional pairing. The older students develop social and emotional skills like patience and empathy as they work with their littler buddies.

Additionally, for upper elementary students who are struggling with grade-level reading, the opportunity to access easier reading material without stigma or shame while sharing with a novice reader can create a positive experience with an activity that may otherwise be less than enjoyable. And the roots of the school community deepen as classes across campus work and share together.

Social and Emotional Benefits

You might be worried about the reading level or the behavior of the older students, for good reason. But this opportunity could be just what they need: When students are given the freedom to be better, to work for something bigger than themselves, and to mentor others, they can thrive. Those who are not reading on grade level will have a chance to practice with picture books that they wouldn’t otherwise pick up and to increase their confidence as they read to a mesmerized kindergartner.

I’ve seen this success for students with behavior difficulties. Let me tell you about a student I’ll call Marcus, a fifth grader with attention issues who read at a first-grade level and was often in trouble, but who had an amazing heart. His teacher, who was justifiably worried about his progress, partnered with a kindergarten class for Reading Buddies. Marcus was paired with Tony, a little guy with his own set of difficulties, such as defiance, use of profanity, and physical aggression.

They got on fine, but the relationship didn’t blossom until after a few sessions. While walking to meet the kinder class, Marcus saw Tony talking to his teacher outside the classroom and being less than respectful. When Tony belatedly made it to Reading Buddies, Marcus put his arm around him and began to mentor him. Marcus gave him the old “Don’t be like me, kid” speech. Tony looked at Marcus with an expression of embarrassment and respect for someone who had had similar difficulties through the years.

Over time, the teachers worked out an intervention where Marcus could go spend time with Tony outside of Reading Buddies both as a reward and as an intervention when Tony’s day started getting hard. As part of a token reward system, Tony could request that Marcus join him for lunch or recess. For the intervention, Marcus would sometimes come down to the kinder classroom to give Tony a pep talk. This was a positive relationship for both students as Tony had a role model and Marcus had someone to mentor, which helped him grow.

Source: Bolton County School District

This program of cooperative learning is a great way to build community in the school and to promote reading, which are goals for nearly every school. Both sets of students get excited about Reading Buddies time because it’s a chance to get out of class, have fun, and make a friend. I’ve seen kindergarten and first grade classes deliver letters of encouragement to their partners before the scary state assessments.

With thoughtfulness, the relationships can extend beyond just one school year and carry over beyond reading books. Powerful moments of connection can happen, and social and emotional lessons are inevitable. These are some wonderful outcomes, all from just sharing a book.

To learn more about Reading Buddies, check out our latest briefing paper entitled, Reading Buddies: Promoting Literacy and Community Engagement.

MORE ABOUT...

Ryan Wheeler

Ryan Wheeler is a Behavior Specialist in Houston, Texas. He is a progressive educator, positive thinker, playful and engaged dad. He is also a contributing author for Edutopia.

Edutopia is an operating foundation and educational website created by filmmaker George Lucas in 1991. It operates as an initiative of the George Lucas Educational Foundation to shine a spotlight on evidence-based teaching strategies and real-world innovations in pre-K–12 education. The Edutopia Foundation is dedicated to transforming pre-K-12 education so that all students can acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to thrive in their studies, careers, and adult lives.