​HUGE MILESTONE ALERT!
Willingboro, New Jersey educator Sherri Bresette Ahlers went big, telling us that she needed 12,000 books in one swoop. Here are pick-up pics (thanks Derek and Anthony for loading 6 packed pallets). Sherri and her colleagues will distribute the books to thousands of kids in the district before the holidays. A leader in the BookSmiles tribe, Sherri also installed a permanent bin in front of her home in Lawrenceville, NJ.
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If libraries and bookstores are somewhat holy places for you, then you understand what we do and our mission to spread book wealth to book deserts. Please give and help with $ or books. Hit the DONATE tab here: https://www.booksmiles.org/

Charles Ellison, thank you for helping amplify our mission: irrigating book deserts! Have a listen!

We are so grateful to have an active network of educators and social workers taking books to give away to the children they serve. These are people who have the infrastructure to safely and efficiently distribute books to several hundred students.  And we've had a legion of daycare providers taking board-books to families with babies! Featured here are Amanda Fry, an elementary school principal in Beverly, NJ, Dan McVay, a social worker supervisor for Philadelphia, and 6,000 books waiting to be loaded onto a truck headed to the Camden School District.

Dear Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill
,
A few months ago, Jo-Ann Engle approached us, declaring that the Community Outreach Workers group would collect 2,020 children's books, to shed light during a terrible year. Look closely at the number-signage held up here. They blew the goal away with 3,608 books!
Other houses of worship will see your good work and hopefully match what you've done. Yes, WE CAN literally collect a ton of books during a pandemic and distribute to children in need.

Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques - want to do a drive? E-mail karen@booksmiles.org for more info.
Very gratefully,
​
Larry Abrams
Founder, BookSmiles
www.booksmiles.org

Since your child can't have a traditional birthday, do what Sidney did for his seventh! Let us know here if you like the idea, and SHARE/TAG the post that helps BookSmiles spread book-ownership!

Dear Sidney,
Happy birthday! Thank you so much using your party to do a contactless book drive on your front porch. Your friends and family gathered hundreds of gently used books that will soon go into the hands and homes of babies and kids who have few, if any, of their own.
Instead of asking for presents, you raised over $250, of which $170 gets donated to BookSmiles, with the rest going to your gift card. Way to use the
Kids Can Give Too app. 

http://kidscangivetoo.com/charity/booksmiles
Thanks for inspiring others and for helping to spread book-wealth!

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​The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation received 2,300 books today. Rob Abrams, our summer intern helped shlep!
We picked up 1,300 books from Kingsway Regional middle school teacher Gina Foody who spear-headed a great drive that got cut off when the school got shuttered.
Gently used children's books are flowing in and out of the Book Bank. ASK how you can safely help irrigate book deserts and spread book wealth. TEACHERS: REGISTER HERE for Friday curbside pickup: www.booksmiles.org

Bryce Hill, a medical student at Temple University School of Medicine, graduated from Lindenwold High School. I had his older brother Larry in my English class!

Bryce found the time in his busy schedule to come to the Booksmiles Book Bank today with a U-Haul van to pick up 2,000 books to help irrigate the book desert a literal stone's throw from Temple's campus. Here he is with Karen, our Program Coordinator.
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I am SO HAPPY to work with Bryce (and so proud of him)! Visit our website to see how you can help by donating books, taking books, or donating money so that we can continue our mission.

I love teaching in Lindenwold!

Today, Lindenwold High School students volunteered to return to their Lindenwold's School #4 to distribute 1025 gently used children's books to hundreds of kids and babies, books that had been donated by people in Haddon Heights, Moorestown, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, and Haddonfield.

1025 books gone in 15 minutes flat! Are you a Title 1 teacher/administrator who'd like to have this happen in your school? Message us and we'll arrange it. Free!  This system of fun, rapid distribution happens best when a school has a large percentage of walkers.

The recent "Live-Paint" that we shared with the Voorhees Town Council was a home run. Six artists painted six of our new bins, donated by Toter.  Thank you team member Renee Kessler for thinking to contact them and follow up.  Another treat was having Kim Dickstein, current New Jersey Teacher of the Year, there to spread her contagious energy and joy.  Please read Kim's response to the event:

“Would you like to spread literacy in South Jersey?” Let’s hear a resounding YES! BookSmiles is doing incredible work for children, families, and teachers by collecting and distributing books to “book deserts” and making sure that every family has a home library! Larry Abrams, English teacher at Lindenwold High School, made this all happen — he went from big idea to 501c3! Miraculous work and we can help! This tremendous effort cannot be accomplished or continued alone. It was awesome to meet the principal of Lindenwold School 4, Mrs. Dana Lawrence. This local organization has brought thousands of books to her students! I was also very happy to reconnect with Jim and Susan Ward! Jim invited our students in Stand With Camden to collect, sort, and distribute scholastic magazines to schools in Camden, and he also volunteers with Book Smiles. Visit their FB page for more information on how to get involved, or how to get books!
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The live painting event at the Voorhees Town Center was nothing short of magical. I went with my parents, who have read to me since I was a baby and continue to support my literacy practices as an adult. My dad still clips articles from newspapers and magazines for me to read, and my mom and my former teachers continue to comment on my Facebook posts, letting me know that my writing has been read and appreciated by someone who cares. This feedback loop is essential! These literacy moments matter from infancy through adulthood.
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Special shout out to the Voorhees Town Center and Mayor Michael Mignogna for making the holidays meaningful for all! I even got to see Mario DiNatale taking photos of the tree, and I can’t wait to put up the tree at Wilderness after Thanksgiving! I’m glad this event came early — I think we could use a little extra magic at any time of the year! We were able to see the joy on children and parents’ faces as they selected books and celebrated the annual tree lighting! You couldn’t help but feel merry on Friday night!