I thought I'd heard about this group here, but maybe not..at any rate, this wonderful woman in Athens, GA has started a group called Books for Keeps, which puts new and gently used kids' books in the hands of underprivileged kids in her town before school gets out for the summer. These are by and large kids who don't own a lot (or any!) of books, and don't get taken to the library. It's a total grassroots thing - two years ago she distributed 200 books, this past June she was able to distribute 1000+ books and her goal for June 2011 is at least 2000 books.

The kids just eat up Junie B. Jones, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dr. Seuss, to name a few popular series...and Melany (the woman behind B for K) also lists authors that the teachers are hoping for. You can read all about Melany's project on her Facebook page (just type in Books for Keeps).

How can you help? I've been sending Melany book credits via PBS, (her PBS name is Yenelam) and also sending books here and there as I can get them at yard sales, cleaning out my son's shelves, etc. You can contact her through Facebook, or if you haven't succumbed to the lure of Facebook, she has a blog at http//:booksforkeeps.blogspot.com and you can reach her that way too.

What I love about this project is that it's one woman who had an idea - a total grassroots thing that's she's growing year by year - by word of mouth. I know PBS members are kind and generous folks (you're readers, for goodness sake!) so I'm hoping you'll join me in supporting Books for Keeps!

Yep, lots of literacy projects out there are grassroots or sponsored by Girl Scouts working on their awards. I have a friend who started the "Cinderella Closet " in her area in Virginia that collected prom dresses and accessories for girls who otherwise couldn't go to a dance!  I also love the women's shelters that collect gently worn suits/business dresses so their clients can go to job interviews properly attired.  Volunteerism is alive and well in America!!

I just recently found out about this great group, and am trying to help spread the word. I'm also working on a book drive in our little community of a few hundred families. 

They have a blog now: http://booksforkeeps.blogspot.com/

what's the address to send books?  thanks

I was so excited to see this post about Books for Keeps.  We are trying so hard to end "summer slide" in Athens, GA.  You can mail books to us at PO Box 49761, Athens GA 30604.  We use our PBS account solely to get copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and we always need points.  The Wimpy Kid series is our best way of reaching reluctant readers so we search high and low for affordable copies.

We have wish lists by age posted on our blog.  The top requests (besides DWK) are Junie B Jones, Captain Underpants, and Goosebumps.  We can't keep enough of them in stock. 

If you can help, please do... and thank you!

Melaney Smith

Founder, Books for Keeps

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