News

This December 10-12, our sponsor Scholastic, is offering friends and family of Books for Kids 25% OFF EVERYTHING in their SoHo flagship store! Click here to retrieve your coupon.

Also, this Saturday, December 10 from 11 am to 7 pm, our staff, Junior Board, and volunteers will be wrapping gifts in support of Books for Kids! Bring your Scholastic purchases to the gift-wrapping area in the store. Any donation you give will support our libraries across the country!

Join Books for Kids and Eloise for the unveiling of our Holiday Giving Tree at the Eloise Store at the Plaza on December 1 from 5 to 6 pm. Followed by Story Time in the Reading Room with Masha D’yans, who will be reading her new book “Razzle-Dazzle Ruby”.

For more information and to find out about additional Books for Kids and Eloise Story Times click here.

Come support Books for Kids at our annual Fall into Reading event on November 9th from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Bounce Lounge (73rd Street and 2nd Avenue, New York). Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Each ticket includes a cocktail as well as hors d’oeuvres.

We are also hosting a raffle with tons of incredible prizes like a brand new Kindle Fire, high-end jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, and so much more. Remember, even if you have to miss out on this great evening of fun, you can still show your support by purchasing raffle tickets. You never know you could end up the big winner of the night!
Click here for more information.

Books for Kids was honored to participate in the “Literacy in Action” event at the ABCD, Inc. in Bridgeport, CT on October 4, 2011.

“Literacy in Action” event was a ‘collective voice’ visual demonstration against the governments proposed cut-backs of necessary childhood education programs, such as Head Start and others.

ABCD Inc. houses over 1,250 pre-K aged children from the Greater Bridgeport area in its Early Learning Centers. Most of this population is economically disadvantaged and requires government funded Head Starts and other arts-in-education programs to further educate their children.

The event included interviews and commentary from leaders in the early childhood education community including Charles B. Tisdale, Executive Director of ABCD, Shawna Doster, Executive Director of Books for Kids and Andrei Saunders, Board Chair of Books for Kids regarding the need for Head Start funding. The event is supported by the Mayor of Bridgeport, Bill Finch.

L-R: Sarah Beth Boyd, Communications Assistant to the Executive Director of Books for Kids; Andrei Saunders, Board Chair of Books for Kids; Shawna Doster, Executive Director of Books for Kids; Charles B. Tisdale, Executive Dirctor of Action for Bridgeport Community Development, Inc (ABCD); June Malone, Executive Liaison/Director of Research and Development of Action for Bridgeport Community Development, Inc (ABCD); Bill Finch, Mayor of Bridgeport, CT.

The day also encompassed Target Corp. volunteers reading to children in all of the classrooms, while Books for Kids Foundation distributed 200 brand new books for the children to take home as part of an effort to build home book collections.

Books for Kids and Homewood Suites are opening a new library in Phoenix, AZ! - Sep 19, 2011

Books for Kids and Homewood Suites by Hilton are opening a new library in Phoenix, AZ on September 20, 2011.

The new library, built at the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center, will ensure that all of the nearly 200 at-risk preschoolers served by the center will have access to brand new books, reading programs and other educational tools that serve as key building blocks for early literacy skills.

This is our 4th library in partnership with Homewood Suites by Hilton.
Click here to find out more about the opening.

Books for Kids and ING Direct Kids Foundation opened two new libraries, one in Wilmington, DE on September 2, 2011 and the other in San Francisco, CA on September 12, 2011. These are the first two out five libraries that Books for Kids will establish in partnership with ING Direct Kids Foundation over the next 2 years.

Click here to find out more about the libraries and to see photos.

Books for Kids and Goldman Sachs team up for Community TeamWorks 2011! - Aug 10, 2011

On July 24th from 10 am to 1 pm, Books For Kids will hold a fundraising event at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in New York City’s Upper East Side (150 East 86th Street, New York, NY 10028). Anyone who mentions “Books For Kids” at the checkout register that day will automatically be donating a percentage of their purchase to Books For Kids (e-books and gift certificates excluded). In addition, authors Steve Ettinger and Stephen Savage will be on-hand to read their popular children’s books, Wallie Exercises and Where’s Walrus?, respectively. Both authors will sign copies of their books as well as engage attending participants in fun, interactive activities such as a Wallie inspired fitness class and a Walrus coloring session. If you cannot make it to the store for the event, you can shop online at bnn.com on July 24 and Books For Kids will still receive a percentage of your purchase. Just put in this code number when you check out: Book Fair ID # 10523678 and please click the box to confirm this is a ‘Book Fair’ purchase. Please click here for more information on featured authors.

Books For Kids and Homewood Suites are looking for your favorite teacher! - Jun 8, 2011

We’ve all experienced a teacher who has made a profound difference in our lives or the lives of our children – someone who inspired us to read, made us think more deeply, and helped us reach our goals. Homewood Suites and Books For Kids would like to collect stories or tributes to your child’s favorite teacher in our Nominate Your Favorite Teacher Contest. The winning family and the nominated teacher will each win a trip for up to four people to the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® provided by Homewood Suites by Hilton. Nominations accepted until July 29!

Click here to find out more.

Books For Kids is very excited to announce a new partnership with ING Direct. Together, we will establish 5 new libraries over the next 2 years. First libraries will be built in San Francisco, CA and Wilmington, DE. Other locations will be selected in the near future.

Please keep posted for news on these new libraries and other partnership accomplishments.

Books For Kids in partnership with the Mario Batali Foundation opened a new library in the Lower East Side of New York City on May 09, 2011.

The first Mario Batali library is located in the Dewitt Reformed Church Head Start Center. This specific center serves over 80 pre-K students from the surrounding neighborhood and is part of the national Head Start program. This is the 68th library opened by The Books For Kids Foundation.

Click here to view more photos from the opening

Books For Kids hosted a Gala on April 25, 2011 at the Plaza Hotel, to celebrate 25 years of children discovering the magical world of books!
Thanks to your incredible support we raised over $170,000, which will go towards promoting literacy and developing early literacy programs in low-income and at-rick preschools and day care centers.

For more information and to view photos click here.

Books For Kids Executive Director interviewed for Book Dads podcast! - Feb 11, 2011

Book Dads blogger Chris Singer interviewed Books For Kids Executive Director Shawna Hamilton Doster on his BlogTalkRadio show. To find out more and to listen click here.

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Books For Kids opens 2nd library with Homewood Suites! - Oct 27, 2010

Books For Kids in partnership with Homewood Suites by Hilton opened a new library in Washington, DC on October 26, 2010.

The second Homewood Suites library is located in the Edward C. Mazique Parent Child Center. This specific center serves nearly 200 pre-K students from the surrounding neighborhood and is part of the national Head Start program. This is the 66th library opened by The Books For Kids Foundation.

Books For Kids and Maddy, the Girl Under the Tree, attended Eloise’s Birthday at the Plaza on November 4th.
The party started at 2 pm and there were a number of exciting activities planned. Click here to find out more about the event!
Thank you for coming out and supporting our mission!

Books For Kids attends the 142nd Street Harlem Block Party for the second year in a row! - Sep 5, 2010

Books For Kids attended the 142nd Street Harlem Block Party on September 4, 2010 and distributed over a 1000 books and clothes from The Children’s Place.

Books For Kids and Homewood Suites Open a Library in Memphis,TN! - Jul 29, 2010
Books For Kids in partnership with Homewood Suites by Hilton opened a new library in Memphis, TN on July 28, 2010.

The “Lewis the Duck Reading Library” – named after the Homewood Suites’ mascot – is located on the campus of the Martin Luther King Jr. Head Start Center at 626 South Lauderdale in downtown Memphis. The special community event held on the day was attended by approximately 400 students and their families. This opening is the first in a series of libraries in partnership with Homewood Suites.

Please view the interview with the Books For Kids Executive Director, Shawna Doster below.

Click here to view the Homewood Suites Press Release.

Books For Kids has opened 4 new libraries in Harlem, bringing the total number of libraries built by the Books For Kids Foundation since its founding in 1986 to 64.
These libraries were made possible by the generosity of Tina Fey, Hachette Book Group and William Morris Endeavor Foundation and will provide a safe, secure, and educational environment for children from low-income families.