We’re thrilled to announce we are kicking off Holiday Book Drive Chi year … NINE!
Last year, we reached our goal of collecting 1,000 books during the course of the drive for students served by Chicago’s Leading with Literacy nonprofit, led by Pastor Michael Neal. (Well, we collected 973 books, to be exact, but we were so close that we rounded up!)
It’s our greatest prayer that we can do it again! This year, our goal is to bring the total number of books collected since the start of the drive to 7,000. To reach the total, we’ll have to surpass the number we reached last year, and collect 1,014 books.
We can do it!
Your gifts make an enormous impact. Pastor Neal delivered books on multiple days last year, due to the tremendous number of donations, spreading the love of reading throughout the holiday season and into the new year, too!
Working with Pastor Neal on Holiday Book Drive Chi is one of my favorite things in the whole world. It’s beautiful, mysterious and overwhelming, as book blessings begin arriving from across the country.
We don’t know what special moments are in store for this year’s drive. But we cannot wait to find out! Above all, we are so very grateful for your action and investment and care. YOUR help is what makes it all possible!
Without you, there is no delivery day!
Thank you so much for supporting the book drive effort - year after year. Every single book and dollar shared helped us reach our goal of connecting as many Chicago students as possible with new stories! We’d be so honored if you’d be a part of Holiday Book Drive Chi year NINE, by donating books or financial gifts toward the purchase of books!
Want to join the book joy in year nine? Below, you’ll find details about how Holiday Book Drive Chi works, and how you can help. Thank you for your friendship! And your partnership in literacy!
How to Give
To make a donation of books or a financial gift, please EMAIL ME via my website Contact page or MESSAGE ME on Instagram and let me know what you plan to send. The info goes into a spreadsheet that keeps donations organized.
(I apologize that I cannot share my personal address publicly.)
Books and financial gifts are accepted from October 1 through early December. As books are donated, I’ll share them below, so you can check out what Chicago readers will be reading, and perhaps get some ideas for your home library, too!
More Book Drive Details!
We Love Books! We are excited to receive any book written for children. We do ask that the books are new and not used. Picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade and young adult titles are all welcome, and very appreciated!
The Magic Number = 30: Any single book donation is celebrated. But if you have the ability to join forces with a friend (or friends) and donate 30 copies of the same book, you’ll be able to provide an entire classroom that very book - so all students can share in the same reading experience, which is the ultimate wish of our partner teachers and schools.
Publisher Partners: Authors, if you think your publisher might be interested in (and able to!) provide a complete classroom donation of 30 books, please let me know! We can provide a letter from Leading with Literacy for tax purposes.
Set Up a Team Donation: If you’d like to collect books or funds for our drive through a local club or organization - such as a troop, dance studio, basketball team, chess club, etc. - that would be amazing! Let me know, and we can chat logistics.
Title Ideas: I’m happy to share book recommendations at any time, if you’re not sure which book or books to give.
Financial Gifts: Financial donations are most welcome, too! I combine financial gifts and place orders for full-class donations through Scholastic. Great deals to be had there!
Shouting It Out: I celebrate all book donations as I receive them, on social media and on my website, too. Sharing these special deliveries is one of my favorite things to do!
Follow Along: Want to know what’s going on with the drive? Visit this post often, as well as Instagram. Search the hashtag #HolidayBookDriveChi for the latest donations.
Now, wiithout further ado, this year’s books!
Thank you faithful supporter Pat Zietlow Miller for kicking off the drive with your new book …
ONE CAN BE
(By Pat Zietlow Miller, Illustrated by Annie Cron, Beaming Books)
Thank you Lenert Family for sharing an entire classroom donation of…
LAYLA AND THE BOTS: BUILT FOR SPEED
(By Vicky Fang, Illustrated by Christine Nishiyama, Scholastic)
Thank you Lenert, Rowe and Schaper families for sharing an entire classroom donation of…
FUTURE HERO: BATTLE FOR SKY KINGDOM
(By Remi Blackwood, Scholastic)
Thank you for this anonymous donation of an entire classroom donation of…
THE VANDERBEEKERS OF 141st STREET (By Karina Yan Glaser, Clarion Books)
Thank you Bradley family for sharing an entire classroom donation of…
FERRIS (By Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick)
Thank you Richard Ho and Roaring Brook Press for sharing
an entire classroom donation of your book…
A ROCK IS BORN
(By Richard Ho, Illustrated by Lily Williams, Roaring Brook Press)
Thank you Dinslage and Campbell families for sharing an entire classroom donation of…
LINK + HUD: HEROES BY A HAIR
(By Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey, Norton Young Readers)
Thank you Mia Wenjen and Eifrig Publishing for sharing
four entire classroom donations of your book…
BOXER BABY BATTLES BEDTIME!
(By Mia Wenjen, Illustrated by Kai Gietzen, Eifrig Publishing)
Thank you Raven Howell for sharing 50 copies of your books, including…
GRANDMA YOGINI
(By Raven Howell, Illustrated by Alexander Santos, Nymeria Publishing)
THE CHARMS OF U.S. FARMS
(By Raven Howell, Illustrated by Ann Pilicer, Skippy Creek)
Thank you Becky Scharnhorst and Margaret K. McElderry Books for sharing
two entire classroom donations of your book…
BEST BUDS
(By Becky Scharnhorst, Illustrated by Jiarui Jiang, Publisher)
Thank you to the Walker Sands Book Club and Walker Sands for sharing
two entire classroom donations of the book…
I AM EVERY GOOD THING
(By Derrick Barnes, Illustrated by Gordon C. James, Nancy Paulsen Books)
Thank you Jan Milusich and Anne Schwartz Books for sharing
an entire classroom donation of your book…
I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA
(By Janice Milusich, Illustrated by Chris Raschka, Anne Schwartz Books)
Thank you Lauren Kerstein and Two Lions and for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…
ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE SAY GOOD NIGHT
(By Lauren H. Kerstein, Illustrated by Nate Wragg, Two Lions)
Thank you Lauren Kerstein and Magination Press and for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…
HOME FOR A WHILE
(By Lauren H. Kerstein, Illustrated by Natalia Moore, Magination Press)
Thank you Yarnell family for sharing an entire classroom donation of…
BUD, NOT BUDDY
(By Christopher Paul Curtis, Yearling)
Thank you Beth Anderson for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…
“SMELLY” KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES
(By Beth Anderson, Illustrated by Jenn Harney, Calkins Creek)
Thank you Sarah Kurpiel for sharing 20 copies of your books, including…
A LITTLE LIKE MAGIC (Rocky Pond Books)
ELEPHANT’S BIG SOLO (Greenwillow Books)
SNAKE’S BIG MISTAKE (Greenwillow Books)
Thank you Alastair Heim for sharing 20 copies of your books, including…
BIG BUB, SMALL CAR
(By Alastair Heim, Illustrated by Aaron Blecha, Simon Spotlight)
SIGN SAYS STOP
(By Alastair Heim, Illustrated by Yavae Sanae, Simon Spotlight)
Thank you Laura Gehl for sharing 19 copies of your books, including…
ORSON AND THE WORLD’S LOUDEST LIBRARY
(By Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson, Astra Young Readers)
DONUT ROSQUILLA
(By Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Andrea Zuill, Random House Studio)
THE ELEVATOR ON 74TH STREET
(By Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Yas Imamura, Beach Lane Books)
Thank you Robin Newman for sharing 10 copies of your book…
TRIAL AND ERROR
(By Robin Newman, Illustrated by Deborah Zemke, Creston Books)
Thank you Ariel Bernstein for sharing 9 copies of your book…
MABEL WANTS A FRIEND
(By Ariel Bernstein, Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal, A Paula Wiseman Book)
We will continue sharing the donated books in this blog post. Can you help make the total grow?
OUR CURRENT TOTAL:
735 BOOKS
We can’t wait to see what this year’s drive brings!
Thank you for being part of delivering book joy this holiday season!
