I am having the Best Month Ever

This week, I was named one of L'Oreal's 2015 Women of Worth. The words that come to mind don't seem sufficient to describe what this means... to me, to Books for Keeps.  I'm honored, but you know all I really care about is making the most of this opportunity to expand Books for Keeps.

L'Oreal sent a film crew here to make a video.  What an experience!

And here is the 30-second version of the actual video.

But you know what the best part was? Listening in on the interviews they did with folks other than me. I thought I would hear stories about Books for Keeps and the impact it's having - and I did - but there was so much more.

Some highlights:

A school counselor mentioning how, most of the time, children from low-income families feel "Less Than" but on Books for Keeps day, they are "Same As." There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

That same counselor said that teachers can become desensitized to the gaps in these children's needs, but that Books for Keeps has inspired them that simple solutions to help the child right in front of them are still worth doing.

Two of our volunteers, who are retired, mentioned that volunteering for Books for Keeps gives them a sense of worth... proves that retirees still have value and something to contribute to society.

The school superintendent, Dr. Phil Lanoue, brought up the sacrifice my family made for three years to make Books for Keeps a reality. By "family" that means my husband Bayne. He was our sole income during that time, so that I could focus.  He is the unsung hero of Books for Keeps.

Dr. Jennifer Graff described the enormity of the challenge we faced. She said
"When Melaney approached me about her plan to turn our study into a program, I thought to myself, 'We had eight paid staff, millions of dollars in funding and a publisher handling fulfillment – and she wants to do this with none of those?!”

WE DID IT! And we're still doing it.


And the children. One described using his BFK books to teach himself better English. Another was so proud to have learned more words, bigger words, by reading her BFK books.  We're looking for a bookshelf for one student who has nowhere to store his books. We gave our student interviewees a special bag of books to say thank you, and their faces lit up like it was Christmas.

I tried to describe all this for Bayne, and all I could come up with was "soul restoring." It was like getting a preview of what people will say about you at your funeral.  

With all that said, my perspective hasn't changed.  I get so much credit for Books for Keeps. Yes, I worked hard. But what I really did was ask for help, and people said YES. One book, one hour, one dollar, one Facebook post.  These individual actions are Books for Keeps.  We are proof of what happens when you stop asking "Why doesn't somebody do something about this?" and start declaring "I am somebody. I can do something about this."

I hope you will vote - every day - for Books for Keeps to receive the $25,000 L'Oreal Women of Worth grant. More books for more children - that's all that matters.  

The Ride Home from Winterville

Joe Hill, Books for Keeps' treasurer, shares one of his favorite BFK stories.  Thanks Joe!

On my way home from my book distribution shift at Winterville Elementary this past May, I got caught behind the school bus and spent a good 20 minutes watching kids get dropped off at their bus stops. 

Every one of them carried a bright yellow Books for Keeps tote bag. Some of the smaller kids looked about as big as their bags.  Some struggled a little under the weight of 12 big board books.  But every child I saw was wearing a huge smile.

As the kids ran home to show their parents their new books, I tried to imagine as a parent what my reaction would be.  I spent the morning with these children – I saw how excited they all were about reading and comparing books with friends.  They couldn’t wait to get home and share the experience with their families. It’s exactly the kind of experience I hope my own children will have in school.  Most of the time my kids don’t want to recount their school day with me, but when they are excited enough about something to share, it is like winning the lottery – and on this day, the parents of Winterville Elementary students hit the jackpot along with their children.

It’s easy to forget during the rest of the year what the payoff is for Books for Keeps’ program.  Most of the rest of the year is spent in meetings, hundreds of phone calls, thousands of emails, fundraising events, book drives, and sweating in the warehouse. I block out several days on my calendar to be a part of the volunteer shifts at the schools, because that is where you witness the joy as children find great books that ignite their imaginations.

Momentum! $13,000 pledged, $37,000 to go.

It's fun to get the mail when you're greeted by checks instead of bills! And packages from Carrie, who has been mailing books on our wish list for five years now.  (Thanks Carrie!)

In other news, Celia Baker of IntelliGRACS Group is not only offering to match $5,000 in donations, she's working her contacts to try and raise an additional $10,000 to sponsor an entire school.

There is so much momentum building at Books for Keeps! You can feel it in the air. (Wait - maybe that's the start of football season?) So excited about the what the future holds for this tiny-but-mighty organization!

Please tell somebody what I'm trying to do. Your Facebook page is a mighty powerful tool.

Fundraising for Introverts (a.k.a. "PLEASE- don't make me host a gala ball.")

I've got to pick up the pace to have any hope of raising $50,000 by my 50th birthday, so I asked some fundraising friends for advice on things I might try.

My mouth went dry and my palms started to sweat.  I don't go to parties! I am terrible at small talk! I live in sweat pants! So I'm trying something new:

Help me raise $50,000 by my 50th birthday, and I will NOT hold a gala ball, cocktail party, or golf tournament. No caterers or facilities taking a chunk of the proceeds. Just you and me, helping children who cannot help themselves.  Will you NOT attend?

-------   To receive YOUR "Get Out of Gala Balls Free" card:   -------

Make a donation to Books for Keeps, with "Mel's 50th" in the memo line. Donate online or by check. (PO Box 49761 Athens, GA 30604.)  Then kick back and relax in the knowledge that no gala ball invitation will arrive in your mailbox - and that you've done something good to help children in need.

My Books for Keeps Story - Julie McGinty

In the process of helping Books for Keeps serve children in need, board member Julie McGinty had an "AHA!" moment about how to help her own daughter be a better reader.  Thanks for sharing your story, Julie!

When I joined the Books for Keeps board two years ago, I never imagined that I would learn to be a better mom to my "reluctant reader" in the process.  I wasn’t a big reader growing up; I’m sure I read books, but I don’t remember many.  I was determined that my daughter would be a reader, so I made a habit of purchasing age-appropriate books for her as she learned to read independently.

Time and time again I chose books I knew were popular with children her age - and she refused to read them.  She stuck with the very simple picture books which she had read at least 20 times.  I was frustrated. People told me she would catch on when she was ready, so I stepped back for a while.

I joined the Books for Keeps board around this time. During my first book distribution in May 2014, I saw children browsing the books and making their own choices about what to read.  Volunteers were asking them "What do you want to read this summer?" and helping them find books that matched their interests.  Many of them were excited over a book titled "Baby Mouse."  I looked it over and it wasn’t necessarily a book that I would purchase for my daughter, but I thought I’d give it a try.

I took my daughter to Barnes & Noble that same day. Instead of choosing books for her, I showed her Baby Mouse and other great books I had seen that day, and told her to pick out $25 worth of books that piqued her interest.  She chose three Baby Mouse books and that was that. She read and re-read those books, with no encouragement or reminders from me!

Then she told me other books she liked at her school library and more books she wanted to read.  My reluctant reader was developing a love of reading! It finally clicked with me that the key principle we follow at Books for Keeps applies to my own child as well:  if we want children to read, we must give them books they want to read.   Self-selection is key.

Thank you, Books for Keeps, for the thousands of books you place in the hands of children each year - but also for helping me learn how to help my “reluctant” reader to become a “willing” reader.

Six years ago, this little blog started something mighty. Can we work another miracle?

Six years ago, I used this blog to appeal for help when I met a little girl who loved to read, but was facing a summer without books. Not a single book in her home, and no access to the public library. Her teacher told me that many of her classmates were in the same boat, and would fall behind in school as a result.

I asked for help, and a miracle occurred. Family, friends, book lovers, and regular folks all over the U.S. responded, and the result was Books for Keeps, a research-based program that gives away 45,000 books each year to prevent summer slide. This video tells the story better than I ever could.

I’m hoping this blog still holds its magic. Because here it goes: another request for help, six years later.

I’m trying to raise $50,000 by my 50th birthday, to reach more children. I’ve got til the end of November, but hey, I’ll be 50 for a whole year so let’s see how it goes. My late start is due mostly to fear of failure, but I'm taking the leap.

Like last time, my first step is to ask for help. I hope you will. Here are some ideas:

Make a donation. If just 200 people were willing to contribute $250 each, I could call it a day! But I’ll take any amount, and make it count.  Click here to donate now or mail a check payable to Books for Keeps to PO Box 49761, Athens GA 30604. (Whether online or check, please put “Mel’s 50th”in the memo line.)

Tell somebody. Books for Keeps got where it is today because the word spread. Share our video, with a link to this blog post, and let's get something started.

Hit up your boss. Ask your employer to become a sponsor. $600 will purchase the books for an entire class.

Introduce me. Could I come tell the BFK story to a group at your church or workplace?

Turn a hobby into books for children. Think about what you like to do, and see if there's an opportunity to turn it into a small fundraiser: A wine tasting, a tennis round robin, a bake sale, a golf outing...send pictures and I'll share them.

Involve a group. Book clubs, your department at work, civic groups, tennis teams, sororities...

Can you imagine spending an entire summer sitting at home, with nothing to read? Many of the children we serve know what it’s like. It’s hard to describe the joy in the room when these children come to select their books, but this captures it pretty well.

More books for more children in more Athens schools, more Georgia cities and towns. Please help me make this a reality. Don't focus on what you can't do; think of what you CAN do. You'll come up with something, trust me. Books for Keeps is living proof of what happens when people stop saying "Why doesn't somebody DO something about this?" and start saying "I am somebody. I will do something about this."

Why I support Books for Keeps: Becky Blackwell

Becky Blackwell, a new Books for Keeps supporter, tells the story of why she was so quick to support our organization - after only learning of it yesterday. Thanks Becky!

I was very excited to learn about ‘Books for Keeps’ yesterday.  The program really resonated with me because I benefited from a similar program when I was in kindergarten over 35 years ago, and I still remember the impact it had on me. 

Through a local literacy program, I had the opportunity to pick out a book that I could take home and keep – not just for the night or for the week, but really keep!  I soon became an avid reader which kept me busy for the many days I was home alone while Mom was at work.  This was the first book I owned, and it's a vivid and cherished memory to this day.

I’m confident the children you are now sending home with brand new books will feel the same.  And I hope that the lasting impact on their lives will be similar to mine.  Thank you for doing the work you are doing!

--Becky Blackwell

Why Pretend?

I started this blog shortly after beginning a one-year sabbatical. I wanted to see what would happen in my life if I actually had time to think, see, hear. In all my new-found open-mindedness, I never saw something like Books for Keeps coming.

So why pretend I'm still searching or experimenting?  I will miss veggie-blogging and eco-blogging and workshop-blogging and all the rest of it, but the reality is: I'm all about Books for Keeps.  As my hairdresser put it: "You're where the universe needs you right now." I tend to think it's God, not the universe, but you get the idea.

I'm shelving Life is Good...Better...Best for now.  I hope you'll visit me over at Books for Keeps every once in a while.

I'm having the time of my life doing something I would've called you crazy for suggesting just a year ago.

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

Kay, one of this year's book donors, just sent me this article. It made me cry. Then I read it again and it gave me chills. Then I read it a third time and it made me think "I'VE GOT TO DO MORE!!!"

The article mentions a study that found giving books to kids to OWN - 12 each - at the beginning of summer, makes a difference in their future education. It also mentioned the feeling ownership gives a child.

I hope you'll read the article even if you're not on pins and needles each day to learn how many books I've gotten. There's proof out there that just owning some books makes a difference in these kids' lives.

Now: how am I going to give 12 books per child instead of 3? Oh my.

A new name for the Summer Satchel project

The way things are going, it seems a new name is in order. Friends sent in great suggestions for a new name; many of them were already in use elsewhere, but I settled on Books For Keeps. (Thank you Lori & Celia!)

I'm working on a separate blog for Books For Keeps, and a Facebook page. This is real, y'all!

Summer Satchel Action Shots

Yesterday was the big day: Alps rolled out the summer reading program and the students came and shopped for books.

It started with organizing the books. Parent volunteers took care of that. There were tables covered in chapter books for the older kids....


.... and a separate section for younger kids.


Volunteers were stuffing bags with information about the summer reading program.


Here's most of what was in each bag:
A list of recommended books, a sheet to tally the number of books read (with prizes listed for each level), a free book offer from Borders, pencils, erasers, a reading journal (where students could record a brief summary about each book), and a brand new book from the Alps Recommended Reading list.

We didn't have time to decorate the bags; next year we'll order them much earlier and have the kids do the decorating themselves.

When each class arrived, Mary would give them a bag and tell them about the summer reading program.

Then each student was allowed to choose 2 books to take home (in addition to the new book provided by the school). That's when the chaos began. The kids were so excited about the books, they swarmed the tables like we were giving away gold. Or candy. It was fun to watch.


Kids shopped for books and compared their finds. It was fun to hear them recommending books to each other.


The kindergarteners left a path of destruction behind, but it was fun to watch.


By the end of the day, it was clear what the students liked and didn't like.

The Goosebumps (85) and Junie B. Jones(94) inventory was completely wiped out and the kids were asking for more. Sports books and joke books were frequent requests, and we only had a few of each. Magic Treehouse was popular but there were a few left over. The 22 Captain Underpants books were gone after the first class visited, and every class except Kindergarten asked for them. I felt terrible not having enough. Harry Potter also went fast, but I only had 11 of those. And I only had 1 copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which might have been the most frequently requested book.

On the other hand, only 1 Nancy Drew book was taken, a big fat zero on Little House on the Prairie books, and there were a lot of "non-series" books left over. Also left over were books with dull or drab covers. I thought The Spiderwick Chronicles and Time Warp Trio collections would be cleaned out, but the covers are mostly dark, or black and white and the kids completely ignored the books.

Tomorrow I'll give you an update on plans for the extra books. We found some good ways to use them and still save some for next year.

Welcome to my weekend....

I have no business blogging right now but I know y'all are craving an update about the books and where things stand.

Is a picture worth a thousand words? Here's 2 days' worth of unsorted, unopened books. That's an 8-foot rug, by the way.

Welcome to my weekend! Whoever said they felt God was with me on this project, could you send up an urgent prayer that He send help? Quickly?

Niece Janey arrives tonight and will help me sort, label and count. And Bayne will finally be free of the endless conference calls and meetings so he'll pitch in too.

Say a prayer, cross your fingers, send positive vibes my way... there's so much to do I can't help but laugh when I think about it.

Blown away by the kindness of strangers.

I was awake but still in bed this morning when Bayne said "You're thinking about your books, aren't you?"

Well, yes and no. I was thinking about the people helping me with the books. How could I not be thinking about them?

A coworker of my sister's is hitting an Atlanta thrift sale for me today. The owner of a chain of thrift stores in Texas is scouring her stores for books on my wish list. A woman in France bought books online and had them shipped because her own books wouldn't reach me in time. A teacher in south Georgia not only boxed up a big load of books, she posted the project online somewhere... so now I get emails from strangers who have boxed up books for me and just need my address. A woman in Atlanta sent me a check for $100 - talk about trust!

And the BookMooch points... I've gotten 200+ books, completely free, due to the kindness of BookMoochers who donated points.

Complete strangers, all of them.

I have many more stories like this one. Enough to leave me gobsmacked and boondoggled by the kindness of strangers. It's having a wonderful effect on my project... and on me.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention friends and family. My sister is rallying troops in Atlanta and there's no telling what she'll come up with. My mom donated her entire lot of BookMooch points. A friend from college is supplying pencils and erasers for the student journals. My aunt is supplying 400 bags so the students can carry their loot. Friends from high school, college, work... people I haven't seen in years, are collecting books in various towns and delivering them. Etc, etc, etc.

So it's Day 3 and I don't have a book count just yet, but my heart is overflowing with gratitude. One of the donors told me she felt God was with me on this project, and I agree. And with every one of you who's helping or sending good wishes my way. And with the children of Alps Road Elementary, who will each be the proud owner of 3 books this summer.

For some, it will be the first 3 books they've ever owned. The only 3 books found in their homes.

Thank you and keep it coming!

Summer Satchel Program is kicking into high gear...

Remember last year's "Summer Satchel" program for Alps Road Elementary? The school decided to continue the program... on a much larger scale. 400 students, Pre-K through 5th grade!

So far my contact at Alps has 1 book for every child, and plans to include a journal, a pencil, and a library card application for each child. My aunt is donating the bags.

But seriously: is ONE BOOK enough to keep a child occupied for a whole summer? I think not. It's progress, but it still leaves me sad. I'd like each child to have three books. Yes, that means I need 800 more books.

So far I have an abundance of Pre-K, 1st & 2nd grade books stacked in my closet. But I need chapter books for 3rd, 4th & 5th graders. Help me! Some popular series that have been mentioned:

• Magic Treehouse
• Junie B Jones
• Nancy Drew
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Goosebumps
• Spiderwick Chronicles
• Wrinkle in Time
• American Girl

Got books, but don't live in Athens? Mail them to me! The post office offers a discounted rate for books; just ask for the Media Mail rate.

Even if you can't buy or donate a book, think about these options:

1) If you're a member of PaperbackSwap or BookMooch and would be willing to donate points, let me know.
2) If you're willing to find & obtain free books from Craigslist or Freecycle in your area (and you're somewhere near central/north Georgia) I'll find a way to get the books. I've got Athens covered.

Finally: If you'd prefer to make a donation, I buy most of my books at thrift stores and average about $.50 per book. Give me a dollar, I'll turn it into 2 books. I've even turned to eBay, where I'm finding entire sets of chapter books for pretty good prices.

Twelve days... 800 books. It's gonna happen, and I hope you'll help!

PS: I also need 800-1200 new pencils, 400 sharpeners, and 400 erasers....

Summer Satchels - DELIVERED !!!

The summer satchels have been delivered to the second graders at Alps Road Elementary. The kids were so excited. I learned a lot, such as:

1. Many second graders have nothing to read at home
2. Even art is difficult at home, as many do not have paper, scissors, or crayons
3. Fernando is spelled F-E-R-N-A-N-D-O
4. Spiders have babies
5. Teachers are surely angels come to earth

Here's how the process played out.

First I collected art supplies and books from donors, then purchased more supplies at the Dollar Store, and more books at Salvation Army and Goodwill. The Niolon family donated many of the art supplies, and my sister's coworkers at Foodbuy in Atlanta donated many of the books.


Here's an example of what went into each bag: a couple of books, an art pad, crayons, a puzzle book, and some math flash cards. I had planned to use plastic grocery bags, but Mrs. Niolon came up with the festive bag you see below.


The finished product. So much better than a plastic grocery bag!


I underestimated the difficulty in transporting the bags. There wasn't an inch of space left in my car.

The bags filled every table in the school library...

... and the kids came in, one classroom at a time. Their eyes lit up when they saw the fun bags, and I was soooo glad I hadn't used the grocery sack. I'm choked up just writing about it.

The kids had all the energy and enthusiasm you'd expect from 2nd graders. But I was caught off guard by their openness. Some told me they don't own a single book. Some asked if they could have more. Some asked "is this really mine? to keep???"

Class after class danced into the room, their eyes going straight to the bags. And I will admit it: I cried like an idiot and thanked the kids for allowing me the honor of giving them these bags.

It all started with one girl, making a comment to MK "I wish I had a book at my house". That's a situation that shouldn't be allowed to continue. All it took was adopting the entire 2nd grade class. These are real kids with real potential. If this tiny bag keeps even one student reading over the summer, that's one more student who'll start 3rd grade ready for action.

A special thanks to Bird and the folks at Foodbuy - without your books, each child would have only received 1 book. You doubled that for these kids. Thank you!

Thanks also to Mom, who purchased about 1/4 of the books with a single $10 donation.

And finally, thank you to the Niolons. Your support was a wonderful gift not only to the kids, but to me.

Summer Satchels are lookin' good!

Yesterday's efforts to secure items for the summer satchels got off to a rocky start. Working the phones is clearly not my forte.

So I headed out to look for books, thinking books to fit my budget would be hard to find. I was right. But I hit the jackpot at the Project Safe Thrift Store, where I scored about 25 books. Paperbacks were $.25 each and hardbacks were $.50 each. My mom snuck me a $10 bill on the way out the door that morning, and that's just about what the books cost - thanks Mom!

When I returned home I had a message that my long-time friends, the Niolons, had taken it upon themselves to purchase art supplies AND were exploring options for the bags themselves. My backup plan has always been to hand each kid a plastic grocery bag if I couldn't come up with something else. The "Niolon Touch" will ensure the kids get something better than that!

Things got even better when my sweet sister Bird informed me that books were coming out of the woodwork at Foodbuy, where she works. She'd sent out an email to her co-workers, and the books have been pouring in. She has close to 80 already, and it's only day 2.

So I'm starting today full of gratitude for friends and family, and I'm heading out to scour every thrift store in Athens. More later....