October 1, 2023
Dear Friend,
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I’m writing this on the first day of Banned Books Week. I hope you’ll read Book Harvest’s statement, released today, here.
I could say much more about that, but at this moment, I feel compelled to write about two words that should never, ever go together: child poverty.
 The buoyant hope I shared in April 2021, when news broke about the expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan, has been flattened. Only a year ago, child poverty in America hit an all-time low of 5.2%. But, last month, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that child poverty has more than doubled since then, to 12.4%.
Why? The biggest reason is that the child tax credit was not renewed.
Our colleagues at Zero to Three say this: “Poverty and wealth inequality are defining features of this generation of babies.” And just last Monday, the New York Times ran an opinion piece by Dr. Nikhil Goyal entitled America Pulled Children Out of Poverty. Now It’s Set to Reverse Course With a Vengeance.
I am devastated by this backsliding that prevents so many of our precious children and families from realizing their basic needs - food, housing, health care. And I and Book Harvest are doubling down on our commitment to doing everything we can to ensure that every child can flourish.
Here is what we will do: we will continue to show up with an abundance and diversity of books everywhere children go in their everyday lives; we will  continue to seed rich and robust home libraries and storytimes; we will continue to lead with book joy and with optimism and determination.
We know that the challenge has never been greater than it is right now. And with a dozen years and more than two million harvested books under our belts, we are ready.
I also know that books, while essential, are not sufficient; they don’t fill empty tummies, and they can’t rest on the shelves of a beloved home library if there is no home.
I don’t have answers for how to disrupt the path of growing child poverty that we have returned to; but Book Harvest and I will continue to do our part to ensure that poverty and wealth inequality are NOT defining features of this generation of babies.
I am filled with resolve, frustration, and, yes, continued optimism – along with deep gratitude for the many ways you, and so many others, continue to walk alongside us toward our big dreams for every child.
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Ginger Young,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
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A Note from Mary Mathew, Director of Advocacy
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 In the first eight months of 2023, the state of North Carolina has had over 100 book challenges, and the numbers continue to rise.
As a person who loves books, and the joy, ideas, and sense of belonging they can inspire in kids and families, I can’t help but be concerned about book bans and what they mean for the flourishing of our children and communities.
This week is Banned Books Week, and I join Book Harvest and hundreds of other families, advocates, and organizations across the country in raising our collective voice to say: Let Freedom Read! Read Book Harvest’s statement released in conjunction with 2023 Banned Books Week to learn more about why book bans matter to children and families.
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When the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in July, I penned an article highlighting how children's savings account programs like Bright Futures, Book Harvest's CSA program, can serve as a powerful counterbalance to historic and present-day inequities by transforming how children see themselves and their opportunities.
We were grateful that our message resonated with the editors at The 74, and hope that its wide reach will propel conversations about providing CSA's to families throughout the country.
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We Received the Highest Rating by Charity Navigator!
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 We’re excited to share that Book Harvest has been evaluated by Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit evaluator, and earned a Four-Star Rating! This is the highest possible rating on Charity Navigator.
This milestone achievement couldn’t have happened without you and your support. Thank you for being part of our trusting family!
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Roll Call! Meet Our Six New Team Members
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We have been busy increasing our capacity and expanding our team. Below are the SIX new employees who started this summer! We are so fortunate to have them on board as we work toward our big dream of books for every child, support for every parent, and literacy for every community.
Please enjoy last week's blog post as Jeff Quinn, Frida Daniels Sanchez, Ashley McClure, Gia Parker, June Neese, and Gisela Mora Hernandez introduce themselves!
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Words to Live By: Kelsey Timmerman
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Kelsey Timmerman is the New York Times bestselling author of the Where Am I? series. He is also a founder of The Facing Project, a national community storytelling nonprofit that has collected more than 1,500 stories.
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What kind of reader were you as a child?
I grew up in rural Ohio. The nearest bookstore was an hour away. But we had a small city library with amazing librarians. We'd come out with stacks of books. I'd read them in my clubhouse, which was in a grove of trees in the middle of a field of corn. I read a lot. This was when Pizza Hut had the Book It program. Reading books = free pizza!
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Our October Featured Five children’s was compiled by Gisela Mora Hernandez, Book Harvest's Bridge to School Coordinator: "Through these rich and meaningful stories representative of our collective experience, I honor my Hispanic & Latine heritage, share my love of the spooky season, and celebrate the coming of fall."
You can purchase these books and have them shipped directly to Book Harvest. You might also like to have them in your home library! View purchasing options.
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Questions? Email Amy Franks, Associate Director of School and Family Engagement, at amy@bookharvest.org.
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- America Pulled Children Out of Poverty. Now It’s Set to Reverse Course With a Vengeance by Nikhil Goyal, New York Times, Sept. 25, 2023
- State of Babies Yearbook by Zero to Three, Sept. 27, 2023
- New First Book Research Reveals The Positive Academic Impact Of Diverse Books by Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO of First Book, September 22, 2023
- Perspective | A beacon of hope for literacy in North Carolina by Donna Bledsoe, Education NC, September 11, 2023
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