July 5, 2023
Dear Friend,
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Yes, it's hot! But the coolest thing has happened here at Book Harvest: dozens and dozens of thank you notes have poured in from some of the 14,208 students who participated in Books on Break in May.
Here are a few I can't resist sharing:
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 I like books. I love books. I love love books.
- Jameir
Books make me happy. They light my day, thank you so much for the cool books!
- Aubriana
Dear Book Harvest, Thank you for giving books to us! Now, I can read with my brothers and they will like it. Thank you so much, I love you.
- Zhyair
Thank you Book Harvest for letting us get ten books. Thank you for letting us keep the books forever. Thank you for helping us find books, they were awesome and super good. You're the best Book Harvest ever!
- Luis
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These notes remind me: books spread joy.
My Book Harvest colleague Mary Mathew had a letter to the editor published in the New York Times on June 28, in response to a story the Times ran about declining reading scores. In her letter, entitled “Make Reading Fun Again”, she wrote:
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"But what stood out to me most in this story was that fewer  kids report reading for fun, with 31 percent saying they “never or hardly ever” read for fun, compared with 22 percent in 2012.
Could reigniting a love for reading and the joy of books be an answer we’re missing to this problem? Imagine every child with an abundant home library, cuddled up with a parent or under the covers reading a book, starting from birth."
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 Kids right here – in Durham and in North Carolina - ARE reading for fun! Their words, in these dozens of messages, affirm the magic that happens when we equip children with books – in summer and all year long.
Every child deserves a robust and abundant home library -- brimming with books they are excited about. Giving kids the opportunity to harvest books is a big key to how we make reading fun again. I am proud that our unstoppable Book Harvest community is leading the way, with 2,059,262 books harvested to date!
Thank you for all you do to help us realize our dream of books for every child, support for every parent, and literacy for every community! |
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Wishing you a summer full of awesome reads,
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Ginger Young,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
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P.S. We got a truck! Our beloved book truck can now be seen cruising the streets of Durham, joyfully filling the City of Books with – well, books! Thank you to the Durham Merchants Association Charitable Foundation for helping make it look so good!
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Summer Block Party - July 22 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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It’s time for the annual Book Harvest Block Party and you’re invited! Join Book Harvest and community partners on Saturday, July 22, from 1-4 PM at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The concourse will be transformed into a massive celebration of kids, books, and summer!
The event is free to attend, and there will be free, high-quality children's books for kids to take home and keep. Plus, activities for the whole family! We will be joined by local favorites including The Poetry Fox, The Carolina Theatre, PBS NC, Durham Parks and Recreation, Total Koality, Durham Public Schools, and more. Plus, magic shows by Happy Dan the Magic Man!
That’s not all: the first 300 attendees will receive a $5 voucher for concessions and there will be cookies for everyone! There is no cost to attend and free parking is available. The event will be under cover and will occur rain or shine.
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Words to Live By: Frances O'Roark Dowell
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Frances O’Roark Dowell is the bestselling author of Dovey Coe, which won the Edgar Award and the William Allen White Award; Where I’d Like to Be; The Secret Language of Girls; and more! She lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, two sons, and a dog named Travis.
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What are three children's books you think should be on every child's bookshelf?
The Story of Ferdinand, Charlotte's Web, and The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963
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Our July Featured Five children’s books celebrate July 4th-American Independence, July 12 - Malala Day, and Disability Pride Month!
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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- ‘Make Reading Fun Again’, a Letter to the Editor by Mary Mathew, June 28, 2023, New York Times
- Student scores for reading, math fall nationwide, Carly Haynes, June 21, 2023, WRAL News
- Summertime fun ideas; Book Harvest shares big milestone, My Carolina, June 8, 2023, CBS
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