Inspiring Imagination
There are few pleasures in the world as great to me as reading. As a child, I read voraciously, and without limits—I read about Greek Mythology, and biographies of great men and women, and Japanese Folk Tales, and about Lost Treasures of the Incas, and Fairy Tales, all with equal fervor. I traveled to other worlds with Charles Wallace Murray, and grew up alongside Taran Wanderer. I learned about Robot Detectives, and Magic Swords, and Time Machines. But most importantly, I learned that we live in a world without limits. And that's the most important lesson of all.—James A. Owen, The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series
2014 Testimonial Archive
Cathy Gross
Site Manager, Helen's Hope Chest, Mesa, Arizona
October 28, 2014
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the wonderful books donated! They are absolutely amazing!
The foster children who visit us often enter foster care with only the clothes on their backs. Your donation has made a difference in a child's life. We appreciate you for thinking of us.
Mandy Buscas
Education Director, Outreach, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona
September 17, 2014
It has been a challenge to match books that aren't aligned directly to the shows, but the musicality of the previous book was amazing.... We sure do appreciate the partnership and the opportunity for these students to own a book!!
Olivia Quintanilla
Project Lead, Little Free Library Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 2, 2014
On behalf of the students and families of Minneapolis Public Schools, I want to thank you for the generous donation of children books to the Little Free Library Project, Books Around the Block. These books will be placed in one of our 45 existing Little Free Libraries in a high-poverty Minneapolis neighborhood.
We are grateful not only for the thoughtfulness of your gift but also the concern for Minneapolis Public School students that it reflects. Nearly 60 percent of families at the poverty line have no children's books at home. This project helps us put high-quality books into the hands and homes of those who desperately need them.
Peggy Long
Executive Director, Better To Give, Phoenix, Arizona
August 21, 2014
I would like to thank you for your donation of 800 books to our organization! This gift will help us expand the number of children we serve this Holiday Season, as well as expand the community service performed to over 4,000 hours! It will also help provide Christmas to over 400 families in need while showing pre-teens the importance of volunteering in their community.
Thank you again for your support. You are truly making a difference in the lives of children in our valley.
Todd Kemmerer
Counselor, Children First Academy, Tempe, Arizona
May 27, 2014
I wanted to thank you for having the opportunity to work with “Kids Need to Read” this past school year. Having access to such terrific books allowed me to develop a fun, engaging and deeply meaningful Guidance Program for our students. Going into the classrooms with books that focused on bullying, friendship, caring about others, having tolerance and the old classics like anger management and making good decisions was inspiring not only for me as a School Counselor but for the students and Teachers as well. The books graciously donated to our school allowed me to introduce these topics through storytelling and role playing while creating a foundation for great discussion among the students. The icing on the cake was that the students got to read and develop an appreciation for what reading can do for each of us.
The highlight of the year was having guest speakers like Steven Riley visit our school. His high energy, extremely engaging storytelling and humor made a huge impression on the students. The excitement generated was not only for the books he wrote but for each student now wanting to write their own stories and create their own unique characters, which was truly amazing. Your assistance in coordinating other speakers to talk about bullying and the impact it made on their lives was a validating experience for our older students and tied into the books we read as a group perfectly.
Having this partnership with “Kids Need to Read” was an invaluable resource for our school and I can't thank you enough for motivating our students to value the written word.
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