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
2015 Testimonial Archive
Sherri Watson
Teacher, Palomino Primary School, Phoenix, Arizona
December 22, 2015
Thank you for the entertaining assembly and for giving my students a signed book, magazine, reading buddy, and for our class a poster and game! We enjoyed it.
Julie Kautenburger
Reading Specialist, Palomino Primary School, Phoenix, Arizona
December 18, 2015
Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful assembly and gifts for the students. Everyone LOVED Steven Riley and the kids were so excited to get the books, magazines and buddies! The teachers liked the game as well. Your generosity is appreciated!
Suzanne Harvey
Children's Librarian, Huachuca City Public Library, Huachuca City, Arizona
November 16, 2015
Thank you again not just for what you have done for our little library but for what you do for libraries and kids everywhere!
Megan Corbett
Mother, Huachuca City, Arizona
November 4, 2015
Thank you for this amazing gift you provide to our local library. Such an amazing staff, and just a really great place to foster a lifelong love of reading!!
Charlotte Hurley
Librarian, Grand County Library, Moab, Utah
October 26, 2015
The children were very excited to have their names on a book in the library. They were the first to read the book and we have seen many check outs since. The selection of books you have gifted to us is really amazing. We have added many of the series to our collections and the kids are enjoying those as well. We appreciate your dedication and the wonderful wisdom you bring to the project. This had been a very good experience for us. Thank you.
De De Hicks
President/CEO, The Volunteer Center, Torrance, California
October 6, 2015
Thank you and Kids Need to Read very much for the 2,036 Highlights magazines for the Volunteer Center's Operation Teddy Bear program. As you may know, Operation Teddy Bear provides 5,600 backpacks filled with literacy items to disadvantaged first grade children in South Bay and Long Beach schools.
The students and teachers are truly thankful for the backpacks. The following is a quote from one of our first grade teachers from Broadacres Elementary:
“My students were very touched by having total strangers come to school and give them such an incredible gift. I heard comments like ‘We really get to keep this?’ and ‘This was the best day ever!’”
Thank you again for helping to bring joy, hope and the gift of learning to these deserving children.
P.S. You will never know how much this means to the kids!
Susan Douglas
Administrator, Mesa Arts Academy, Mesa, Arizona
October 1, 2015
Kids DO Need to Read and because of you and your generous donation, many more of our students will have that wonderful opportunity. The Mesa Arts Academy is a charter school with strong roots in our local South side Mesa barrio. As a public charter, we accept any student who seeks access to our program; however, recruitment efforts are grounded in our local neighborhood. The charter is operated by the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley and we are housed in their Mesa, Grant Woods Branch. Over 85% of our students qualify for assistance under the Federal free lunch program and half of the primary students enter classrooms speaking little or no English.
Even with this background, the Academy is proud of the academic results of our students. We are an A rated school with a history of excelling. Our results on state tests routinely place our students in the top 5% of all schools in Arizona. We recognize that we cannot continue to achieve these kinds of results with the support of multiple community partners. Kids Need to Read is now one of those valued partners. They say “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” You and Kids Need to Read are now valued members of our community.
Vicki Latham
Teacher and Adopt A School Coordinator, Spann Elementary School, Jackson, Mississippi
September 8, 2015
I must say—my first assessment of these little [READ Together program] books is “YAY”: (1) short books kiddos can start with, (2) easy books the non (or very little)-English speaking parents can monitor, and (3) interesting books that appeal to such a wide variety of children. Super job choosing these books for a program like this. Excellent.
Steve Jensen
Program Coordinator, Weber County Family Literacy Project, Ogden, Utah
August 31, 2015
On behalf of the Weber County Family Literacy Project, I struggle to find words to express the gratitude that all of us feel toward the generous and much-needed donation of books for youth involved in family court issues. I have seen kids watch with eager eyes while their names are written under the words “This book belongs to:” and handed their gift during an exceptionally difficult time in their lives. A glow shines on their faces that is able to pierce through the clouds of hardship they are having to endure. Clutching what is often the first book that has ever been truly theirs, tears of gratitude for a kind act in the midst of oppressive pain often wet the cheeks of youth, family, and program staff alike.
Gratitude for Kids Need to Read and your donation quickly spread to other community groups. Driven by the Utah Browncoats, the Weber County Library, and other supporters of the Family Literacy Project, volunteers from across northern Utah, including many youth who wanted to help their community, assembled throughout the summer in a carwash fundraiser effort to raise awareness for literacy and pay back in some small part the boon KNTR has provided Weber County. Not only has the donated books helped those to whom they were given, but it has been a catalyst for unity and service. The words “thank you” seems incredibly inadequate, but from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.
Suzanne Harvey
Children's Library Aide, Huachuca City Public Library, Huachuca City, Arizona
August 31, 2015
We just got the final box this morning. My boss isn't here and I am trying to restrain myself so we can unpack them together. It's difficult to say the least. I couldn't resist a little peek and what a treasure trove of books! It is very different to see the actual books v.s. the list of books. All I can say is “thank you”. Thank you on behalf of our little library and thank you on behalf of all the Huachuca City children who will get to enjoy this embarrassment of riches you have provided!
April Larson
Children�s Librarian, Hibbing Public Library, Hibbing, Minnesota
August 6, 2015
Thank you for your generosity to our community! You have made a huge impact at the Hibbing Public Library!
Melissa Holewa
Little Free Library Project Lead, Minneapolis Public Schools, Minneapolis, Minnesota
July 23, 2015
On behalf of Minneapolis Public Schools, I would like to thank you for supporting our literacy project, Books Around the Block. Thanks to your generous donations, we have collected almost 15,000 new and gently used children's books which have been distributed to 72 Little Free Libraries in low-income Minneapolis neighborhoods. Sixty-one percent of low-income families do not have any age-appropriate books for children in their home; your donations have made a tremendous impact in a school district where 65% of our students come from low-income families.
Kristy Kilfoyle
Coordinator of Public Library Programs, Lee County Library System, Fort Myers, Florida
July 16, 2015
Thanks again for the very generous donation from Kids Need To Read! The patrons at the Dunbar Library were so pleased with the choice of books they had this summer. It truly made a difference. I wanted to share this thank you banner that they colored this summer. You can see that they got a little carried away at the end! Again, we are so appreciative.
Jessica Black
Regional Manager, Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services, Mesa, Arizona
July 15, 2015
I wish I'd been able to stay for [Executive
Director Denise Gary's] presentation; I heard it was amazing.
The turnout for this event was the best we've had at our Special
Events so far this year. That sure does say a lot & I'm thrilled
these young families value literacy too.
Thank you for giving them those great goodie bags, pointer tip sheets and books; apparently they loved them. ... We would love to have you back and will let you know if we schedule another event. You're awesome!
April Larson
Children�s Librarian, Hibbing Public Library, Hibbing, Minnesota
June 29, 2015
Thank you for everything you have done for the Hibbing Library! You have truly blessed this community in so many ways!
Charlotte Hurley
Librarian, Grand County Library, Moab, Utah
June 9, 2015
The books arrived late yesterday and again, I am thrilled with the selections!... The children will be able to read them very soon. I will put the books on hold for the children that sent in their pictures first. This has been a wonderful program for us. Your generosity has been overwhelming. We have also been so excited to learn about new series that we hadn't known. Thank you again for this program. Our community really appreciates all you have done to make our Best Small Library even BETTER.
Linda Wedin
Elementary Counselor, Lowell Elementary School, Mesa, Arizona
April 29, 2015
The Book Club has 18 active members at the moment. We started on Oct 31, and usually meet every Friday after school. We have used the Life Strategies for Dealing with Bullies, by Jay McGraw—reading and discussing excerpts chosen by students or myself. Another teacher has volunteered to co-facilitate and she has been awesome.
For the last 3 weeks, the group has stopped reading excerpts and wanted to come up with a project to share the ideas of the book with the rest of the school. So—with the other teacher's awesome background in drama—we have been working on developing a play using ideas from the book, and hopefully some art pieces to display as well. We are still in planning and development stages, but our goal is to present the play at our end of the year Assembly.
The Book Club—which would not exist without the resources from Kids Need to Read—has made a lasting and positive impact on these students which they want to share with our whole school community!
Charlotte Hurley
Librarian, Grand County Library, Moab, Utah
April 14, 2015
The new books are flying off the shelf!� The children are enjoying them. Thank you so much for including us in this amazing and generous [Grow your Library] program.� We feel deeply honored to be included.
Charlotte Hurley
Librarian, Grand County Library, Moab, Utah
April 2, 2015
We have really enjoyed our gift and the children are loving the books. It is interesting that several of the series were ones we hadn't heard about and the kids are really enjoying them. Thank you for your generosity and the delightful day that we had with Gary, Tina and the Schneiders. [Grow Your Library] is really wonderful and we are excited that other libraries will have this opportunity to receive such a great selection of books for kids.
Helen Dahlman
President, Risen Christ School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
March 2, 2015
"Thank you so much for the recent donation of so many wonderful new books for the Risen Christ School library! The “Biscuit” books are especially popular with our younger students and the librarian already had to put the “Actionopolis” series on reserve because so many students want to read them!
Your generosity is putting more books, and the magic of reading, into the hands of over 300 children living in poverty. Ninety-five percent of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches and over 70 percent are either children of immigrants or newcomers themselves. They and their parents have a passion for education and know that reading unlocks the door to all other learning. Unfortunately, they simply cannot afford books of their own and often times do not even have access to local libraries, making school media centers a precious resource to them.
Melissa Reis
Teacher, Wapato Middle School, Wapato, Washington
February 26, 2015
Today I received a donation from your organization ... before the end of the day I had to tell students that all the books had been borrowed or found permanent homes!! Literally the most exciting day we have had in a really long time!! Brothers, sisters, friends, and random kids who heard it through the middle school grapevine, came in to see if there were any books left! ...it was like a magic, book Christmas. !!WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS!!
Haniyyah Jones
Teacher, 107th Street Elementary School, Los Angeles, California
January 30, 2015
Thanks to the Kids Need To Read organization, today was an exciting day for the 4th and 5th-grade students and teachers of 107th. All of the classes had begun reading the book [The Last Ride of Caleb O'Toole], and were very excited about the story. Having an author visit was a first for all of them. The students were so engaged and the teachers were very excited to see their students so engaged. What a memorable experience for everyone.
Mr. Pierpoint was very gracious with his time, and it's wonderful how he has made History accessible for young readers. Even as adults we were excited to meet him.
Thank you again for your generous donation.
Laurie Pisano
Library Aide, McKinley Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles, California
January 20, 2015
When I say our school budget is “zero”, I mean zero!I just wanted to say thank you ahead of time — I'm very impressed with your organization! I recently ran a report on our library, and the majority, by far, of the books on the shelves are over 20 years old.
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