I grew up in a house filled with books, visits to our local library and bookmobile, and parents who read to me every night. Each year, under our tree, I found a beautiful picture book dedicated to the season, a tradition that my mother continued well into my adulthood and I now continue for my own child, nieces, and nephew.

As an adult, I take these advantages for granted and can delude myself into thinking this is the norm. It very much isn’t.

Fact: In middle-income neighborhoods the ratio of books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children. In some lower-income areas that ratio can be as high as 1 book for 850 children.

Fact: 50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth-grade level. 

Fact: 61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children.

Fact is, children in our poorest communities do not have sufficient access to the books they need to develop proficient literacy skills.

How can we help?

The 27th Annual Give a Kid a Book: Starting now through December 17, our Friends of the Library will be accepting donations of new and unwrapped board books, easy picture books, fiction, nonfiction and audiobooks. This year the program is especially looking for new books for babies, easy picture books for ages 2-5, and fiction and non-fiction books for ages 6-18. Audiobooks for kids up to 18 and books written in Spanish and Hmong are also needed. 

Drop off locations: Volume One Local Store, at the corner if Dewey and Galloway Streets, and our library, temporarily located at 2725 Mall Drive. You can drop off books through December 17 at these locations.

Other Opportunities: You can also get involved by contributing monetarily or taking part in Books-A-Million’s Holiday Book Drive through December 11. Buy a book at BAM and it goes to the drive.

Media Coverage

• Give a Kid a Book WEAU Interview with Stacy Yearous, November 5, 2021
• Give a Kid a Book WQOW Interview with Stacy Yearous, November 3, 2021

Learn more!

Get involved and learn more about the drive and our Friends of the Library!

Questions? Please call 715.831.5301 or email friendsofthelibrary@eauclaire.lib.wi.us