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Milk + Bookies


In addition to possibly having the best name for a literary charity ever, Milk and Bookies has a worthwhile mission: to bring children books AND to teach children about giving. Says the organization’s site:

At Milk + BookiesTM events, boys and girls are provided the opportunity to select, purchase and inscribe books that are then donated to their peers who do not have access to books of their own. The fun-filled events feature music, story time and, of course, milk and cookies. […]

Milk + BookiesTM combines two essential and worthwhile efforts: literacy promotion and service learning. While the book donations are imperative to our mission, just as important is instilling the seed of giving into each host and their young guests, sparking feelings of importance, self-confidence and the desire to give and give again.

For example, the site offers suggestions on throwing a Milk + Bookies birthday party, in which guests bring a book to donate in lieu of a gift. My son recently had his first birthday, and my husband and I decided that for each subsequent birthday, we’d teach him to give a gift to someone else as part of his celebration. Giving books might be a good way to start!

For more information on Milk + Bookies, watch this video and visit their website:

Further Reading:

  • Visit our archives to learn about other organizations that bring literature to children, including Reader to Reader and Read This.

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