All proceeds from our silent auction go towards our mission of providing new books to children living in poverty.  

            COVID-19 has had a significant impact on children in our communities.  With schools and libraries closed, children have lost access to books.  For children living in poverty, this is especially dire as many do not have books in their homes.  At Up With Books, we believe the next few years will be critical to keep children reading and to enhance their reading journey.  We strive to bring books into the homes of all children in our communities to provide equal access and opportunities in their learning endeavors.

            Children from low-income families lose valuable reading skills during the summer due to lack of access to books.  Providing children with books allows them to gain, rather than lose, reading skills.  Children who lose reading ability over the summer rarely catch up.  Creating a steady supply of new, age-appropriate books has been shown to dramatically increase interest in reading within months. Our goal is to encourage and inspire a love of reading and establish lifelong learners.

            The Every Summer Has a Story reading program was created to give books to children most at risk for learning setback to have in their homes.  This program provides children with a drawstring backpack filled with 6-8 books, coloring books, bookmarks, school supplies, and literacy information for parents. In addition, Up With Books is creating the R.E.A.D.Y. (reading every afternoon drives you) reading program to bring books to children who are learning remotely due to COVID-19.

Up With Books serves children ages infant through 18 who are most at-risk learning setback.  Children growing up in homes with at least 20 books get three years more schooling than children from homes without books.  The most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase access to books.  Creating a steady stream of new, age-appropriate books has been shown to nearly triple interest in reading within months.

Children from low-income households suffer from lower school achievement than their middle-class peers. One of the largest contributors to this disparity is the lack of continued learning during the summer. Studies have shown that providing children with books for summer reading allows them to gain, rather than lose, reading skills over the summer.

            Over time, the summer learning slide can add up to the equivalent of three years of reading loss by the end of fifth grade.  A lack of academic achievement is a key reason 8,000 students drop out of high school every day.  Those who do not have a high school diploma will earn less than those who do, and significantly less than those with a college degree.  In addition, 78% of juvenile crime is committed by high school dropouts.  Two-thirds of prison inmates do not have a high school diploma.

            Since 2015, Up With Books has distributed over 100,000 books to low-income children and families.  Our mission is to promote reading and literacy by providing new books to underprivileged children and families. Up With Books strives to empower children to close the reading achievement gap while increasing literacy and high school graduation rates.

            Up With Books continues to deliver books to low-income children throughout the year, and especially during school breaks.  During school breaks, Up With Books sets up tables at food pantries distributions to allow children select their own books to take home.  Please join us in the battle against illiteracy and bring books into homes and hearts of underprivileged children. Together, we can help children experience reading growth and overcome barriers to learning.