Books Between Kids to expand to 12 more HISD schools

The Houston Independent School District will receive 250,000 books that will be donated to more than 35,000 elementary school students to read this summer, thanks to Books Between Kids, a local nonprofit that collects books year-round to distribute in May.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Books Between Kids will distribute free books to HISD students. This year, the organization will expand its efforts from serving 29,000 children at 47 HISD schools to 35,000 children at 59 campuses. Each child will choose up to six books during a book celebration at their school.

“Books Between Kids is one of many community partners that support HISD’s Literacy By 3 initiatives with the goal of ensuring all students read on or above grade level by the third grade,” said HISD Board President Manuel Rodriguez Jr. The district recently won its third national Magna Award for its Literacy by 3 program for taking bold, innovative steps to improve the lives of students and their communities. “We are putting books into the hands of our students to build at-home libraries to support independent reading anytime anywhere. We are so grateful for community-based partnerships like this that celebrate reading in HISD.”

Books Between Kids was started by Houston-area moms Amy Barnes and Sandra Ahlhorn to help increase community-based book drives and ensure that students, especially those who are economically disadvantaged, have books at home.

Books Between Kids accepts donations of gently-used children’s books year-round.  Books donated should be chapter or story books that are appropriate content for students in grades pre-K-5. Non-fiction children’s books, toddler books, and Spanish or dual-language books are also needed. Books must be in good condition with no tears, discolored pages or excess writing or highlighting inside.

Books Between Kids will donate books to HISD students next week at special events on the following dates:

Monday, May 16

Port Houston Elementary School, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

1800 McCarty St., Houston 77029

Thursday, May 19

Sherman Elementary School, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

1909 McKee St., Houston 77009