A Book of My Own aims to provide free new and gently-used, diverse books to children and families across Minnesota. Book ownership develops self-esteem, encourages empathy, boosts literacy skills, and most importantly, paves the way for a lifelong love of books and reading. All children deserve access to high-quality books of their own. A Book of My Own aims to make that happen.
A Book of My Own is committed to providing books that reflect the wonderfully diverse world in which we live. Unless families explicitly opt out, all book bundles will include representation of a variety of ethnicities, religions, and lifestyles.
The Need
- 61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. (Reading Literacy in the United States)
- Having access to age-appropriate books at home is the single greatest predictor of academic success. (Education World)
- The mere presence of a home library increases children’s academic success, vocabulary development, attention and job attainment. (Social Science Research)
