Launching Children Into a World of Reading
The BookSpring 2020 Central Texas Reading Survey provides valuable information about the reading habits of families in Central Texas. Conducted annually with consistent methods over the past three years, the effort provides a longitudinal snapshot of our regional progress in early literacy. As in previous years, it prompts interesting questions about the ongoing state of […]
Access an updated list of internet services via inmyarea.com. During the Covid-19 outbreak, BookSpring wants to make sure all families can easily access the internet. Online resources are vital sources for continuing childhood education during this period of self-quarantine. Many affiliated enterprises are swiftly updating accounts and web pages with new videos, e-books, and activity […]
Amidst a great amount of change and uncertainty throughout the current public health crisis, we’d like to shine a spotlight on one of our partners who has gone above and beyond to serve and meet the immediate needs of Texans: H-E-B. Last year, BookSpring and H-E-B partnered together to bring 20 books to over 300 […]
Students from Gorzycki Middle School help to remind all Central Texas families how inspirational and important books at home are for children’s futures! By: Alexandra D. (6th Grade) When I was little, my favorite book was The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle. My favorite character was the stinkbug because at the time I thought […]
We are celebrating Emily Ball Cicchini’s five-year anniversary at BookSpring! She joined BookSpring in February 2015 and is proud of all that we, as a board, staff, partners, and volunteers, have accomplished together. In Emily’s words, “…this organization is truly a collaborative labor of love for hundreds of very committed individuals and thousands more who […]
Literati is the book club that makes it easy to find unique and interesting books for kids ages 0-12. Each Literati box contains five, age-appropriate books based on a theme like The Spirit of Adventure or The Animal Kingdom. Each one is personalized for each child, and delivered right to their door. The Austin-based company […]
By Lorena Koppel: Volunteer I had an awesome time representing BookSpring this weekend at the Community Connections Resource Fair, sponsored by Austin Energy! The fair featured over one hundred vendors and representatives of businesses and organizations, and showcased local artisans and performers. With BookSpring, I was able to spread awareness about the importance of child […]
By Lorena Koppel: Volunteer If you’re looking for a quick escape from the real world, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a batch of some of some of the best fantasy books, selected by the wisest mages in the lands, for your enjoyment! Aru Shah and the End of Time By Roshani Chokshi An adventure inspired by […]
by Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director This coming “hindsite is 20/20” year promises to be landmark one for BookSpring and for all the partners and families with children we serve. Wouldn’t it be great if we could know now what we’ll know in the future? Well, we can’t! The best we can do is pay […]
Toni O’ Dowd is a retired elementary school principal from the Dallas area with over 15 years of educational experience. As a principal, she utilized books and story-time as a means of calming students having a difficult day. She would pull them into her office to select books from her collection and simply spend sometime […]
By Ashley Haustein Like many 30-year-olds, I grew up loving Harry Potter. The magical Hogwarts castle, professors who could turn into cats, and flying broomsticks captured me in a way no other story did. Last summer, my book club decided to put a “pause” on reading books written for adults and to read (re-read for […]
Erica Huff, owner of Wick Habit wants to make the world a better place or at least make it smell nicer. With a history of donating portions of her proceeds to local causes, Erica was inspired to create the“Rachel’s Poetry Corner” candle in honor of Rachel McElroy of the local podcast Wonderful. Erica said, “She’s one […]
Rachel McElroy and her husband Griffin host a weekly podcast called Wonderful. Listeners are encouraged to write in with items of enthusiasm such as movies, television, sports, books, and more for topics of discussion. With a background in poetry, Rachel began an informal segment called “Rachel’s Poetry Corner” to expose more people to poetry. She connected […]
By: AuntieCam, Guest Blogger As March gets underway, many communities will celebrate Fat Tuesday, the last day before the Christian season of Lent. Those in Texas may be most familiar with Mardi Gras, an event most often associated with New Orleans, but the same day is referred to as Carnival throughout the Caribbean and Latin […]
It is never too early to share books with your baby. Reading to babies immerses them in sounds, rhythms, and rhymes building language and early literacy skills. Books are also a crucial bonding tool for caregivers and their newborns. Through the Rx programs, we partner with healthcare providers to prescribe a book and a dose […]
By: Ashley Hawes, JLA Volunteer As the world grows increasingly smaller due to connectivity through the internet and global travel, children’s books should represent the myriad of cultures and faces that exist within a quick search on the internet or a walk through the street in any metropolitan area. Children, especially those aged 0-5, are […]
Do you want to contribute in a unique and meaningful way to our mission? We love to distribute books that are written by or for underrepresented people, because all children deserve the chance to see themselves reflected in the books they read. However, it costs about three times the amount for us to purchase these […]
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, we suggest you consider hosting a book drive that exemplifies diverse characters reflective of young Central Texas readers. We ask that you collect and share children’s books that celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusiveness. We welcome books with positive and interesting representations of color, […]
Liam H. held a book drive for our literacy programs in lieu of presents for his 11th birthday party. Thanks to his friends at St. Austin Catholic School they collected books to share with other children in Central Texas. Thanks Liam for helping us provide children in Central Texas with 20 books by 2020. Checkout his […]
Mariela Rodriguez/Communications Director Over the last three years, we have been recipients of book drives held by several professional meetings, events, or conferences engaging their members in community service or charitable projects. This is a great way to give back to your host city. When attendees contribute to the host community, it builds a bond […]
GO programs engaging caregivers and children through motivational activities in read alouds and book giveaways. This holiday season curl up with the family and some good books. Take turns reading pages aloud and pause to ask questions and discuss among one another characters, plot, and more. Books serve as a tool for parents to use […]
The giving season kicked off with Book People featuring BookSpring in its annual Giving Guide. This year they are featuring organizations whose missions they connected to deeply and others they have worked with to make Austin an incredible place to live. Book People is hosting give-back days throughout the month of December. “We’re so excited […]
With the 20 Books by 2020 initiative under way, the need for books to distribute through our programs with healthcare (Rx), education (Ed), and community (Go) partners. It is these partnerships that allow us to reach children and families in need across Central Texas. Two of our greatest supporters in launching children into a […]
Atlassian is our pick for the Volunteer Spotlight! Atlassian is an Australian enterprise software company, that specializes in products for collaboration and product development. They opened doors on their Austin location in 2014. The magnificent employees of Atlassian began their involvement with BookSpring as a sponsor for our annual Read-A-Thon. Employees even volunteered their time […]
BookSpring staff and partners have become accustomed to eagerly anticipating the second Thursday in May! Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) is partnering with BookSpring for the fifth year in a row for their annual worldwide day of service, RED Day. RED Day, which stands for Renew, Energize and Donate, is a special day when Keller […]
By: Zachary Krakauer Ganz and Lydia Heisel In this digital age, some teens might not consider a book drive to be a “novel” idea. But for a group of five sophomores in Austin High School’s Global Studies program, BookSpring’s “20 books by 2020” challenge recently proved to be an inspiring and rewarding experience. Tasked with […]
By Amanda Shaver, Community Partner Manager Wayne Glander, or “Justin Beaver” as he is known to the students he encounters while driving around town delivering books, has been instrumental to BookSpring’s literacy efforts in the community for the past ten years. Wayne has done everything from helping with the initial painting of the BookSpring buildings […]
By: Gauri Dhruva, BookSpringGo Volunteer Signing up to be a Community Reader through BookSpring was a unique experience and I am very glad I got to be a part of it. I will admit that in the beginning, I was a bit hesitant to volunteer because this was an activity that required a lot of […]
Literacy First is an esteemed AmeriCorps program in the Austin community. Since 1994, Literacy First has worked to ensure that children in Central Texas are successful readers before third grade. Not only do these AmeriCorps members provide intensive one-on-one and small group literacy intervention at various Title 1 schools, they also give their time to […]
