Children’s Book Project gives books to children who need them for equity in literacy, learning, and life. 

Our goal is to create a more socially just world by providing books for free to children from under-resourced communities. Literacy attainment is directly tied to academic achievement and lifetime outcomes, yet children living in economically disadvantaged circumstances do not have the same access to books as their more affluent peers. Children’s Book Project is committed to closing the opportunity gap and lifting up our community by raising readers and ultimately paving the way for lifelong learning and literacy.

Our News

Run a Children’s Book Drive!

During National Reading Month, we’re grateful to be able to read what we want to read, when we want to read it. Studies show that children who grow up with books of their own are more likely to read at or above grade level, graduate from high school, and have better lifetime outcomes in literacy, numeracy, technology skills, and health. Yet too many kids in our communities lack access to enough — or any — books of their own.

You can help keep books flowing all year round to children who need them — for keeps! It’s fun and easy to run a children’s book drive or donate new titles from our curated wishlists. At Storytime field trips at our Book Bank, we get to share the kids’ excitement as they pick out books of their own from our shelves. Together, we’re raising readers and giving children who need books the equal opportunity to thrive!

Raise a Glass & Give Books at Barebottle!

Barebottle Brewing in Bernal Heights and Menlo Park are now pouring their fundraising brew, ‘Once Upon a Pint’ hazy IPA, and also running a children’s book drive for us through the end of February. This delicious, limited-run beer will only be on tap for a short time, so donate some great kid lit and raise a glass to Children’s Book Project while supplies last!

We’re on a Roll in 2023!

In our 31st year of service, we launched our new Storytime field trip program to bring the joy and wonder of book ownership directly to local elementary school students who select their own books for keeps from our Book Bank shelves.

We joined the National Book Access Association and the Diverse Books for All Coalition, two national organizations to help deepen and expand our resources and strengthen our mission.

We received and gave away more than 144,600 children’s books to educators and other professionals serving hundreds of thousands of under-resourced children throughout 35 California counties and beyond.

Our volunteers dedicated over 962 hours to help process children’s books donated by businesses, publishers, authors, individuals (many from our curated wishlists at bookshop.org and amazon.com), and our mainstay — book drives.

Generous grants and donations from our supporters keep our shelves stocked, our lights on, and our doors open so we can get even more books into the hands of children thrilled to read and cherish them.

Every child should have the freedom to read, but not every child has enough — or any — books of their own. It’s why we work so hard all year round to close the equity gap.

Thank you for helping to make 2023 our most impactful year yet!

Our Book Bank is open by appointment to Give Books, Get Books, and Volunteer!
Click the links to schedule online.

Know before you go: Properly fitted face masks encouraged inside the Book Bank.

 So far in 2024:

261

VOLUNTEER HOURS

31,623

BOOKS RECEIVED

30,897

BOOKS GIVEN AWAY

3,199,983

BOOKS GIVEN AWAY SINCE 1992

Our Clients

Our Supporters