Access Books Bay Area

09/03/2026

September is Deaf Awareness Month! 🎉

More than 1.5 billion people worldwide are d/Deaf* or hard of hearing, including about 34 million children. Books with authentic d/Deaf characters help kids see themselves reflected on the page, while building empathy and understanding among their peers. This month (and always!), let's make sure our shelves reflect that. 💛

Here are 5 must-read books for young readers featuring d/Deaf characters and written by d/Deaf authors, recommended by author & former audiologist Rie Neal ().

📖 The Gallaudet Eleven (ages 6-8) by Kerry O'Malley Cerra (), illustrated by Kristina Gehrmann
📖 Deer Run Home (ages 10+) by Ann Clare LeZotte
📖 Hear Me (ages 10+) by Kerry O'Malley Cerra
📖 Monster Hands (ages 3-6) by Karen Kane () & Jonaz McMillan, illustrated by Dion MBD
📖 The Loudest Silence (ages 12+) by Sydney Langford (.langford.10)

To learn more, check out Rie's full blog post linked below and head to on Instagram for her full recommendation list for books with d/Deaf characters!

* “deaf” is a medical term referring to someone who has little to no usable hearing. “Deaf” means a person signs and identifies as part of the Deaf community.

Children's book author and former audiologist Rie Neal shares her curated recommendations for K-8 books with Deaf representation.

08/26/2026

Happy Women's Equality Day! Today commemorates the adoption of the 19th amendment on August 26, 1920, which granted women the constitutional right to vote.

While an important milestone, the struggle for women's rights continued long after its passing, especially for African-American women like Ida B. Wells.

Wells refused to march at the back of the 1913 Women's March, paving the way for others who still faced racial segregation within the movement. The picture book "Ida B. Wells Marches for the Vote" by Dinah Johnson and illustrated by Jerry Jordan tells her inspiring story.

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At Access Books Bay Area, we strive to provide children attending under-funded schools increased access to diverse, high-quality books, so they can experience the magic of reading. Find out more on our website: accessbooksbayarea.org (link in bio).

08/25/2026

Back to school season is here! 🏫📚 We’re highlighting School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex, a charming picture book about the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. Illustrated by Christian Robinson, it’s the perfect read for new or returning students alike.

At Access Books Bay Area, we strive to provide children attending under-funded schools increased access to diverse, high-quality books, so they can experience the magic of reading.

Donate, volunteer or get involved in other ways. Find out more on our website: accessbooksbayarea.org.

08/18/2026

Access Books Bay Area is looking for a Social Media Marketing Volunteer to join our Marketing & Communications team! 📱✨

Help create engaging content, support campaigns for events and fundraisers, and grow our presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We’re looking for a creative, people-focused storyteller who’s excited to help expand community engagement and support our mission. If you’re passionate about social media, collaboration, and literacy advocacy, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply: https://www.accessbooksbayarea.org/events/social-media-marketing-volunteer

At Access Books Bay Area, we strive to provide children attending under-funded schools increased access to diverse, high-quality books, so they can experience the magic of reading. Donate, volunteer or get involved in other ways. Find out more on our website: accessbooksbayarea.org

08/16/2026

A Summer Celebration Filled with Books! 📚💛

We were thrilled to partner with de Guadalupe for their end-of-summer celebration, bringing a free book fair to over 150 students in their summer school program. The program brings joy, learning, and a sense of community to K–8 students in San Jose's Mayfair neighborhood, including children living in Amigos’ Emergency Family Shelters.

Thanks to our generous supporters, every child got to choose their own books to take home! When children can pick a book that sparks their curiosity, reflects their interests, or simply looks like fun, they’re more likely to feel excited about reading and see themselves as readers.

Together, we’re helping more children discover books they love and become lifelong readers. Find out how you can get involved at accessbooksbayarea.org. ❤️

08/12/2026

Meet Victor Dubon, our Marketing and Communications volunteer! Victor graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in Communications and minor in Professional Writing. His passion for public service and literacy shines through in his work, whether he's designing graphics, writing copy or helping out on library refurbishment days! We are so grateful for his valuable support!

✨ What do you love most about your work with Access Books Bay Area?

📙 Meeting the amazing educators and administrators with whom we partner! I have the opportunity to interview them during school library refurbishments and share their goals of keeping a well-stocked library. They care very much for their students.



✨ What's a fun fact about you?

📙 I’m an artist! I sketch and paint when I can and try to learn new mediums, right now I’m brushing up on sewing and oil pastels. My love for art came from reading graphic novels and illustrated books growing up.



✨ What's your favorite childhood book?

📙 Smile and Drama by Raina Telgemeier are two of my most favorite graphic novels. Raina captures adolescence so well and is able to translate such emotion through her artistic style. She’s also a Bay Area native!

Thank you so much for these wonderful answers Victor! Stay tuned for the next fabulous team member in our series!

08/05/2026

Volunteers Thomas and Steven, students at Stuart Hall High School in San Francisco, tell us why they chose to work with Access Books Bay Area and what they thought of their volunteering experience at Roosevelt Elementary School in the Redwood City School District ✨

Thank you Thomas and Steven! We appreciate the time and effort you put into volunteering with us!

08/05/2026

This summer, we celebrate 10 years of Access Books Bay Area! 📚☀️

We've come a long way from our first library refurbishment at Costaño Elementary School in 2016 to our latest at Roosevelt Elementary — bringing together more volunteers, painting more murals, and of course, donating more books. Through all this, our bar for quality has only risen higher. ✨

No matter how long you've been on this journey with us, thank you for your continued support. We can't wait to keep growing with you! 🧡

To learn more about our story, check out our latest blog: https://www.accessbooksbayarea.org/post/a-decade-of-impact-the-access-books-bay-area-story

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At Access Books Bay Area, we strive to provide children attending under-funded schools increased access to diverse, high-quality books, so they can experience the magic of reading. Find out more on our website: accessbooksbayarea.org.

Tracing our journey from a local initiative to a trusted nonprofit reaching thousands of young readers

07/30/2026

📚🧡 A heartfelt thank you to the many incredible authors and illustrators who have supported our book drive with Linden Tree Books!

These photos capture just some of the many amazing kidlit creators who stopped by to donate in person and online. We're equally grateful to the generous families and community members who have contributed to create vibrant school libraries across the Bay Area!

Our book drive runs through July 31, so there's still time to donate a new book or gift card at Linden Tree Books (link in bio) and help us put more wonderful stories into the hands of children. Thank you! ❤️

07/29/2026

Celebrate Graphic Novels in Libraries Month in July! Access Books Bay Area recognizes the importance of keeping well-stocked and diverse school libraries. Here are three amazing graphic novels we hope you consider adding to your library.

At Access Books Bay Area, we strive to provide children attending under-funded schools increased access to diverse, high-quality books, so they can experience the magic of reading.

Donate, volunteer or get involved in other ways. Find out more on our website: accessbooksbayarea.org.

Hena Khan
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