BookSmiles

06/19/2026

To jump up on a dumpster can be a lot of fun, particularly as the book bank in Cherry Hill Township is getting refurbished. Light fixtures from the 1960s are getting replaced with LED. The vision becomes reality.

Can you spot the training room, the central desk, and the expanded teacher-take chamber? And look at the old, metal light fixtures!

Are you a past financial donor, or are you interested in investing in literacy? There are open slots for the first hardhat tour, happening Tuesday, June 23 @ 7PM. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4EABA62CA5FD0-64397870-exclusive #/

06/16/2026

BookSmiles is honored to have been selected as a first-time grant recipient by the Lawrence Township Community Foundation and to have attended last month's grant award ceremony.

This funding will support BookSmiles' Daycare Delivery program, helping us provide age-appropriate books to children attending high-needs daycare centers throughout Mercer County.

We are incredibly grateful to LTCF for helping us expand access to books for young readers, and we look forward to strengthening partnerships and building new connections throughout Mercer County.

A special thank you to Sherri Ahlers, an incredible BookSmiles advocate and volunteer in BookSmiles of Mercer County who made us aware of this opportunity, and to Debbie Li from LTCF for presenting us with the award.

Contact us to learn more about our programs, how to donate books, or ways to partner with BookSmiles as we work to put more books into the hands of children that need them most.

06/14/2026

We are grateful to be chosen as the 2026-27 New Jersey Association of Student Councils' charity. Congratulations to CRC - Crisis Response Canines - the outgoing charity.

Not only will student councils from across the state be able to raise up to $100,000, imagine the book drives that they'll be able to mobilize.

It's wonderful for young people to have boots/books on the ground to combat the literacy crisis plaguing our state. Only 53% of students in the state read proficiently, and in book deserts it plummets as low as 25%

Who in the BookSmiles tribe works with a student council in NJ? Who has kids in student council? Tell them about this!

New Jersey Association of Student Councils (NJASC)

06/13/2026

It's happening. We are moving from the place that's been our home for nearly four years.

Do you know anybody looking for 4,300 sq. ft. of warehouse space, with two offices and a lobby, located in Pennsauken, NJ? The rent is VERY reasonable. TAG someone in the comments who might be interested.

Contact [email protected] for more information.

06/12/2026

Remember the summer of 2020? The pandemic was a few months old. It was just Karen and Larry, and a 1000 sq ft book bank. What are your memories of this place?

06/09/2026

Many of us have great memories of school book fairs. Our teachers passed out the catalogs, and we’d circle the books we wanted. A month later, our orders arrived. Here were brand-new books paid for with the coins and dollar bills provided by our parents. Who can forget the excitement?

On the other hand, there were kids who didn’t have the money for new books. Imagine how teachers had to navigate the book fairs, dealing with the disappointment of those whose books were out of reach. Too often, big-hearted teachers chipped in so that everyone could get something.

Our “Fair Book Fair” program guarantees that all students in schools where 75% or more of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch receive three books at no cost. No child is left out.

Please tell the decision-makers in your school about our program. Reach out to [email protected] for more information and get us on the calendar today.

What do you remember about book fairs when you were young?

06/03/2026

On the eve of moving to the book bank in Pennsauken in September of 2022, there was just Karen and and Larry. Our BookSmiles team has grown considerably over the last four years.

Speaking of growth, make sure to visit our website to learn about how you, or someone you know, might support our Expansion Campaign that will make the 14,000 sq ft Book Bank a reality. booksmiles.org

06/02/2026

Approximately 42,000 kids books will pack a tractor trailer.
🔵How many tractor trailers would it take to move 4,618,875 books?
🔵How many children have received their very first books?
🔵How many tons of upcycled kids books have been diverted from destruction in landfills and pulpers?

Moving into the new book bank in Cherry Hill later this summer will position us to process and distribute 4 million books each year!

If you are considering a financial donation, you need to check out the naming rights featured in our Expansion Campaign Brochure. $710,000 raised. $1.290,000 left to go!
Expansion Campaign: https://tinyurl.com/42f6duer

06/01/2026

We teachers have the collective power to distribute millions of books to NJ and Philly kids who need them most. Thanks, NJEA for amplifying our mission through this article.

Teachers, take a few minutes to read it, comment, and tag people who need to know.

By Larry Abrams When I was a first-year teacher, a police officer caught me rooting through a dumpster behind my town’s library. I had scooped up books to grow my

05/28/2026

Thank you! In addition to holding book drives last month, the team from Old Navy also volunteered at the bookbank today! A massive thank you to the team members who came to sort books this morning.