ABOUT KIDS IN NEED - BOOKS IN DEED:

Kids in Need – Books in Deed is a nonprofit organization that brings free books and free author visits to Kids in Need throughout the state of Florida. The fund is housed by the Florida State University Foundation. Proceeds go to buying books for underprivileged children in the state of Florida where high level matching funds are available. The FSU Foundation requires only 2.4% for overhead and .6% for investment fees. Books are purchased directly from publishers to receive the greatest discounts. Prizes for participating schools are funded mainly by donations from organizations. Our authors volunteer their time--as do our web and materials designers, founders and board of directors.

KIDS IN NEED – BOOKS IN DEED IS COMMITTED TO:

1.  Promoting reading and writing--education and the imagination. When children create a character, they are learning empathy. When they are plotting a story, they are learning strategic thought. When they are inventing what might happen next, they are developing their imaginations. When they are putting one word in front of the next, they are understanding, deeply, their language and finding their own voice. Reading and writing expand our worlds.

2.      Getting free books into the homes of underprivileged kids. Having books in the home is a primary indicator of literacy. (For some of these students, this will be the first book they’ve ever owned. The fact that it is inscribed to them and signed by the author makes it all the more personal and valued.)

3.      Bringing living and breathing authors to kids. Books are not born from bookshelves. Writers use words to invent worlds. We want to create that magical moment when the writer brings the book to life, breaking down the wall between author and reader. Having authors talk to students about their childhoods, their creative processes, their imaginations, allows students to understand that they, too, have a voice and that there is value and power in writing down their own stories.

4.      Promoting community service. Students participating in the Write-A-Thon know that their imaginative efforts are going to a good cause. The web site spotlights the Kids in Need that the books and authors are going to. With statistics alongside pictures alongside personal anecdotes, we hope that Write-A-Thon students can get a real sense of the kids they’re helping and a real sense of purpose. We hope that kids receiving free books and author visits are inspired in this process by a greater sense of community that reaches beyond the boundaries of their neighborhoods and schoolyards. They, too, will have the opportunity to be generous by using their imaginative power writing stories to ensure author visits for the future students of their school and to build up their school library.

ONE CHILD'S IMAGINATION FUELS ANOTHER CHILD'S EDUCATION!

 

"Kids in Need - Books in Deed is a dynamic and innovative way to foster reading, writing, and compassion in children..."

--Robert Olen Butler,
winner of the Pulitzer Prize

{ read more }