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Michael Dolores

Aug 26
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Volunteer Highlight – James Price

By General
Volunteer Spotlight

James Price

James Price doesn’t have to think too hard when he’s asked if there was a specific moment that hooked him on Book Drive for Kids’ mission of getting books into the hearts and homes of needy children near and far. As the story goes, he had just checked in at the front office at a local elementary school and was barely a few steps down the hallway when a class of second-graders came walking toward him. James stood out in his nice suit, prompting one of the kids to step out of line and confidently ask, “Are you the one who gave us the books?”

There was a free book fair going on in the library a few dozen feet away, and James was there to help out, engage with the kids, and maybe even offer a few book suggestions. As soon as James said yes, the little boy wrapped his arms around one of James’ legs and hugged him.

“I hadn’t even made it down to the library yet, but that one moment was all I needed to see the real impact of what this organization does and the joy it brings to kids’ lives,” James said of the special moment in 2023. “I spent the next two or three hours helping out. Once I got back to my office [at South State Bank], I asked someone, ‘How can we increase our relationship with them?’ It simply made sense.”

To say James followed through with that promise would be an understatement. South State Bank was already committed to our cause as a supporting sponsor for various events, but quickly expanded its relationship to the title sponsor for our 2024 Adult Spelling Bee.

More importantly, James is now one of our board members and is constantly sharing ideas on how to expand our reach to more families.

“It’s been great getting to know Michelle and Nicol [Klingenstein], and I just feel like the sky is the limit for this organization and the kids who benefit from it,” James added. “I love giving my time to what makes the most sense and delivers the most impact for our community.”

We are excited to announce that James joined our volunteer board in August 2025. His background in finance has been a godsend in ensuring our organization always puts its best foot forward. A Southern California transplant whose family moved to Midland when he was 3 years old, James went to a small rural school in Greenwood ISD and eventually met his future wife, Joanna, while in high school. They worked at a local Chick-fil-A restaurant and often joke that their “CFA love story” should be highlighted in future commercials and radio spots. That aside, the happy couple went to college together at Texas Tech University and lived in Lubbock until 2015, when they finally moved to North Texas.

James and Joanna now live in Argyle with their three boys, Wesley, Mason, and Gavin. They are extremely active in their church and, in their free time, load up their travel trailer and try to visit as many national parks as possible. Joanna even bought James a scratch-off map, and they’ve quickly knocked out eight of the 63 parks they plan to attend before the boys get older and move on to bigger and better things.

Aug 26
Love0

Back to School, Back to Books!

By General

The start of a new school year brings fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils, and exciting possibilities. But for many children, the most important supply—a stack of books to spark imagination and build literacy—can be missing. That’s why we’re committed to making sure every student has access to stories that inspire, challenge, and grow with them.

Our goal: Every child across Texas will have 20 children’s books at home. Why 20? Because that’s the number that indicates a child will graduate from high school and go on to a productive adult life.

Such a simple number: 20

As classrooms come alive again, you can make a difference:

When we work together, we can accomplish great things!

As Book Drive for Kids enters its 9th year, we are amazed and grateful for the impact just a few people have had on a large number of kids!

Just last year over 30,000 children across Texas attended a free book fair to choose 1 or more free books. We gave away over 60,000 new and gently used books to children, homeless shelters, assisted living homes, unwed mothers, foster kids and kids with incarcerated parents.

It all begins with a single book.

Let’s make this back-to-school season the start of something unforgettable—one book at a time.

Jun 06
Love0

Blind Date with a Book

By Fundraising, General

Are you ready to fall in love with your next great read? Join us for a literary adventure that supports a great cause with our “Blind Date with a Book” fundraiser!

What is Blind Date with a Book? Imagine going on a date without knowing your date’s name or face. Now imagine that date is with a book! Each book is wrapped to keep its identity a secret, with only a few intriguing hints on the cover to guide your choice. No judgments based on cover art, title, or author—just the thrill of the unknown and the promise of a journey with new characters.

Why You Should Participate Not only is this a fun and creative way to read outside your usual genres, but every book you purchase helps fund Book Drive for Kids. Your curiosity will empower children to experience the anticipation of a new read, too!

How It Works

  1. Visit our Blind Date with a Book link here OR contact [email protected] to schedule a “pop-up”. 
  2. Browse our collection of mysterious, pre-wrapped books.
  3. Read the clues and pick the one that calls to you.
  4. Make a donation (suggested amount: $10 or $15 if shipping is required).
  5. Take your book home and unwrap your surprise literary match!

Bonus: Share the Love! Once you’ve unwrapped your book, share your experience on social media using #GrabABookGiveABook and tag us at @book.drive.for.kids. Your post could inspire someone else’s next favorite book!

Whether you’re a bibliophile or a casual reader, Blind Date with a Book is a unique and meaningful way to support a good cause. Join us and let the pages lead you on a new adventure!

Sign up Today
Jun 06
Love0

Volunteer Highlight – Firestone Automotive

By General
Volunteer Spotlight

Firestone Automotive - Flower Mound

When the Book Drive for Kids’ van needed four new tires, we knew who to call! Firestone Complete Auto Care has served Flower Mound residents for many years and our family has been taking vehicles for more than a decade.  They pride themselves on great customer service and fine workmanship as well as great community spirit.

When asked why he was willing to help Book Drive for Kids, the manager Tim Patrick said, “My Mom always gave to the Special Needs programs in our community and I like to follow her example.”  Thank you, Tim, for caring about those who need a little extra help and keeping us driving safely around DFW.

Apr 14
Love0

Volunteer Highlight – Tyler Cohen

By General
Volunteer Spotlight

Tyler Cohen

Tyler Cohen of Butler Cohen does not allow geographic boundaries to deter his volunteer activities.

Back in December 2024, Tyler Cohen volunteered at the first free book fair his company sponsored in Dallas, Texas. From the start, it was evident that Tyler enjoyed interacting with the kids and encouraging them to read the books they selected. “Book Drive for Kids has a tremendous mission,” he said,”and we are excited to support it.”

Fast forward to February 2025. Tyler visited another school serving low-income families located in Houston. Right away he noticed the need for more books for these students. He also remembered the joy and excitement he witnessed at the free book fair in Dallas so he called Book Drive for Kids and asked how he could bring a free book fair to this deserving school in Houston.

We were delighted to explain how our Remote Book Fairs operate! When a sponsor steps forward, we provide the books and materials while the school runs the event with local volunteers or staff. Again, Butler Cohen stepped in to sponsor this event. Tyler recruited volunteers from their company. “It was a lot of fun and very fulfilling making the kids smile,” said Elan Shney, Preconstruction Manager.

While the volunteers from Butler Cohen were excited to provide this event, the students were the real winners.

Memry Bender of Elevate Collegiate shares their experience:

“On behalf of the students, staff, and families at Elevate Collegiate, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous sponsorship of our recent school book fair.

Thanks to your support, we were able to provide a joyful and enriching experience for our students, many of whom discovered new favorite books and rekindled their love for reading. Your contribution helped us ensure that every child had the opportunity to explore, imagine, and learn through the pages of a book—an experience that will stay with them for years to come.

The excitement and smiles we witnessed throughout the week were a powerful reminder of how impactful community support can be. We are truly grateful for your investment in our students’ literacy and education.

Thank you once again for your generosity and for being such a valued part of our school community.”

Apr 14
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Press Release – 3rd Annual Adult Spelling Bee

By General, Spelling Bee

Book Drive for Kids Raises Over $41,000
at 3rd Annual Adult Spelling Bee

Proceeds further the non-profit’s mission to create a culture of literacy and independent reading among disadvantaged children.

LEWISVILLE, TX (March 26, 2025) — Book Drive for Kids, a Denton County-based non-profit that partners with community organizations and Title I schools to get books into the hearts and homes of needy children, announced this week that it raised $41,236 from its 3rd annual Adult Spelling Bee on March 21 at Circle R Ranch in Flower Mound. That’s a roughly 20% increase from last year’s event total and a whopping $27,336 increase from the inaugural event in 2023. This year’s event also attracted 175 attendees—including nine sponsored teams of three that battled for the spelling bee championship and other top honors.

Book Drive for Kids Co-Founder and Executive Director Michelle Cook said the money raised included $2,570 from the Most Fans award fundraiser. Attendees were asked to vote for their favorite teams, with every dollar equaling one vote. Those proceeds will be used to create summer reading kits for 257 kindergarteners. The rest will further fund BDK’s growing list of free book fairs, donation drives, and more.

“What started as a small concept has continued to grow every year thanks to the generous support of countless individuals, small-business owners, large corporations, educational partners, local groups, school districts, area chambers of commerce, and other community-minded people and organizations,” Cook said. “We are incredibly grateful to our event planning committee, selfless volunteers, and everyone who came out to support our mission of getting books into the hearts and homes of kids who need them.”

Since 2017, Book Drive for Kids has donated over 200,000 books to more than 136,000 students at 253 events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and its reach extends to places like Austin, Houston, and South Texas.

“As always, we are still seeking volunteers and corporate sponsors for free book fairs and hosts for book donation drives,” Cook added. “And, of course, we’re already starting to plan for next year’s spelling bee.”

As for the top spellers and award-getters from this year’s Adult Spelling Bee, there were plenty. Beauties and the Beast (Steve Gamel, Lois Kim, and Kristen Gramling) won the event after narrowly edging Three’s Company (Jen Adame, Darrell Patillo, and Tiffanie Harris) in the finals. Buzzed on Words (Dori Bonitatibus, Stephanie Gardner, and Cindy Williams) was a double winner for Most Fans and Best Costume.

Individual team sponsors were BbK Services 556, PointBank, Mantiki Solutions, ResponsiveEd, Bright Thinker, Lewisville Morning Rotary Club, Independent Financial, Stewart Organization, and PuroClean.

“This is honestly my favorite event of the year—and there are a lot of events throughout the year—because you get to just come as you are and raise money for a great cause,” Lois Kim said. “The casual atmosphere combined with heckling and an opportunity to spell competitively as adults is genius. I’ve volunteered at a book fair where these kids go through the line and tell us they don’t have any money. To tell that child it’s free because of the money we raised at events like this is priceless.”

Steve Gamel agreed. He and Kim have competed in the spelling bee all three years.

“It was a blast to win something like this with Lois and Kristen—especially considering how fierce the competition was. But the real winners are the kids we were all there to support,” Gamel said. “Getting books into their hands is the greatest honor.”

Gramling rounded out the winning team’s thoughts by saying, “It was an honor to compete for Book Drive for Kids to increase awareness and resources for them to continue their work in providing books to those that may not have access. Owning books may seem customary, but for some, it’s a luxury and should be a reality for all kids and their families.”

More About Book Drive for Kids

Book Drive for Kids is a 501(c)(3) organization on a mission to help create a culture of literacy by providing books to disadvantaged children for independent reading. The organization began in 2017 thanks to Cook and fellow co-founder Nicol Klingenstein. With a few hundred used books, they offered a teacher friend the opportunity to host a free book fair at her school, where 90% of the kids were economically disadvantaged. The response went through the roof, leading to even more events in the years to come.

These book fairs do not cost the kids or their families anything—they are just an opportunity to read for pleasure and personal fulfillment. Furthermore, the kids truly feel like these are gifts to them—they don’t see these books as belonging to their school. It’s for them, and they realize there are people they don’t know who genuinely care enough about them and want them to have books available.

Independent reading is not tested, chosen by the reader, and done for pleasure or personal fulfillment. Studies suggest that independent readers become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not. Independent reading may be conducted at school during a silent sustained reading (SSR) period, at home, in the car, or between classes, and even as little as 10 minutes of reading a day significantly affects reading test scores.

For more information, including ways to donate, volunteer, or participate in next year’s adult spelling bee, visit bookdriveforkids.com.

Please direct all media inquiries to:
Michelle Cook, Book Drive for Kids
[email protected]

Jan 31
Love0

Volunteer Highlight – Pam Lipari

By General

Volunteer Spotlight — Pam Lipari

A Heart for Service

At Book Drive for Kids, we are incredibly fortunate to have dedicated volunteers who believe in the power of books and the impact they can have on a child’s future. One of our very first volunteers, Pam Lipari, continues to serve with unwavering passion, bringing joy and inspiration to young readers.

At a recent book fair, Pam shared, “I love these kiddos! I will volunteer at this school every year!” Her words reflect the deep connection she has with the children she serves, and her commitment to our mission is truly inspiring.

Pam’s gentle voice, warm spirit, and personal appreciation for books—rooted in her own childhood in rural Tennessee—make her a beloved presence in the schools she visits. She understands firsthand how books can open doors to new worlds, spark imagination, and shape young minds.

Her belief in the mission of Book Drive for Kids continues to fuel our work, and we are beyond grateful for her friendship and service. Thank you, Pam, for being a shining light in our community!

To learn how you can volunteer, visit our website.

Jan 30
Love0

Michelle’s Musings – New Adventures in 2025

By General

New Adventures in 2025

Happy New Year!

Looking into 2025, we are so excited about the new opportunities to get books into the hearts and homes of underserved children! There’s nothing quite like the look of delight as a child opens an engaging book for the very first time. It’s that joy, that spark of imagination, that drives our mission for the year ahead.

The Power of Books in a Child’s Life

Books have the power to unlock new worlds, spark curiosity, and build important skills. But for many children, access to books is limited or nonexistent. In 2025, our goal is to change that. Whether it’s providing a brand-new book to a child in need, or expanding the reach of our book drives into new communities, we’re more committed than ever to making sure every child has the chance to experience the magic of reading at home with a library of their own.

New Goals and Opportunities in 2025

This year, we’re thrilled to announce several exciting updates to our efforts at Book Drive for Kids. 

Summer Reading program – for the first time, with the help of a grant from the City of Lewisville, we are gifting summer reading kits to 200 young readers at Central Elementary. These are not just random books but curated and engaging book titles to encourage success in school topics while sparking the joy of reading. Not only will they receive the books, but also a Student Enrichment Guide with ideas for parents on how to engage the family in reading and an Adventure Journal to write and draw about their adventures in books.  With the funds from the City of Lewisville and our Senior Spelling Bee, we are only lacking $1,500 to fully fund this project. Supporting our local teachers and students is a priority for us.

Book Distribution events – invitations to bring gently-used books to local events, like Back to School events or Spring Flings, where parents and children can “fill a bag” of books are on the rise. We are so grateful for the many groups who have held book donation drives as these donations allow us to say “YES” when invited. If you would like to take part in one of these events, we are in need of volunteers to host the tables, usually on Saturdays.

Record-setting Free Book Fairs – these are the heart of our program. Not only have we served our local schools here in Denton county, but we have hosted events all across Dallas and our first Fort Worth ISD free book fair, with invitations to come to more schools. This year will be a record-setting year in the number of events.

We are especially excited that after three years of working with the Ferguson Road Initiative in locating sponsors, we are on-target to host a free book fair at ALL the low-income feeder schools of Bryan Adams High School in Far East Dallas.  This particular part of Dallas is a food desert, childcare desert, and book desert. Having a role in bringing life through literacy to a greatly-underserved area is a real joy and making an impact for the revitalization of this part of Dallas.

YOU can make a difference – Let’s Partner Together!

Book Drive for Kids is driven by volunteers and generous donors who recognize the power of a good book! Whether you’re donating gently used books, making a monetary contribution to help us purchase new titles, or volunteering your time to help us organize events, every effort counts. Even sharing our mission on social media helps to spread the word and bring in more support. Truly, this is a community-wide effort.

A Bright Future Through Books

The impact of a book is far-reaching—it nurtures a child’s love for learning, supports literacy development, and can even inspire the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and creators. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re optimistic about the future and the endless possibilities that come from ensuring every child has access to books. Together, we can continue to foster a love of reading and create lasting change in the lives of children everywhere.

Let’s make 2025 the year we fill the world with even more stories, adventures, and hope!

With gratitude,

Michelle 

Nov 07
Love0

Inaugural Senior Spelling Bee

By General

Inaugural Senior Spelling Bee

Designed as an intergenerational event, Discovery Village of Lewisville, a beautiful independent living space, offered to host the event on October 5, 2024. A fabulous lineup of 10 “seniors” (i.e. over 50 years) signed up and recruited a couple of junior sidekicks (children aged 6-16) to help out. The judges laid down the law, prepping our spellers for the spelling showdown ahead. 

When the doors swung open, fans and spectators poured in, buzzing with excitement!

As the spellers took their places, you could practically feel the electricity in the air. One by one, they tackled their words, with some gracefully advancing and others taking a little sidestep into the spectator zone. Our emcee, Michelle Cook, kept the vibes flowing, giving contestants a breather between rounds and pulling lucky raffle winners. Huge thanks to our awesome sponsors for the wonderful baskets and a lucky winner took home 4 coveted seats to catch the Dallas Stars in action!

The grand finale saw Discovery Village resident, Ann Slavik, and the incredible Debbie Goforth of Point Bank battling it out, spelling their way through a storm of tricky words. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, blown away by their spelling prowess. In the end, Debbie emerged as the last speller standing, claiming the title of Champion of Book Drive for Kids’ very first Senior Spelling Bee!

A big virtual high-five to all the volunteers and judges who made this event a smashing success! You rock, and we couldn’t pull off these amazing events without your superhero support!

Nov 07
Love0

Member Highlight – Kathy Parker

By General

Board Member Spotlight — Kathy Parker

Kathy Parker hesitates to take an ounce of credit for the success of Book Drive for Kids. Even as a devoted founding board member, she insists her role has been minor at best and that all the kudos should go to Michelle Cook and Nicol Klingenstein for working tirelessly to create their nonprofit from scratch and doing all they can to get books into the hearts and hands of kids everywhere.

That said, one thing she can’t downplay is the distinction of being the first person they pitched the idea to in the first place. 

As the story goes, Michelle and Nicol already looked up to Kathy as an amazingly selfless and Godly friend and mentor. It also didn’t hurt that she had an extensive background in hospitality, business ownership, leadership, and countless nonprofit work. That background includes owning several Trail Dust Steakhouses with her family, being a board member of the Dallas Opera and Dallas Theater, and being the President of the Dallas Theater Guild. Needless to say, she was precisely the person they needed to bring their fledgling idea to life in 2017. 

“It was a wonderful idea,” Kathy said. “I remember sitting down with them at the kitchen table and working through everything necessary to get started. I pulled out my notebooks from places I had been involved with and worked through what a structure for something like this might look like moving forward—how to set up a board, reporting mechanisms, etc. We started dreaming up a vision of where we wanted to go, and kudos to them for following through.” 

Kathy is still every bit the sounding board and volunteer Book Drive for Kids has needed as it continues to grow. More importantly, she has been instrumental in helping Michelle, Nicol, and so many others achieve personal growth and strive to be good stewards as they search for more ways to give back to the communities they serve.

“While you may not know the lives you touch, you hope that what you’re doing will positively affect future generations,” she said. “I love what Book Drive for Kids does, and I’ll continue to help for as long as they’ll have me.” 

Kathy considers herself a retiree but has no trouble keeping herself busy. She has organized and taught a women’s Bible study group in her home every Monday for the past 15 years and is an active member of Denton Bible Church. She is also involved with several other nonprofits, including Refuge for Women, and still finds time to play tennis three times a week. She also loves cooking and shopping. 

She and her husband, Nathanial, live in Argyle and are about to celebrate their 30th anniversary—possibly with a trip to Spain. They have a blended family with six kids (one of which is in heaven) and 12 grandchildren between three months and 25 years old. Interestingly, one of her step-children is Tan Parker, Senator for Texas Senate District 12. 

With help from volunteers like Kathy, Book Drive for Kids is able to give away thousands of books annually.  Join our volunteer fun and help us get more books to more kids!

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