All Posts By

Michael Dolores

Aug 20
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2026 Back to School

By General

Partnering for Literacy:

Bringing Books Directly to Local Families

As a child, I always loved going back to school—the excitement of seeing friends, the thrill of new challenges, and the pure anticipation of learning something new.

What does “Back to School” conjure up for you?

For many children in our community, heading back to class brings mixed emotions. While they look forward to seeing their friends, reading and learning can feel like a steep uphill battle. Many lack the basic resources—like having books at home or a parent with time to read to them—that so many of us enjoyed growing up.

With the cost of living continuing to soar, the expense of basic school supplies can feel daunting for struggling families.

That’s where Book Drive for Kids steps in.

This summer, and throughout the back-to-school season, we’ve provided thousands of free books to local students. There is nothing quite like watching a child’s eyes light up as they browse through titles, picking out the perfect book, knowing they’ll have something of their very own to pull out of their backpack when quiet reading time begins.

Why Your Support Matters

In a recent survey of the schools we serve, 75% of educators reported that their students have fewer than 10 books at home—and some have none at all.

To tackle this gap, we launched our Literacy Connection Initiative, partnering with local organizations to bring books directly to low-income families and struggling readers. Thanks to these strategic partnerships, we’ve distributed over 17,000 new and gently used books just this past school year!

Here are just a few highlights from our recent Back to School efforts:

Early Literacy Support: Preschool providers across the metroplex “shopped” our collection for gently used books to foster early reading habits at home.

LISD Back to School Event: At an event serving 3,500 district students, we hosted a free book fair and gave away over 1,200 books. Plus, thanks to South State Bank and bankers Anna, Jennifer, Tabatha, and Stephen, every kindergarten and first-grade student took home a bag of four brand-new books (including bilingual options!).

Mrs. Karen’s Community Closet: On August 1st, we helped provide hundreds of Lewisville’s youngest students with backpacks filled with supplies and fun Disney books.

Partners in Opportunity: Krista Lamb selected 153 books for a special father-child event, where kids built their own bookshelves and picked five new books to display on them.

Whether we are supporting a district-wide event or helping a single family, our mission remains the same: ensuring EVERY child has a home library of at least 20 books.

Stay tuned as we continue to partner with you in building a culture of literacy in our community!

Aug 20
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Volunteer Highlight – Eileen Harper

By General
Volunteer Spotlight

Eileen Harper

You may have seen her perusing the aisles at our local Barnes & Noble. That’s because her daughter, Alex Ward, is a lead bookseller there—and inherited her deep love of reading from her mother, Eileen Harper, a beloved supporter of Book Drive for Kids.

Eileen calls Scotland home, but every so often she visits her daughter’s family, including two handsome grandsons, right here in Flower Mound. It was during one of these visits that our paths crossed, thanks to Alex’s incredible support of our mission.

This summer, they reached out with a simple question: “What book titles do you need most?”

My reply? “Any children’s book from Barnes & Noble is a win!”

A few days later, Alex asked if I could drop by her home. Eileen had purchased a wonderful selection of books for the LISD Back to School event. Her personal favorite from the stack was Impossible Creatures—partly because the author, Katherine Rundell, is British!

Just a few days later, when a middle school girl stopped by our free book fair browsing for the perfect read, I knew instantly which one to recommend.

No matter your age, it always warms the heart when a friend’s mom gets excited about the work you do.

Thank you, Eileen, for making my day—and for sharing your love of reading with local kids!

Jun 05
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Volunteer Highlight – Rachal Kestner

By General
Volunteer Spotlight

Rachal Kestner

NCL Cottonwood Member Supports Summer Reading By Gabriel Hargrave
Hailey Sellers, CCA Operations Director and Rachal Kestner

Book Drive for Kids is proud to recognize Rachal Kestner, a member of the National Charity League (NCL) Cottonwood, for using her TickTocker Action Grant to support our Soaring Summer Reading Program.

After first volunteering through NCL Cottonwood, Kestner continued volunteering after she had finished her school day. Kestner said she developed a passion for supporting youth literacy during her time with Book Drive for Kids. She later applied for an NCL Cottonwood TickTocker Action Grant, the grant would help provide reading opportunities during the summer months.

Her proposal was approved, funding 50 reading kits that will be distributed through Christian Community Action (CCA). Kestner said she hopes the grant will encourage a love of reading and help children maintain and strengthen their reading skills throughout the summer.

Book Drive for Kids is thankful for Rachal’s support and partnership. Her generosity has helped many children build their home libraries which can inspire young readers to keep reading long after summer ends.

Jun 05
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2026 Summer Reading

By General

Summer Reading:

More Than Just a Seasonal Activity

For many children, summer is a time of freedom, adventure, and fun. The less structured schedule allows time to linger longer, explore interests, and enjoy time for activities, like reading a long book, that are crowded out during hectic school pressures. In fact, summer is one of the most important times of year for children to continue reading.

Research consistently shows that children who do not read during the summer can lose valuable reading skills, a phenomenon often referred to as the “summer slide.” For children who already struggle with access to books, this learning loss can be even more significant, making it harder to keep pace with their peers when school begins again in the fall.

A recent survey of Book Drive for Kids partners revealed that most of the children we serve have fewer than 20 children’s books at home, making it difficult to read consistently throughout the summer.

The good news? A simple solution exists: book access.

Book Drive for Kids launched our Summer Reading Initiatives at the Race to Kindness Free Book Fair, an annual event in South Dallas that offers free books, STEM activities, and delicious food to over 350 children. With support from Thrift Books, Atmos Energy, and the State Fair of Texas, Book Drive for Kids offered thousands of books, including bi-lingual books, for all ages. 

Race to Kindness Volunteers

Taking books where kids live. Here in Denton County, Book Drive for Kids is partnering with Christian Community Action (CCA) to offer free books during their Kids Eat Free program. We are stocking a bookshelf in CCA’s Food Pantry so while parents shop for food, kids can “shop” for books.

In Far East Dallas, the Ferguson Road Initiative identified four apartment complexes that desired children’s books for their Reading Nooks. We donated 200 books, including bi-lingual books, for the start of summer reading along with a commitment to keep those shelves full.

Christian Community Action (CCA)

Finally, Book Drive for Kids curated over 1,200 Soaring Summer Reading kits for ages pre-k to 2nd grade with books targeted toward their reading skill and topics needed to be ready for school next fall. Each kit contained 3-6 books, a Summer Reading Journal, and a link to a digital Engagement Guide with suggested discussion questions, family activities, and links to Read Alouds. This huge project would not be possible without amazing volunteers, like the Women of Coppell, who assembled these kits. 

Women of Coppell Volunteers

Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of reading. We work year-round to provide books to low-income and underserved children throughout our community. When children have books of their own at home, they are more likely to read, learn, and develop a lifelong love of reading.

This summer, make reading a part of your daily routine. Visit your local library, swap books with friends, create a family reading challenge, or simply spend a few minutes each day reading together.

Every page turned is an investment in a child’s future. And every book placed in a child’s hands opens the door to new possibilities.

Let’s make this a summer filled with stories, imagination, and the joy of reading.

Mar 26
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Book Drive for Kids 2026 Inaugural Ambassador Team

Inaugural 2026 Ambassadors

By General
Volunteer Spotlight

Inaugural 2026 Ambassadors

Book Drive for Kids 2026 Inaugural Ambassador Team

Pictured from left to right: Sara Blatnick, Lois Kim, Charles Harris, Kelley Furler, Val Lewis, Steve Gamel, Robin Mainer, Jessica Torres-Cano, Cathy Williams, Lisa Bianchi-Mendoza, Sheree Sardina and Michelle Cook.

Last summer, we recruited a team of volunteers to meet bi-monthly and help spread the word about the needs and mission of Book Drive for Kids. To be honest, I was surprised when every single person who was asked said “yes.” I had underestimated the depth of care people have for the children in our community—and their shared desire to see every child grow up learning to read and loving books.

Without hesitation, this team embraced the challenge. United by a common goal of expanding our mission to get books into children’s homes, they have brought energy, creativity, and commitment to every effort.

Over the past ten months, the Book Drive for Kids Ambassador Team has played a vital role in raising awareness, building community connections, and helping us reach more families than ever before. They have brainstormed new ideas, shown up time and again to volunteer, and worked together to put on our best Adult Spelling Bee to date.

Thank you, Ambassadors. Your dedication to our mission continues to grow—one child, one home library, and one book at a time. 

Mar 26
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4th Annual Adult Spelling Bee

By General, Spelling Bee

4th Annual Adult Spelling Bee was a Buzzzing Success!

Book Drive for Kids Raises Over $48,000
at 4th 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 13, 2026) — Book Drive for Kids announced today that it raised $48,000 from its 4th annual Adult Spelling Bee on March 6. The wildly popular Denton County-based non-profit, which partners with community organizations and Title I schools to get books into the hearts and homes of needy children, has now raised a combined $133,572 net proceeds from its signature event since 2023. This year’s bee was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lewisville and attracted 181 attendees, including 12 sponsored teams of three that battled for the spelling bee championship and honors such as Most Fans and Best Costume.

“We are forever grateful for the support our little non-profit gets from the people and organizations in this community,” Cook said. “The spelling bee was a quirky idea that not only resonated with people but also got their competitive juices flowing. After all, who wouldn’t want to win a spelling bee? It’s such a fun way to bring people together for a great cause.”

She added, “What started as a small concept has continued to grow every year. We would be nothing without our event planning committee, selfless volunteers, and everyone who came out for what proved to be yet another fun-filled evening. Let’s do it again next year.”  

As for the top spellers and award-getters from this year’s Adult Spelling Bee, there were plenty. The Bee Team (Zach Bennett, Jacquelyn Bennett, and Jessica Ortiz with Spanish with a Gringo) won the event in their first-ever performance after narrowly edging That 70’s Team (Jen Adame, Darrell Patillo, and Debbie Goforth, members of the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce) in the finals.  The We Got Booked team (Lynn Von Villas, Dori Bonitatibus, and Stephanie Gardner of the Flower Mound Women’s Business Book Club) walked away with both the Best Costume and Most Fans awards. 

The Spellers are not the only ones playing games. With tremendous support from community businesses, all attendees could try to win 8 different gift baskets in the “Heads & Tails” game and lots more gift certificates and wine were won in the “Honey Pot” game and the Wine Pull. The generous support of local businesses is overwhelming.

You can be part of the fun TODAY.

Book Drive for Kids Online Auction

More gift baskets, jewelry and experiences can be had in the Online Auction that expires Sunday, March 29 at 8pm. With these proceeds, Book Drive for Kids hopes to meet our Spring goal of $50,000 to fully fund our Summer Reading programs.

Nov 20
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Oh, What a Night!

By General

Oh, What a Night!

By Jessica Torrez-Cano and Michelle Cook

20 books.
20 books in the home; a key indicator of whether or not a child graduates high school.
20 books in the home of every Texas child, regardless of their zip code.

Brainstorming on how this huge goal can be accomplished, we received an invitation to offer books at Klyde Warren Park’s Annual Trick-or-Treating in the Park. 

Request: 2,500 books and 10 volunteers to run the book tables

That’s a lot of books on such short notice!  

Who could run such a big event with tables in two locations in the park since both Nicol and I were scheduled to be out of town?

One of our Ambassadors, Jessica Torres-Cano, volunteered for this huge task, recruiting her family and friends to share their love of reading with thousands of families from across Dallas.  We asked her to share with us about the experience.

“What an honor and privilege it was to be part of this year’s Trick-or-Treating in the Park with Book Drive for Kids. The energy was incredible! I loved hearing kids squeal with excitement when they spotted books they already love. And honestly, my favorite moments were when I got to introduce them to new authors and stories—watching their eyes light up when they discovered something new. It was priceless.”

For parents, this wasn’t just about candy. It was about giving their kids a treat for the imagination—a chance to take home stories that will last long after Halloween. For the trick-or-treaters, it meant finding new adventures to dive into. And for our volunteers? It meant everything to see those happy faces and share their own favorite stories. We had book fairies, Hogwarts students, the Hobbit, a witchy librarian, the Evil Queen and even Tweedle Dee roaming the park—talk about bringing books to life!

By the end of the night, we were exhausted but our hearts were so full. Thousands of books found new homes, and countless smiles reminded us why we do this: to spread the joy of reading and make sure every child has access to stories that inspire.

Want to keep this magic going? Join us—whether by donating or volunteering at future events. Together, we can put more books into the hands of kids and spark a lifelong love of reading.

Donate
Volunteer

After hearing about this amazing event, I can’t wait to dress up and attend next year!

This event was the first large event for our Literacy Connection Initiative – the vision being the bridge to connect books from those who have them (and have outgrown them) to the children who desperately want and need them but do not have the means to purchase them.

What is the next BIG Literacy Connection event?

It’s going on right now! This Christmas, Book Drive for Kids has been asked to provide new books to 2,000 local children so that EVERY child has a book under the their Christmas tree. Join in the fun! Whether it’s by donating a book at Barnes & Noble – Flower Mound, shopping our Amazon list, or organizing your own book drive, let’s spread the joy of reading and love of books this Christmas!

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
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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
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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