About · DFW Chapter
Every child goes home with a book they choose.
No one is singled out. No one is left watching their classmates buy a book while they can’t afford one. We give every child the joy of choosing a brand-new book to keep.
Our story
It started with one student who thought reading was a chore.
2017 · How it started in Dallas
Book Drive for Kids began in 2017, started by two Dallas moms, Michelle and Nicol. What set everything in motion was a student who said he didn’t know reading could be something you do for fun. To him, it was a chore.
He’d seen the shelf of books in his classroom, but he couldn’t imagine ever owning enough of his own to need a shelf at home. This led Michelle and Nicol to realize how many low-income families don’t own a single children’s book.
They began organizing book drives with schools, churches, and community groups, sorting every donation and giving the books away at free, school-wide fairs, so kids across Dallas–Fort Worth could build libraries of their own.
100,000+
books given away across Dallas–Fort Worth to date
Our mission · Independent reading
Our mission is to help create a culture of literacy by providing books for disadvantaged children for independent reading.
Independent reading is reading that is not tested, is content chosen by the reader, and is 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, even as little as ten minutes a day, has a significant effect on reading test scores.
Today · Why every book is brand-new
Today, every book at a sponsored Book Drive for Kids book fair is brand-new.
Brand-new books cost more, so our book fairs cost more to run. When a child feels special, we know it’s worth it.
Where we’re headed
Our goal is a 20-book home library for every child we serve: two or three books a year, every year of elementary school.
Our impact
The DFW chapter, since 2017.
356,656
Books distributed
157,466
Children served
310
Free book fair events
630,000
+
DFW children who need books
Who We Serve
The kids who need books most often own the fewest.
We partner with Title I elementary schools where 70%+ of students are economically disadvantaged or 40%+ are English Language Learners. We reach the highest-need schools first.
87%
Economically disadvantaged
99%
Ethnic minorities
Source: 2024 Texas Education Agency, 2024–25 school year
“
We always have a great time with Book Drive and our students constantly ask when they are coming back. One student mentioned that our Book Drive event inspired her to try a chapter book for the first time and she loves them now!
— LibrarianPartner DFW school
Michelle Cook, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Meet Michelle
Co-Founder of Book Drive for Kids
Michelle Cook founded Book Drive for Kids in 2017 after a career as a teacher. She has served as its Executive Director since the inception. She resides in Flower Mound, Texas, with her husband of 35 years.
Our Sponsors
The organizations that make every book possible.
100% of every gift funds free book fairs for children across the DFW area.
Your company could be here. Sponsor a school or email [email protected].
Help us reach the next school.
630,000+ children in the DFW area need books.
A $2,000–5,000 gift funds a complete book fair. Every student chooses a brand-new book to take home.
Platinum on Candid
3-Star on Charity Navigator
501(c)(3) · EIN 75-2822224
Questions? Email Michelle at [email protected].