What People Say

What others have to say about Kids in Need - Books in Deed

"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

"Kids in Need -- Book in Deed generated an astonishing banquet of reading delights for the children of Gadsden County, FL."

-- Jane McPherson, MSW, MPH, LCSW, former Project Manager, Gadsden County Health Department

"The students of Florida City Elementary School have greatly benefited from the program, Kids in Need - Books in Deed. Over the last five years we've received many boxes donated books for our students. Our school is a Title I school with 95 percent of the students eligible for free lunch. Many of our students do not have books at home and to receive the donated books from Kids in Need - Books in Deed brings the importance of literacy to the families of our students."

Hanna Colombey

Media Specialist
Florida City Elementary School

"Kids in Need - Books in Deed has been an invaluable resource for Hartsfield Elementary. We are a Title 1 school where 79% of our student population is eligible for free and reduced lunch. Many of these students come from households with little or no available reading material. The public library is not an option for many of them because of transportation issues. Buying books is out of the question. Many of the students also come from generations of family that have not had success at reading and certainly not found it enjoyable.

"Putting books in the child’s hands can change this situation and that’s what Kids in Need - Books in Deed does. In the past three years, KIN - BID has donated over 1,000 books to Hartsfield School, books that have in turn been given away to the students to take home and keep. KIN - BID have donated books that are current, high-interest and of high quality. The assortment of books include fiction, nonfiction and every grade level. Students are always thrilled to choose their own books to take home and sometimes even choose a book that they want to give to a younger sibling.

"Giving a child the right book at the right time can make a difference in whether that child becomes a lifelong reader. The KIN - BID book donations allows this to happen. We are very grateful to KIN - BID for helping us foster a love of reading by putting books in childrens' homes. We all benefit."

Mary Jo Peltier
Hartsfield Elementary Media Specialist
Tallahassee, FL



"Kids in Need - Books in Deed's donation of books and an author visit inspired a school of 8th graders to read and write more this school year. Every 8th grader, some 300 students, attending the Fall Writers Conference at Everitt Middle School heard award-winning author, Adrian Fogelin, speak and then received two of her books. Four students, who have aspirations to be serious writers, spent an afternoon in a writer's workshop with Fogelin. The KIN - BID donation was enhanced by writing and publishing professionals who volunteered their time to lead workshops during the conference."

--Janice Lucas
Everitt Middle School Literacy Coach

"Some of my students at Everitt Middle School said they were so excited because this was the first book they had ever been given. It was really neat to see the students wanting to get Adrian Fogelin's autograph to have their very own signed copy. They were actually trading books, after the fact, if they had not gotten a certain book that they wanted. I had a particular student who got to have a one-on-one Fogelin. The student had written an explanation of why she wanted to meet with the author. Her goal in life is to become an author herself. She said, "It was awesome!"

-- Marsha Southall

Everitt Middle School Language Arts teacher