One of our family's favorite activities has always been reading. I have read aloud to my children since birth. When my daughter went off to college she wrote me the dearest letter including this quote, "Richer than I you can never be - I had a mother who read to me." We were blessed to have the resources to purchase books for our home and we were regulars at the local Public Library. www.halfpricebooks.com <http://www.halfpricebooks.com/> to fill out a quick and easy donation request form and bring it with them to the giveaway event.
But many children grow up in homes without books. Unfortunately, when money is tight, buying books can't always be a priority for families struggling to make ends meet.
Studies by the Institute of Education Sciences and related research show significant correlations between children's access to printed materials in the home and literacy, as well as performance in school. Some studies show as many as 37 percent of Texas children arrive to kindergarten without basic literacy skills. The reality is that this 37 percent represents the group of children who are three to four times more likely to drop out of school in later years because they are never able to match their peers' literacy skills. Dropouts in this 37 percent will then go on to cost the state of Texas up to $10 billion over their lifetimes. Any questions on whether or not books make a meaningful difference in a young child's life are answered when you look at what reading before kindergarten could have done for this little girl and other children like her.
There's a way for all of us to help these children.
With both of my children in college, I look at bookcases in our home that are filled with children's books they've outgrown. I have just found the place for them to enchant and enthrall a new group of children.
"Half Price Books feels that every child deserves a book of their own and is hosting the Half Pint LIbrary drive to benefit local children who may not otherwise have access to books." said Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president for Half Price Books.
In many cases children are receiving their first book of their own through the Half Pint Library program.
125 N.W. Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78216 210-349-1429 3207 Broadway near Breckenridge Park 210- 822-4592 11255 Huebner Rd. San Antonio, TX 78230 210-558-3247 11650 Bandera Rd. San Antonio, TX 78250 210-467-1103
In 2009, the donations from the San Antonio community allowed the Half Pint Library program to distribute over 1,000 children's books to local children in need through a partnership with Respite Care of San Antonio, Inc. Because of the large amount of requests for children's books that we have received over the years (this is our 12th year of the program), Half Price Books has decided to extend the donations this year to any interested non-profit organizations in the area. That means that hospitals and pediatric clinics, pre-schools in underserved areas, local literacy groups, community centers and more will be able to receive quality children's books.
So far the San Antonio community has been very generous, having donated nearly 8,000 children's books! We still have two more weeks of the drive left, so there is still an opportunity to bring in more books and raise that number even higher.
We want to put a book in the hands of as many San Antonio children as possible, so we are encouraging any non-profit organization to attend the giveaway event. We are working on arranging the details of the San Antonio-area giveaway, which will be held in late April or May. Teachers and non-profit organizations in the area may visit
Simply donating books that a child has outgrown provides the tools to create the leaders of tomorrow. Donations are being accepted between now and March 31st at all Half Price Books in San Antonio. Last year, more than 1,000 children's books were donated by the San Antonio community and they hope to top that this year. The drive accepts any type of children's book, including Spanish language books, as long as they are in good condition. From now until March 31, all Half Price Books locations serve as "drop off" sites to collect new and used young children's books. Half Price Books employees then sort through the books to make sure that children will receive only quality new and gently-used books.
Books donated through the Half Pint Library program provide an escape from the challenges faced by children, while helping to boost literacy skills outside of school .
Half Price Books has 4 locations in San Antonio, and each of them serve as "drop-off" sites for children's book donations during Half Pint Library (now through March 31st). Here are their locations and store hours:
11654 Bandera Rd., #106, just south of 1604
San Antonio, TX 78250
PH: 210-647-1103
M-Sat: 9:00am - 10:00pm Sun: 11:00am - 8:00 pm
3207 Broadway, near Brackenridge Park
San Antonio, TX 78209
PH: 210-822-4597
M-Sat: 9:30am-10:00pm Sun: 11:00am-7:00pm
11255 Huebner Rd., #208, at I-10
San Antonio, TX 78230
PH: 210-558-3247
M-Thur: 9:00am-10:00pm Fri-Sat: 9:00am-11:00pm Sun: 11:00am-8:00pm
125 NW Loop 410, Ste. 103, at Isom
San Antonio, TX 78216
PH: 210-349-1429
M-Sat: 9:00am-10:00pm Sun: 11:00am-8:00pm
