The Gift of Reading
I’m still trying to figure out how it could possibly be true, but apparently I am turning 50 on December 27th*. Since making it to the half century mark is a momentous occasion, I want to celebrate it with a cause close to my heart: spreading the joy of reading to kids who need it most.
My birthday wish?
To donate copies of my books Battle of the Butts and Battle of the Brains to all the students in Reading Partners South Carolina.
And I need your help!
Join me in donating to the Battle Books Birthday Bash to make a difference in the future of young students.
*Did you know I was a preemie? Yep, I was born three weeks early – the last time I was ever early for anything!😆 So I’m going to keep the Battle Books Birthday Bash running through the 18th, when I was supposed to be born!
Reading Partners transforms lives, and it’s been extremely rewarding to volunteer with them the past thirteen years.
Tutors work with elementary students who are behind in reading, giving them the one-on-one attention they need to catch up and thrive. When kids master reading, they don’t just learn a skill – they unlock their future.
As part of the program, Reading Partners helps the students build their home libraries by giving them a book each week. I’ve hosted several book drives over the years where family, friends, and generous strangers from social media have donated hundreds of books to Reading Partners students.
Since this book drive is to celebrate my birthday, I want to specifically add copies of my books to their home shelves!
These aren’t your regular ol’ science books! Battle of the Butts is about ten animal that do weird things with their butts, and Battle of the Brains is about ten animals with mind-blowing brain abilities. They’ve been honored with the Towner Award, the Garden State Children’s Book Award, the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and have been included on several state lists. But more importantly, they help kids laugh, learn, and enjoy reading. From animals that breathe through their booties to octopuses with brains in their arms, the facts in these books turn reluctant readers into reading champions!
Join the celebration and make a difference
Donate to the Battle Books Birthday Bash
Double Your Donation!
As the author of the Battle books, I’m able to purchase copies directly from my wonderful publisher Running Press Kids for half off of the cover price. So for every dollar you donate, I’ll be able to buy twice the number of books! If you’re comfortable donating cash, you can send it to me through either PayPal or Venmo, and I’ll buy the books from my publisher.
Donate Your Own Books!
One of my sweet author friends suggested another way to donate. She has extra copies of her picture books and said since media mail is still relatively reasonably priced, she is happy to send them to me. Hooray! So if you’re an author with extra copies of your books you’d like to donate (or you want to send copies of your books from your favorite shopping spot), shoot me a message, and I’ll send you my address.
Made with Visme
There are 461 students enrolled in Reading Partners South Carolina, and it would make a most memorable milestone birthday for me if y’all donate enough books to gift each RPSC child a Battle book. If we reach that goal, I will scream with joy and do a backflip. Well, at least a slow and rickety somersault – I am turning fifty, after all!
But I know that’s a long shot unless this book drive goes viral, so I’ve set some other Reading Partners themed targets along the ladder to the big goal. There are eleven Reading Centers in South Carolina, so at the very least I hope to get a copy of both books into each center’s library. And then we’ll keep climbing from there because every book matters!
Together, we can share the gift of reading and inspire the next generation. Thank you for supporting my birthday wish and making a difference in the community! ❤️ 📚 ❤️