GET INVOLVED
COLLECT &DONATE BOOKS
Your support helps us make meaningful access to books a reality for more New Jersey children.
Over 80% of NJ children living at or below the poverty line are not reading proficiently by the fourth grade.
— Annie E. Casey KIDS COUNT Data Center 2022
80%
One of the biggest barriers in acquiring literacy skills is having meaningful access to books. Bridge of Books provides an ongoing source of books to underserved children throughout New Jersey in order to support the development of literacy skills and encourage a love of reading.
We have been providing books to children ages 0-18 in all 21 New Jersey counties for the last 20 years. There are still countless children across New Jersey who need access to books. Bridge of Books exists for these children.
DONATE BOOKS
Books For All
We are now fully operating out of space on the first floor of the Sodon’s Electric Building located at 25 W. Highland Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716. As far as donations, we have open drop hours during our volunteer hours that are listed in our monthly newsletter and on our social media platforms. Please sign up for our monthly newsletter here. Follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram.
If you would like a receipt or need to make alternative arrangements for dropping off books, please email us here [email protected] and/or firmly attach your contact information to your donation. Please note that it is up to you to count and value your donation for tax purposes.
If you are interested in doing a book drive, please click below for more information.
Donation Guidelines
- If a book makes a sound or has pop-ups, it must work;
- If a book has parts, it must be complete;
- Please NO adult books (except parenting books)
- Please NO magazines, textbooks, encyclopedias, coloring books or workbooks.
- Please NO library or classroom discards
Book Drives
Run a Book Drive
Book drives are a great way to introduce children of all ages to philanthropy. They make great service projects as well as projects for youth groups and scout troops. It is also a great corporate project for adults. Whether child or adult, a book drive is a great way to get involved in helping New Jersey’s underserved children.
BOOK DRIVE BASICS
Follow these simple steps to launch a successful book drive:
- Contact us to let us know you are planning a book drive
- Get the word out! We recommend 1-2 weeks of advertising
- Click here for a sample email and sample flyer with our standards that you can use
- Choose one or more drop off locations: Start your book collection
- Make sure your collection boxes are large enough and visible
- Include a start and finish date for collecting
- Advertise our standards
SORT AND DELIVER
- Count the books and sort by age group: pre-school, elementary, middle school and high school.
- Box religious and holiday books for all ages separately.
- Contact us to arrange drop off of books.
- CELEBRATE! Your efforts will make a positive impact New Jersey’s underserved children for years to come!
BOOKS FOR BIRTHDAYS
HOST A ‘BOOKS FOR BIRTHDAYS‘ PARTY
The concept is simple:
• Add a “Books for Birthdays” notice to your party invite. Click here to download a version that you can customize.
• Invite your guests to bring a book to the party to be donated to Bridge of Books Foundation. Your child may even want to request books that are consistent with the theme of the party. (For example, a book about princesses or pirates).
• Your child can experience the joy of receiving the books and the joy of giving them to other children.
• We will send a special thank you to the birthday boy or girl.
AMAZON WISH LIST
We Need Diverse Books
From our beginning way back in 2003, we have always wanted kids to have access to a wide variety of books. Books in which they see themselves. Books in which they see the world around them. Books by diverse authors. Books written in diverse genres. Books dealing with a wide variety of issues. Kids are more likely to read books that they can choose for themselves. And, in a time of so much uncertainty and when there is so much work to be done, books – and lots of them – are some of the best tools we can give our kids.
To this end, we have created an ongoing Amazon wish list – “#WeNeedDiverseBooks” – that includes a wide variety of books that will appeal to a wide variety of kids. These are titles that we normally buy; so we are beyond grateful when any of these titles are purchased for us.
This list is by no means complete. If you know of a title that you think should be included, please feel free to email us.
Thank you for your support!