War and Peace in Sierra Leone

The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland is a riveting novel for older students. It is Mariatu's personal narrative of how war devastated her country and effected her personally when she was attacked by child rebels.
This is a powerful book to put in the hands of North American youth, to help them better understand the reality of war - what it can do to individuals and families.
Mariatu is now working with UNICEF and trying to better conditions for children in war-torn countries.
When I finished reading this well written novel I felt that I have to do something. Check out Mariatu's website: www.mariatufoundation.com to see what you can do to make a difference.

BookEnds

BookEnds helps to bring children and books together in North America.
Check it out:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/BookEnds-launches-a-beautiful-new-web-experience-.html?soid=1103573877466&aid=1K2pCUEbI0w

Books for children in SIKKIM (India)

http://www.sikkimhimalayanacademy.org/

Perched on the slopes of the Himalaya in an ancient Buddhist kingdom, the Sikkim Himalayan Academy provides education, encourages personal development and creates a home for some of the poorest children in the region.

These children come from very poor families and are used to having very little. Their behaviour in class is good and they are motivated to learn and are hard working. They are very happy and friendly and usually polite and uncomplaining.

They wear school uniform and change after school although they have few clothes and flip flops are normally their only shoes even in the very cold weather.

They own very little, no toys or books, no TV, radio or music but singing and playing drums and other homemade instruments are popular. They use whatever they find in the surrounding environment to play with and make up games. They also help with chores like collecting firewood and wild fruit, vegetables and nuts.

The school was started by a Dutch woman and some local teachers. The nonprofit organization will be grateful for any monetary donations, which will be used to buy clothing, school supplies, food, etc. A list of other items needed, and information on how to make money transfers, is available on their website.

Sikkim Himalayan Academy
Bhuriakop Busty
P.O. Bhuriakop
West Sikkim 737121
India

From Harlem to Kenya

http://litworld.org/litworldorg/2011/6/7/spark-a-litsummer-contribute-to-the-litworld-summer-book-dri-1.html


LitWorld is a nonprofit organization working to cultivate literacy leaders worldwide through transformational literacy experiences that build connection, understanding, resilience and strength. LitWorld joins together with teachers, parents, community members, and children to support the development of sustainable literacy practices across the world.

You can support them by buying books on their amazon wishlist.

Books in MYANMAR

A few years ago I was lucky enough to visit Myanmar, a beautiful country with lovely people. The International School I visited helped to produce books for local children through Yinthway, a Myanmar organization dedicated to bringing books to children.
http://www.yinthway.org/yinthway-childrens-books
Check them out and see how you can sponsor the print run of a book in the local language.

If you travel to Myanmar, be sure to take along pencils, sharpener, paper and books. Colorful picture books, especially nonfiction with little text, will be a welcome gift to many.

Also check out this website to see how you can help support literacy and learning in Myanmar:
http://www.friendscm.org/fundraising.html

Coins for CAMBODIA

The Canadian Coins for Cambodia project is the vision of my friend and school principal (former teacher/librarian!) Anne Mackie and Chhourn and Srey Poev Im, three people who had a goal to see Cambodian children have a brighter future by providing education and improving living conditions.
They are in their fifth year of operation and have a number of goals for the village and school including improving access to education and living conditions for children in outlying villages.

Achievements of the past five years include sponsoring several of the poorest families enabling the children to attend school rather than work in the rice fields.


WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN PAY FOR:

$10 pays for school supplies for 1 child for 1 year
$30 a month sponsors a student from an outlying village
$50 pays 1 teacher salary for 1 month
$200 pays for a new well
$500 buys a cow to assist with the rice crops

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Coins-for-Cambodia/119058711471316

ETHIOPIA Reads!

The mission statement of Ethiopia reads is as follows:

To create a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. By planting libraries for children, creating culturally appropriate reading materials and training educators to nurture a love of books, Ethiopia Reads brings hope and educational skills to this generation of Ethiopians.

Programs support reading, (mobile) libraries and publishing.
Check them out here:

http://www.ethiopiareads.org/

and look at the endless opportunities to support reading in Ethiopia, from $2 to buy a new book for a child, to paying teachers' salaries - you CAN make a difference.

Orphanage in Kenya

My colleague and Canadian author Eric Walters has been working very hard to build a place in Kenya for children to live and to learn. Check out his website: www.creationofhope.com to see how your school can help.

Here some of the students are using my book, along with hundreds of other books in the brand new library Eric has built for them!

Service Learning for children

If you are guiding children into service learning, here are some fabulous books to help you:
The Complete Guide to Service Learning 2nd Ed: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Action (Rev & Upd 2nd Ed) [Paperback] by Cathryn Berger Kaye. This book is a very inspiring guide to implementing service learning projects in each classroom. It offers countless practical, specific, easy ways for teachers to teach their students new skills and the value of contributing to their community. I would definitely say that this book is a must-read for any teacher or parent!

A Kids' Guide to Helping Others Read & Succeed: How to Take Action! [Paperback] also by
Cathryn Berger Kaye, is a powerful tool for children to help them make a difference.

Since he was five years old, Bilaal Rajan has worked to raise money for others. To date he has raised over $5 million for various causes and is the youngest Ambassador ever for UNICEF, worldwide. His book Making Change will show children how they, too, can make a difference. http://www.makingchangenow.com/about.php

Books for JAPAN

IBBY's (International Board of Books for Young People)
Children in Crisis Support for Japan

“The earthquake of March 11, 2011 flattened much of the northeast region of the Japanese island of Honshu. Everyone has seen the pictures of destruction in the media; it was and still is horrendous. IBBY has been in communication with colleagues in JBBY and through the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund we wish to support a sustainable and practical project to bring relief to the children through books and reading.”
Excerpt from an appeal letter from IBBY President Ahmad Redza Ahmad Khairuddin.

A project to aid the children of Japan, the 3-11 Picture Book Project, has been initiated by JBBY (Japan BBY) and being run by former member of the IBBY Foundation Board, Chieko Suemori. According to Ms. Suemori, in some towns along the coast of Honshu, the libraries, day care centers, and other facilities for children were destroyed in the tsunami, so the 3-11 Picture Book Project plans to send miniature bookmobiles called “Ehon Cars” to visit the badly stricken and more remote areas of the disaster zone.
Donated funds will be used to order customized vans that will circulate in the area and ultimately be donated to the local libraries. The Project also includes the purchase of picture books and volunteer staff to read to the children. Already some donations (USD $3,200) have arrived from current and former Andersen Award winners.

USBBY members and friends can contribute to the IBBY Children in Crisis Japan Fund by going to the USBBY website at www.usbby.org. Click on Opportunities to Help: Donate Here; at the bottom of the page click on Donate online. You can also donate through the IBBY website at:www.ibby.org/index.php?id=811.

For more information about the 3-11 Picture Book Project and the Ehon Project go to: http://www.ehonproject.org/iwate/e/index.html.

In Canada you can send a cheque to IBBY Canada c/o The Canadian Children's Book Centre at 217 - 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1B9. Mark on the cheque "Children in Crisis Fund - Japan": http://www.ibby-canada.org/

CODE - helping children to learn to read and write

http://www.codecan.org/code
CODE is a Canadian based program to help children in developing countries to get an education. There are many ways in which you can help them.
Check out the website and get involved!

USA: Books for (Ala)BAMA

On April 27, 2011, over 100 tornadoes, ranging from F2's-F5's, tore through Alabama wreaking death and devastation. Thirty-one counties have been declared disaster areas. Hundreds were killed and hundreds more lost their homes, their businesses, and their schools. In Tuscaloosa, three elementary schools were destroyed. As a result of these schools and others in Alabama, Books for Bama has been established.

While volunteers continue to work relentlessly to clear the rubble and to take care of those left with little but the clothing on their backs, others are volunteering by collecting books and school supplies for children and the damaged schools. For those who would like to spread their love for books, books, school supplies, and monetary donations (checks should be made payable to : Dr. Lisa Scherff), send to:

Books for Bama
c/o Dr. Lisa Scherff
Belser-Parton Literacy Center
213 Carmichael Hall
Box 870232
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Helping At-Risk Canadian and Afghan Children Read and Own their First New Books

The Institute for Cross-cultural Exchange (ICE)/Institut d’échanges interculturels (IEI) is a Canadian charity that promotes family literacy and understanding between cultures. Our current priority is to donate high quality illustrated folk tales from Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle East to literacy programs helping children in need. With the help of its literacy partners, ICE has provided books and related literacy materials to thousands of disadvantaged children and their families in Canada and Afghanistan. Administered and staffed by volunteers, 95% of donated funds go toward the printing and the shipping of books to children who most need them. To learn more about ICE, and the books they offer, please visit www.iceeducation.org

Books for AFGHANISTAN

Based in Portland, Oregon the non profit organization Green Village Schools has been quietly but determinedly building schools in Afghanistan.
Founder Dr. Mohammad Khan Kharoti was born and raised in Afghanistan but is now an American physician. Best of all, the organization functions under the leadership of a board of directors, ensuring fair distribution of funds.
Check out:
http://www.greenvillageschools.org/main.htm

Books for MEXICO

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/vernonmorningstar/lifestyles/121331238.html

A small library, built by snowbird volunteers, in a Mayan village in Mexico's Yucatan, is in need of quality Spanish books for children. Volunteers worked for three years to build this library at the school grounds of Chumpon, Mexico. Now they need more books (English, Spanish, Mayan, nonfiction picturebooks) to stock the shelves.
Send monetary donations or Spanish books to:

Larka Tetens
4207 Oakhaven Ct.
Arlington, TX 76016 USA

Check out this website: http://www.booksformayans.org/

Books for SLAVE LAKE, ALBERTA, CANADA

The public library in the Town of Slave Lake was completely destroyed on
Sunday, May 15, as a result of a huge forest fire. The beautiful new
Rotary Club of Slave Lake Public Library had just opened in 2010.

Support for the library is pouring in as libraries,bookstores, publishers and other library-related organizations have been in touch with Peace Library System to see how they can help the library rebuild. Here's what you can do:

*Donations of new or nearly new books* (no more than two years old) can
be shipped to Peace Library System headquarters where they will be
catalogued, processed and stored until a temporary library opens in
Slave Lake. Please ship - prepaid - to:

Peace Library System
8301 -- 110 Street
Grande Prairie, AB T8W 6T2

_ATTN: Books for Slave Lake Library_

*Cash donations* can be made by going to the library's web page at
www.slavelakelibrary.ab.ca and
clicking on the "Make a Donation" link.

The Slave Lake Library and Peace Library System thank all who make a
contribution to rebuilding the library.

For additional information, please contact Carol Downing, Assistant
Director, at cdowning@peacelibrarysystem.ab.ca

Books for MONGOLIA

Dashdondog is one of Mongolia's most popular authors. In addition to writing and publishing, he runs a Mobile Library program which brings books to children in all corners of this remote country.
He can use high quality, nonfiction picturebooks in English or Russian. Books may be translated with Mongolia text taped to the pages so that parents and children can read it.
One of the ways in which he transports books into the Gobi desert is by library camel!

Books and monetary donations can be mailed to:
Dashdondog Jamba
Ulaanbaatar-2106 46/46
Mongolia

Matching books to readers

Are you in need of books?
If you run a program to get books into the hands of children, anywhere in the world, this is the place to come! As a service learning site, schools, libraries, organizations and individuals can find programs to support.

To have your project approved, send details, including where, how and why you bring books to children. Once approved, your project will be shared online.

If you are an educator, parent, librarian or any person wanting to help bring books and children together, check this blog, select the project of your choice, then contact that project directly to send books, school supplies or money.

More questions? Email Margriet Ruurs at margrietruurs@hotmail.com