Reader to Reader Gives Away Thousands of Books in Western Massachusetts

We had a great time at our Spring Book Extravaganza giving away thousands of new children's and YA books to schools and outreach programs in western Mass. 

Teachers got mountains of books!

This is the tenth year of our huge book donation event, and it gets bigger every year.

Thank you to our generous partners: Scholastic Book Fairs, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, and Jumping Cow Press.

Thousands of Books for a Big Book Giveaway

Thousands of books are arriving weekly from leading publishers as we gear up for our annual Spring Book Extravaganza.

Each year at our Spring Book Extravaganza we give out tens of thousands of new children's and young adult books to schools in the Springfield, Massachusetts area.

This multi-day event has given out millions-of-dollars-worth of books over the decade we have been holding it, and it gets bigger every year!

22,000 Books for Schools in the Springfield Area!

Our annual Spring Book Extravaganza, which is now in its ninth year, gave out over 22,000 new children’s and young adult books.

The books were provided by a number of leading publishers, including Scholastic Book Fairs, and Pioneer Valley Press.

The total value of the donated books exceeded $350,000.

Librarians, teachers and staff from a host of schools in Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, South Hadley, Sunderland, and West Springfield loaded up their cars, vans and pickup trucks until they could hold no more.

"There were teachers lines up ready to go when the doors opened for the three-day event,” David Mazor, executive director of Reader to Reader, said. “It’s always a very joyous event, as so many teachers are starved for resources for their schools. To be able to provide it for free is something we are proud to have done for almost a decade.”

A special thank you to the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation for their sponsorship of this event.

Reader to Reader Donates $300,000-Worth of Books to Springfield-Area Schools

Reader to Reader, a global literacy organization based in Amherst, Massachusetts, is giving away tens of thousands of new children’s books to schools and outreach programs in the Springfield, Massachusetts-area.

The organization’s Spring Book Extravaganza is donating 22,000 books valued at over $300,000.

The annual event is in its eighth year, and hundreds of boxes of books line the walls at the Chicopee Public Schools Maintenance Department waiting for teachers to pick out what they need for their classrooms.

Chicopee Public Schools serves as the host site of the event each year, and teachers fill cars, vans and trucks with mountains of books.

The books are brand new and are available to schools in Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and West Springfield.  The books span a wide range of ages and interests and include grade levels pre-K to 12.

“It’s an exciting event,” David Mazor, Reader to Reader’s founder. “There were teachers, principals and administrators lined up at the door when we opened at 9:00am!”

David Mazor, Reader to Reader’s founder, adds that "these books are part of our ongoing support for the Reading Success by 4th Grade Initiative.  Increased access to books is a key factor in raising literacy rates."

Reader to Reader’s book donations draw praise from teachers and school administrators.

“The books we picked out today are unbelievable!” Margaret Betts, librarian at Maple Elementary in Easthampton, said. “It is an amazing bookfair. Thank you so much for supporting our school in this way. We are lucky to have Reader to Reader partnering with us!"

The event is sponsored by the Chicopee Savings Bank Foundation. Donating publishers include Scholastic Books Fairs, Pioneer Valley Press, and Home Grown Books.

Reader to Reader's Spring Book Extravaganza Gives Away Thousands of New Children's books

“This is heaven for teachers!” was just one of the comments that came our way as Reader to Reader held its latest giant book giveaway.

Teachers in Chicopee, Easthampton, Holyoke, Springfield and West Springfield, Massachusetts got thousands of free books at Reader to Reader’s annual Spring Book Extravaganza.

Based in Amherst, Reader to Reader gives away tens of thousands of books annually to schools and outreach program in the region including its annual spring book giveaway.

The Spring Book Extravaganza is in its tenth year, and teachers chose from hundreds of boxes of books supplied by leading publishers, including Scholastic Corporation and SOHO Press.

“As an English teacher this is an absolute joy,” said Kathy Gunn, a teacher at the Hampden Charter School of Science.”

Reader to Reader’s executive director, David Mazor, said “Our goal is to get books into as many children’s hands as possible, and we are so pleased this event gets bigger every year. This year we had 20,000 books from some of the top publishers in the world.”

Reader to Reader Gears Up For Giant Spring Book Giveaway

It is springtime and time for Reader to Reader’s Spring Book Extravaganza!

The annual event donates thousands of new children’s books to students attending elementary schools in Chicopee, Holyoke, Springfield and West Springfield, Massachusetts.

This year we will be giving out 20,000 books from a wide variety of publishers, including Scholastic and Pioneer Valley Books.

We are busy unpacking the boxes and organizing the books  so that schools and outreach programs can come in select the books that are right for their program.

This is Reader to Reader’s tenth year of holding the annual book giveaway.

Reader to Reader Donates 15,000 New Children's Books to Area Schools

Peter Goonan | pgoonan@repub.com 

Masslive.com

Reader to Reader, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding literacy and learning, recently launched its annual Spring Book Extravaganza for the planned donation of 15,000 books to schools in the Springfield area.

The organization, based in Amherst, gives away tens of thousands of books annually to schools and outreach program in the region including an annual book giveway to those schools.

The Spring extravaganza is in its sixth year, and began on April 28, with hundreds of boxes of books lining the hallways of Belcher Elementary School in Chicopee, the host site, awaiting pickup by area teachers, according to the organization

As of May 9, a total of 21 schools had come and picked out books for their students and there were still thousands of books available, said David Mazor, the founder of Reader to Reader.

The books are brand new and are available to schools in Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and West Springfield, according to Reader to Reader. The books span a wide range of ages and interests and include grade levels pre-K to 12, officials said.

"These books are part of our ongoing support for the Reading Success by 4th Grade Initiative," Mazor said. "Increased access to books is a key factor in raising literacy rates."

"Year after year, Reader to Reader has been an amazing resource for our district," said Samuel Karlin, principal at Belcher School. "We look forward to this great spring book event every year."

Schools interested in picking out books should contact David Mazor at .this website address.

Reader to Reader's Spring Book Extravaganza is sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank.

Time For Our Annual Spring Book Extravaganza!

Samuel Karlin, principal of Chicopee’s Belcher Elementary School, came in during school vacation to help us prepare for our annual Spring Book Extravaganza, where we will be giving out thousands of free books for K-12 schools.

Each spring we give out over 15,000 new children's books from a wide variety of publishers to schools and outreach programs in the cities of Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and West Springfield, Massachusetts.

This book giveaway is made possible through the generous support of the F.I.S.H. Foundation, Inc., the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, and Chicopee Savings Bank. 

Reader to Reader Donates Thousands of New Books to Springfield-Area Schools

Reader to Reader, an Amherst-based literacy organization, is donating 15,000 ​new ​children’s books to schools in the Springfield, Massachusetts area. 

The book donation is part of the organization’s annual Spring Book Extravaganza, which donates books to schools in Chicopee, Holyoke, Springfield, and W. Springfield, Massachusetts.

“We are so excited to give out these books to children in our district’s schools,” said Samuel Karlin, principal at Belcher Elementary in Chicopee. “Reader to Reader has a long history ​o​f helping our schools.”

​"Getting books into the hands of children is what our organization is all about,"​ says David Mazor, Reader to Reader's executive director. "We love to see the smiles on their faces when they learn they get to keep the books."

Reader to Reader's Spring Book Extravaganza is sponsored by the Xeric Foundation, Chicopee Savings Bank, and the F.I.S.H. Foundation, Inc.

Books Available for Young Readers

By Diane Lederman, The Republican


CHICOPEE – A one point in March, there were 40,000 books at the Belcher Elementary School ready for the taking by educators in Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield and West Springfield.

While the numbers have dwindled, plenty of titles remain and David Mazor of Reader to Reader, Inc. is hoping to get the word out.

This is the fifth year the Amherst-based program dedicated to expanding literacy and learning opportunities to chronically underserved and vulnerable communities, has provided the books.

The books were donated with the help of Scholastic, Comcast, the Xeric Foundation, and the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation and part of the “getting reading proficiency by the fourth grade” initiative, Mazor said.

Belcher Elementary School Principal Samuel Karlin has worked with Mazor for several years on this and other Reader to Reader programs.

This particular program is “a wonderful opportunity. Schools can get books into the hands of kids, which will only help reading.”

He said “They’re absolutely beautiful books.” Many are hardcover and “I don’t think the children would have access to them ordinarily.”

The books are used in classrooms, or added to the library and in some cases are given to children as gifts to take home.

The titles such as “Nate the Great & The Sticky Case” and “Spiderwick Chronicles: Care and Feeding of Sprites” are recognizable to the children. More than three dozen titles are available.

Any eligible school should contact Karlin at 413-594-3526 to arrange to pick them up. Books will be available until they are gone.

40,000 Books for Springfield-Area Schools

It’s spring and time to get lots and lots of books into the hands of children.

Reader to Reader’s annual Spring Book Extravaganza is donating 40,000 books for schools in and around Springfield, Massachusetts.

The books are brand new and are available to any school in Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and W. Springfield. The books can be used in libraries, classrooms, reading programs, book giveaways, or other programs.

The book donation is made possible by Scholastic, Comcast, Chicopee Savings Bank, and the Xeric Foundation.

The books span a wide range of ages and interests and include these popular titles:

Bridge to Terabithia
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Nate the Great & The Sticky Case
Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame
Arthur’s Teacher Trouble
Best Mistake Ever and Other Stories
Dick & Jane: Away We Go
DK: Animal Families
Learning to Fly
Meet the Robinsons: Journey to the Future (Level 2 Reader)
Disney Fairies: Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand
Family Huddle
Great Joy
Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr, Greg & Three Cups of Tea
Bella Sara Ch #1: Bella’s Gift
Honey Paw & Lightfoot
Johnny Lion’s Bad Day
KMC #04 : Second Grade Baby
Princess & The Frog Jr. Novel
English Roses #1: Friends for Life
English Roses #2: Goodbye Grace?
English Roses #3: The New Girl
English Roses: #4 A Rose By Any Other Name
Spiderwick Chronicles: Care and Feeding of Sprites
Spiderwick #2: Seeing Stone
Meet the Robinsons Jr. Novel
Barnyard: Original Party Animals
Among the Free
Book of Time #2: The Gate of Days
Beatrice Letters
Igraine the Brave
Garden of the Purple Dragon
Behind the Curtain
Harriett Tubman: Secret Agent
Headless Cupid
Prophet of Yonwood
Slave Dancer
Summer Ball

Kids Delight in Spring Book Extravaganza

It’s spring and time for Reader to Reader’s 3rd Annual Spring Book Extravaganza, which kicked off with a ceremony at Patrick Bowe Elementary School.

The annual event donates thousands of new children’s books to students attending elementary schools in Chicopee, Holyoke, Springfield and W. Springfield, Massachusetts.

This year’s Spring Book Extravaganza featured books by award-winning children’s author Stephanie Lisa Tara who donated 6,000 hard cover editions of her gorgeous books. The titles included: Snowy White World to Save, Little Library Mouse, I’ll Follow the Moon, and GWYNNE Fair & Shining.

"Our librarian is very excited,” says Samuel Karlin, principal at Bowe Elementary School in Chicopee, MA. “We are giving out the books during National Book Week and every kid will get to keep a new book. We thank Reader to Reader for making this possible.”

Author Stephanie Lisa Tara has received numerous accolades including the Mom’s Choice Award, DIY Award, Chocolate Lily Award, Golden Ink Award, and Books of Wonder. We are honored to have her books as the centerpiece of this year’s Spring Book Extravaganza.

In addition to Stephanie Lisa Tara we gratefully acknowledge our program sponsors: Chicopee Savings Bank, Comcast, and The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation.

Reader to Reader Founding Executive Director David Mazor with Berdie Thompson, Charitable Gifts Coordinator, Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation)

Spring Book Extravaganza in the Works!

The second annual Spring Book Extravaganza is coming soon!

Reader To Reader will be giving away 15,000 children’s books to school children in Chicopee, Holyoke, Springfield and West Springfield, MA. The books are for children ages 4-8 and feature a wide assortment of traditional folktales from China.

Last year’s Spring Book Extravaganza was a big hit and featured books for grades 4-8. This year we are pleased to donate books for younger ages.

The books are made possible by Better Link Press, First Book, and program sponsors Comcast, Chicopee Savings Bank and Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP.

Kudos to Comcast!

On Monday we delivered the last box of over 15,000 brand new elementary and middle school books to schools in Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and W. Springfield. We want to highlight Comcast's sponsorship of Reader To Reader's Spring Book Extravaganza. Without Comcast's generous support, this program would not have been possible.

Reader To Reader Donates 15,000 Children's Books to Springfield

Schools share donated books

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
By JEANETTE DeFORGE
Springfield Republican

CHICOPEE - Schools in four Western Massachusetts cities received an unexpected gift when a nonprofit organization delivered 15,000 books to Patrick E. Bowe School.

Reader To Reader, Inc. delivered seven different titles geared to third-, fourth- and fifth-graders on Thursday. Schools in Springfield, West Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee were invited to take what they want, said David S. Mazor, executive director.

"I love this, I would take all of these books home. I like chapter books, the longer ones and I like adventure books," said Grant C. Herman, 10, a Bowe School fourth-grader.

Looking through the titles, Isabel H. Lopez, 10, already picked out "The Vanishing Point" by Susan Bonners.

"It has big words and vanishing means disappearing," she said, adding she likes mysteries.

The books were donated to Reader To Reader Inc. by publisher Farrar, Strauss and Giroux and First Book. Program sponsors Bank of America, Comcast and the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation also assisted, Mazor said.

The agency has been collecting and donating books to schools nationwide for five years. It has given 60,000 books to Greater Springfield schools, he said.

The books may be used to enhance school libraries and many will be given to students. Studies show 60 percent of low-income children do not own books, and Mazor said his organization wants to change that.

"We figure now is a great time to get books in their hands, it is important for kids to read over the summer, kids slip back if they don't," he said.

When Reader to Reader secured the books, it asked Bowe School to store them because it does not have room in its Amherst College office, Mazor said.

Educators were happy to do that and plan to allow children to keep a book, Bowe Vice Principal Linda C. Balakier said.

"This is so great, we are always in need of new books," she said.

One benefit is the books are newer ones teachers do not have, she said.

"Even with my closet of books, I've never seen so many books," said Danielle A. Pinette, 10, a Bowe fourth-grader.

She and her classmates agreed they are excited about picking out a book.

Jacob M. Edelen, 10, a fourth-grader, sai0d he would like to read all seven. "Whenever we get a chance we are basically reading a book."

Before her students go home every summer, Vivian Aickelin, a fourth-grade Bowe teacher said she gives each a book from her classroom library. The donation will help that.

While children do use the library, getting a gift of a book tends to get children more excited about reading, she said.

"To get a free book, it will make them more interested," she said. "Everyone can use a good book."