Our Partners - Better World Books Blog - Book Reviews, Author Interviews, Community Outreach & more

Funds Raised for Global Literacy:

$10,184,799.20

Books Re-Used or Recycled:

63,271,794

Boston Book Festival & Prison Book Program Book Drive

Posted by Erin on 10.31.2011 at 9:15 am

Guest post by Pam Boiros, Prison Book Program volunteersecured payday loans online

The Prison Book Program gets books into the hands of prison inmates, who often lack any educational resources. As a grassroots organization operating on a shoestring budget, the organization’s partnership with Better World Books has has been essential–providing a stable source of funding.Prison Book Program was delighted to represent Better World Books at the third annual Boston Book Festival Saturday, October 15.The festival took place on historic Copley Square, in the center of downtown Boston, near iconic (and literary) landmarks such as the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church. Dozens of authors led discussion panels, and signed their books for an estimated crowd of 30,000 “booky” Bostonians of all ages and walks of life. Crisp fall weather, and the fact that all events were free, contributed to the great turnout.

Have your say » | Tagged Company News, From our Friends, Impact, In the News, Our Partners

Give books to rescue child soldiers

Posted by Erin on 10.17.2011 at 9:50 am

Guest post by: Sarah Lipscomb, Invisible ChildrenAfter watching Invisible Children: The Rough Cut in high school, I was immediately taken aback by the child abductions and crimes against humanity taking place in Uganda by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

2 Comments » | Tagged From our Friends, Impact, Our Partners

Banned Books Week

Posted by Erin on 09.26.2011 at 11:52 am

Post by Erin Gerber, Better World Books Partner ServicesI grew up in a house where I was never told we couldn’t read a particular book, which made my conversation with my fourth grade school librarian all the more confusing. I desperately wanted to read the latest Judy Blume book, Blubber, for a book report, but was told I’d need to choose another title. The school library, she explained, did not have a copy of the book because it contained inappropriate language and was not, therefore, a good choice for my project. Every year, when Banned Books Week kicks off, I’m reminded of this story.

1 Comment » | Tagged Book & Author News, Book Lists, holidays, Our Partners

A Blue Sweater Changed Her Life… and Her Book Changed Mine

Posted by Erin on 09.02.2011 at 9:15 am

On Facebook, Twitter, at Better World Books events and even on this blog I have asked you if any book has ever completely changed your life. The answers that you’ve sent in have been fascinating and fruitful.

The Blue Sweater changed mine.

Out of Africa

“Like a volcano, Africa can stun you in an instant. It can throw floods and drought and disease at you, sometimes all at the same time. In the next moment, it will tease you with its magnificent beauty, so even if you don’t forget, you can find a way to forgive. Ultimately, it keeps you coming back for more,” I read this sentence 125 pages into the book while still in my first sitting with it.I could not put the stories down.

Read more…

Have your say » | Tagged Better World Book Club, book club, Our Partners, Social Enterprise

Monday & Meaning

Posted by Erin on 08.30.2011 at 10:23 am

What is Social Capital? And why should you care?

Because Social Capital is changing the way you shop. It empowers you to change the world for the better through the purchases you already make.

Imagine this: You are taking a class in college. Your professor says you must read a certain book and write a paper about it. The first action you take is to buy that book.

You can buy the book from a number of stores. Book businesses solve that for you.

But what if you also want your book purchase to make a difference? What if you want to buy a pre-loved book because you care for Mother Earth? What if you want to buy a book that helps someone else learn how to read?

1 Comment » | Tagged Book & Author News, Book Lists, Company News, Impact, Our Partners, Social Enterprise

ONE SONG. ONE BOOK. ONE WORLD

Posted by Erin on 06.08.2011 at 9:00 am

Can one song change a life? Yes, it can! I have even seen a single song change a nation. Number one selling Indie rock band, Dispatch, galvanized hundreds of thousands of youth across the world to raise awareness about the injustices in Zimbabwe though their song “Elias.” (Performed below at their Dispatch:Zimbabwe benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in July 2007 with the African Children’s Choir).

“Elias” also personally changed my life. Thanks to the creative community work I led at the University of Virginia, Dispatch asked me to work with them that summer. The people I met around New England the summer after graduating have made a lasting positive impact on my life. Through Dispatch that summer, I met the African Children’s Choir and later produced a documentary on them for CNN, launching my career and achieving my dreams. I also befriended a filmmaker who I later collaborated with on “Rescued” after the devastating earth quake in Haiti.

Thanks to one band and one song, there are hundreds of thousands of young people out there just like me who have decided that we can make this world a better place. That vision is what brought me to Better World Books. Just like a song, I’ve learned, one book can make a world of difference in the life of a person, a country and our whole universe! Read more…

4 Comments » | Tagged Our Partners, Uncategorized

Celebrating Books to Africa

Posted by Erin on 06.07.2011 at 9:11 am

This weekend Better World Books (BWB) and Books for Africa (BFA) celebrated the final shipment of the successful “BWB Fund for BFA”, a ‘sub-program’ within our larger partnership. The BWB Fund has now paid for the shipment of 1.4 million books to Africa in 58 sea containers (valued at $10.9 million in books).

The “BWB Fund”, though, is just the tip of the iceberg. BWB has raised a total of over $2.3 million in funding for BFA and directly donated over 2 million books, mostly college textbooks to their efforts. So while the “BWB Fund for BFA” is concluding, BWB continues to raise funds for BFA and other non-profit literacy partners with every book sold.

1 Comment » | Tagged Company News, Our Partners, Uncategorized

ROOM TO READ

Posted by Erin on 06.06.2011 at 1:11 pm

Education changes everything. It certainly did for eleven-year-old Inkam from Oudomxay, Laos. Inkam lives with her parents, two brothers and new baby sister and has a full day of helping her mother with cooking, collecting water and chores before school even starts. Inkam loves studying Lao language and writing essays while at school, and she dreams of graduating from secondary school to attend a university.

Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program ensures that Inkam has the supplies, tools and mentoring she needs to complete her secondary education and succeed in her dreams. Meet Inkam below, and see why investing in Inkam and others like her through Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program can change a life. (From http://blog.roomtoread.org/)

Have your say » | Tagged Our Partners, Uncategorized

Shakespeare for Inner-City Youth

Posted by Erin on 05.11.2011 at 9:42 am

Can you imagine reciting Shakespeare by heart in the 3rd grade?

Robinson Shakespeare Company from Better World Books on Vimeo.

In 2008, Christy Burgess founded the Robinson Shakespeare Company at our first-ever literacy partner, the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend, Indiana.

Ever since their first performance, Macbeth, there has been huge success and buy in with students and parents. The Shakespeare Company works with youth in 3rd-12th grades.

Right now, the Company is working on The Tempest. The young actors are donating half of the proceeds from the play to Tsunami relief in Japan.

Not only is the program fun, it is also successful! In the English Speaking Union Shakespeare Monologue Competition, the Robinson actors won 1st place in each category in 2009 and in 2010 won five out of six. They also have placed in the top three in state every year they have participated.

Have your say » | Tagged LEAP, Our Partners, Uncategorized

Libraries Improving Family Literacy

Posted by Erin on 05.02.2011 at 10:49 am

Removing economic and cultural barriers. Improving literacy skills and promoting healthy choices. Breaking inter-generational cycles of low literacy.

These are what the winners of the 2011 Better World Books/National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) Libraries and Families Award are accomplishing. And thanks to the national recognition, each winner will receive $10,000 to expand upon its success.

Here’s a little more info about each program. Contact NCFL if you’re a library with programming serving families. They’d love to hear from you, and your experiences can help inform additional opportunities and spark ideas!