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Book exchanges: A great way to get free books into kids’ hands

April 22nd, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

Smart parents know smart kids need to be strong readers. We also know we’re trying to save money where we can.

Here’s a great (environmentally friendly) idea for getting books into the hands of our kids for no money: Organize a book exchange.

Parent Randi Hock organizes an annual book exchange at Solana Vista Elementary School, a K-3 campus in Solana Beach, Calif. During the most recent exchange in March, well more than a thousand books changed hands, Hock said.

Here’s how it works:

  • Hock sends out appeals for gently used books beginning several weeks before the exchange.

  • She sets up two collection bins with signs marked “Book Exchange” in central locations on campus.

  • Families drop off the books in bags with this information: The child’s name, the teacher’s name and the reading level of the books.

  • Hock gets class lists from the school and arranges to store the books on campus.

  • Each day for about a month, she collects the books and uses the class lists to mark off the names of children who have donated books. She said this takes about 15 minutes a day. (Hock said about half the children bring in books.) Books are stored in boxes marked 1 of 1, 1 of 2 and so on.

  • Hock said donations have come up light. “If I don’t get enough, the PTA will buy more,” she said. Like other veteran PTA moms, Hock knows to head to the Scholastic Books warehouse, where $100 will take you far.

  • The day before the exchange, Hock and some helpers put books out on long tables provided by the school. She said she needs about 10. Books are sorted by reading level and genre. Books are placed face up in overlapping rows so children can see the tops of the books. Extra books are placed under the tables, so volunteers can easily replenish supplies.

  • The day of the exchange, classes visit two at a time. Kids are given 15 minutes to make their selections. The oldest classes are brought in first.

  • Children who donated books are allowed to pick out three books. Kids who did not make a donation can pick out one book.

    • “If someone wants another book, I give it to them,” Hock said.

  • The entire exchange takes about four hours. (Remember, this is at a K-3 school, so you may want to spread the exchange over two days for a K-5 or K-6 school.)

  • After the exchange, teachers are invited to take the remaining books for their classroom libraries. Some books are donated to needy children, and Hock takes books for older readers to Juvenile Hall.

    • Here are some other ways to get inexpensive books:

    My husband, a bibliophile to be sure, organized used book sales held during our elementary school’s Halloween Carnival. Proceeds from the carnival and book sale support programs for the school, Miramar Ranch Elementary in the San Diego Unified School District.

    Gerry’s routine was similar to Hock’s, except he would lug the books home a few times a week. (The school was tight on space. Our guest bedroom was a book repository for all of October.)

    Gerry and the kids would spend hours (all of it good fun) sorting through the books. There were boxes for board and picture books, chapter books, science fiction, adult fiction and on and on.

    The morning of the carnival, Gerry would recruit a few dads to get the books back to the school. Each class was assigned a booth to staff. One of the classes was assigned to work the book sale. It’s a great idea to get volunteers to help with set up and take down. It’s quite labor intensive.

    The book sale started years before our daughter attended the school, and it continues in good hands today. Prices range from 25 cents to a few dollars. Gently used DVDs, computer software and games are also sold. Depending on the volume of donations, the sale can make between $600 and $1,000.

    For middle schools and high schools, you might consider appealing for used book donations and selling them on a book cart in the library, similar to how Friends of the Library groups raise money for city libraries.

    Speaking of which, library books sales and garage sales are also great resources, as is the Great American public library.

    Happy reading.

    Want another great idea for getting books into the hands of students?
    Read: Best Seller List: Parent groups buy books for school libraries

    Wait, there’s more: Find out how one parent group at a Northern California high school brings together National Honor Society members to tutor other students.
    Read: Parent volunteers bring together students to help other students

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    There Is 1 Response So Far. »

    1. Comment by Deanna (The Bookworm Blog) on 23 April 2009:

      Great article! I love the idea of a book exchange at the school. Will keep this in mind for the next school year!

      As an adult that loves to read, I’ve found that letting my kids see me read books and look for books when I want to learn something new, has really gotten them all to be readers. My 10 year old daughter even loves to write her own books. Need to find some information on how to get her published!

      I recently wrote a post on my blog http://www.thebookwormblog.com how to get free books. It’s geared more to adult readers, but your readers might find it interesting.

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