Hey, it’s my birthday. Let’s buy presents for readers who need books.
Happy summer! So, it’s my birthday this month. And while I’m struggling to age gracefully, I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of legacy and the marks we make on our communities and this planet.
If you know me at all, you know how much I value the power of a good story. Stories help us see the people we are destined to become. When I think about the way my personality has been shaped throughout the years, I know much of it was due to my friends Charlotte the spider, two rabbits who lived on Watership Down named Hazel and Fiver, pioneer girls like Caddie Woodlawn and Laura Ingalls, a motorcycle-riding mouse named Ralph, and a British girl named Lucy who hid inside a wardrobe and returned a queen. Stories teach us how to imagine and identify with people who aren’t like us, and they also teach us how to recognize and appreciate and accept our strengths and ourselves.
What I’d like most of all is to put a story someone needs most into their hands, so for my birthday, my biggest wish is to give books to people who need them. I’m asking you to send me books that I’ll then place in the Little Free Libraries throughout Northeastern Wisconsin. I’ll target boxes in areas that are far from libraries or in communities where children historically don’t have as much access to their own books.
My goal is simple — put amazing books in places where kids and young adults can access and read them with no barriers to the books. It’s been a tough 16 months — let’s spread some stories to help everyone feel like they’re not alone. Let’s plant some seeds of empathy, of compassion, of understanding. Let’s fill the summer and their lives with stories.
I’ve curated a list of books appealing to all ages and themes. I’ve prioritized books that look like my community, including BIPOC characters, LGTBQ authors and themes, strong girls and non-traditional or chosen families and non-English language translations. To do the heavy lifting (literally) I’ve partnered with my friends at northeastern Wisconsin’s book store and community gem Lion’s Mouth Books who will hold the books at the store for me to pick up. The link to the list of suggested books is here, but also, feel free to add books you love too. Please notate your order with Wendy’s Nifty 50 Book Drive in your order so the staff knows to hold them.
If you have your own books, you can also help support my initiative by filling the Little Free Libraries in communities that need diverse books near your home, or you can IM me for an address to send books to, and I’ll do the distribution here in Northeastern Wisconsin. You can even include your wishes of encouragement and donation inside the books you send.
My goal is to collect 50 books and I need your help. I know this is a big ask and a big exciting initiative. I hope you’ll join me and make something awesome happen this summer and book it to the Little Free Libraries!