NA For Change is holding a book drive to ensure that young readers in the Pittsburgh area have access to books that reflect their own identity and prepare them for life in a diverse world. There is currently a dismal lack of representation in children’s books, with more representation for animals and other non-human characters than all types of racial and ethnic minorities combined. To combat this, they will be collecting books that feature characters with a diverse range of backgrounds and identities.
The book drive is inspired by the mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors analogy for books—that they can serve as reflections of ourselves, give us insight into the experiences of others, and serve as gateways into new worlds. Every child deserves to see themselves and their peers represented in the books they read, and NA For Change hopes to foster a positive relationship between children and their identities through this drive.
The drive will run from April 10th to May 8th, and all books will be donated to Reading Ready Pittsburgh, a non-profit that supports young readers and their families in the area.
The book drive will be in collaboration with the City of Asylum Bookstore, Riverstone Books, and Penguin Bookshop to collect donations. Those interested in participating in the book collection may either visit those stores in person or order books online by checking out the wish lists we have on each store’s website. An Amazon wish list is also available. After making the purchases, NA For Change will take care of delivering them to Reading Ready Pittsburgh.
Links to the wish lists, examples of books we’re collecting, and more information about how you can help this cause may be found by clicking here.
NA For Change 