More kids. More books. More reasons to read.

The goal

The long-term goal of Paperback Kids is to support organizations and communities working to put quality books into the hands of children who need them.

We believe access to books can change the direction of a person's life. Not in a poster-on-a-classroom-wall way — in a practical way. A kid who has books around, and someone who takes an interest in them, ends up with options a kid without either doesn't get.

Why kids?

Because getting a kid interested in reading has consequences that run for decades. A library card, a shelf that isn't empty, or one book that genuinely grabs them can open up an entirely different world.

Most of us can name the specific book that did it. Usually it was something nobody assigned. Somebody just handed it over at the right moment. That handover is the thing we'd like to help happen more often.

Where we're at

TBD — pending 501(c)(3) approval.

We're working through the steps required before we can formally launch the charitable side of Paperback Kids. That process takes a while and we would rather do it properly than move fast and be vague about where money goes.

Until that's finished:

• We are not soliciting or accepting donations.
• We are not claiming charitable status, tax-deductibility, or nonprofit registration.
• We have not partnered with or committed to any specific organization yet.
• We are building the community here first, and working out how to do the rest responsibly.

What's actually useful right now

Nothing about the charitable goal requires waiting on paperwork to be a decent reader in the meantime. If you want to help before we've got anything official set up:

• Give a book to a kid you know. This is the entire mission at the smallest possible scale, and it needs no approval from anyone.
• Support a local literacy organization or library directly. They exist, they're good at this, and they need help now.
• Post honestly here. A community with real recommendations in it is the thing we actually have to offer.

When something changes

When we have approval and a concrete plan, this page will be updated with what we're doing, who we're working with, and how anything contributed gets used. Until then, treat this page as a statement of intent — not a program you can donate to.