Dulwich Books, Moon Lane Books in Forest Hill and Tales on Half Moon Lane are among ten shops collecting used and unwanted books as gifts for children without many of their own.
The campaign is running until this Saturday (July 11) as part of the Children’s Book Project’s aim to put more than 50,000 books into children’s homes during the COVID crisis.
Customers can still donate their gently used books in dedicated book bins inside the shops – just look for the homing pigeon motif.
Every book will be cleaned before being taken to one of fifty primary schools taking part.
Thank you to everybody who given generously already…. https://t.co/lsnMCERwA7
— Tales on Moon Lane (@talesonmoonlane) June 26, 2020
One in four disadvantaged children have fewer than ten books at home. By the age of eleven, children who grow up in ‘book rich’ homes are eleven months ahead in language development compared to those without.
Liberty Venn, who founded the Children’s Book Project said: “We are so grateful to these ten amazing bookshops that have so readily offered to help address book poverty at a time when they have had to work so hard in preparation for re-opening.
“It says a great deal about their commitment to their communities, as well as to helping every child to discover a great book.”
Kathlyn Crocker, assistant manager of Tales on Moon Lane bookshop in Herne Hill said: “Moon Lane Group are delighted to have been asked to act as drop off points for the Children’s Book Project, we admire the work they do and know that our book-loving community will be very happy to help get books to children who wouldn’t otherwise have them.”
Southwark’s Hollydale School is one of the primary schools to benefit from having a new bundle of books to keep its pupils entertained throughout the summer holiday.
Books,books,books! Thanks to @Lonbookproject every child in our school will receive a bundle of books to keep & read over the holidays. We hope that the books are a source of escapism & pleasure. Many thanks to this young man in Y1 & his dad for collecting the books on our behalf pic.twitter.com/cTkapHvNm9
— Hollydale Primary School (@HollydaleSchool) July 4, 2020