Share Your Book Memory To Donate Books

I don't read books, but Mom does. She has been a bookworm since she was a little girl - like a million years ago. She has always loved to read and believes that everyone should have access to books no matter what. When I found this program the other day and showed it to Mom, she got a big smile on her face.

First Book provides new books to children in need all year long. Believe it or not, there are a lot of children who cannot read and literacy is directly related to access to books. Kyle Zimmer is the brains behind First Book. While tutoring children at an inner city soup kitchen, she noticed the children didn't have any books. She left her job and founded First Book to address this need. First Book empowers teachers by providing the much needed books to day care center, preschools, after-school programs, and shelters. Equipped with the books, the teachers can better teach the children to love reading and learning. Now in its 20th year, First Book has delivered more than 65 million books across the U.S. and Canada.

"What Book Got You Hooked?" is the latest campaign from First Book. By inviting readers to celebrate unforgettable books from their childhood, they will provide new books to children who need them most. Simply share the memory of the books that made you the reader you are and then vote for a state to receive 50,000 new books from First Book. These new books will inspire new readers to get hooked on reading.

I'm not sure what books got Mom hooked on reading, but I've heard her mention that she loved reading Nancy Drew books. These books may have been the ones that started her down the path of lifelong reading. She still has all her Nancy Drew books and maybe one day she will take them out and read them again.

So head on over to http://booksforkids.firstbook.org/whatbook/ to share your memory and to vote. Voting closes at midnight on September 30 and the results of the vote, as well as a top 50 list of books that got reader hooked, will be published on their website in October. And don't forget to check out the celebrity favorites while you're on the website. Mom really loved the book that got Marlee Matlin hooked. It was definitely one of her favorites as a young girl.