Friday's Charity: Remember your first book?

Last week I wrote a post about a charity called the Central Asia Institute (CAI), and I decided that every Friday I will research and write about a charity. Many people say they don't have time, energy or even the money right now to volunteer or donate. But it really doesn't take a lot to make a difference. There are hundreds of charities out there to donate time, money or items too, but because there are so many it's hard to know which ones to donate to. Hopefully my Friday posts will help you find the perfect one for your interests, skills, etc.

This week's charity is: First Book

Do you remember your first book? Maybe not the first one you ever read or that was read to you, but maybe one that made you love reading or look at the world differently. (Leave a comment about it!) The first book chapter books I fondly remember reading were given to me by my brother: R.L. Stein's Goosebumps series. Now I may have read other more ... intellectual books than this, but these are ones I can clearly remember. One was about an invisible boy and the other about worms. I need to reread them at some point.

But anyway, the charity, First Book, is a national charity that provides new books to children in preschools and after-school programs, mentoring and tutoring programs, shelters and day care centers. I love to read, it's one of my favorite activities to do when ever I have free time (a testament to that is the book log I keep and the fact I'm on my 10th book of the summer). So, maybe I'm biased but I think reading is a very important and children should develop a love of reading from a young age, especially in a world overrun by the Internet and television/video games.

A great thing about this charity is all the ways you can get involved! You can buy books (mostly children's books) from its Web site and a percent of the proceeds go to the charity, you can donate used books (in good condition) that the charity will sell to make a profit, you can volunteer to help out or even just donate $2! (only $2 is needed to buy a new book for a child).

So think back to the favorite book that you read - or had a parent read to you - as a child. Whether it was a picture book, a novel or even a choose-you-own-adventure book, I'm sure it meant something special to you. And every child deserves to have that.