Summer Reading Packages

Books for Grades PreK through 2nd grade below

Grade 2 through 5 below

Grade 6 and up below

I am requesting feedback from all of my dear blog followers. This is my idea for the children this summer, so let me know what you think:

I would like the children to have books to read during summer vacation, and I would, also, like to give them books that would give them a love for learning and reading to last a lifetime. It can be so expensive to send a package to our children, but together, as a combined effort, it would be affordable for everyone.

I would like to send packages to the main areas where our children are, and raise money for the kids as well. This is how my mind is thinking:

1. Start with 1 center, for example, Cartagena, Colombia.

2. I would have choices of around 20 or so paperback books all for $10 a book.

3. If you want to provide a book for your child/children in Cartagena, you would donate the amount by a specified time and choose the books you wish to purchase.

4. I will gather every one's orders, and get a multiple item discount.

5. I will order the books & have them shipped to me.

6. I will pack up all of the books in large bags with each child's name & ID # on the outside of the bag. You may include a letter that I will print & put inside the bag as well.

7. All of the books will be put into one large shipping box & ship together to the center in Cartagena, Colombia.

8. Any profit from the sale of the books (after paying for the books & shipping) will be disbursed to the current fundraisers in the Make a Change line.

9. Then, we can move on to the next community center of interest, and we start the whole process over again.

10. Ideally, starting in January and going until May to get the books there for the summer to whichever community centers you all decide on. Of course, if there is only one sponsor wanting to send to a particular area, it would not help the cause at all, since we would pay more in shipping.

This should give approximately $4 of each sale back to the fundraisers, which could make a BIG difference in getting them funded.

Plus, the children receiving the books get the benefit of learning the magic of books.

Now, I need your feedback. Do you like the idea? Do you have a particular community center you would like focused on? What would you change, if anything, about the idea?

I would like to see more happy faces from children receiving packages like the happy faces above.

*Another thought to go along with this one... If this idea draws a lot of takers, and every one enjoys it, it would be nice to have other things to include in the packages. For example, small toys or games, clothing, etc. This will require a lot of research on my part to find things at a good price, so that approximately 50% of what you pay for the item here will go to the fundraisers (the other 50% would buy the items and ship them).

And, I am really not sure what to do about Ecuador at this point. With the taxes they are imposing on packages, it makes it impossible to send anything. We may have to do a test package and see if they tax a priority flat rate envelope, and if so, how much.