Kids’ Book Bank launches campaign to inspire children with works written by diverse authors

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Kids’ Book Bank distributes tens of thousands of books every month to children throughout Greater Cleveland.

They want to inspire reading at a young age and help parents instill good habits with their children.

Thea DeRosa Cerra is the organization’s executive director. She said they work with more than 1,000 partner organizations, including government agencies, school districts, non-profits, libraries, and more to get books into homes.

The operation couldn’t be what it is without volunteers who sort books by reading level and box them for deliveries.

DeRosa Cerra told 19 News 84% of the kids receiving books from the Kids’ Book Bank are children of color. She said the majority of the gently used donated books they receive do not feature diverse families.

They want to change that. This month the Kids’ Book Bank launched The Books Like Me Campaign. It’s going to help raise money to purchase 40,000 diverse books and spread awareness on the importance of diversity in children’s literature.

“We want to make sure the kids who are receiving our books can see themselves in the stories they are reading,” DeRosa Cerra. “Because when children can see themselves in the stories they are reading, they can better connect, retain and learn reading skills. So, we are buying thousands of brand new diverse books.”

To learn more visit the Kids’ Book Bank website or call them at 216-417-1803.

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