“The generosity of The Children Book’s Bank has an impact on the Francophone families that participate in our programs. For the parents living in a linguistic minority, accessing books in French is quite limited and can be costly. The French books help these families to reinforce literacy skills in French and are a tool for the parents to ensure exposure to French. In addition to developing the ability to communicate in French, these books contribute to the preservation of their French identity.”

- Christiane Fontaine, Health Promoter, French Language services

“Thanks again for the latest boxes of books. We really appreciated the board books and the beautiful Haitian Creole books, which were requested by The Jane Street Hub for their Play & Learn program (focus on Black children and families). The rest are being used for the Book Nook, Family Book club and child care centre visits. I am amazed at the hundreds of books The Children's Book Bank has provided for our various events and the Book Nook library since I started in June.”

- Catherine McLeod, Book Nook Coordinator

“We are deeply grateful for the support we receive from The Children’s Book Bank. Their generous donations (1,800 books last year alone) do far more than put books into hands — they strengthen our entire food agency by weaving literacy, and comfort into the services we provide. The books create moments of connection between parents and children, helping families build on moments of reading together even during times of instability. We often see families sharing coffee and snacks at our outreach programs, while reading to one another, and sharing stories about warmer times.

Our neighborhoods come from diverse backgrounds, and include many walks of life - We do our best to support, however we know we cannot do it alone. Agencies such as The Children’s Book Bank give us the opportunity to reach our neighbours in ways that are outside of our skill and capacity.

For many community members facing food insecurity or displacement, a familiar story offers comfort, grounding, and a brief sense of normalcy on an otherwise uncertain day. For newcomer families, these books might support language development and help children see themselves reflected in stories - as the donations are always rich in culture, experience, and traditions. Being able to choose a book restores a sense of agency and dignity, so neighbours are not just receiving essentials, but selecting something meaningful for themselves or their community.”

“I just wanted to say thank you for all of the books!

We have so many happy students, but none more than Will - who found himself a superhero just like him!! A comic about the first superhero with a Cochlear Implant!

One of our grade 2 students (with no prior interest in reading) was ECSTATIC to find copies of the Star Wars "Little Golden Books" amongst the donations. His mother says that he now attempts to read them almost every day. He has even started volunteering in the library as my donation volunteer - carrying and sorting out donations to put out on our Free Books shelving.

I wanted you to see how much of an impact The Children's Book Bank donation is having!”

- Pamela Morris, Teacher/Librarian