August Newsletter: Summer Fun at the Book Bank!
AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS
The first month of summer has been a whirlwind of excitement at The Children’s Book Bank! In collaboration with the Faranak Foundation, we celebrated Disability Pride Month with a bilingual storytime in English and American Sign Language (ASL) at The Children's Book Bank Jane & Finch.
We were also thrilled to host author-illustrators Kevin Sylvester and Jess Hannigan, who shared stories and led our visitors through hands-on art activities.
Summer Reading Program
Over 250 children have joined our "Read Around the World" Summer Program, receiving Summer Reading Passports to track their reading journeys around the globe. Each Book Bank location will celebrate their participants' accomplishments with prizes, snacks, and games at our end-of-summer parties!
There is still time to join the fun—sign up for the Summer Reading Program at any Book Bank location today.
Teen Ambassadors
Last week, our Book Bank Ambassadors had the opportunity to see & Juliet, live on stage at Royal Alexandra Theatre thanks to a generous donation from Kids Up Front and Mirvish!
"The experience was amazing, and I had a wonderful time. This was my first time at a play, and it completely exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere of the theatre was beautiful, and the passion from the audience in the room only created a more magical experience. Through the roars of laughter and audience reactions, it was easy to immediately engage and immerse into the story. I believe experiences like this are important as they spark creativity, teach valuable and powerful lessons about the world, as well as allow audiences to gather a takeaway from entertaining performances like this one!"
The Book Bank Ambassadors is a summer volunteer program for high school students that offers a combination of valuable hands-on experience supporting our Book Bank spaces and opportunities for youth to develop their own literacy skills. Attending live theatre can play a powerful role in supporting ongoing literacy development, bringing stories off the page and into a shared community experience.
Welcome New Board Members!
The Children's Book Bank Canada is thrilled to welcome seven new members to our Board of Directors!
Laura Boudreau, Lauren Butler, Aliya Kassamali, Rosina A. Mete, Christen Mikhael, Michael Ondieki, and Safa Zaki join current board members Brenda Abrams, Yun Cheng, and Madhu Rupasinghe, expanding our board to 10 accomplished members. Visit our Board Members page to learn more about each member.
We’d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to three outgoing members of our Board of Directors—Sarah Facey (since 2017), Jennifer Samarco (since 2021, served as Treasurer), and Melissa Cassar (since 2022)— for their incredible contributions to The Children's Book Bank.
During their tenure, they oversaw a period of major expansion for the Book Bank. Financed in large part by transformational support from the Waltons’ Trust, secured in 2022, this physical growth translated to extraordinary reach: in 2024 alone, the charity distributed 146,632 free books and engaged nearly 19,000 children and caregivers. All three also played a significant role in procuring sponsors and support for the inaugural Story Soirée, which raised over $50,000 for The Children’s Book Bank.
Thank you, Sarah, Jennifer, and Melissa, for your years of dedication and leadership, which have allowed the Book Bank to reach thousands more children and spark a lifelong love of reading in young people across the city.
Win Paw Patrol Tickets
Thanks to Elevation Pictures and The Taro Group, we have 5 family packs available to see PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE at any Cineplex theatre in Canada. To enter for a chance to win one family pack (redeemable for up to 4 tickets), email dan@childrensbookbank.com by August 3.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Story Time & Sing Along with Sharon Marley
The Children's Book Bank is excited to be hosting 3x Grammy winner, cultural visionary, mother, and advocate, Sharon Marley! Join us at our Regent Park space on Thursday, August 13, 3:00-4:00 PM for a special story time and sing along. Space is limited.
Artist Visit: Sahle Robinson
Sahle Robinson, illustrator of Nahliya and the Lady, will return to The Children's Book Bank Jane & Finch on Saturday, August 15 at 1:30pm for a storytime and drawing workshop. All are welcome!
Summer Reading Program Party
At the end of the month, we'll be celebrating participants who have completed our Summer Reading Program with a party at each of our Book Bank locations!:
Sherbourne: Wednesday, August 26 at 4pm
Morningside: Thursday, August 27 at 3pm
Regent Park: Friday, August 28 at 4pm
Jane & Finch: Saturday, August 29 at 2pm
AUGIST PROGRAM CALENDARS
Every dollar you give to The Children’s Book Bank helps provide free books and literacy programs to children across Toronto, improving literacy rates and socioeconomic outcomes. Since 2008, the Book Bank has distributed over two million books across the city—please consider making a donation to help us get to the next million.