May Newsletter: Celebrating 18 Years And 2 Million Books
The Children's Book Bank turns 18 this month and you're invited to join in the birthday celebrations all month long!
We will also be reaching a major milestone sometime in May as we give away our 2 MILLIONTH BOOK! Keep an eye out—we'll be tracking the number of books we give away each day and have something special planned when we reach 2 million.
To help us celebrate, we invite you to share your birthday wishes and favourite memories of the Book Bank. Please email karlylynne@childrensbookbank.com—we'd love to hear what the Book Bank has meant to you!
The Children’s Book Bank 18th Birthday Celebration
Everyone’s invited to the party!
Celebrating The Children’s Book Bank 18th Birthday, and another year full of giving books, community, and more!
Free snacks and drinks while supplies last!
SHERBOURNE: Saturday, May 9 (All day)
JANE & FINCH: Saturday, May 23 (All day)
MORNINGSIDE: Saturday, May 30 (All day)
APRIL HIGHLIGHTS
Author Visits & Workshops
April was a busy and exciting month at The Children's Book Bank!
Families celebrated Earth Day with a hands-on papermaking workshop.
We had special author visits from Uma Krishnaswami, JonArno Lawson, and Wanda Taylor, and co-hosted the book launch of Fly in the Chai by Zenia Wadhwani.
If you missed the book launch, don't worry—Zenia will be visiting all of our Book Bank locations this month (see below for more info)!
Toronto Sceptres Storytime
Professional Women’s Hockey League goaltenders Raygan Kirk and Jessie McPherson joined The Children’s Book Bank for a special event celebrating sports and stories. The Toronto Sceptres netminders read Breaking the Ice, the inspiring true story of legendary goalie Manon Rhéaume, the only woman to play a game in the National Hockey League.
After the storytime, Kirk and McPherson participated in a question-and-answer period moderated by author Erin Silver and shared how Rhéaume’s story inspired them while they were growing up, demonstrating the importance of representation.
Every child received a free copy of Silver's book Women’s Hockey Fanbook thanks to Scholastic Canada, as well as autographed items courtesy of the Toronto Sceptres.
Teddy Bear Picnics
We ended the month with a special Teddy Bear Picnic at all locations.
Families enjoyed stories, snacks, fun activities, and every child received a new reading buddy to take home thanks to a generous donation of 300 brand new teddy bears from the Toronto Firefighters Toy Drive.
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT
Global Impact Week
As part of Manulife's first Global Impact Week, 60 employees from their Toronto offices gave their time to support The Children's Book Bank. Volunteering with us over a three-day period, Manulife's staff sorted thousands of books for children across the GTA.
During the process, volunteers enjoyed reminiscing about their own favourite stories from childhood and getting crafty as they created book displays for our spaces.
Our corporate volunteer opportunities allow local businesses to give back to the community in a meaningful way while engaging their employees in cooperative efforts that promote teamwork and boost morale.
If you are interested in learning more about corporate volunteer opportunities with The Children's Book Bank, please connect with Hugh Lawson, Senior Advisor, Partnerships at hugh@childrensbookbank.com. Keep an eye out for our new Corporate Book Drive and Giving Kit, which will be available on our website later this month.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Zenia Wadhwani: Author Visit
Join us for a special storytime with author Zenia Wadhwani and her new book, Fly in the Chai! (For all ages)
MORNINGSIDE: Saturday, May 9 at 11:30am
SHERBOURNE: Saturday, May 14 at 5pm
JANE & FINCH: Saturday, May 23 at 2pm
Camellia Koo: Author Visit
Join us for a special storytime with local author Camellia Koo! Registration required.
REGENT PARK: Saturday, May 23 at 11:15pm
SHERBOURNE: Saturday, May 23 at 1pm
MAY 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 nearly two million books across the city—please consider making a donation to help us get to the next million.