From October 17 to November 20, independent bookstores are carrying out the “Donate to read” operation, and are joining forces with Secours populaire to offer new books to children and adolescents who do not have any. You too can take part in this solidarity action by purchasing a children’s book which you will entrust to your bookseller.
From October 17 (World Day to End Poverty) to November 20, 2024 (International Children’s Rights Day), independent bookstores in France are participating in the 9e edition of the “Give it to read” operation. Thanks to the 750 independent bookstores participating in the operation and their customers, 22,000 books were offered in 2023 to children supported by Secours populaire français.
For one month, customers of participating independent bookstores are invited to choose and add a children’s book to their purchases, then return it to their bookseller. This book is then offered by Secours populaire volunteers to a child or adolescent who has none or too little.
Because too many children and adolescents have limited access to books and do not own any of their own, “Give to read” thus gives families who are far from reading, from books, the opportunity to open the doors of bookstores, by multiplying the activities (handing over of donated books, reading aloud by children of their favorite extract, etc.), and thus encourages the practice of reading among a young audience who are far from it.
Émilie Tran Nguyen, godmother of this edition:
“I know how important reading is for building oneself, one’s culture, one’s imagination. As a mother of two children, it is a priority for me to pass on to them a love of reading, by spending special moments with them, giving them books and telling them stories. Unfortunately, the book is still too absent from many homes and therefore from the daily lives of children and adolescents. Giving to read is a concrete action that directly achieves its objective: offering a new book to a child who does not have one. A new book is a precious gift. »
France Télévisions is a partner of this initiative of the French Bookstore Unionincluding the journalist Emilie Tran Nguyen (presenter ofIn society and columnist in C to you) is this year’s godmother, succeeding François Busnel.
Concretely, from October 17, to participate and offer a book:
1 – Choose a children’s book in the bookstore
2 – Add it to your purchases
3 – Entrust it to your bookseller
4 – This book will be offered to a child accompanied by Secours populaire français
Maya Flandin, bookseller in Lyon, at the initiative of Give to read :“We regularly hear that young people do not read or no longer read. But before deploring anything, wouldn’t it be more fair to worry about the fact that too many children and adolescents have limited access to books and do not own any themselves? »
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