The Barbershop Books team is excited to share with you more updates concerning our efforts to help families during these difficult times. Take a moment to read about our new developments that can help inspire kids to read across the country.
We Need Your Input
Are you a self-published author or illustrator of a diverse children’s book? Are you a parent, teacher, or school leader looking for a fun summer writing project for a child? We have received a flood of requests from parents, teachers, and librarians seeking free access to quality reading content with Black protagonists. We’re answering the call by creating a free eLibrary but we need more pdf donations of children’s ebooks, illustrated poems, and child-generated work that celebrate Black and Brown kids.
We are crowdsourcing quality diverse content directly from the communities we serve. Our free online collection will provide children living in book deserts with access to culturally relevant material. If you are interested in getting your work to children in need, please complete this form to submit your work. If your submission is selected, you will be notified prior to your content being added to the eLibrary.
After you complete your submission, share a picture of the cover using the hashtag #BarbershopBooks.
Summer Reading Program
The Reading So Lit program is a free 3-week virtual summer literacy program from Barbershop Books®.
Our innovative new program aims to help Black boys (ages 6-7) and other boys of color identify as readers and gain a better understanding of their personal reading preferences.
Summer slide is a sharp decline in reading abilities that often occurs during the summer months when school is not in session. Due to a lack of resources and limited reading opportunities, many Black and Brown children are more susceptible to summer slide. Barbershop Books is dedicated to ensuring that young Black boys and other boys of color get extra reading support.
The program includes two 1-hour reading lessons per week with certified Black-male early childhood educators. Our unique curriculum was created by the Barbershop Books team to increase boys’ intrinsic motivation to read. Participants will be provided with a set of free books and hands-on activities to follow along with each lesson and continue their learning throughout the summer.
New York
Thank you to St. James Church for working hard to ensure their community’s needs are met. They recently hosted a food pantry that was open to all families in the community. Throughout the day, volunteers distributed food and books to over 200 families. Families were delighted to receive quality books for their children as well as food necessities.
Oklahoma City
Barbershop Books teamed up with Oklahoma City Public Schools to provide book packs to Spencer Elementary families. Take a look at the smiling faces that were excited to receive books that they could enjoy throughout the summer!
