It may be hard for some of us to believe, but in some low-income communities there is just one book for every 300 children. Consider how a book drought affects summer learning loss and knowledge gaps when students no longer have access to the school library.

This month’s #ILAchat will feature Book Love Foundation and First Book, non-profits that combat the education gap during the summer season through providing access to books year-round.

First Book and Penny Kittle, co-founder of Book Love Foundation, will be on hand during the chat to share with educators how to take part in the crusade to promote summer reading despite of the challenge of a book drought.

Kittle is an English teacher, literacy coach, and director of new teacher mentoring at Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire. She is the National Council of Teachers of English Policy Analyst for the State of New Hampshire. She is the author of Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers, Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing. She co-authored Inside Writing: How to Teach the Details of Craft and My Quick Writes.

Kittle founded the Book Love Foundation in 2012 with her husband. The organization supports teachers who exemplify a passion for promoting reading by donating independent libraries to engage adolescents. The Foundation provides teachers with starter libraries of 500 books and since beginning, the group has funded 13 classroom libraries and awarded grants to 10 additional teachers.

First Book, founded in 1992 by Kyle Zimmer, is dedicated to making books available to all children on an ongoing basis. First Book has distributed more than 120 million books and educational resources to schools and programs serving low-income families, and on average First Book delivers more than 35,000 new books per day. 

Join @ILAToday in the #ILAchat On Thursday, April 9, at 8:00 p.m. ET.  Make sure to use the hashtag so you don’t miss any posts!

Madelaine Levey is the communications intern the International Literacy Association.