Why I Donate a Book with Every Order
For every order, I donate a book to a child who needs one.
The Wandering Weave
This isn't a feel-good add-on. It's not a marketing gimmick or a way to make you feel better about buying things. It's core to why this company exists.
The Problem Is Bigger Than Most People Realize
One in ten children in the U.S. don't own a single book. For kids from low-income families, it's one in eight. These aren't statistics from decades ago either this is 2024 data from the National Literacy Trust. But the disparity goes deeper than individual homes. Researchers have identified "book deserts", neighborhoods where access to age-appropriate books is severely limited. In high-poverty areas, there's roughly one book available for every 300 children. In middle-income neighborhoods? Thirteen books per child. That's not a gap, that's a canyon most kids will struggle to overcome their entire life. It's not because parents don't care. When book vending machines were placed in a low-income D.C. neighborhood, 20,000 books were taken immediately. Parents want books for their kids. They just don't always have access.
Why Book Ownership Matters
This isn't about sentimentality. The research is clear and consistent: children who own books are six times more likely to read above their expected grade level compared to kids who don't own any books. Kids without books at home are four times more likely to read below their expected level. The presence of books in the home is one of the top three predictors of children's reading performance ahead of parent income and parent education level. It's not about wealth so much as it is about access.
A study of 100,000 children across 35 countries found that kids with even one book at home are nearly twice as likely to be on track for literacy and numeracy skills and the effects aren't temporary. Research shows that book ownership in childhood predicts not just reading ability, but academic achievement and lifetime earnings in adulthood. Kids are literally being set up to fail from the start if they do not have access to books.
Why I Focus on Diverse Books
I don't want to donate just any old book. Diverse books with stories that reflect the full range of human experience are usually the hardest ones to come by for the kids who need them the most. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop aptly described children's books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Mirrors let kids see themselves reflected in stories. Windows let them see experiences different from their own. Sliding glass doors let them step into new worlds. When a child never sees themselves as the hero of a story, that sends a message. When a kid with two moms never sees their family in a book, that sends a message. When a disabled child only encounters disability as tragedy in stories, that sends a message.
The impact of a lack of diverse books is actually measurable. Research published in Literacy Research and Instruction found that when Black students read culturally relevant texts, their reading comprehension increased 15% and they reported greater enjoyment of reading. First Book's research found that adding diverse books to classrooms increased student reading time by four hours per week on average. Kids read more when they see themselves in stories. It makes sense, they want to find a way to connect to the literature, it needs to speak to them. Yet 83% of children's books still feature white characters, animals, or "other." The publishing industry remains overwhelmingly homogeneous. Diverse books exist, but they don't always reach the kids who need them most.
The Bigger Why: Literacy as Protection
I believe literacy is a tool for protection. Critical reading skills help kids question authority appropriately, recognize manipulation and propaganda, understand multiple perspectives, and think independently. It literally helps kids to become the independent thinkers that will empower them to succeed in creating the better future we want for them. The work we put in now to help create a sustainable future doesn't matter if we don't raise a generation who understands the whys and whats to keep that mission going.
In an era of increasing misinformation, the ability to read critically isn't just an academic skill. It's protection. I make children's clothes. That's a small thing in the grand scheme of the world. But if every order means one more kid has a book and one more kid is developing the skills to think for themselves, to question the status quo, to imagine different possibilities, then this small thing adds up.
How It Works
Every order = one book donated.
Not a "portion of proceeds." Not "up to" some vague amount. One book, every time. You're not being asked to add a donation at checkout or round up your total. It's just part of what doing business with me means.
The books donated will feature diverse characters and authors—representing different cultures, family structures, abilities, and experiences.
I'll report the donation numbers transparently: how many books, through which organizations, reaching which communities.
Weaving It Together
I can't fix structural inequality with a book donation program. I know that. But I can make sure that every time someone buys clothes from me, a kid gets a book. I can choose to partner with organizations doing the real work of getting diverse literature to under-served communities. I can be transparent about what I'm doing and why. It's a small thing. But small things done consistently add up.
Every kid deserves to see themselves as the hero of a story. Every kid deserves books of their own. Every kids deserves to weave their own adventure. That's why I do this.
Check Out My Sources
• National Literacy Trust. (2024).
• National Literacy Trust. (2019).
• Lindorff, A., Sammons, P., Hall, J., & Taylor, J. (2023).
• Muhoozi, G.K.M., et al. (2018).
• Evans, M.D.R., et al. (2010). Family scholarly culture and educational success.
• Neuman, S.B., & Moland, N. (2016). Book deserts: The consequences of income segregation on children's access to print. Urban Education / NYU.
• Neuman, S.B. (2015). Research on book vending machines in low-income neighborhoods.
• Literacy Research and Instruction. (2018). Study on culturally relevant texts and reading comprehension.
• First Book Research & Insights. (2019). Diverse books impact study.
• Room to Read. (2021). MISSING OUT report on representation in children's literature.
• Bishop, R.S. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom.