2021

ANNUAL
REPORT

As we celebrate Book Trust’s 20th anniversary, our commitment to sparking delight, curiosity and wonder through reading continues—inspiring lifelong literacy journeys for Book Trust students and families along the way.

When Book Trust first started in 2001, our mission to engage every child in book choice and ownership, cultivating literacy-rich communities, served 171 students in three Colorado schools. We are now a national early literacy program supporting over 40,000 students in 20 states.

Book access remains the single biggest barrier to literacy in this country, and in low-income areas, the ratio of books-to-children is 1 to 300 kids. However, books alone are not enough. Studies confirm a longstanding belief guiding Book Trust’s mission: choice matters – and is more motivating to students than book access alone. Through Scholastic Book Club offerings, each one of our students selects books of interest every month of the school year, engaging in reading and building home libraries. It’s a simple formula with powerful results.

In the sections below, we expand on this story. We detail how we continue to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and learning disruption, how book access and choice are a consistent fixture for student’s social and emotional health, and the importance of helping families build home libraries. We share more about the outstanding cast of characters who make our work possible and showcase our expansive reach and impactful results.

For 20 years, Book Trust has been connecting children to the joy, power and magic of reading by increasing access to books. This year alone, more than 40,000 students chose nearly 519,000 books to take home and build their home libraries. Book Trust has become an equity game changer in hundreds of schools and communities, ensuring that foundational literacy is reaching some of our most vulnerable populations.

Kellie O'Keefe

PRESIDENT | CEO

Our Vision

Every child discovers the joy and power
of reading to create limitless possibilities.

Our Mission

Engaging every child in
book choice and ownership,
cultivating literacy-rich communities.

Reach

and

Impact

Celebrating 20 Years - The Joy and Power of Reading

As students and educators grappled with distance learning and school closures this past year, the equity divide in our nation’s education system continued to grow. One year into the pandemic, hybrid, distance or remote learning environments replaced in-class instruction and far fewer students were on target to read at grade level. The impact of falling behind in reading is significant for students, with research indicating that third grade test scores are predictive of future educational outcomes.

For 20 years, Book Trust has been laser focused on empowering students in Title I schools to choose and own Scholastic books at no cost to them. We are guided by research which demonstrates that literacy challenges can be mitigated with increased access to books and the opportunity for students to choose them. These two simple, yet highly effective components of the Book Trust program which promote a motivation to read, along with enhanced reading practices – both in the classroom and at home.

When Book Trust schools, teachers, students and families across the country celebrate the arrival of books each month of the school year, they are cultivating a culture of literacy across entire communities. Discovering the joy and power of reading is essential for a child to thrive and there is no greater magic than the first book we fall in love with.

Our Reach

518000

BOOKS CHOSEN & OWNED

39428

STUDENTS SERVED THIS YEAR

1800

TEACHERS ENGAGED

150

SCHOOLS SERVED IN 20 STATES

2020-2021 Book Trust Communities

Our Results

91% of teachers engaged families in literacy.
96% of Book Trust teachers devoted time for independent reading.
Teachers reported that increased access to books creates an equal learning opportunity for all students to fall in love with reading, especially those who come from homes where books are not readily available or limited due to socio-economic circumstances.
Teachers reported that increased access to books creates an equal learning opportunity for all students to fall in love with reading, especially those who come from homes where books are not readily available or limited due to socio-economic circumstances.
Teachers also reported that the Book Trust program supported students' reading habits, encouraging them to build a home library and read more consistently.

“The biggest support Book Trust has provided this year is giving the opportunity for our students to have books and create their own library at home since they are not able to visit our school library or even use our library in our classroom.”

Book Trust Teacher

Books are a way of
cultivating knowledge and
intriguing the imagination.
Without access, those would be stunted.

Book Trust Teacher

Supporting Social-Emotional Learning Through Books

Critical to our story is the role we play in making sure books are available as a consistent fixture to support students’ social and emotional health. The pandemic has not only compounded challenges for students in Title I schools when it comes to reading, but also led to a more marked need to support their social and emotional health. As students explore the Scholastic Book Clubs flyers each month for books that interest and excite them, they are given access to a rich library of books to support learning and growth in all aspects of their life.

Books like Kindness Counts 123 and Listening with My Heart allow students to explore kindness to others and themselves. And in Be You, young readers are reminded that they are unique and special, while learning patience and persistence.

From a young age, these books and others like them can serve as powerful tools to equip students with the language, knowledge, and skills needed to support their social-emotional growth.

Cultivating a Culture of Literacy at School and at Home

In low-income areas, there is an average of just one book for every 300 children. Book Trust and its partners are working to change this by engaging students to choose, read and own books every month of the school year. This helps them build home libraries and have books as a consistent companion at home, all while fostering continued learning as well as family engagement.

“These books are truly changing my daughter’s life and making her so happy."

Book Trust parent Sarrah Walters has seen significant improvement in her daughter’s reading skills after her first grade teacher implemented the Book Trust program. “She is so excited when she gets the books each month, and I’m so thankful for this program!” This excitement carries over when the books come home, where the two are reading together every night. “She loves growing her home library, keeping her books in her room and being able to share them with her family.”

Sarrah is grateful to Book Trust donors and teachers for their commitment to the program that has led to increased reading and family engagement for her six-year-old. “I’m thankful everyday that students like my daughter have a chance to push themselves because they were given this chance to learn and grow.”

Sarrah Walters

BOOK TRUST PARENT

Community

and

Supporters

Our community is essential to helping even the most reluctant readers find the joy in reading.

During each month of the school year, students are provided Scholastic Book Clubs flyers and choose books at no cost to them thanks to our financial supporters. Teachers and students celebrate the arrival of their new books. As their personal library grows, students are able to spend dedicated time reading the books at school, sometimes alongside volunteers. By bringing books home and building home libraries, they are also able to engage with family members in reading. Together, we are cultivating a culture of literacy in school and at home.

"Providing our students with books is one of the most powerful things we can do as educators."

When COVID-19 closed schools to in-person instruction, Fort Washakie Elementary staff knew that couldn’t press pause when it comes to getting free monthly books to their students. By leveraging the school district’s lunch delivery program — or “lunch bus” — books were delivered to students at home.

“One of the things we hear most from our families is that they are thankful for providing the opportunity to read,” says Ashley Archambault, who coordinates the Book Trust program for the school. “Book Trust allows us to gift books to our students, and that is amazing.”

The school, which primarily serves Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe families on the Fort Washakie Indian Reservation in Wyoming, partners with Book Trust to ensure books are available at home to meet their daily reading goals.

“You can see in their eyes how excited they are to have a book to take home and keep,” adds Ashley.

Ashley Archambault

INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITATOR

Fort Washakie Elementary
Fremont 21 District

Shannon Guild

REGIONAL DIVERSITY OFFICER
AND VICE PRESIDENT

MORGAN STANLEY

“We’re proud to be part of the Book Trust program. Our funding helps purchase books, and we also get to get back to the basics of reading and human connection. It’s a truly fulfilling experience.”

Corporate donors and volunteers are essential elements of the Book Trust program, bringing not only crucial support, but valued volunteer engagement to Book Trust classrooms. “Reading is so foundational, and we have such a meaningful opportunity to help change the course of someone’s life by helping get them excited about reading,” says Shannon Guild, Regional Diversity Officer and Vice President at Morgan Stanley.

Following a grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation, Shannon, as the leader of Morgan Stanley’s Diversity and Inclusion Council for the nine-state Great Lakes Region, was driven to find a way to make an impact at the local level. The result is an employee-driven volunteer program where Morgan Stanley employees from seven markets read to Book Trust students each month.

Shannon’s proud of the commitment of her team and school partners to continue the program virtually over the past year and is looking forward to growing her team’s involvement. “We want to show the next generation of children what they could be, and sometimes that can be accomplished simply by seeing a professional in a business suit that looks like them.”

“Holding print in their hands—at school and at home—is critical to literacy in the classroom.”

First grade teacher Jennifer Rozboril feels lucky to be part of the Book Trust program. With nearly 90 percent of her students coming from low-income families, buying books simply isn’t an option. Through Book Trust, her students are able to pick books that interest them to build their home libraries, which she says is “changing my students’ lives, as well as mine.”

Home libraries are critical in helping her students meet the goal of 20 minutes of reading at home each evening. “They are so excited to get their Scholastic Book Clubs books each month and can’t believe they get to take them home,” she says. “They are even more excited when they come back and show the book on their reading log.”

Jennifer Rozboril

TEACHER

Franklin Primary School
Peoria Public Schools

2020-2021 Book Trust Community & Supporters

Schools

Arizona

Arizona Department of Education

Blackwater Community School

California

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

Marylin Avenue Academy

Oakland Unified School District

Bella Vista Elementary

Community United Elementary

Futures Elementary

Garfield Elementary

Global Family Elementary

Ravenswood City School District

Belle Haven Elementary

Costano Elementary

Los Robles Magnet Academy

Redwood City School District

Hoover Elementary

Colorado

Adams 12 School District

Hillcrest Elementary

North Star Elementary

STEM Launch

Aurora Public Schools

Crawford Elementary

Kenton Elementary

Denver Public Schools

Amesse Elementary

Bryant-Webster Dual Language

Force Elementary

Grant Ranch

Hallett Academy

KIPP Northeast Elementary

Knapp Elementary

Math & Science Leadership Acad

Munroe Elementary

Samuels Elementary

STRIVE Prep – Ruby Hill

Valverde Elementary

Eagle County Schools

Gypsum Elementary

Englewood School District

Bishop Elementary

Greeley-Evans Weld County School District 6

Salida Del Sol Academy

Independent Schools Colorado

Morgridge Academy

Tennyson Center for Children

Mesa County School District

Clifton Elementary

Poudre School District

Bauder Elementary

Harris Bilingual

Irish Elementary

Laurel Elementary

Linton Elementary

O’Dea Elementary

Putnam Elementary

RE-1 Valley School District

Ayres Elementary

Caliche Elementary

Campbell Elementary

Thompson School District

Monroe Elementary

Westminster Public Schools

Josephine Hodgkins Elementary

Skyline Vista Elementary

Widefield School District 3

Widefield Elementary

Florida

Duval Public Schools

Mayport Elementary

Orange County Public Schools

Academic Center for Excellence

Lake Como Elementary

Orange Center Elementary

Sally Ride Elementary

Shingle Creek Elementary

Hawaii

Hawaii Department of Education

Honaunau Elementary

Lanai Island Schools

Lanai Elementary

Maui Island Schools

Haiku Elementary

Hana Elementary

Kahului Elementary

Lihikai Elementary

Makawao Elementary

Waihee Elementary

Wailuku Elementary

Molokai Island Schools

Kualapu’u Elementary

Maunaloa Elementary

Oahu Island Schools

Nanaikapono Elementary

Palolo Elementary

Waianae Elementary

Idaho

Lake Pend Orielle School District

Farmin Stidwell Elementary

Hope Elementary

Kootenai Elementary

Northside Elementary

Sagle Elementary

Southside Elementary

Washington Elementary

Illinois

Chicago Public Schools

George Leland STEM School

James R. Doolittle Elementary

Peoria Public Schools

Franklin Primary School

Iowa

Council Bluffs Community Schools

Edison Elementary

Michigan

Fennville Public Schools

Fennville Elementary

Minnesota

Minneapolis Public Schools

Andersen United Community School

Missouri

Jefferson City

South Elementary (scholastic school)

Nebraska

Omaha Public Schools

Jackson Elementary

New York

Deposit Central School District

Deposit Elementary

New York City Department of Education

P.S. 015 Roberto Clemente

P.S. 067 Charles A. Dorsey

P.S. 149 Sojourner Truth

P.S. 194 Countee Cullen

P.S. 306 Ethan Allen

Stamford Central School District

Stamford Central School

Ohio

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Willson School

Pennsylvania

Allentown School District

Washington Elementary School

Harrisburg School District

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Propel Schools

Propel Pitcairn

School District of Philadelphia

Alain Locke School

Anne Frank School

Benjamin B Comegys School

Delaplaine McDaniel School

Dr. Ethel D. Allen School

E. W. Rhodes Elementary School

Edward Heston School

Edwin Forrest School

F. Amedee Bregy School

Francis Hopkinson School

Francis Scott Key School

Gilbert Spruance Elementary

Hamilton Elementary School

Hon. Luis Munoz-Marin Elementary School

Horatio B. Hackett School

James Dobson School

James Logan School

John F. McCloskey School

John Welsh School

Joseph Catharine School

Julia Ward Howe School

Juniata Park Academy

Kenderton Elementary

Lewis C. Cassidy School

Lewis Elkin School

Martha Washington School

Mary Mcleod Bethune School

McMichael Morton School

Olney Elementary School

Overbrook Educational Center

Overbrook Elementary

Samuel Pennypacker School

Philip H. Sheridan School

Robert B. Pollock School

Robert Morris Elementary

S. Weir Mitchell Elementary School

Samuel Gompers School

Samuel Powel School

Spring Garden School

Stephen Girard School

Thomas M. Peirce School

Watson T. Comly Elementary

William C. Longstreth School

William D. Kelley School

William H. Hunter School

Texas

Austin Independent School District

Pecan Springs Elementary

Utah

Salt Lake City School District

Meadowlark Elementary

Virginia

Henrico County Schools

Faison Center

Wisconsin

Beecher-Dunbar-Pembine School District

Pembine Elementary

Boyceville Community School District

Tiffany Creek Elementary

Cornell School District

Cornell Elementary

Frederic School District

Frederic Elementary

Gilman School District

Gilman Elementary

Independence School District

Independence Elementary

Kickapoo Area School District

Kickapoo Elementary

Maple School District

Iron River Elementary

Northwestern Elementary

Mauston School District

Grayside Elementary

Lyndon Station Elementary

Westside Elementary

Mercer School District

Mercer Elementary

Milkwaukee Public Schools

Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School

Carver Academy of Mathematics and Science

Clarke Street School

Rogers Street Academy

Norwalk Ontario Wilton School District

Norwalk Ontario Wilton Elementary

Riverdale School District

Riverdale Elementary

Shullsburg School District

Shullsburg Elementary

Webster School District

Webster Elementary

Wyoming

Carbon County District 2

Elk Mountain Elementary

Encampment K-12 School

Hanna Elementary

Medicine Bow Elementary

Fremont County School District

Fort Washakie Elementary School

PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS

Book Trust’s philanthropic partners provide the resources needed to expand our reach, increase our impact, and support our students to discover the joy and power of reading.

Donors

500,000+

Scholastic, Inc.

$250,000 - $499,000

Kate and Justin Rose Foundation Inc.

Morgan Stanley

TOSA Foundation

William Penn Foundation

$100,000 - $249,000

Anonymous

The School District of Philadelphia

$25,000 - $99,999

Bohemian Foundation

Caroline Alexander Buck Foundation

Community Foundation of Northern
Colorado

Ty Curry

Daniels Fund

Dusenbury Charitable Fund

Harvey Family Foundation

Kenneth Rainin Foundation

McInerny Foundation

Morgridge Family Foundation

Susan O’Shaughnessy

Patricia Kind Family Foundation

Jill and Doug Schatz

Serimus Foundation

Village Green Project

$10,000 - $24,999

John and Darlene Abt

Acton Family Giving

Brook J. Lenfest Foundation

Buell Foundation

Community First Foundation

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Dairy Products, Inc.

Farmers Insurance

Fennville Public Schools

G.N. Wilcox Trust

Makar and and Swati Gokhale

Steve & Tamar Goodfellow

Hamilton Family Charitable Trust

Susan and Jac Kean

Mariel Foundation

Northern Trust Company

Pikes Peak Community Foundation

Karen and Martin Quill

RJ Clark Family Foundation

Saltchuk Resources, Inc.

Adrienne Schatz

The Gordon Charter Foundation

The Weld Trust

United Way of Larimer County

Whitcomb Charitable Foundation

Cheryl and Joe Zimlich

$5,000 - $9,999

Allen Hilles Fund

Bendon Family Foundation

Blue Federal Credit Union Foundation

Bright Funds

BuildStrong Education

Chemung Canal Trust Company

Community Shares

Denver Tech Center Rotary Club

El Pomar Foundation

Facebook

Dela Fyfe

Hackstaff & Snow LLC

Joaquin Bessie Vincent Trust

Patrick Kanouff

Robin and Jennifer Kean

Lanai Community Benefit Fund

Deborah Ogden

David Perez

Rotary Club of Fort Collins- Foothills

Mr. and Mrs. Gerrianne and Clyde Sakamoto

Terri Schaffer

Schlessman Family Foundation

Jim and Andrea Schloemer

Linda Steavens

Michelle Tanner

The Denver Foundation

The Links Incorporated (Denver Chapter)

The Red Cabin Foundation

The Stocker Foundation

Wanek Family Charitable Fund

West Bend Foundation

$2,500 - $4,999

Benevity, Inc.

BFF Friendship Foundation

Jerry Buck

Wendy Cooper

David Diehl

Tim and Sara Farrington

Jane Hayman

James I Haynes

Berte Hirschfield

Patricia Hurrieta

Kappler Marrack Foundation

Morgan Stanley Chicago Mercantile

OneSeven Advisors, LLC

Rose Community Foundation

Richard Scholl

Scott Sprain

Sprain Family Foundation

ZS Associates ZS Cares Program

$100 - $2,499

Desiree Abreu

Acquis Consulting Group

George & Janet Allan

Angela Allen

Aloha United Way

AmazonSmile

Anonymous

AIG American International Group

Kate Baker

Dale & Marjorie Bonar

Bank of America

Bank of Colorado

Ann Barber Doyle

Pat Barlow

William Barron

Valerie & Richard Beck

Andrea Beesley

Chris Beisler

Chris and Marney Beisler

Greg Bellomo

Robert Berretta

Eliav Bock

Marisa Bolton

Benjamin Boone

Jane Brennan

Bright Funds

Joan Brucha

Nancy Callahan

Chg Marketing Ch Phys

James Chambers

Charities Aid Foundation of America

Austin Christensen

Audrey MacLean and Mike Clair

Carol Cochran

Jolene Cole

Leanne Collins

Comcast Corporation

Nancy and Kosta Constantine

Stacie Cowell

Maryellen Crumlish

Julio Da Silva

Theresa Daly

Denver Post Community Foundation

Deseret Trust Company

Kristen Dettloff

Douglas and Constance Dohn

Georgia Duncan

Bredt Eggleston

Enterprise Holdings Foundation

Allison Estoch

Pauline Fiene

First National Bank of Omaha

FirstBank in Fort Collins

Virginia Gajar

Nicole Gallen

Tim Garcia

John Gillies

Jenny R Glasgow

Jaclyn Gleber

Shay and Chad Goodfellow

Goodfellow Brothers, Inc.

Lynn Goodnough

Heather Gossel

Carolyn Schaefer Gray and Jack Gray

Mark Grayson

Jane Greenfield

Lois Griffith

Jeffrey Grothe

Ruth I. Gunzenhauser

Janelle Hahn

Rick & Nancy Haines

Vince Harr

Phyllis Hartman

Jan Harvey

Hawaii Community Foundation

Barbara Cain Hegarty

Lynn Herrick

Rachel High

John and Barbara G Hill

John Hintzman

Kari Hodgen

Melanie Hollis

Nancy Howland

Liwei Hua

Alisha Hubbell

Richard Hull

Sean Hurley

Ann Hutchison

Sonia ImMasche

Diane Jackson

The Cleveland Foundation John and Patricia

Belcastro Fund

Christine Johnston

Shary Kee

Ryan Keenan

Kathi Kehmna

Amanda Keiley

Michael Kester

Cathy Kipp

Kelly Kissell

Connie Klein

William J Kneeland

Esther Kohn

Peter Konrad

Catherine Kunst

Sinisa Lavric

MIMI Leahy

Erin Lillis

Debbie Lindo

Paul Lingenfelter

Ron and Karen Lowy

Deanna & Gary Ludwin

April Macintosh

Charles Malek

Ruth Malman

George Martin

Michelle Marzullo

Maui Under Sea Adventures, Inc.

Maui United Way

Christine McGroarty

William McKelvey

Jeannette McKinley

Melanie McLean

Sarah McMains

Karen Meyer

Chuck Miller

Julie Miller

Glenna Modeste

Carrie Morgridge

Maren Mullin

Charles Murdock

Mr. Philip Murphy

Laura Neill Murray

Gerard Nalezny

Dawn Nelesen

Network For Good

Steve & Debra Oliver

Margaret Olsen

Julia Owens

Bevin Parker

Kevin Parker

Diane & Mark Parnes

Ms. Angela and Zach Penland

PFS Insurance Group, LLC

Emma Pinter

Willa Pressman

Prologis Foundation

Brad and Shelly Randall

Raymond James Charitable

Ellen Reilly

Sharon Rein

Renaissance Charitable Foundation

Sandra and Henry F. Rice

Julie Richardson

Victor Richardson

Debra Rizor

Charlotte Robinson

Kimberly Robinson

Ryan Rohman

Ronald Rosenberg

Steven Rubin

Amy Rushneck

Max Ruthenberg-Marshall

Elizabeth and Elias Sacks

Julia Salido

Jeffery Sauer

Terri Schaffer

Whitney Schoenthal

Kyrsa Severson

Courtney Sherman

Toni Sherman

Frances Shockley

Kimberly Siegel

Laura and Dan Sigrist

Mike Skibinski

Rebecca Smith-Allen

Kate Sneed

Aaron Sotak

Rhonda Sparlin

Becky Speere

Kellie Sponberg

Ann St. Laurent

Shannon Stearman

Jennifer Steffes

Ann Stokes

Kelly Stoner

Sandra and Earl Stoner

Saba Storin

Susan Suman

Joshua Sykes

Grace and Jason Taylor

Melinda Taylor

The Denver Foundation

The Somekh Family Foundation

Barbara Thomas

Sondra Thompson

Katie Tilton

Patricia Trainor

Harry and Marie Turtle

Kevin Unger

James van Leeuwen

Sally Vanroeyen

Lee and Catherine Varra-Nelson

Mel Walz

Alistair Watson

Mr. and Mrs. Laura O’Hara and Louis

Weinstein

Karen Williams

Ken Williams

Kim and Barry Williamson

Margaret Wing

Jennifer Woelk

Jessica J Wood

John Woodruff

Scott Yarosh

YourCause, LLC Trustee for Thrivent Financial

Lupe Zarate

Mr. and Mrs. Ellen and Ted Zibell

Book Trust Board of Directors

National Board of Directors

Jim Curry

David Diehl

Swati Gokhale

Jim Hackstaff

Stacey Jo Kirkland

Amy Kolczak, Board Chair

Judy Newman, Advisor

David Perez

Nicole Riehl

Dharmendra Sahay

Adrienne Schatz, Founder

Cheryl Zimlich

Book Trust Advisory Boards

Academy Advisory Board

Ana Taboada

Nell Duke

KaiLonnie Dunsmore

Ernest Morrell

Rosario Ordoñez-Jasis

D. Ray Reutzel

Denver Regional Advisory Board