Looking for a way to support the awesome students in Chicago? Sign up to be a Book Buddy this spring! Become a Book Buddy today!

Here’s how it works: when you sign up to be a Book Buddy, we’ll match you with one of our partner schools. You’ll receive a letter from a student, telling you all about what they love to read. Then, you’ll purchase new books via your favorite online retailer and have them shipped directly to the school. Amazing school administrators, teachers, and volunteers will distribute books to students.

Sign up now and give Chicagoland students their very own books to read at home.

 
 

STOCK the shelves

Short on time this year? You can still support Chicagoland schools and students! Make a monetary gift to our Stock the Shelves fund and help us purchase more books. We’ll use your generous gifts to further support our partner schools and make sure that students have books to read all year long.

involve your business

We invite our corporate partners to engage their staff by sponsoring books for an entire classroom or school. Participating in Chicago Reads is a great team engagement tool—and a great way to give back. We encourage you to sign up and connect your staff with schools around Chicago.

Book buddy basics

Thank you for your interest in Chicago Reads! Here are a few more details to help you get started:

Chicago Reads is an initiative of the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust, designed to encourage a love of reading and learning all year long. We invite people just like you to get involved by matching with Chicago-area elementary school students and sending students books they’ll love. Help us give kids their very own books to read at home!

Here’s how it works:

  1. We build relationships with partner schools around the city. They tell us about their students’ current needs and share information about the books their kids love to read.

  2. You sign up to be a Chicago Reads Book Buddy right here on this website.

  3. The Sun-Times Charity Trust team matches you with one of our partner schools, shares a letter from a student describing their interests, and sends you all the information you need to order and ship books.

  4. As a Book Buddy, you agree to purchase $15-$20 worth of new books via your favorite online retailer (we love local bookstores and businesses!) and ship books to your partner school’s designated shipping location.

  5. Our partner schools distribute the books to their students.

  6. You spread a love of reading to awesome kids in our community!