Welcome

Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.  --Margaret Fuller

My Very Own Book is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that was established to run reading incentive programs in elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods in North Texas school districts.  This 2012-2013 school year is our fourth program year.  We began with three schools in 2009-2010, and we have expanded every year.  This school year we are serving eight elementary schools.   

Participating students are rewarded for minutes read at home with a certificate and a new, free book of their choice at the end of each six weeks period.  This program encourages children to read outside of school hours, works to increase literacy skills, and puts new books in the homes of families who often can't afford the luxury of purchasing their own new books.  Students experience the joy of earning and owning their very own books.

For more details about the program or our schools, please visit our Program & Schools page.

2013 Sustaining Donors Drive

One of the best ways to learn about new people, places and things is to travel far and wide. You could opt for the conventional way of traveling, by hopping on a plane, or you could choose a faster and much cheaper way - by picking up a book.

Books change our lives.

Click here to learn more and/or become a Sustaining Donor. 

Each passport image below represents 50 students who will be able to "travel" (receive a new book) as a result of Sustaining Donor generosity. 

Let's see how many passports we can "issue."

                                                                      

---

Top Readers of 2011-12 School Year
 

---

Payroll Deductions

If you normally donate a portion of your pay, we hope you will consider choosing us as your charity.  In the blank space on the United Way form write "My Very Own Book 26-4196889."  Listing our EIN is not a must, but it is helpful.

Click here to see an inspirational video about the impact of your donations or to learn about more ways to donate/help MVOB.

---

E-mails from My Very Own Book

Click here to sign up to receive e-mails from MVOB.  We only send e-mails approximately every 1-3 weeks - promise not to inundate you with e-mails - and you can unsubscribe at any time.  Receiving our e-mails is a good way to stay up-to-date with our organization and show your support!

Interested in Volunteering?
Please join our e-mail list.  Volunteer opportunities are announced in our Update e-mails.  Volunteer activities include selecting books to go to schools, processing books (accounting, sorting, shelving), manning a table at book drives and community events, helping at MVOB fundraisers, etc.
 

---

Support us with a click of your mouse or through shopping!

MVOB is a charity on GoodSearch and GoodShop.

GoodSearch:  Use the GoodSearch toolbar (powered by Yahoo!) with us designated as your charity and each time you do a search we'll get a donation.  Those clicks add up!  We've checked it out and the search engine runs just like any other with no more ads than usual.  Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/my-very-own-book to download the toolbar.  (see our donate page for more details and a list of searches which don't count)

GoodShop:  Rather than going directly to a store's website when doing on-line shopping, first go to http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx or click on the GoodShop button on the GoodSearch toolbar.  If you did not use the toolbar, enter My Very Own Book as your charity to support and then click on any of the many stores to begin shopping.  Each store lists how much they will donate, as well as coupons and deals available to you.        

---

A big thanks to...

for providing us with an outstanding space for us to store our large quantity of new books.  We love having so much room for our volunteers to work when they gather to process and box up books to go to schools.  We are very grateful for your generosity!  It is truly critical to our ability to serve so many students.

in Richardson for donating the use of their conference room for our monthly Board meeting.  Having a central and nice location to meet is very helpful.

for providing us with an upgraded account package.  It is a great tool, especially for our end-of-year surveys of teachers and students.

for donating large quantities of items for our annual dinner silent auctions and new children's books for our literacy incentive program. Thanks also to the stores for hosting, and customers for donating, almost 3,000 new books during the 2012 holiday book drive and more than 2,200 new books during the 2011 holiday drive.  We appreciate their support of our program and fundraising efforts.

for choosing our five schools in 2010 and our two new schools in 2011 to benefit from their drive.  PaperBackSwap members were asked to donate their credits, which the company then translated into new books for our non-profit.  The community was extremely generous and we have received almost 9,000 new books for our program!  We are so grateful for their support.



      and       Robb Blanchette and Bob Shimmin hosted a fundraising event in their home.  They set a goal of raising $5,000, the amount needed to support our program in one school for one year.  Lee Roy Mitchell generously offered to donate $5,000 if the goal was met.  We are very happy to say two schools were funded!



  for their very generous donation of $5,000, the highest amount they donate to any one non-profit.  We are honored to have their support and excited to turn their contribution into new books for students in Title 1 schools.



2013 Sustaining Donors donating at the top, "Cruise" giving level:  Jason Hunt, Mimi Jaye, Wesley Moss
 


FY 2012-13 Entities who gave at the Grade Level Giving Level, or raised funds equal to this level: First Book, GMR Marketing, Lennox International, Scholastic, Target, The Lisa Libraries