DANE COUNTY – For the sixth year in a row, Madison Reading Project is launching its annual Community Book Drive, promising to fill the homes of area children with new books this holiday season.
The goal: Raise $50,000 and acquire 2,000 brand new books before winter break for our year-end giving events and literacy programming in 2026.
Madison Reading Project staff and volunteers will place book collection bins at public locations such as shopping malls, and have 35 different community organizations, bookstores, corporate groups, and sponsors already hosting individual new book drives to help reach the goal. Anyone can sign up to run a Peers for Pages fundraiser or bookraiser, shop our online book wishlist, or participate at local bookstores.
Financial donations can be made online by clicking on our website’s Community Book Drive tab or by mailing us a physical check.
“We believe it is important for children to have access to new books that reflect their unique identities as well as open their eyes to others’ lived experiences,” says Rowan Childs, co-executive director/founder. “By supporting our Community Book Drive, you will help get thousands of new, high-quality books to kids, many of whom have few books in their homes.”
Madison Reading Project is again partnering with the Empty Stocking Club, Madison School and Community Recreation (MSCR), the Monona and Waunakee public libraries, and other community programs to expand its reach.
“We’re confident we will reach our donation goals with the community’s help,” Childs adds. “Everyone deserves that new book feeling, especially children. Books in the home are so important to a child’s development.”
Anyone can help by donating funds or by buying books from local bookstores, such as Lake City Books, Mystery To Me, Books 4 School, Ink & Ivy, Garden Wall Bookshop, Ink Cap Books, and A Room of One’s Own. The booklists make it easy to select a new book at any price point.
Visit madisonreadingproject.com to get involved. A business, club, friend group, or neighborhood can also organize an in-person book-raiser.
“We want to encourage the amazing people in our community to not only help us collect books bought locally, but also support local businesses when they visit our bins,” says Deirdre Steinmetz, co-executive director. “To make it convenient, you can purchase from our wishlist via our website or through local bookstores.”
“Together, we’ll get new books that children and families want,” Steinmetz adds. “Everyone deserves to experience the new book feeling, especially our community’s youngest readers.”
Books may be donated online or at several of our bookseller partners across Dane County or at our Book Center, 1337 Greenway Cross, in Madison. Donations of brand-new books for children ages 0-18 are cheerfully accepted through the end of the year.
Visit Madison Reading Project’s website for more on the book drive, book suggestions, book-giving programs, or to make a monetary contribution: madisonreadingproject.com/communitybookdrive
Madison Reading Project’s book drive works with the Wisconsin State Journal’s annual Empty Stocking Club holiday toy distribution event. Open to all families regardless of financial situation, every child receives a new book and a brand-new, high-quality toy at the giving event.
The drive ends Dec.10 to ensure books get to kids on time before schools close. The fundraiser is open until the end of the year.
Madison Reading Project is a nonprofit organization with a mission to connect the community with free books and literacy enrichment programs that ignite a love for reading.
