Birdie's Bookmobile is a non-profit organization committed to ending book deserts and improving children's literacy and book access in Metro Detroit. We are making quality, diverse, and culturally relevant books more accessible and adding to the number of books children have in their home libraries through free book distribution.

Hatched June 2022

Our Impact

Birdie's Bookmobile has distributed more than

100,000 new and pre-loved books to children and families in partnership with police precincts, community organizations, and Metro Detroit public and

charter schools.

We have installed 20 Little Free Libraries that we steward at schools, non-profit organizations, and communities in nine zip codes in Detroit.

Birdie's Bookmobile purchased 30,000 new books for the Detroit Public Schools Community District — DPSCD.

Community Partners

Community partners are the backbone of our work. With their help, we have distributed over 100,000 books to the children and families they serve!

313Reads

Barack Obama Leadership Academy

Brightmoor Alliance, Inc.

Brilliant Detroit

Bunche Preparatory Academy

Carstens Elementary Middle School

Center for Success Network

Central Detroit Christian

Detroit Community Solutions

Detroit Enterprise Academy

Detroit Institue for Children

Detroit Merit Charter Academy

Detroit Parent Network

Detroit Parks & Recreation

Detroit Prep

Detroit Riverfront Conservancy

Developing Despite Distance

Downtown Boxing Gym

Edward "Duke" Ellington

Emagine Health Services

Girlz Empowered

Hope House

Laurus Academy

MACC Development

Mack Avenue Community Church

Marcus Garvey Academy

Marion Law Academy

Matrix Human Services Head Starts

Mosaic Youth Theater Summer Camp

Nichols Elementary and Middle School

Racquet Up

Renaissance Head Start

Soar Detroit

Southeastern High School

Strategic Community Partners

Sundrops Playschool

The James and Grace Lee Boggs School

The School at Marygrove

Thirkell Elementary-Middle

Urban Neighborhood Initiative

Voyageur Academy

YMCA Detroit

Funders

Awesome Foundation Ann Arbor

Teach for America

The Holley Foundation

The Junior League of Detroit

United Way of Southeastern Michigan

Program Supporters

27th Letter Books

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority

Bookstock

Brilliant Detroit

Central Detroit Christian

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Tigers

Eastern Market

Next Chapter Books

Rocket Community

Starbucks

The Congregation

The Guerrilla Politic

U of M

Wayne State University

Free Book Fair

Free Book Fairs!

Birdie's Bookmobile distributes FREE BOOKS at no cost to students, schools, and

partner organizations in Detroit via recurring grade-banded monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly book fairs. We also offer embedded literacy enrichment programs.

Birdie’s Bookmobile is doing powerful, joyful work to bring books to our children and community! No child should grow up in a book desert and Birdie’s grows book access and literacy with every single book they provide.

Birdie’s also provides enriching programming that promotes book joy — one of our favorite Birdie’s memories is children and families eagerly gathered together around the book bus learning about how honey is made from a local beekeeper and Ms. Alyce sharing related books that got them even more excited about insects and nature. Birdie’s brings books alive!

Dr. Leah van Belle

Executive Director

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Donate Books

Donate Used Books

Reading plays a crucial role in a child's development. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to quality books. Birdie's Bookmobile will share your donations of gently used books with children and

families in Detroit.

Your book donations will help build home libraries, encourage shared reading experiences, and improve literacy outcomes.

Birdie's Bookmobile will pick up books or books can be dropped off.

Connect with us to donate books!

Host a Book Drive

Hosting a book drive is a great way to partner with Birdie's Bookmobile in our literacy work. Book drives can be held in one or more locations or virtually.

Our book drive toolkit provides all the information and resources needed to organize and run a successful book drive — including, a checklist, flyers, approved logos, and email and social media templates.

Connect with us to host a book drive!

Buy New Books

Amazon Wish List

We have a curated list of board books, picture books, graphic novels, chapter books, and YA books on our Amazon Wish List. The books on our list are interesting and relatable, use engaging language, and are beautifully illustrated.

These selections will make great additions to the home libraries of children and teens in Detroit.

Books ship directly from Amazon.

Read Aloud

A few favorites from the bookmobile we love to read aloud. Click the picture to learn more about the books featured on Birdie's Book List!

Learn More

Join Our Book Club!

Birdie's Book Club offers literacy strategies and developmentally appropriate tips for stimulating language development, teaching reading, and helping struggling readers at home and in the classroom.

Learn More

"Birdie's Bookmobile is one of the most refreshing groups I have ever worked with. The dedication to assure kids have culturally responsive books AND a love of reading shows in all they do and are. Working with them is a treat that keeps giving."

Cindy Eggleton

Co-Founder & CEO

Brilliant Detroit

"I love Birdie's Bookmobile — how it brings joy to children with books! Any creative ways we can get kids excited about reading is great with me, and Birdie's bookmobile is just that."

Lisa Johanon

Founder & Executive Director

Central Detroit Christian (CDC)

"Birdie's Bookmobile sparks the curiosity of every learner through quality literacy and aligned scientific and artistic connections! A visit from Birdie's Bookmobile unlocks imagination and a lifetime of reading."

Jen McMillan

Co-Founder & Head of School

Detroit Prep

"Birdie's Bookmobile is a great partner of DBG. When they visit, we see students' personal connections to books deepening, as student voices are centered in the books that the Bookmobile distributes. The whole week after the Birdie's Bookmobile visits we see students around the gym, at the dinner table, on a bench outside,

reading their new favorite books."

Skylar Burkhardt

Data & Impact Manager

Downtown Boxing Gym

"Our tutoring students are always excited when they learn that Birdie's Bookmobile is coming because they know they'll get to pick out books to keep that are relevant and appealing to them. We are grateful to have Birdie's as a partner as we work to increase reading literacy in our community."

Valerie Ribbron

Director, Literacy Programming

Soar Detroit

"I can't express in words how much the generous donations from Birdie's Bookmobile means to me. As the reading specialist, my goal is to bridge the gap between my school community and literacy, ensuring that families don't have to travel to find amazing books and Birdie's has done just that.

Thanks to them and their donations, our families are stocking their homes with books and

coming back for more! Thank you Birdies!"

Dayna Peoples

K-8 Reading Specialist

Voyageur Academy

Listen to Birdie's on WDET

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