Book Store Project

I am a sophomore in high school who has grown up in New York. For the past few months, I have been working with the Brooklyn Book Bodega, an organization that provides access to and ownership of books to expand literacy levels in New York City.

Through this project, I have learned more about the enormous impact of books that address emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges kids face. As a result, I am committed to providing more books to kids in my community that highlight ways to manage emotions and facilitate conversations about social well-being. My goal is that children feel less alone while experiencing negative emotions.

I have conducted research about picture books that teach positive lessons about mental health awareness. Exposing children to books like these at a young age is beneficial to helping them understand their own mental health as they grow older and have empathy for others.

My goal is to provide the Brooklyn Book Bodega with 30 copies of the following books:

A Blue Kind of Day , by Rachel Tomlinson, discusses how listening to the person who is struggling with their emotions is the best way to help them.

Brave Every Day , by Trudy Ludwig, is a story about how a girl, Camila, wants to hide when she feels her anxiety building up, but instead, she finds a classmate in need of comfort, which helps her learn that compassion is the best way to calm her own anxiety. This story demonstrates to readers that helping others benefits you too.

Don’t Worry, Murray , by David Ezra Stein, is about a dog with many worries who gradually learns how to overcome his fears by finding solutions instead of ignoring his problems.

Dragons on the Inside (And Other Big Feelings) , by Valerie Coulman, goes through the steps of teaching a struggling child how to recognize, describe, and express their inner feelings for a parent or trusted one to help them.

Everybody Feels Fear , by Ashwin Chacko, teaches children that it is okay to feel afraid sometimes, as it is a feeling that everyone experiences every once in a while. The book helps children become more confident and shows that bravery is not about never feeling fear but overcoming and pushing through these negative emotions.

Please consider donating to contribute to this initiative.

Any extra money raised will go towards buying more copies of each book.