Can you help us get great books to Caribbean children? We'd love your help!

Calree Xavier, Nathan Henderson, and Sheniah Lavinier at the Newtown Primary School, on the island of Dominica, with books donated by Hands supporters

Our work is made possible through the generous assistance of donors who provide funds to help us buy new and near-new children's books and through volunteers who go to Friends of the Library near-new book sales and sort and pack new and near-new books for boys, pre-schoolers, and primary and secondary students. Your efforts toward improving literacy in Caribbean schools are making a big difference to young students across the islands of the West Indies. Kids respond to new or near-new, well-illustrated and well-written books! This year, we'd like to purchase even more Caribbean-themed readers, non-fiction, reference and young adult books — and your cash donation helps us do that.

If you would like to make an in-kind donation of new or near-new children's books please e-mail Hands to describe your donation, when and where it will be shipped or dropped off, and the date you plan to do this. Hands can then make sure your book donation goes smoothly, and send you an acknowledgement and a thank you when it has been received. If your books are for a specific school or Peace Corps Volunteer's project, please label the outside of the box clearly in black marker.

Important Note: Hands DOES NOT ACCEPT discarded library books ... nor do we accept old, worn-out books with torn covers or yellowed pages ... or encyclopedias or religious books ... or books with content that is dull, boring, outdated, or otherwise inappropriate for Caribbean children.
BEFORE YOU SEND ANYTHING, read the guidelines below to see if your book donation meets our requirements.

Collected new and near-new children's books that meet the Hands book donation guidelines below
should be sent to:
Hands Across the Sea Donations
c/o Gerry Tucker
Harte-Hanks
600 North Bedford Street
East Bridgewater, MA 02333
(Shipping questions? Please call Hands at 508-938-6307 or contact Hands) Hands can advise you on the best way to ship or send your books, and how to label the books so they reach the correct designated school.

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella, by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Brian Pinkney; available on Amazon.com

What kind of children's books should you buy?
• Books with Caribbean themes and black people as central characters
• Books in excellent condition ("nearly new") with covers and pages clean and intact
• Children's storybooks, with amazing illustrations, large type, and compelling themes — the kind you would read to your child or grandchild
• Nonfiction books for elementary and primary school grades, the kind that you would find in a modern school library or a children's bookstore
• Fiction books for elementary and primary school grades, the kind that you would find in a modern school library or a children's bookstore
• "How to" books for children (how to sew, woodwork, cook, build a boat, play a musical instrument)
• Any children's books that you would find in a children's bookstore, the children's section of your local library, or the library at your child's school

The Big Books series, for grades K-3, published by Scholastic. Teachers love Big Books!

Especially helpful:
• Early readers that feature Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, superheroes, cars, trucks, and boats
• Non-fiction books published by publishers such as Scholastic
• Eyewitness Series Books by DK Publishing
• Caribbean children's books by publishers like Macmillan Caribbean
• Scholastic Big Books sets available for $175, from Scholastic

Example books for younger readers:
• Books by Dr. Seuss
• My First Steps to Reading by author Jane Moncure
• Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Reading published by Grolier Book Club edition
• Books by author Rev. W. Awdry (Thomas the Tank Engine series)
• Books by Stan or Jan Berenstain
• Books published by Scholastic and other school market publishers

Example books for older readers, grade 4 and above:
• Classics written by E.B. White or Roald Dahl that can be read aloud to a class or read independently
• Babysitters Club and other type series

Island Fiction is a brand-new fiction series from Macmillan Caribbean aimed at teenagers

• Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and other mysteries
• Goosebumps series
• Newbury Award winners
• Comic books to encourage reluctant teen readers
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid and similar books that appeal to boys
• Young Adult (YA) fiction
• Books published by Scholastic and other school market publishers

Good sources for these types of books:
• Purchase new and near-new online
• Friends of the Library sales of community-donated near-new books (NOT library discards)
• Used-book bookstore (books must be in near-new condition)

Caribbean children's literature, published by Macmillan Caribbean

• Discount bookstores
• Children's bookstores
• Your child's school book fair (books must be in near-new condition)
• Your child's bookshelf (books must be in near-new condition)

Books which are not suitable for Hands:
• Library or school discards or other throwaways
• Books published before 1995
• Books with torn or discolored covers or pages
• Old magazines, such as National Geographic
• Textbooks (Caribbean schools have their own curriculum)
• Coloring books (except new and in multiples sufficient for an entire class)
• Sticker books and books that require VCR tapes
• Bibles and other religious material

Good ways to collect books:
• If you know of any libraries having a Friends of the Library book sale, bring cash, be the first in line, and pick out all the children's books, dictionaries and recent atlases in excellent condition. Books usually go for 50 cents to $2— and $100 can buy a lot of books!
• Encourage your friends, neighbors, local day spa or hair salon, church, and school to collect some nearly new children's books in excellent condition.
• Throw a party and ask everyone to bring a new book or two or a cash donation.
• Your school or church may want to hold a book drive to collect nearly new children's books as part of a community outreach program.
• Encourage donations to Hands through our web site's PayPal button. We are happy with small donations such as $5, $10, $30 — it all adds up and we use the funds to buy new or nearly-new children's books.

How to box the books for shipment:
• You can usually find sturdy book boxes at bookstores and other retailers if you ask and arrive at the right time. Barnes & Noble book boxes are a good size.
• Pack the book boxes tightly so that the box is well supported on all sides. The boxes will be packed one on top of the other in huge stacks and then wedged into a shipping container. If the boxes are not packed tightly with rigid sides, they will collapse and break, spilling the books.

How to ship the books:
Thank you for your generous contribution! Please pack your book boxes securely and send them (USPS media mail is recommended) to:
Hands Across the Sea Donations
c/o Gerry Tucker
Harte-Hanks
600 North Bedford Street
East Bridgewater, MA 02333
(Shipping questions? Please call Hands at 508-938-6307 or contact Hands) by e-mail. Hands can advise you on the best way to ship or send your books, and how to label the books so they reach the correct designated school.