Upper School Student Collects 55,000 Books to Promote Childhood Literacy

Tenth grade student Matthew Strauss ’27 has collected 55,000 gently used books over the past five years for children and families in underserved communities. Through book drives held across Burlington County, he volunteered with BookSmiles, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to ensure that children who lack access to books can begin building their own personal home libraries.

BookSmiles, based in Pennsauken, focuses on upcycling children’s books that might otherwise end up in landfills. The organization collects, sorts, and distributes new and gently used books to communities in need, partnering with other nonprofits and educators. By providing books for classroom libraries, pop-up book fairs, and food banks, BookSmiles helps foster a love of reading and learning while contributing to environmental sustainability.

The books collected by Matt have helped fill classroom shelves and been distributed at events throughout New Jersey and Philadelphia. By giving children access to books, the effort is also contributing to shrinking the “book deserts” where access to reading materials is scarce.