Sponsor a book for a child or a classroom!

We have an exciting new program to announce! You now have the option to sponsor a book (or 2 books… or more!) for a child or a teacher who is stocking their classroom library!

How it started

This all started when I received an email from a new fan. Her teacher had won The Spyders: Slither Me Timbers as a prize and this girl, who is in grade 4, loved it. Her favourite character was Thaddeus because he’s brave and she had really good questions about the story and where my ideas came from. She said her teacher was going to buy the second book so she could read it. This was really the most awesome thing – I love connecting with readers, and I remember when I was that same age and attended the Young Author’s Conference in Kamloops (I think it was the first one they offered). I wrote to a poet and she wrote back to me and I was completely hooked.

I told a friend about this and she was so blown away that she offered to sponsor the book so the teacher didn’t have to pay out of her own pocket. Teachers pay for a lot of things out of their own pockets, and many build their own library collections or classroom sets of books for their kids to read – all with their own money. And many kids can’t afford books of their own.

This started the ball rolling and my brain has been buzzing with this ever since!

Edited:

I later connected with the teacher through Twitter and she told me more of the story. This student is a bit of a reluctant reader and the teacher was trying to connect her to a book that would capture her interest. The teacher had won a copy of The Spyders: Slither Me Timbers I had given to CBC Radio and was going to read it to her class. But when this little girl said she liked spiders, the teacher took a chance this might be the book. That young reader persevered with the help of her teacher. She was so proud of herself when she finished it.

When I heard this I was pretty much sobbing on the floor. Teachers, librarians, and parents often struggle with finding that right book to light up a child’s interest in reading. I can’t express how honoured I am that my book was that book for one child. That is the ultimate praise and I will treasure this interaction always.

Friends… with no kids!

I have had many friends who are thrilled about my author journey and tell me how proud they are of what I’ve done. They always say they wish they could support me more, but they don’t have any kids in their lives who are the right ages. Well, here is an easy way people can support literacy, teachers, readers, and authors even if they don’t have kids who are the right age.

How it works

I’m so pleased to be starting the Book Sponsorship program. I’m hoping to eventually include other independent authors and expand the program, but for now, it will be about getting books about spiders into the hands of readers and teachers.

If you want to sponsor a book (or two books) to go to a child or a teacher, you just need to click on the sponsorship links in my store. These funds will be held in a reserve and when I have teachers or children who are nominated or sign up for this program, I will deliver the book(s) you paid for directly to them. Each book will have a sticker on the inside cover indicating that it was part of the sponsorship program, and I will sign the copies. With their permission, I’ll share their stories in a special newsletter.

For children, I am being very careful that lower income children aren’t singled out or identified in any way and their privacy will be protected. But the books aren’t just for lower income children, they are also for avid readers, and kids who really like to write stories. Putting a book in the hands of a child opens a world of possibility for them and sometimes connecting with an author can be a life changing event like it was for me.

This program isn’t a charitable program and no tax receipt will be issued as I’m not a non-profit organization. But you will enjoy the knowledge that because of you, more children have access to books. And really, isn’t that just the best thing ever!

Let’s get books in the hands of kids and teachers!

How to help:

If you would like to sponsor a book (or 2), the link is here.

If you want to send a copy to a teacher or book outside of the Kamloops area please send an email to Vandelsopress@gmail.com first!

If you know an elementary school teacher or student you would like to nominate for this program please fill out the form here!