Spreading the Joy and Power of Books to Kids Who Need It the Most

Adrian wakes up early while it’s still hushed and dark outside. Perfect. He tucks himself under the covers and flicks on his J3 book light, illuminating the pages of his shiny new book gifted to him from J3’s Cozy Reading Club. Quietly, he dives into the adventures of Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey. 

That same week, Valerie Jauregui, the Program Director at J3 Foundation, receives a call from Adrian’s mother who is very emotional. They don’t often hear from her.

Although they’re on winter break, she wants to tell J3 that she stumbled upon her son reading at five in the morning, and the sight of him reading under the glowing covers took her breath away.

“This is a really good thing, my son is growing and moving forward,” she says.

The mother tells J3 that in that moment, she felt hopeful and safe.

Like Adrian, most students in J3’s Cozy Reading Club are from families with lower incomes, often with stressful home situations.

And like Adrian, they join the club as struggling readers who are falling behind academically. These same kids finish the 30-week program with higher reading scores — and a newfound love of reading.

Fortunately, J3 students have access to over 5,000 books from the Lending Library while enrolled in the program. Every book in this carefully curated, diverse and inclusive collection is selected with intention. From conquering fears with Alvin Ho or asking “why” with Ada Twist, Scientist to leading protests with Brave Girl, there’s something for everyone.

The best part? At the end of the program, each student will find six new books in their Cozy Reading Club Kit, a farewell gift from J3. They each receive three chapter books and three picture books to read to their younger siblings, cousins, or neighbors. With these gifts that keep on giving, these kids can start to build their very own home library which is proven to increase academic success and job attainment.

They’ll also leave with a glitter “zen” ball (to practice mindfulness), twinkle lights, a blanket, and a branded book light to create their very own cozy reading space at home.

Gifted with love, J3 hopes that their students will treasure these books and continue their reading journey well beyond their time with J3. 

Would you like to help kids create their cozy reading space at home? The Book Foundation has graciously partnered with us to provide the six books students get to keep, but we need you. Help us complete our Cozy Reading Club Kits. For $300 per school, you can bring the magic of the Cozy Reading Club into the homes of our students. Join us and be a part of building a future generation of readers today.