Sophia’s Shelves

Sophia Parekh loves books. Her family’s basement is full of them. They’re for kids of all ages. There are thousands of books on neatly organized shelves. It’s like a secret library. Since age 7, Sophia has been giving books out for free. She does this through a program she started. It’s called Sophia’s Book Stand.

“My initial goal was to send about 1,000 books a year to kids in need,” Sophia, now 13, told TIME for Kids. But the New Jersey seventh grader has given away more than 8,000 books. In September, she was awarded a Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. These are given out every year. They go to young people who are making a positive impact.

BOXES OF BOOKS Sophia prepares 300 books for families in need with kids under age 5.

Sharing Stories

Teachers and families fill out an online form to request free books. It asks for kids’ ages and interests. Sophia then scans her shelves in search of a perfect match.

MAKING PILES Sophia sorts books to give to kids in Union County, New Jersey, in 2022.

“I try to think of what books I was into” at different ages, Sophia says. She tries to make sure “they definitely like them.” To love reading, she adds, “you have to find a book that you’re into and that you can connect to.”

Requests come from all over. Sophia has mailed books to a 4-year-old in Pennsylvania who loves princesses. They’ve gone to a fifth-grade teacher in Arizona. They’ve gone to siblings in New York who are obsessed with dinosaurs and unicorns.

The more books Sophia gets, the more she can send. “At first, I was just sending each child two to three books,” she says. “Now I try to send between eight and 10 books each.”

In June, Sophia gave 288 books to 36 students in Linden, New Jersey. She wanted them to have books for the summer. “I’m very, very grateful to Sophia for the opportunity that she has given to my students,” teacher Elizabeth Nardone says.

SUMMER READING Sophia drops off 100 books for the Boys & Girls Club of Newark summer program in 2021.

Big Dreams

Many of the books Sophia gives away come from people in the publishing business. Recently, she reached out to Mary Pope Osborne. Osborne is the author of the Magic Tree House series. Her publisher promised to send multiple copies.

Donations come from friends, too. “Books are just so important in all our lives, but especially in children’s lives,” Lindsay Gordon Bezalel says. She and her family live across the street from Sophia. “I’m happy to support her.”

This spring, Sophia’s Book Stand turns six. “I definitely want to expand,” Sophia says. She wants more bilingual books and books with diverse characters. She also hopes to ship books to kids in other countries. That way, she says, “everyone can get a chance to get books, no matter where they live.”

DELIVERY! In 2021, Sophia takes books to the post office. They’re handpicked to match kids’ interests.

Inspired?

Let Sophia’s story inspire you to promote literacy in your community. Click below for ideas on how you can make a positive difference.