We like to inspire you to read with your children and fill their shelves with books and their days with trips to the library. But not every child has the good fortune to live in an environment that supports their literacy needs. Please give back to the community by supporting charities that give books to kids and promote literacy.

Supporting the cause of widespread childhood literacy is important to me because I found such great joy in books as a kid. Whenever I felt lost I could turn to the bookshelf and by reading stories about people like me or -- better yet -- about people I dreamed of becoming, I learned a little something about what it means to be a human being. Books help us see the possibilities of life, they keep us open-minded and teach us empathy. In short, they change the world one person at a time.