The Story of a Kids-Books Sale

Every spring for the last four years, my family has hosted a Book Sale/Bake Sale to raise money for Kids v Cancer. Our fifth annual Book Sale/Bake Sale will be this Saturday, June 1, from 9am to 1pm, at 38 Plymouth Avenue in Maplewood. We have more than 80 boxes of children’s books in our front room. Saturday can’t come soon enough!

The first year, our sale was a relatively modest affair. We culled from our shelves and whipped up some baked goods, as did some generous friends and neighbors. Our friend Jacob, who died of brain cancer when he was 10 and in whose memory Kids v Cancer was founded, loved to have fundraising bake sales, and he loved to read. The concept, for us, was perfect.

Several years in, this event has taken on a life of its own. How do we thank someone for the books left on our porch, when we don’t know who left them? Last year, a couple of elementary-school girls who have a way with Duct tape offered to sell their adorable creations for the cause. This year, a schoolteacher whom we’ve never even met offered to provide musical accompaniment. 

The event itself has always felt like a celebration. At 25 cents a book (ten for $2), we are not making a major donation. But this community has been so generous, that our total at day’s end is always much higher than it has any right to be. We are amazed at the things Kids v Cancer has managed to achieve. Since last year’s sale, thanks to the tireless efforts of Kids v Cancer, Congress passed the Creating Hope Act, which provides incentives to pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs to treat pediatric rare diseases.

We’re looking forward to Saturday! Please come join us for lattes, baked goods, and more than enough books to keep your child entertained all summer long.

All books left at the end of the sale are donated to the Orange Book Pantry.