Support young children this holiday season with the Barnes and Noble Holiday Book Drive and Book Fair

  This year, Barnes and Noble - Southpoint is supporting Durham's Partnership for Children with a book drive Nov. 1 through Dec. 16 to help put books in young children's hands that need help most. Barnes and Noble customers can select from a wide variety of preschool books to purchase and donate to the drive. Displays are stocked with children's books throughout the store and behind the registers. The books will be distributed to children served by Durham Social Services, family literacy programs, More at Four, area shelters, local public schools and other community programs.

   "Our goal this year is to urge the community to donate 5,000 books for our county's youngest children," said Angela Born, Community Relations Manager for the Barnes and Noble store.

   The store has brought in lots of early childhood books and salespeople are asking customers to donate throughout the six week period at every purchase. Spanish books are also available for children whose parents struggle to read to them in English. Early literacy practices show that strong reading practices in Spanish for a child can translate to strong reading skills in English once a child enters school.

   Durham's Partnership for Children has also partnered with Barnes and Noble to participate in a literacy event on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30. A percentage of the proceeds made on any sales throughout the store that Thursday and Friday will benefit young children through The Partnership. There's just one catch thought---customers must say "Durham's Partnership for Children" at the registers throughout the store to make the sale count.

   Both evenings Durham's Partnership for Children will be hosting early literacy presentations at the store.

   "It's an opportunity to connect with the broader Durham community and build awareness for the work of the Partnership to make sure children have what they need to be prepared for kindergarten," says Karine Stallings, Community Development Manager. "Early literacy practices are important to our mission to ensure children are ready for school, making the partnership with Barnes and Noble a win-win."