The Power of Book Ownership
The Mission: Children's Literacy
When children have books of their own they begin to think of themselves as readers, they read more often and with greater confidence. They become lifelong readers. We’ve seen how excited students get when they choose and keep the books for their very own. We
know that reading is critical to children’s success in their classrooms and in their lives as they grow.
Intuitively, I felt that if children owned books and if they had books at home, they’d have a greater vested interest in literacy.
Burt Freeman
Founder, My Own Books
Our Founder's Story
Burt Freeman, our late founder, saw the need for My Own Books when he learned from teachers and children at the East Harlem Tutorial Program that they needed more experience with reading, had few or no books at home, and most of them lived nowhere near a bookstore.
Read More
He launched a trial program with third-grade students and teachers in three East Harlem schools and laid the foundation for the My Own Books program we have today. The Fund was established in 1999 by the Freeman-Harrison Family Foundation to support children’s literacy and foster a love of reading. The focus is on New York City’s low-income children, many of whom had never owned a book they could call their own. The enthusiastic response from children, parents, and teachers to My Own Books was immediate and powerful. Burt Freeman knew he had touched on something very important.
Why 3rd grade?
Children who do not read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school by age 19 than their proficient peers (Hernandez, 2010).
Path to Success
Access to home libraries is unequivocally linked to student achievement and to lifelong success, according to the Home Libraries paper, Scholastic Research & Validation (2023).
Our Board of Directors
Chris Bernhardt
Board Member
Since 2024
Vincent Brancato
President
Since 2021
Joan Dichter
Board Member
Since 2022
Ken Freeman
Treasurer
Since 2012
Sandra Freeman
Board Member
Since 2012
Deedee Friedman
Director of Finance
Since 2022
Margie Harrison
Board Member
Since 2012
Judith Pless
Vice President
Since 2023