Learn about Book 'em.

 

 

This week, some of our Sixth youth spent their Sunday afternoon volunteering at Book'em, a non-profit, all volunteer organization that operates out of the Thomas Merton Center on Penn Ave. 

 

Book 'em sends free educational books and quality reading material to prisoners in Pennsylvania. We spent our time reading letters from inmates, selecting books and getting them ready for mailing.

 

Visit their website for more information about this group and how you can help.  Book'em

 

Also, they are always looking for donations of books. Please see the list below for books that will take.

 

 

 



Emma, Anne, and Glenna read letters from inmates requesting books.

Getting the books ready to mail

Anne outside the Thomas Merton Center

At this time, Book 'em is most need of:

- Paperback dictionaries, our most-requested item. We never have enough!
- Ancient mythology, all cultures
- Hood novels
- Paperback mysteries, horror, true crime, adventure
- Witchcraft, dream analysis, occult
- James Patterson and Stephen King novels, our two most-requested authors
- African-American authors - fiction / non-fiction
- Indigenous / American Indian / First Nation authors - fiction / non-fiction
- Science and math
- Computer science, networking, programming
- Philosophy
- Beginning Spanish; novels in Spanish
- LGBTQ Fiction / Non-fiction
- Quran; Islam; Hinduism; Buddhism
- Construction and home repair
- Small business ideas; real estate
- Animals, birds, wildlife

They do not need Bibles, as they are provided by prison pastors. No prison will accept a book with writing (even a name), underlining, or spiral binding. Out of respect for the inmates, they do not send books which are musty, stained, or really outdated.