Our Mission
To improve children’s literacy in kindergarten through the third grade by expanding home libraries using inclusive children’s books.
In 2019, only 46% of third-grade students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County demonstrated college and career readiness on North Carolina's state reading assessment
Learning disruptions during the pandemic have only deepened these challenges. Yet there is powerful reason for hope.
A 2026 NWEA study of more than 400,000 students found that half of the kindergarten students who started school behind in reading were able to catch up by third grade when they received effective early support.
This evidence is clear: early literacy intervention works. By investing in children during their earliest years, we can reverse reading deficits before they become lifelong barriers, putting more students on a path to academic success, economic opportunity, and brighter futures for themselves and our community.
Reading deficits are reversible
At Nana’s Bookshelf®, we believe every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the pages of their books.
Children who read highly culturally relevant books demonstrate better reading comprehension, make more personal connections, and hit fewer “frustration barriers”. The result? Children read not only more frequently, but for longer, sustained periods of time.
5,490+ Books Donated (and counting!)
Founded by a daughter and her mom in memory of one terrific nana, Nana’s Bookshelf® provides free diverse and inclusive
children’s books to preschool children, students in kindergarten through the third grade, as well as to the teachers, literacy organizations and pediatric doctor’s offices who serve them.
Distributing carefully curated, age-appropriate books, with the help of generous volunteers and donors, promotes equity in learning, while supporting the early literacy skills pivotal for future success. Nana’s Bookshelf® hopes to transform lives, one free book at a time.
Nana’s Bookshelf is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization is pleased to have earned the Gold seal for financial transparency.
Meet Bean! He likes reading his favorite books.
Regardless of how many books the family already has, each addition to a home library helps the children get a little farther in school.
-M. Evans
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RESOURCES
For more information on diverse children’s books, check out below
Black Children’s Books and Authors
Latinx Children’s Literature
Multi-Cultural books
Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners
Carter G. Woodson Book Award Winners
Nana’s Bookshelf encourages reading for all children and is a non-profit organization dedicated to the distribution of diverse books within the community. Diverse books can be an important, empowering mirror for some children who don’t normally see themselves in literature, and a window promoting understanding of those unlike themselves. Some educators believe children become more enthusiastic readers if they have access to books which reflect their lives.
Mailing address: 11220 Elm Lane Suite 200 Charlotte, NC 28277 Phone: 980-346-4810. Email: info@nanasbookshelf.org
Nana’s Bookshelf is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible. #86-1392868