Diverse Books Project & Read in Color Charleston

As part of Reading Partners’ ongoing commitment to educational equity and inclusion, we continue to transform our Take Reading With You shelves to feature new books that highlight diverse characters and stories. Each week, our students choose one book from their reading center’s Take Reading With You library and begin to build a book collection of their very own. The 25+ books students collect across the school year allow them to practice their reading skills at home using age- and skill-appropriate materials. Reading Partners South Carolina gives out thousands of books every year!

We are also launching a new initiative with Little Free Libraries, the Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation, and other community organizations called Read in Color Charleston. Together, we are working to place nine new Little Free Library book boxes in community gathering spaces to increase access to diverse books for both children and adults. These library boxes will honor the Emanuel Nine and will be filled with diverse books centered on messages about inclusivity, racial equity, and kindness. Reading diverse titles not only bolsters students’ reading motivation and connection to books, but promotes an understanding of shared humanity and encourages empathy and cultural responsiveness. 

We have curated an online list of diverse books based on students’ reading levels through our Take Reading With You and Read in Color programs. Choose from classics or discover new favorites to share with young readers. Click the images below to shop our Amazon or Bookshop.org book lists. 

Mail your chosen books directly to our office: (6296 Rivers Avenue, Suite 305, North Charleston, SC 29406). Reading Partners staff and volunteers will distribute books to reading centers and library boxes.

Your purchase through Bookshop.org will help support local bookstores including Bacchus & Books, Blue Bicycle Books, Buxton Books, Itinerant Literate, Main Street Reads, and Turning Page Bookshop. Thank you for supporting our Diverse Books Project!