Whenever CLiF hosts one of its popular book giveaways—free for kids across Vermont and New Hampshire—it’s always something to behold. New, brightly colored books are neatly placed on tables in a dazzling display, featuring an array of diverse authors, renowned illustrators, beloved classics, and current top titles, all waiting to be claimed. We work hard to make these events as special as possible for kids, ensuring that each child feels excitement around choosing their own book to keep forever. 

During one recent visit to a CLiF book giveaway, I observed a thoughtful fourth-grader carefully browsing the selection. She picked up one book after another, studying the covers, reading the first few pages, before finally landing on Hoops, a graphic novel about sports—two of her favorite things.

That moment, when the perfect book finds the right reader, is exactly what we aim for. But how does that book make it to her hands, onto that table, ready for her to take home?

Here’s a peek behind the scenes at how CLiF selects, orders, organizes, and distributes the many thousands of books we give away to under-resourced children in Vermont and New Hampshire each year—almost 50,000 books in FY2024 alone!

The Selection Process: Finding the Right Books for Every Child

It all starts with our staff, who carefully curate our selection. Using a specialized book rubric, we choose titles from board books up to chapter books that strike a balance between quality, diversity, and appeal. We want to expose children to new voices while also offering familiar favorites, like Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie series. We purchase many of our books in bulk from trusted vendors like First Book, Scholastic, and Book Depot, always working to maximize value and stay within our annual book budget.

While most books are purchased, we also always welcome donations of brand-new books. During the holiday season, many independent bookstores across Vermont and New Hampshire traditionally partner with us on book drives, generating a significant number of donations. (We love our indie bookseller partners!) 

Unboxing and Sticker Love: The Books Arrive at CLiF

The books arrive in large freight shipments, stacked on pallets. After they are unboxed, each book gets a special CLiF sticker inside, ready for a child to personalize with their name. This simple touch makes the experience even more special.

Who is behind this effort? Our trusty and dedicated volunteers, some of whom have been with CLiF for 15 years and counting, are the ones who make our book giveaways possible. They unbox, sticker, and shelve thousands of books by category in the spacious library at our Waterbury Center, VT office, which currently houses over 15,000 books. We truly could not manage without them. 

Packing Up and Heading Out: The Books Hit the Road

As we prepare for each event, we create “pack-up lists” to determine the number of books needed. For example, if a giveaway site needs 100 books, we’ll send a variety—board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, and graphic novels. Our volunteers pluck the books from the shelves and pack them into boxes labeled with the giveaway location. Because we reuse the boxes the books arrive in, we always have a healthy stash to choose from, piled up in our garage in an area I like to call “Box Mountain.” (See picture in the slideshow above.)

From Our Hands to Theirs: The Joy of the Giveaway

Once packed, the books are either shipped directly via USPS, sent by courier, or sometimes personally delivered to the site by CLiF founder and storyteller extraordinaire Duncan McDougall (pictured below loading up his EV) when he is doing a presentation & book giveaway. Sometimes I get to join in the delivery fun as well. 

Recently, I accompanied Duncan at the Westshire Elementary School for their Year of the Book kickoff event and giveaway. As boxes were unloaded and books displayed, the excitement in the air was palpable. One by one, students eagerly browsed the tables, with the school librarian, teachers, and myself there to help guide anyone who needed a little help or encouragement. 

The best part? Seeing the eager young readers sink to the floor to flip through illustrations or dive straight into the story. In witnessing that moment, I know we’ve succeeded. The books conclude their journey in the right hands, thanks to the efforts of all those who lent a hand along the way.