BOOKSMILES PREPARES TO MOVE TO A LARGER WAREHOUSE, BECOMINGTHE LARGEST KIDS BOOK BANK OF ITS TYPE IN THE NATION

[Pennsauken, NJ] —

In December 2025, BookSmiles announced its 4,000,000th book given away, highlighting

the urgency for the pending move to an improved, expanded 14,000 sq. ft. facility in Cherry

Hill, NJ. In the new location, the non-profit will enlist the help of thousands of volunteers to

distribute three to four million books each year to children and teachers in Philadelphia and

New Jersey who need them most.

It underscores the organization's unwavering commitment to promoting literacy, book-

access, and educational equity in communities facing socio-economic challenges, both at

home and abroad using innovative programs for book-intake and distribution.

Founded in 2017 by Larry Abrams, a veteran teaching high school English, BookSmiles

has worked tirelessly to bridge the literacy gap, keeping costs down by providing quality

upcycled books for children who may not otherwise have the means to build their home

libraries. The organization's innovative and community-driven approach has garnered

widespread support and enabled the distribution of an impressive number of children’s

books to schools, community centers, and organizations serving youth living in book

deserts.

BookSmiles is the first kids book bank to commoditize used children’s books by swapping

several tons of used adult books each week. Adults can now unclutter and donate their

collections and estate libraries for a cause, knowing that their beloved collections will be

traded for quality children’s books. Abrams remarked, "The passion project that started in my garage moved to our current 4,300 sq. ft. location in September 2022. We quickly outgrew it, expanding from two to our current nine coworkers. We routinely distribute 100,000 children’s books each

month. In 2025, our four programs planted 1.3 million books in book deserts throughout

the region and around the world, maximizing production and using every square foot of

space. We keep used children’s books out of waste streams and landfills, simultaneously

ensuring that the children we serve can build their own home libraries. And I’m proud of

our Read the World program, allowing us to send dozens of pallets of overflow abroad

each month. I’m honored that teachers from Philly and around New Jersey flock to the

Book Bank to get a one-stop-shop classroom library.”

BookSmiles has invented a replicable formula when it comes to acquiring pallets of quality

children’s books for very little cost. We trade grown-up books that are donated ton by ton

for children’s books. With a lean staff of nine coworkers and an army of volunteers, they

are irrigating local and international book deserts.

Those interested in the organization, can visit BookSmiles.org, or contact Larry Abrams at

Larry@booksmiles.com or (856)986-2707.