Founded in April 2003, Behind the Book is a literacy nonprofit whose mission is to excite children and youth about reading.  Working with low-income students in New York City’s K-12 public schools, we harness the ability of author visits to generate excitement about books in order to build literacy skills and cultivate new generations of book readers.

Our operating principle is simple: Successful literacy starts with a desire to read, and Behind the Book puts the joy back into book reading for kids who see reading as work.  We personalize the reading experience, turning reading into something students want to do by connecting them with contemporary literature that reflects their lives.  Our programs place today’s books and authors in classrooms where they might never have traveled. 

A Behind the Book program works like this: Over the course of a semester, we bring three to four authors and their books into an individual classroom; all visits include book donations to students and the school library, are integrated into classroom curriculum, and involve writing projects.  For young children, we incorporate an art projects as well. 

Behind the Book is about learning literacy but also so much more—developing imaginations, shaping characters, creating readers, building futures.  We help give children and youth tools to craft their future success.

Behind the Book · 750 Columbus Avenue, 2X · New York, NY 10025 · (212) 865-6701 www.behindthebook.org