Second grade Navajo children loving their Magic Tree House books

“Every child is capable of using imagination. Every child has a hunger to know things.
But not all children have access to the books that can stimulate their imagination and satisfy their thirst for knowledge.”
—  Mary Pope Osborne, award-winning children’s book author

This holiday season, kicked-off by #Giving Tuesday, Eve’s Fund will again inspire Navajo kids to love reading by donating Magic Tree House books to elementary schools across the Navajo Nation. With access to and support from Mary Pope Osborne’s “Classroom Adventures” Program, and thanks to the generosity of current and future Eve’s Fund donors, we hope to raise sufficient funds over the next 18 months to place at least 6,000 Magic Tree House books, on a variety of fun and interesting topics, in elementary school classrooms on and near the Navajo Nation, within the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

Children’s author Mary Pope Osborne joins forces with Eve’s Fund to support youth literacy

Our work to inspire young Navajo students to get excited about reading began in 2008 when we partnered with Mary Pope Osborne, author of the best-selling Magic Tree House book series. As our first joint project, Ms. Osborne gave presentations to more than 1,800 children on the Navajo Nation, and her publisher, Random House, donated 2,000 Magic Tree House books. Students were able to take a book home to keep. For some of the children, it was the first book they had ever owned.

The results were immediate. Students’ enthusiasm increased, their reading habits improved, and many earned higher grades. The Magic Tree House stories are filled with adventures and magic. They open the kids’ minds to a world beyond their communities and help them see a world of possibilities!  Most importantly, the kids love these books!

Building a passion for Learning

Since then, we’ve continued working with Mary Pope Osborne to increase literacy in schools that primarily serve Native American students, on or near the Navajo Nation. Our unique powerful teaching tool, called the “Magic Tree House Teaching Bookshelf,” provides enough copies of titles, chosen by school leaders, for each child to have his/her own copy to read and enjoy in the classroom. These wonderfully written educational books have been proven to inspire young readers to become more proficient and more dedicated readers. In addition to improving their academic performance, we believe the program helps energize the children to become lifelong readers and learners. For more information about this program and how to participate (if you are a teacher), visit our webpage here.

Boosting learning lost following a pandemic: These books are needed now more than ever

Copied with permission from the author, Mary Pope Osborne

We are relaunching our unique literacy program now, to help make up for learning lost during the pandemic. As those of you on the “front lines” know,  Native American students, many of whom live in poverty and lack access to the Internet at home, faced daunting challenges during months of distance-learning. Many of these students live in multi-generational family units and suffered the loss of parents and grandparents to coronavirus. Forward progress is still uneven among the nation’s school kids, and in areas where poverty is prevalent, gaps tend to be greater and progress less rapid. We hope you agree this is the perfect time for the program to be re-introduced.

You can help us today—by supporting literacy for Navajo kids on #GivingTuesday & during the holiday giving season!

Today, Tuesday, November 29, is the day that people around the world are encouraged to DO GOOD, TO PAY IT FORWARD, TO DONATE TIME & TALENT and to SUPPORT CAUSES  that are near and dear to their hearts.

By the time you read this, you will have probably received hundreds of requests from other non-profit organizations asking for your Giving Tuesday support. We know you have many choices and can’t make a year-end gift to every worthwhile cause that seeks your support.

Nevertheless, we hope you will consider a gift in any amount to Eve’s Fund, today, on Giving Tuesday 2022, or in the days leading up to December 31. You might want to consider making a donation in someone’s honor, memory, or as a gift. Our Magic Tree House Teaching Bookshelf program, and any of our other initiatives, would benefit greatly from your financial gift. Please help us bring smiles to the many Native children in need served by our programs. They will truly be grateful!

                        Eve’s Fund                             
PO Box 3592
Newport, RI 02840

P.S. We cannot thank you enough! You might be able to double your impact: Your employer may offer a matching gift program that can increase your gift.