Ethiopia Reads Book Donation Guidelines
1. Books must be new or very gently used.
• Spines must be intact
• No writing or highlighting
• No torn or worn covers or pages
2. Fiction
Can be a variety of genres, including classic, but should not reflect gender, ethnic
or racial stereotypes. Donors should also be aware of different cultural approaches
to sensitive topics.
• Children’s picture books with text or wordless
• Children’s novels (chapter books)
• Young adult novels
• Adult novels
3. Nonfiction
Must be current, published since 2000. Particularly in the subject areas of science,
technology and history/geography, care must be taken to avoid outdated
information.
• Written for children
• Plentiful, attractive illustrations
• Clearly written, spare text
• Information finding tools such as table of contents, index, charts and
graphs, etc.
• Not specific to the United States, such as US history or civics, or written
from an obvious US point of view
4. Reference
Must be current, published since 2000, especially encyclopedias or other
frequently-updated materials.
• Written for children, or accessible to children
• Plentiful, attractive illustrations
• Clear, easily-accessible organization of information
• Not specific to the United States, or written from an obvious US point of
view
• Most useful reference materials include: children’s dictionaries
(particularly visual dictionaries), children’s encyclopedias (one volume or
multiple volumes), atlases, maps.
5. Other materials
• Posters, particularly those having to do with children’s books and reading
• Classroom supplies such as construction paper, lined paper, pencils and
pens, markers, glue sticks, notebooks
WISH LIST
The most urgently needed books are new or gently used:
• Current reference books, e.g. Dorling Kindersley Children’s Illustrated
Dictionary (ISBN 1 564586251 @ $19.95) and Dorling Kindersley First
Encyclopedia (ISBN 07894 8580X @ $15.99)
• Leveled Readers, e.g. School Days Around