Brain Food Books is a 501(c)(3) non-profit uplifting community one book at a time.
Our mission: Putting books into the hands of those without regular access.
Our mission: Putting books into the hands of those without regular access.
65,000 Books Given Out Since September 2022!
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Major milestone
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We’re excited to share that Brain Food Books has purchased a bookmobile, made possible by the generous support of our friends at Bushel + Peck Books, an independent children’s book publisher committed to literacy and community impact.
We’ve long been dedicated to getting books into the hands of children and adults across our community. The addition of the bookmobile gives us a fun, flexible new way to deepen our engagement with the communities we already serve — and to show up in new places, too.
As we continue our journey toward 100,000 books distributed, this new chapter helps us build even more momentum. Every stop brings us closer.
We can’t wait to see you on the road! 🚐📚
We’ve long been dedicated to getting books into the hands of children and adults across our community. The addition of the bookmobile gives us a fun, flexible new way to deepen our engagement with the communities we already serve — and to show up in new places, too.
As we continue our journey toward 100,000 books distributed, this new chapter helps us build even more momentum. Every stop brings us closer.
We can’t wait to see you on the road! 🚐📚
Check out this interview with Cal Crosby, Chief Executive Director of Brain Food Books! He discusses the importance of access and choice in books, building possibilities for kids and those from impoverished homes, and Brain Food Book's mission moving forward.
Why Brain Food Books?
Brain Food Books is dedicated to fostering a culture of reading in book deserts and communities where access to books is limited or non-exisitent, recognizing its profound impact on personal growth. Reading for leisure not only enhances self-awareness and broadens understanding of the world, but also opens endless doors to what is possible.
Leisure Reading:
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Leisure Reading:
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“…books in the home directly correlates to the amount of time children spend reading for fun, also shows how the number of books in a home combined with how often kids choose to read for fun affects reading proficiency.” - Unite For Literacy, Proficiency is Possible
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Choice Matters
According to the 2022 Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, kids want to choose the books they read.
- 93% of kids say their favorite books are the ones they picked out themselves.
- 92% of kids say they are more likely to finish a book that they have picked out themselves.
Book Ownership Matters
- Improved book access at home is generally correlated with higher educational attainment, even controlling for other important factors. - Evans, M. D. R. et al. “Family scholarly culture and educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations.” Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 28, no. 2 (2010): 171-197.
- Book ownership is linked to improved literacy, numeracy, and technological problem solving. Improving book ownership is most impactful on the lower end of the spectrum. - Sikora, Joanna et al. “Scholarly culture: How books in adolescence enhance adult literacy, numeracy and technology skills in 31 societies.” Social Science Research 77 (2019): 1-15.
- Improving access to books over the summer helps students mend the “summer slide” achievement gap. - Allington, Richard L. “Free books to close the reading achievement gap.” Phi Delta Kappan 105, no. 7 (2024).
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Brain Food Books
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We focus on choice and reading for leisure. We provide a selection of reading levels, formats, genres, fiction and nonfiction that kids and adults can select.
Recreational reading enhances fluency, creativity, vocabulary, and comprehension skills, setting a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Additionally, it fosters empathy and imagination by allowing kids to explore different perspectives and worlds. |
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"We wanted to thank you for sharing Christina Soontornvat and her new book with our school! It was a delight to see students sneaking a quick read of The Squad underneath their desks. |
You Can Help!
All donations go toward
supporting our mission.
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One Time, Monthly, and
Annual Donation
Host a Fundraising Party!
We appreciate the efforts from individuals, schools, and service organizations to help us reach as many people with limited access to books as possible. |
Publisher & Corporate Giving
Mail Us a Check
Brain Food Books c/o The King’s English Bookshop 1511 S 1500 E Salt Lake City, UT 84105 |
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Volunteer to Help at Author Programs!
Be part of the team that brings amazing author programming to Utah! It saves us on payroll leaving more money to buy books and gives you a change to meet authors up-close. Apply here. |
Attend Our Programs!
Meet amazing authors, discover great books from our booksellers, and more! A percentage of sales from our programs directly supports Brain Food Books. Click here for our current programs. |
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"Only with your help can we continue to offer aid to the thousands of individuals we serve. Together we provide the opportunity for our clients to become healthy and productive individuals and families. Your donation's impact on those journeying to a positive and healthy life is immeasurable. Thank you again for helping make a difference in our community." |
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Before her retirement in 2019, local pediatrician Dr. Barbara Bean, founder of Brain Food Books, raised thousands of dollars in order to provide books to each patient during their wellness appointments. Her commitment to the community included keeping her book purchases local.
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Through a chance conversation with Cal Crosby, Barbara and Cal discovered their shared goal of making books accessible to under-recognized communities. In 2022, Cal was honored to take the reins and step into Dr. Bean’s inspiring shoes as Executive Director of Brain Food Books.
The King’s English Bookshop (TKE) serves as the primary sponsor and operational backbone for Brain Food Books (BFB), supporting its mission-driven programs. Through our Shared Services Agreement, TKE provides BFB with office space, operational resources, and key staff members. Additionally, TKE facilitates all book purchasing for BFB, offering nonprofit discounts and managing sales reporting. This partnership ensures that BFB can focus on expanding literacy access while benefiting from TKE’s expertise and infrastructure.
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We Did It!
The Library for Nat-Su Healthcare is a Reality!
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Thanks to your generous support, we were able to provide 400 indigenous-focused books to the two sober living facility libraries. We are excited to continue working with them.
Seeing oneself, a shared history, and learning the history of your ancestors and heroes is a kind of empowerment that will have a generational impact and offer growth, hope, and understanding beyond measure.
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Many Thanks to Our Corporate Sponsors...
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... and the many individuals that make our work possible. We are truly grateful.
Brain Food Books does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
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