Books Make a Difference: Share a Book That Changed Your Life to Donate a Book to a Child in Need

Editor's Note: To donate a book, all you need to do is leave a comment on the original post -- it's that simple! Thanks.

Books are such simple things. On the surface, they are nothing but pieces of paper bound together containing strings of words -- but books contain amazing power. The ability to read and access to books can change a child's life. I know this because I believe they changed mine.

My older siblings helped teach me to read at a young age (probably so that I'd stop pestering them), and I simply never stopped. When I was a kid, I never had the latest video game or the trendy clothes, but I had a life full of literary riches. Books opened up a whole world of possibilities to me, ones I grabbed at with both hands. I strongly believe that it was because of the possibilities presented to me in these books that I can claim to be only the second person in my family to graduate from high school, and the first to obtain a university degree.

I was lucky. Many children don't have the access to books that I had growing up, especially those in low-income neighborhoods. In low-income neighborhoods, there is an average of only one book for every 300 children, compared to 13 books for every child in middle-income neighborhoods. My school was teeming with books -- but 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for their children.*

I have often tried to figure out what book had the greatest impact on my life. I wish I could tell you the very first book I read on my own, but I can't remember what it was. Knowing myself the way I do, I most likely grabbed a second and third book to read the minute I finished the first one.

There were the books I read about girls going off to university against the odds (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?). The copy of Pride and Prejudice I stole (I mean, "borrowed") from my grandparents' shelves kicked off an appreciation of classics in a way that English class never matched.

There were the early 20th century girl series' books, also from my grandparents' shelves, that promoted integrity, loyalty and friendship as the cornerstones of life. I think that for me there isn't one individual book -- but it's the collective lessons I've learned from them that has had, and continues to have, the biggest impact on my life.

BlogHer and BookRenter, a company that rents textbooks to college students, have joined forces because we know that books make a difference.

From May 3-28, together we are working to make a difference in children's lives by generating new books for children who need them most -- via the nonprofit organization First Book.

Want to help? For every answer we receive in the comments to the following question, one book will be donated:

What book has had the greatest impact on your life?

That's right: All you need to do is leave a comment, and BookRenter will donate a book to a child in need -- up to 1,000 books.

Want to help even more? You can blog about our campaign, then add the specific URL of your post to Mr. Linky and we'll add another book to the tally.

Because books really do a make a difference.

*statistics from First Book