Any child can select 5 free books once a month. We have books ranging from toddler age to young adults. Our Children’s Bookstore is arranged by reading level and by subject. We LOVE to give books to children!
Any teacher can select 25 children’s books for their classroom library or to give to students. This includes public school teachers, private and parochial school teachers and home schoolers.
Additionally, teachers may take unlimited materials from our “Teacher Resource Center”. There teachers will find professional teaching literature, Teacher’s Editions, textbooks, supplemental material, math manipulative, and lots more.
Agencies and day cares may also take children’s books. We may be able to give away as many as 200 books at a time, depending on inventory levels. Call in advance, and if possible, bring your own boxes.
Since 2004, Books are GEMS and St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (website link) have teamed up to provide intensive one-on-one tutoring for struggling readers. Camp runs 5 mornings a week during the month of June from 9 AM until 11:45. Children are placed with well trained tutors and work on a program specifically designed for them. The camp is held at St. Mark’s, on El Paso’s West Side.
In July 2011, Books are GEMS and St. Mark’s will open a second reading camp at Houchen Community Center in South El Paso. This camp will run much like the St. Mark’s camp.
This is a program designed to teach parents how to help their children become lovers of reading. Working with school officials, we set up a program either after school or in the evening. Trained presenters (usually retired teachers) hand out informational packets that stress the importance of reading to children. Parents are taught how to get their children actively engaged in the reading process. This program also has book giveaways for both children and adults.
Every Saturday morning at 10:30, Story Hour is held at the store.
Books Are GEMS is happy to team up with organizations holding public events. We have given books away in a wide variety of settings --- at the Diablos Baseball Game, at the annual Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros celebration, at Western Refining’s Annual Community Health Fair, to Region 19’s Parental Involvement Day, to New Teacher’s Training, to Generation 2000, and lots more. We welcome opportunities to give books to children.
