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If you want to change your world, you learn to read. If you want to change everyone's world, you give kids books and help them become lifelong readers by seeing books in their schools, homes, and in the hands of their elders and community members.

• • Kids who are comfortable readers do better in school at all levels.

  • Readers are more confident, better able to learn new skills throughout their lives.

  • Readers make better decisions using more information sources than those who can't or don't read.

  • Readers tend to be smarter consumers.

  • Readers tend to maintain healthier lifestyles.

  • Elders who read tend to stay more mentally sharp as they age.

Talking Leaves donors and volunteers have been giving books away for over a decade. Whenever we go to an event and set up a book table, people immediately gather. Our sign says "free books." Adults are cautious. Kids are fascinated. We hand a person a book, or we just smile and say, "Take a book! They're free!" At first, they don't believe us. But we insist it's true. Adults will look over our books carefully before picking one. A kid will select a book and then hang onto it for dear life--and give us a shy smile.

Do you remember your first book? How it felt to just have it -- and then to fall into it and leave the rest of the world 'outside' while you explored in it?

That's what we do.

We don't always see the kids and adults ourselves - over the years, we've sent most of our books by mail or by couriers. But sometimes, we see some happy recipients thanks to a handy camera. (The signs say "We love our books. Thank you!")