Sophia, now a rising seventh grader at Roosevelt Intermediate School, explained how it works.
“People fill out an online form where they put what their age is and they also put their address, so we know where to send the books to. They put some of their interests so that we can try to find a book that they like,” she said. “I handpick the books, and then I send the books to them.”
Book Stand has given away more than 8,000 books since its establishment, connecting with organizations across the country, including the Moms Helping Moms Foundation and The Boys and Girls Club of Newark.
“We've gotten other organizations to give out books. Those organizations have helped us get more like families and people we can send books to,” Parekh said.
Nipa Parekh, Sophia’s mother, highlighted their Westfield involvement, particularly through Franklin Elementary School.
“We do a big book drive with them through their community service night every year, which also brings in a ton of books,” she said.
Teachers and children in low-income areas that cannot afford books can also request books through a Google Form. Using this information, Sophia Parekh personally selects books based on age and interest before mailing them out.
Currently, she is seeking donations of Spanish, bilingual and diverse books, which are among the most requested from teachers for their classrooms.
The organization gives the middle schooler the opportunity to work with some of her favorite authors.
“Right now, I'm working with Mary Pope Osborne because she wants to donate some books,” she said.
Currently, Sophia’s Book Stand has over 1,000 books to donate due to some recent book drives and donations from authors.
“The monetary donations really help to get the books to kids that are requesting books, as well as teachers and organizations,” Nipa Parekh said.
They hope to see Sophia’s Book Stand expand, allowing low income areas without stable access to the internet to reach the Google Form. Sophia Parekh said she is also looking to grow internationally to continue her mission of helping children, even in other countries.