Jersey Proud: South Jersey high school teacher founds nonprofit to give books to children in need

Lindenwold High School English teacher Larry Abrams says it all began when a student who was a young mother told him she didn’t have time to read to her child.

News 12 Staff

Mar 10, 2023, 3:38 AM

Updated 640 days ago

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A South Jersey high school teacher founded a nonprofit that shares the gift of reading with children.
Lindenwold High School English teacher Larry Abrams says it all began when a student who was a young mother told him she didn’t have time to read to her child.
That conversation inspired him create the Book Smiles, a nonprofit that collects books to give out to children in need.
Years later, he gave out over a million books.
There are currently 79 collection bins in the state where people can drop off books.
Just last month, Abrams gave out 62,000 books. He also has a space called the Book Bank where teachers can come and grab as many books as they want for their students.