MOORESTOWN - In an effort to promote a love of reading, New Jersey State Senator Troy Singleton, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, Assemblyman Balvir Singh, and Assemblywoman Andrea Katz have kicked off a children’s book drive in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday and National Reading Month.

The legislators are collecting new and gently used children’s books throughout the month of March. Donations will be given to BookSmiles, a local organization that seeks to “irrigate book deserts” by building personal libraries for kids and classrooms in need throughout the South Jersey region.

“Growing up, my mother instilled a deeply ingrained joy of reading in me. She would tell me that by opening a book, you can go anywhere in the world,” said Singleton. “Reading not only gives us the ability to transport ourselves, but it allows us to expand our horizons. These are opportunities every child should have, regardless of their socioeconomic status. For these reasons, I am proud to partner with BookSmiles to collect books for kids who may not have a shelf of books to call their own.”

Anyone interested in donating books can drop them off Monday through Friday, from 9am to 5pm at the legislators’ offices in Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Delran and Mount Holly. Additionally, Team85 Fitness in Bordentown and Johnson Ford in Burlington are collection sites.

“A book is a priceless gift for a child, unlocking a world of possibilities,” said Assemblywoman Murphy. “Developing essential reading skills early in life has been shown to enhance success in the future. By offering more children this opportunity, we can inspire a love of reading and equip them with invaluable skills for life.”

"As a public school educator of 18+ years, I wholeheartedly believe that every child deserves the joy of a good book,” said Assemblyman Singh. “By coming together as a community to collect and share children's books, we are not just celebrating National Reading Month, we are fostering a lifelong love of learning and opening doors to new possibilities for our youngest readers."

“I’m so thankful to partner with BookSmiles, Senator Singleton, Assemblywoman Murphy, and Assemblyman Singh to make sure that every child in South Jersey has access to books," said Assemblywoman Katz. "I spent so much time reading with my three kids and want to ensure every parent has the same opportunity.”

In addition, the Senator announced that his monthly “Serve with Senator Singleton” event will also be held in partnership with BookSmiles. This community service event will be held on Saturday, March 22^nd from 10am to 12pm at BookSmiles, 7300 North Crescent Blvd. Unit 10, Pennsauken NJ 08110. Volunteers will be asked to sort book donations and can sign up here: https://www.troysingleton.com/booksmiles2025

Each month, Senator Singleton crowd-sources a team of volunteers to help with a particular community service project. This event will be the Senator’s 71st “Serve with Senator Singleton” event since becoming State Senator in 2018. Previous volunteer efforts include: indoor and outdoor clean-up days, animal welfare projects, clothing and supply drives, painting projects, gleaning efforts, and community event set-up and staffing. To date, more than 2,800 hours have been donated by volunteers to local community service projects.

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