Special to the Times-Free Press
Margaret Farmer, founder of the local “Trick or Treat and Read” Halloween book giveaway, is celebrating its 10th anniversary by launching a fundraiser to support literacy at the Samuel Adams School in East Boston. In collaboration with the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association (JPNA), Margaret is hosting a special “Instant Library” raffle fundraiser, offering one lucky raffle winner a collection of 69 brand-new elementary chapter books.
“Trick or Treat and Read” began a decade ago, inspired by Margaret’s Little Free Purple Library. “The people in my building strongly recommended that I clean the books out of the vestibule before winter!” Margaret says, laughing. “I didn’t know how kids would react, but each year the excitement grows. It’s become a neighborhood tradition, and I often hear parents say, ‘This is the book we’re reading tonight!”
This year Margaret distributed more than 1,100 books to children ranging from toddlers to adults. “The best part is that the kids choose the books — not the adults,” Margaret says. “It’s a chance for them to connect with something that interests them. Sometimes parents are really surprised by what a child chooses ”
Over the years, the event has grown exponentially. “At first, I collected books through local donations, but now I’ve expanded to working with bookstores like The Arlington Book Rack and Brookline Booksmith, who have been amazing in supporting this effort. People often underestimate what gems these local businesses are.” Margaret says.
Farmer continues, “To mark this milestone, I wanted to find a way to make a bigger impact. Raising funds to help our local school made sense. We are hoping to raise $2,000 to help pay for books and potential individual tutoring sessions for students. I am grateful to the JPNA for making this happen.” Board member Andrew Pike added “The JPNA has always been committed to helping the community, years ago we helped sponsor part of the Zumix Summer concert series.”
The raffle winner will receive an amazing “Instant Library”—a prize of 69 new chapter books at the elementary school reading level. This collection includes classics from beloved authors Judy Blume and Roald Dahl, as well as popular new series like The Bad Guys and Junie B. Jones, and many, many more.
The raffle opened October 13 and will run until November 10. Tickets can be purchased online at https://go.rallyup.com/instantlibrary/Campaign/Details. The cost is $8 for 10 tickets or $35 for 50 entries, or you can make a general donation. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Samuel Adams School. The winner will be announced at the monthly meeting of the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association on November 10. The winner does not need to be present to claim the prize of all new books.
The complete list of books includes:
• Ivy & Bean, Secret Treasure Box Collection by Annie Barrows (4)
• The Judy Moody Star Studded Collection by Megan McDonald (3)
• Junie B. Jones Collection 1 by Barbara Park, 1-14 (14)
• Stink: The Absolutely Astronomical Collection by Megan McDonald (3)
• My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish boxed set by Mo O’Hara (3)
• The Bad Guys books 1-11, by Aaron Blabey (11)
• My Weird School Fast Facts books 1-8, by Dan Gutman (8)
• Fudge Box set and 4 additional titles, by Judy Blume (9)
• Roald Dahl, assorted titles (14)