Free children's bookstore opens in Dundalk to ignite love of reading in underserved children
A Maryland-based nonprofit opened a free children's bookstore in Dundalk to provide diverse reading selections.
Our Kids Read held their grand opening Saturday morning at Eastpoint Mall, committing to promoting proficient literacy among underserved children.
Jahmal Lake, the organization's executive director, recalls how much he enjoyed reading at a young age.
"I'm one of those kids where I went home with 20 to 30 books a week from the public library," he said. "I'm the kid with the flashlight under the covers reading at 2 o'clock in the morning."
Now, he hopes to ignite that same level of appreciation he had for books in every Maryland child.
Our Kids Read is behind the Free Children's Book Store and Literacy Hub inside Eastpoint Mall. The store holds thousands of donated books.
"A lot of this is through the Baltimore community," Lake said. "Some of it is through my alma mater, the Princeton community. They've donated...I think between when we've started and now, about $1.5 million worth of resources."
Plus, thanks to support from Scholastic, the Baltimore Community Foundation, and the Petrucci Family Foundation, the store will offer free books to children, ensuring access to literature that showcases various cultures and backgrounds.
At the grand opening, Candice McDonald brought her daughters who were eager to pick up something new to read.
"We always bring them to the mall," McDonald said. "So, what [a better] way to be able to come to the mall, also read."
"I got 'Who is Kobe Bryant' and I got "Cat Kid Comic Club,'" said McDonald's daughter, Nefertiti McCole.
The store offers a great deal of books for children of all ages.
Improving literacy rates
However, Lake said the goal is more than just giving out free books to children, it's about improving literacy levels in the Baltimore area.
"Our focus is Pre-K through third grade just because we know that's really the formative years when children are learning how to read," Lake said.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), test results showed only 13% of fourth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP's proficient level in 2024 in Baltimore City.
Additionally, just 16% of eighth-graders in the city performed at or above the level.
"We really want to get these kids reading again," Lake said. "The idea is you just wander around the store. You pick five books. You come to our checkout. We record what books you've selected and we register you for our reading program."
The bookstore also provides minority youth the opportunity to see themselves in the books they are reading.
"African American books, Hispanic, Asian, Native American," Lake said. "That's our focus."
"This normally doesn't happen inside of a mall," McDonald said. "So, I'm hoping that this can be the beginning of many more opportunities like this."
Our Kids Read is open Fridays through Sundays at Eastpoint Mall in Dundalk, MD.
