Mom’s Book Nook marked a milestone year defined by thousands of stories shared, thousands of children reached, and a mission that continues to grow from a deeply personal place. At Think Donson, we’re honored to feature Mom’s Book Nook on our “Giving Back” page because it reflects what we believe at our core: compassion can be creative, and creativity can be a form of service. 

In its first year, Mom’s Book Nook has evolved from a mother-daughter volunteer effort into a community initiative focused on one simple idea: every child deserves access to the wonder of books—especially books they can hold, keep, and claim as their own. 

A legacy rooted in love, service, and the power of a single book

Mom’s Book Nook was founded by Think Donson Co-Founder Felicia Donson in honor of her late mother, Elaine Rothberg, a retired nurse who spent her career caring for others at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. 

Felicia often describes her mom not only as a parent, but as her closest friend and her most constant example of what it looks like to show up for people—especially children. In local coverage of Mom’s Book Nook’s early days, Felicia shared how volunteering together through Sarasota Memorial’s corporate volunteer program became part of their shared rhythm of giving back. 

That shared rhythm led them to a retired teacher and family friend who needed help building a classroom library. Instead of stopping at “stocking shelves,” they focused on what children often need most: books they can take home during school breaks—holidays, summers, and all the in-between moments when schools are closed but curiosity is still wide awake. 

What happened next is the kind of quiet proof that can change a person. Kids didn’t just borrow the books—they lined up for them. Waiting lists formed. And the thank-you notes began to arrive: handwritten messages that Felicia says made the impact real in a way numbers never could. As she told SRQ Magazine, “waiting lists formed” and the notes became “little windows into just how much a story can mean to a child.” 

From one classroom library to thousands of books in children’s hands

Mom’s Book Nook officially began taking shape as a community initiative in early 2025, with a first major partnership that set the tone for everything that followed: Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) of the Suncoast. 

In March 2025, Mom’s Book Nook donated 250 children’s books to JFCS to help create a welcoming Kids Club meeting space—one designed not just for reading, but for comfort, connection, and belonging. 

From the beginning, the approach has been both practical and deeply personal: partner with trusted organizations already serving children and families, then help strengthen those spaces through books—whether that’s building a small library, refreshing a reading corner, or simply putting a brand-new book directly into a child’s hands. 

Momentum followed quickly. In late 2025, Mom’s Book Nook publicly celebrated two major milestones: more than 4,000 books donated (in November) and 5,000 books donated by December. 

Those milestones weren’t framed as bragging rights—they were framed as lived outcomes. In the 5,000-book update, Felicia wrote that each book represents more than inventory: it can be a child’s first owned book, an escape during a hard season, or a story where a child finally feels represented. 

Now, one year in, Mom’s Book Nook is celebrating an even bigger marker: more than 7,000 books donated, shared through partnerships with organizations across the Sarasota and Suncoast region (per the initiative’s one-year press release). The pace of growth is impressive—but more importantly, it reflects a community showing up for children in tangible, story-shaped ways. 

Partnerships that meet children where they already feel safe and supported

A defining strength of Mom’s Book Nook is its partnership model. The organization’s FAQ explains that Mom’s Book Nook selects nonprofit and local community partners that need library resources—either to enhance existing programs or create reading spaces where children can read onsite or take books home. 

Over the past year, Mom’s Book Nook has partnered with many of the organizations families already know and trust—programs that serve children through early learning, family support, crisis intervention, and youth development. In its 5,000-book milestone post, Mom’s Book Nook specifically named partners including Forty Carrots Family Center, Girls Inc. (Sarasota), the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County, Children First, JFCS, SPARCC, Baby Fox Academy, and First 1,000 Days Suncoast (among others). 

These partnerships are also reflected across Mom’s Book Nook’s website through direct testimonials from local leaders—people who see, in real time, how a new book can shift the emotional temperature of a room.

At Forty Carrots Family Center, CEO Michelle Kapreilian emphasized that literacy is one of the most valuable gifts adults can offer children, and she expressed pride in partnering with Mom’s Book Nook to share the joy of learning throughout the community. 

At SPARCC (Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center), leaders highlighted how children’s books can function as pathways to comfort, imagination, and hope for young survivors—especially in moments when stability and reassurance matter as much as words on a page. 

At the Child Protection Center, representatives described donated books not merely as presents, but as sources of strength—stories that can soothe, empower, and remind children they are not alone. 

And at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, staff shared gratitude for books that help spark curiosity and build a love of learning—aligning Mom’s Book Nook’s mission with the Clubs’ broader commitment to youth opportunity and community strength. 

Mom’s Book Nook has also supported literacy efforts connected to Sarasota Memorial Hospital through book donations for NICU families—an especially meaningful continuation of Elaine Rothberg’s legacy as a longtime nurse there. 

In a Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading newsletter (hosted by The Patterson Foundation), the NICU Mobile Library is described as a collaborative effort involving the Suncoast Campaign, Felicia and Gary Donson of Mom’s Book Nook, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, and First 1,000 Days Suncoast. The program’s purpose is clear: provide books and literacy resources during a family’s hospital stay, support bonding through reading, and even send books home so the love of stories can continue beyond the hospital walls. 

Why books matter more than ever

The heart of Mom’s Book Nook is not simply “donating books.” It’s widening access to early literacy experiences that research—and lived experience—tell us are foundational to children’s development.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that pediatric providers promote early literacy beginning in infancy, and it specifically notes that reading aloud with young children can strengthen parent-child relationships and help build early language and literacy skills. 

In other words: when a child receives a book, they’re not only receiving a story—they’re receiving an invitation. An invitation to talk, to imagine, to ask questions, to build vocabulary, and to connect with a caring adult. 

This matters because access to books is not evenly distributed.

Research and literacy advocacy organizations have long described “book deserts”—communities where children have limited access to age-appropriate reading materials at home and in their neighborhoods. One widely cited figure shared by Room to Read (referencing U.S. “book desert” research) is that 61% of low-income families have no books at all in the home for children. 

And in research cited through NYU’s literacy work on book deserts, the disparity can be stark: high-income communities may have about 13 books per child, while high-poverty communities may have one book for every 300 children (as reported from Neuman & Celano’s research). 

Mom’s Book Nook addresses this gap in a direct, community-based way: place new, gift-ready children’s books into settings where families already go for support—family centers, shelters, early learning programs, youth organizations, and other community spaces—so children can read onsite, take books home, and build personal libraries over time. 

How to help Mom’s Book Nook turn the next page

As Mom’s Book Nook steps into its second year, the mission remains both urgent and achievable: keep books moving into children’s hands, keep partnerships growing, and keep listening to what local organizations say their kids need. 

If you’d like to support Mom’s Book Nook, there are several meaningful ways to help—whether you’re an individual donor, a local business, or a nonprofit leader looking for a literacy partner:

Mom’s Book Nook invites supporters to donate through its Amazon wish list (including the option to donate books or gift cards), which helps ensure books are age-appropriate and aligned with partner needs. 

The organization also explicitly centers dignity in giving: it accepts new children’s books only, emphasizing “gift-ready” condition so each child experiences the pride and excitement of receiving a book that feels truly theirs. 

For businesses and community partners, Mom’s Book Nook encourages reaching out to explore other ways to contribute—such as supporting reading spaces or connecting Mom’s Book Nook with organizations that could benefit from book donations. 

The organization also states that it dedicates 100% of donations to providing books for children. 

To learn more or donate, Mom’s Book Nook’s official website and donation page can be found here (official links):

Mom’s Book Nook website: https://www.momsbooknook.net/ 

Donate page: https://www.momsbooknook.net/donate