Tico Armand for Books & Books Literary Foundation

Growing up in Haiti, I learned early on that stories could take me places my feet had yet to go. Today, as a children's author, I have the privilege of sharing that same magic with young readers.

Having experienced firsthand the joy that the Great Big Free Book Fair brings to children and families, I'm proud to champion an initiative that believes a child's access to books should never be determined by their family's financial circumstances.

A book fair is one of childhood’s great joys: tables of new books, authors reading aloud, and the thrill of picking a story to take home. For many families in our city, that joy is out of reach.

The Books & Books Literary Foundation’s Great Big Free Book Fairs change that. They bring free book fairs to libraries and public spaces in neighborhoods with limited access to books. Children and families meet authors and take home "read for fun" books for free, including a signed and personalized copy of the author's book. Each book is a step toward a home library and making reading a family habit.

The joy of putting books into little hands and opening up a world of possibilities.             

Bringing authors and communities together through the Great Big Free Book Fair.

Research shows that children having books at home is a strong predictor of future success. The most effective way to get kids excited about books? Give them books they're excited to read! Across its programs, the Books & Books Literary Foundation has put more than 35,000 books into the hands of our Miami-Dade neighbors through partnerships with schools, libraries and community organizations. 

This Give Miami Day, I'm fundraising so they can do more Great Big Free Book Fairs in underserved neighborhoods.

They held three fairs in 2026, in partnership with Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library:

• January 31 at North Dade Regional Library, local legend Ron Magill presented his book, The Pride of a Lion, and local Haitian-American children's author Tico Armand read HairLarious and Two Balls One Goal to dozens of diverse families.
• May 16 at Naranja Library in Homestead, local Puerto Rican author Sara Echenique helped us welcome 60 children and families with her moving picture book, Our Roof is Blue, about children preparing for a hurricane.
• November 7 at Culmer/Overtown Public Library, with famed librarian and author Mychal Threets reading his book, I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy, and with author Tico Armand. Activities by Uplift Literacy, and sponsored by Carlton Fields and Tra Publishing.

Every dollar raised for the Books & Books Literary Foundation on Give Miami Day helps bring free book fairs to more families in 2027. Every $10 puts a new book in a child’s hands. $7,500 stocks a full Great Big Free Book Fair. Join me in supporting their goal of doing five book fairs in 2027!

First photo by Marco Coelho.