Max Goes to Schools: Elementary School Donation Program
Through 2022, I have donated more than 30,000 Big Kid Science books to more than 10,000 public elementary school libraries in the United States and to more than 7,000 schools internationally, as well as numerous public service organizations (scroll down for list). If your school district or organization would like to be considered for a future donation, please read the FAQ below and contact me; supply is obviously limited, so I can only accept limited donation requests with each printing of the books. Meanwhile, I also make Big Kid Science books available at a bulk (10 or more copies) educational discount of $10 per copy (plus shipping), provided the books are for classroom/school use only.
Note: This donation program is on temporary hold until I can figure out a better way of ensuring that books end up in their intended school destinations. Feel free to contact me with proposals for effective distribution.
Donation Program FAQs
Q: Why have you donated so many books?
A: Two reasons: (1) My main goal in writing children’s books is to inspire kids about both space and science more generally. Clearly, having books in school libraries, where they can be used by both teachers and students, is a great way to achieve my goal. (2) Public school libraries generally have very limited budgets for new books, so getting a science book for free is something they’ll usually appreciate. Between the two reasons, it’s “win-win” all around.
Q: Who is eligible to receive donated books?
A: The donated books are intended for public elementary school libraries, one book per school. For logistical reasons, I donate the books only through relatively large school districts or other regional entities, which receive the books centrally and take responsibility for distributing them to individual schools.
Q: What must a school system/organization do to get the books?
A: Preference is given to districts that have plans to incorporate the books into science or literacy curricula. The only other requirements are: (1) The school system agrees to distribute one book to each elementary school library in the system. (2) Prior to distribution, someone affixes a sticker to the inside cover of each book to indicate that the book was donated by the author. (3) The books are sent to the libraries with a letter or flyer that will let the librarians know how they came to receive a copy of the book and how they can use the book effectively.
Q: Is there any cost to the school systems?
A: No. I pay for the books and shipping costs to the central location. And to answer another common question: No, I do not receive any tax break for these donations.
Learn more background in my article “How My Dog Made it to Orbit”
Donations to Date
The following list is semi-complete, starting with U.S. school district donations by state, followed by international and special donations. Every public elementary school in the listed systems received one or more titles as indicated; if no title is listed, the title was Max Goes to Mars. (The approximate total number of books donated to each location is in parentheses.)
- Alaska
- Anchorage (65)
- Iditarod (9)
- Kenai Peninsula (35)
- Alabama
- Huntsville (3)
- Phenix City (7)
- Arkansas
- Batesville (4)
- Bentonville (7)
- Branch (1)
- Bryant (7)
- Cherry Valley (2)
- Fayetteville (10)
- Gentry (2)
- Harrison (5)
- Helena (4)
- Hot Springs (4)
- Jonesboro/Nettelton (11)
- North Little Rock (14)
- Rogers (14)
- Springdale (1)
- Walnut Ridge (14)
- Arizona
- Tucson (80)
- Indian Reservations in AZ and NM (216)
- Calilfornia
- Culver City (5)
- Folsom Cordova (19)
- Fullerton (17)
- Humboldt County (80)
- Los Angeles Unified (450)
- Los Angeles – selected schools – El mago (150), Wizard (50)
- Manteca (23)
- Mariposa County (7)
- McKinleyville (2)
- Mendocino County (8)
- Point Arena (2)
- Poway (22)
- Round Valley (2)
- San Bernardino (40)
- San Diego City and County – Moon, Mars, Jupiter (~1400)
- San Diego Unified – Spanish titles (~270)
- San Francisco Unified (80)
- Santa Clara County (255)
- Sonoma County (122)
- Stockton (10)
- Sunnyvale (10)
- Tulare County (150)
- Upper Lake (2)
- Ventura County (131)
- Colorado:
- The entire state – Moon (935)
- The entire state – Mars (935)
- The entire state – Wizard (1,035)
- Boulder Valley – Jupiter (32)
- Denver Public Schools – Jupiter (100)
- Jefferson County – Jupiter (100)
- Connecticut
- New Canaan (3)
- District of Columbia Metro area (600), including:
- DC City
- Prince Georges County
- Montgomery County
- Charles County
- Calvert County
- Fairfax County
- Arlington
- Alexandria
- Falls Church
- Florida
- Brevard County (55)
- Orange County (115)
- Georgia
- Atlanta metro region (456)
- Springfield (7)
- Hawaii: The entire state (225)
- Illinois
- Chicago (552)
- Dolton/Riverdale District (6)
- Kaneland (4)
- Elgin – Wizard, Mago, Moon, Luna (40)
- Kaneland (4)
- Sycamore (4)
- Indiana
- Bedford (11)
- Zionsville (7)
- Kentucky
- Green River Educational Cooperative (192)
- Louisiana
- Caddo Parish (45)
- Maryland
- see “District of Columbia Metro area”
- Massachusetts
- Arlington (6)
- Danvers (7)
- Michigan:
- Ann Arbor – Moon, Mars (42)
- Rest of state; selected schools (750)
- Minnesota
- Inver Grove Heights (4)
- St. Paul – Moon, Mars (104)
- Mississippi: The entire state (960)
- Missouri:
- Joplin – Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Ice Age (64)
- Nevada
- Clark County (195)
- New Mexico
- Indian Reservations in AZ and NM (216)
- New York
- New York City – Moon and Mars (1600)
- North Dakota
- Fargo (15)
- Ohio
- St. Paris (3)
- Oregon
- Estacada (3)
- Fern Ridge (3)
- Forest Grove (10)
- Hood River (6)
- Medford (14)
- Newport (6)
- Oregon Trail (5)
- Salem-Keizer (45)
- Sheridan (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware County (72)
- Lower Merion (8)
- Saxonburg (3)
- Sharon Hill (4)
- Rhode Island
- East Bay Educational Collaborative (240)
- Texas
- Austin – Moon, Mars, Jupiter (240)
- Bastrop (6)
- Dallas , selected districts (54)
- Grand Prairie (23)
- Houston (196)
- McKinney ISD (17)
- Nacogdoches (6)
- Refugio ISD (1)
- Spring Branch ISD (25)
- Vanderbilt (2)
- Waco (36; all 3 books mixed)
- Vermont: The entire state (270)
- Virginia
- Charlottesville/ Albemarle County (34)
- Roanoke/Salem City and County – Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Wizard (160)
- see also “District of Columbia Metro area”
- Washington, DC: see “District of Columbia Metro area”
- Washington State
- Eastern region, selected districts (360)
- Wisconsin
- Beloit Turner (2)
- Madison (32)
- Sun Prarie (6)
- West Virginia (90), including
- Berkeley County
- Grant County
- Hampshire County
- Hardy County
- Jefferson County
- Mineral County
- Morgan County
- Ohio County
- Pendleton County
- Tucker County
- Wyoming
- Cody (4)
- Laramie/Cheyenne (26)
International
- UNITED NATIONS Office of Outer Space Affairs
- Schools in 40 developing nations – Moon (800)
- Schools in 40 developing nations – I, Humanity (1,000)
- BOOKS FOR ASIA (through The Asia Foundation)
- Schools in developing nations – Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Wizard (2,300 books total)
- Second donation in 2017 – Wizard (1,300)
- CANADA
- Ontario, selected schools – Mars (216)
- COSTA RICA
- Earth Equilibrium project, selected schools – mixed Spanish titles (24)
- MEXICO
- Oaxaca, selected schools – El mago (500)
- UNITED KINGDOM
- Scotland, selected schools – Moon (500)
- CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
- Guatemala, through The Global Education Fund – El mago (200)
- Peru, through the Chijnaya Foundation – El mago (100)
- International Book Bank – El mago (675)
- AFRICA
- Schools in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone – various titles (~600)
- Books for Africa – organization (100)
Additional Special Donations
- American Meteorological Society – Global Warming Primer (300)
- Astronomers Without Borders – Spanish titles (2000)
- Astronomical Society of Pacific – various titles (500)
- Bernie’s Book Bank – various titles (300)
- Children in Crisis – Spanish titles (240)
- Harlem Children’s Zone – Moon, Mars, Jupiter (300)
- Heart of America Foundation – Moon, Mars, Jupiter (105)
- Houston Urban League – Spanish titles (220)
- Hurricane Relief: Puerto Rico, Houston – various titles (100)
- Int. Conf. on Environmental Education – Wizard, GWP (250)
- International Planetarium Society (400)
- The Lisa Libraries – Spanish titles (100)
- MGR Foundation – Wizard (500)
- NASA CORE educator’s network – Moon (1100)
- NASA space educators conference 2011 – Mars (600)
- NASA space educators conference 2012 – Moon (600)
- National Center for Science Education – Global Warming Primer (500)
- National Center for Science Education – Wizard (125)
- National Science Teachers Association Regional Conferences 2012 (1500)
- Project RxRead, Charleston SC – Moon (24)
- Shriners Hospitals/Lullalee events – Moon, Mars, Jupiter (72)
- Story Time From Space – various titles (200)
- USA Science Festival 2012 – Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Wizard (400)
- UnPrison Project – Mars, Jupiter (40)