Lead to Read KC's Book Battle 2025 logo

The Book Battle Begins

March is nearly here, and so is the madness! Lead to Read KC is tipping off a bracket-style book competition to help collect the most requested and beloved titles for Kansas City children. Your pledges will help put books kids love most in their hands!

How to Play: Pledge for Your Favorite Books!

Each Monday in March, we’ll feature our book bracket on our social media.

  • Pick your winners by pledging to donate the books you love most using the form below!
  • The book with the most pledges at the end of each week moves forward.
  • By the end of the month, we’ll have a champion—and a stocked-up supply of amazing books.

Every pledge gets us closer to our goal of ensuring every child has books they’re excited to read. Don’t be caught sitting on the bench—jump in the game of literacy with us!

%

of families in under-resourced neighborhoods have no children's books

Get Organized: Play With Friends!

Direct your business or organization’s energy during this time of friendly wagers and office pools! Invite coworkers to participate in this challenge or even organize an in-house book drive using the same format and our Canva templates. You can make pledges on behalf of yourself or your entire organization using the form below.

Questions? Email Linda Hughes at linda@leadtoreadkc.org if your organization needs more information or wants help participating.

Make Your Pledges

Hang tight! The form to make pledges will appear in this space on March 1st.

Fulfill Your Pledge

Amazon links below include all the books we are requesting for each title/series, and orders made via these links will be shipped directly to us!

Alternatively, donate to amplify our book budget, gather like-new copies from home or shop at a local retailer! Simply use these lists as a reference and buy online or in-store from your preferred bookseller. Please note that all non-Amazon donations must be delivered to our office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on April 8th, 9th, 15th or 16th.

Finished? Want to do more? Download our Book Battle flyer and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to rally more support and encourage your friends and family to pledge!

Follow the Weekly Matchups

Book Battle Bracket 2025

Get Involved

We need you! There are so many ways to be part of the solution to our community’s literacy crisis. Choose to give your time or resources to Lead to Read KC.