Impact of Pageturner
The impact of Pageturner is clear and simple: Students read more and like reading more. On average, students double the number of books they read in a year. They also identify more strongly as readers and report that reading is much more enjoyable.
- Since Pageturner's inception, generous supporters have donated 3,936 Kindles and 3,161 e-books to Pageturner! More than 1,000 people from around the world have donated their used Kindles.
- Pageturner has served 4,839 students in 180 classrooms at all levels, including elementary, middle, and high schools.
From Our Students
“Thank you for the opportunity to read to my heart's content.”
—10th grader, Oakland
“It's like having a whole library in my backpack.”
—7th grader, Oakland
“I like how I can choose whatever books I want to read, and they're on my Kindle.”
—9th grader, Oakland
What Pageturner Means to Me:
Pricila, 10th Grader | San Francisco, California
When I first started using my Kindle I was in the 9th grade. I thought reading was the worst thing in the world. I kept telling myself that reading was just a waste of time and that it was boring. Whenever I had to read, I would think about it too much, and in the end, I wouldn't read anything.
Last year when my 9th grade Reading Lab teacher, Ms. Spitz, told us we had to choose a book to read, I thought, this class is going to be the most boring class of all.
But the reality was different. The book I chose was the first book I have ever really enjoyed reading. Then, two weeks later, I got my Kindle. My best friend and I were really excited about getting Kindles. I read more than 10 books on my Kindle. I read all the books that Simone Elkeles has written and nine books by other authors.
I'm really happy and proud of all the books I've read and what I've accomplished over the past school year and the summer. I kept my Kindle during the summer and finished two books. I would have read more, but I was busy most of my summer.
Thanks to Pageturner, my interest for reading has grown a lot over the years. I've found so many good book in the Pageturner library. There is a huge variety of books—books of all types of genres. I would like to thank Ms. Spitz and Pageturner for the opportunity to read on a Kindle.
Thank you!
Lauren, 10th Grader, Oakland, California
I have had my Kindle for about 2 months and I love it. At the beginning, you don't know what to read because there's so much to choose from. Choosing just one book seems impossible — well, it was for me!
I love the Pageturner program because it allows you the opportunity to choose among hundreds of books, books that you probably wouldn't be able to read because you can't afford them or you can't find. Pageturner is a great opportunity to read a variety of books, from romance to comedy. Any genre you want to read, the Kindle has it.
I really have enjoyed my Kindle, I have been reading series over series since I got my Kindle. My reading speed has increased because of how I have being reading over this month. I have cried, laughed, and even gotten mad when I read, and that is because reading has become such a constant thing that I read many books with different plots. Each plot extends my imagination and allows me to grow as a reader.
I recommend the Kindle to everyone. It's such a great device. You just get so much enjoyment from just one tiny little thing. Because of the Kindle, my passion for reading has returned, and I am more eager than ever to read as many books as possible in one day. By far the Pageturner program is AMAZING. Everyone should try it!
Grace, 12th Grader | Oakland, California
I'm really glad I get to be a part of Pageturner! When I first heard about it, I thought it was an awesome idea that would give students opportunities to read throughout the school year and would offer easier access to books for students who do not have the time to check out books at libraries.
As a student, and especially as a senior, I am always busy. I have to juggle work while balancing my busy schedule at school and outside of it. However, I enjoy those precious moments where I can kick back, relax, and read on my Kindle.
During Spring Break, I was surprised how much of a bookworm I've become. I've been reading so many interesting books (such as Legend and The Young Elites by Marie Lu). I've been a huge bookworm in the past, but I've never really had time to read because I was preoccupied with other stuff. It would also be a hassle to go to the library and borrow books.
My Kindle, however, feels like a mini-library that I can carry around anytime: in my backpack, my purse, or in my hand. There is a huge library full of books to choose from within my Kindle, and I've discovered so many interesting books to read!
Thanks to Pageturner, I have rediscovered my joy of reading! I thank the supporters and teachers who have made Pageturner possible! Thank you for your support!
Bryant, 12th grader | Oakland, California
If I had to identify the exact point in time when I started to actually like reading, I'd say it was somewhere around fifth grade, when my rather annoying 10-year-old self discovered the magic of Harry Potter. (Ha, see what I did there? Magic. Get it? It's funny.)
Though I was obviously far too young to really appreciate the nuances of J.K. Rowling's writing, I enjoyed it nonetheless: I loved Harry, I loved the Wizarding World, and I loved how the adults in Harry's life thought repeatedly sending a minor into life-threatening danger would be a good idea.
After that, being the little ambitious fifth grader prone to delusions of grandeur I was, I decided to set out and prove to the world that I was the most avid reader ever. When that aspiration crashed and burned just like every other dream I've ever had in my life, I decided to lower my expectations and settle for just being an avid reader.
Because I file everything not strictly related to academics into the “more or less useless” information part of my mind at the end of every school year, I can't tell you exactly what impressions the books I read in middle school left on me, but my fondness for reading grew at about the same rate the acne on my classmates' faces did during those days.
After hearing that more or less useless account of my reading history, I think I can safely say how pleased I am to be part of Pageturner without sounding like I'm only saying it because I'm obligated to do so (which I am) and being insincere with my words (which I'm not).
I'm antisocial and introverted, and no love of reading can fix that, so I don't particularly enjoy having to go to the library. I don't like having to awkwardly stand there while a librarian checks out my books and silently judges me on my selection. Now, with Pageturner, I don't have to!
While I'm not one of those kids from the part of my generation who have trouble returning pencils they borrow (at least, I don't think I am), I somehow still feel much more at ease having a Kindle on hand instead of, say, 732 physical copies of all the books in the Pageturner library. It's much more convenient and easier for me now to make use of and appreciate my literacy with the Kindle.
If I feel like reading a book, I can just click on the title and wait a minute or so for it to download. If all the digital copies of the book are checked out, I can simply request another copy online instead of being put on some library waiting list, which, granted, only happened to me once at the Oakland Public Library, but the waiting list was 40 people long and made the task of finishing my summer reading list more cumbersome.
If I feel like reading into the wee hours of the night because I didn't feel like I read enough during the day, I don't need to turn on the light to see what I'm reading; the Kindle is the light! Of course, reading in the dark while staring at an LCD screen isn't the best way to take care of your eyes, too, but I already wear glasses, so the worst thing that can happen to me from reading a Kindle at night is eye fatigue.
Because of Pageturner, my love for reading has flourished and ignited in ways I never thought it was capable of before. Why, just a few months ago, I decided to read Pride and Prejudice on my Kindle just for the hell of it. Yes, I may not have understood half of the book, but I would have never even considered checking out a physical copy from the library. If my growing passion for reading was a fire, then I guess you could say my Kindle was… kindling for that flame. (See what I did there? Again, nothing? Come on, it's funny.)