“Ma première bibliothèque”: Giving Disadvantaged Students Their Own Books to Encourage a Love of Reading

With “Ma première bibliothèque” (“My First Library”), BSF aims to spark a love of reading among children from disadvantaged backgrounds in France. Supported by l’Éducation Nationale (the French Ministry of Education), this project helps combat inequalities in book access—and therefore education—from an early age by enabling children to build their own libraries.  

Reading is not just about learning at school. It opens doors to imaginary worlds, stimulates creativity, develops language skills, and builds self-confidence. Yet, a number of children grow up without access to books at home, never having stepped foot in a library. For them, reading remains associated with school and is seen as a chore rather than a passion. In these households, cultural inequalities take root in early childhood, fueled by economic and social difficulties. To combat this divide, which has major consequences on academic performance, the “Ma première bibliothèque” project was launched in 2024. 

From preschool to the start of middle school, nearly 1,000 children enrolled in schools in Mayenne and L’Haÿ-les-Roses in the Paris region were supported by BSF and educational teams in discovering the joy of reading. To achieve this, BSF gave students around ten books tailored to their age and interests and provided teachers and parents with educational guides and videos.

To personalize the experience, each child first filled out a questionnaire to better identify their reading preferences. “Some turned out to be adventurous, others loved humor or were passionate about detective stories” recounts Laure Théard, a teacher at the elementary school in Saint-Aignan-sur-Roë. Comic books, novels, documentaries, children’s books: based on these profiles, BSF selected five books for the whole class and five others tailored to their preferences to encourage a personal connection with reading.  

“These books have something magical about them. They permit us to explore different subjects and work on numerous skills with children. And above all, they open doors for them: to the world, to themselves, and even on how to socialize.” Laura Théard. 

Involving student’s parents 

In classrooms, BSF’s support took place over several months through activities centered around books, read-aloud sessions, and meetings with authors and illustrators to nurture students’ curiosity and strengthen their emotional connection to the books. 

With this program, books and their benefits go beyond school walls and enter homes, where they can become a vehicle for dialogue among families and siblings, and bring parents, schools, and libraries together.  

“I find this project great! As a parent association, we participate in a lot of meetings, and we can see that some children don’t have the chance to read at home. This project is a real opportunity for them. And I think it can even have an impact on parents.” Sonia, member of the Association des parents d’élèves at Saint-Aignan-sur-Roë Primary School. 

This observation is shared by Rozenn Lagrée, an educational advisor in southwestern Mayenne: “This special event is also a way to rebuild and reinforce the bonds between parents and their children’s education through books and reading.” 

In total, 10,143 books were distributed in 15 schools—around 50 classes. But beyond these numbers, the project addresses a fundamental issue: equal opportunity. Because “for a child, reading can be a springboard to the future: it means discovering that they has a voice, a mind, and a place in the world – and the right to imagine, to question, to exist fully,” concludes Auriane Rochois, head of BSF’s “Ma première bibli” project. 

At the start of the next school year, this project will be rolled out in new areas to instill a love of reading in more children as they grow up.

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*This project was made possible thanks to the support of l’académie de Nantes, Notre école faisons-la ensemble, l’Établissement public territorial Grand-Orly Seine Bièvre, Ministère chargé de la ville, Fonds MAIF pour l’Éducation and la Fondation Valentin Ribet.

The books distributed as part of “Ma première bibliothèque” (“My First Library”) come from donations from individuals and professionals collected by BSF. After being carefully selected by our team, these books find a new life with the most disadvantaged children.  

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