FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does benny's books do?
Benny's Books is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to cultivating literacy among Latino children and children from low income families generally. Benny's Books distributes free books to children, teachers, schools and organizations in hopes of promoting cultural and ethnic diversity, facilitating social change, and inspiring youth to pursue higher education.
In addition, Benny's Books publishes books that promote and cater to diversity. For every book sold (paperback or hardcopy), a book will be given out for free.
In addition, Benny's Books publishes books that promote and cater to diversity. For every book sold (paperback or hardcopy), a book will be given out for free.
how much actually goes to charity?
All the money (100%) Benny's Books receives goes to further the cause of creating diversity in children's literature and donating books for free. In the future (likely in 2019), as the nonprofit grows, Joe Robles Jr, will take on responsibility as a part-time employee at 10 hours a week, at 15$ dollars an hour.
Why is diversity important?
Books, and story telling in general, are a central part of childhood. Stories play a central role in developing formative experiences in the lives of many children. Promoting literature to children at a young age—particularly from the transitional stage of toddler to student—within the private and public sphere encourages the beginning of independent reading. When children experience literature at this transitional stage, they are distinguishing between parental rules and the rules of society, thus they are simultaneously exerting greater influence on their own lives while naturally and forcefully adopting to the existence of social rules. Simply put, professionals cannot undervalue the law’s relationship with art and literature.
If children’s literature were to use picturesque images of Hispanic characters in real life situations, rather than stereotypical roles such the hot-blooded sexy characters, macho men, gang-members, drug dealers, or illegal immigrants, then perhaps children may not have the false dichotomy of what it means to be Latino. Promoting these stereotypes creates a stigma that signifies that that person "is not quite human."Further, enforcing these stereotypes as the norms carries a deeply negative reaction. Research suggest that media distortions negatively impact self-esteem of African-American children from achieving their academic potential in American society. By creating picturesque literature for children that promotes Hispanic characters doing non-stigmatic things, the paradigm of the perception of human rights, and the way children view the law, would shift toward an equilibrium that facilitates and promotes participation.
Ideally, the practicality of picturesque books with minority-driven protagonists should not be exclusively for Latino children. All children should be exposed to different cultures in literature as some authors have suggested that children stories offer a way to imagine other worlds and differing “suppositions.” To children, “the real and the imaginary are not always distinct categories, but rather closer points on a continuum; children easily pass back and forth between real and pretend, factual and fictional.” By exposing all children to these imaginary tales, it enables children to get immersed in alternative realities and emerge as slightly different people. Thus by creating applicable children’s books that enable a different culture could serve as a catalyst to “operate as the origins for social rituals, ideological creeds, and legal principles about justice, legal autonomy, punishment, and rights” among all.
If children’s literature were to use picturesque images of Hispanic characters in real life situations, rather than stereotypical roles such the hot-blooded sexy characters, macho men, gang-members, drug dealers, or illegal immigrants, then perhaps children may not have the false dichotomy of what it means to be Latino. Promoting these stereotypes creates a stigma that signifies that that person "is not quite human."Further, enforcing these stereotypes as the norms carries a deeply negative reaction. Research suggest that media distortions negatively impact self-esteem of African-American children from achieving their academic potential in American society. By creating picturesque literature for children that promotes Hispanic characters doing non-stigmatic things, the paradigm of the perception of human rights, and the way children view the law, would shift toward an equilibrium that facilitates and promotes participation.
Ideally, the practicality of picturesque books with minority-driven protagonists should not be exclusively for Latino children. All children should be exposed to different cultures in literature as some authors have suggested that children stories offer a way to imagine other worlds and differing “suppositions.” To children, “the real and the imaginary are not always distinct categories, but rather closer points on a continuum; children easily pass back and forth between real and pretend, factual and fictional.” By exposing all children to these imaginary tales, it enables children to get immersed in alternative realities and emerge as slightly different people. Thus by creating applicable children’s books that enable a different culture could serve as a catalyst to “operate as the origins for social rituals, ideological creeds, and legal principles about justice, legal autonomy, punishment, and rights” among all.
Can I volunteer?
There will be volunteer opportunities in the future, but of as now, Benny's Books is still drafting the paperwork to ensure safety and compliance for volunteers.
When will the programs 0pen up?
Benny's Books is a nonprofit organization and we generate our funds mostly through fundraising and donations. When Benny's Books is able to financially support the programs proposed, we will update our website, Facebook, Instagram, and our newsletter. Please make sure you are signed up so you can get all the latest updates on Benny's Books.