It is hard for most fans of young adult mega-hits like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Fault in Our Stars to imagine growing up without books. Yet for millions of young people in under-served communities, that is the reality.

Right now, the Harry Potter Alliance is working to imagine better for youth across the world with their annual book drive, Accio Books!

Started in 2009, the Accio Books! campaign has collected over 100,000 books for readers in under-served communities. The HPA has built libraries in a Rwandan youth village, the Mississippi Delta, and a charter school in Brooklyn and has sent books to literacy-building organizations in the USA, Canada, the U.K., Belgium, Mexico, the Philippines, and more. Like the book series that inspired the campaign, Accio Books! has spread literary magic on nearly every continent (maybe summoning charms don’t work in Antarctica?).

This year, the HPA wants to collect 30,000 books by June 1. Donated books are being directed to the Brightmoor Community Center in Detroit, Michigan. In a city struggling in the wake of population decline and mass abandonment of homes and businesses, the Brightmoor Community Center is an essential service that brings the community together. Accio Books! will strengthen their programming by helping to put great books into the hands of eager young Detroiters.

There are lots of ways to get involved during Accio Books! HPA Chapters are already hosting read-a-thons and collection drives and you can find out how to join your local group on the HPA’s chapter website. Don’t have a local group? Don’t worry! The HPA has a helpful infographic that demonstrates how easy it really is to spread the power of story.

Want more info about summoning charms and campaigns for a better world? Watch this video from the boy wizard himself.

Now go out, grab some friends, and use your magic! Accio Books!

Books of all types can be mailed directly to:
The Apparating Library
℅ Brightmoor Community Center
14451 Burt Rd.
Detroit, MI 48223

And go to the HPA’s website for more ways to get involved with Accio Books!