Bookstore owner does her part to help middle and high schoolers develop love of reading

Deborah Condit remembers when she was a child walking to the libraries after school to get a book or two for the weekend. She didn’t grow up with a lot of money, and her parents told her if she wanted a book, she would have to borrow it. While Condit was just happy to read, there were times when she wished she had access to her own books.

As the owner of Books on the Bosque, located inside the Riverside Plaza, Condit knew when she opened the bookstore that she wanted to encourage a younger audience to read by giving older students access to their own books.

“There is something to having your own personal library at home, where you’re surrounded with books and get the feeling of having your own library,” Condit said. “I think all young people should have one, and so that’s why I thought I really want to start fundraising so we could provide books to young people where there’s book deserts or there’s financial disparities in their area.”

With Beyond the Bosque, a fundraising campaign that is dedicated to raising money to donate books to schools across the state, Condit is able to give students new books she wished she had access to as a child.

“I don’t think books should be just for people who could afford them. We do sell used books, but these kids also deserve something that is new and is theirs,” Condit said.

Patrons of the store can donate by rounding up on their purchases, or sending donations on a weekly or monthly basis.

“I would say 96% of people are willing to round up or donate, which is really amazing because people understand the value of books and what books mean to them,” Condit said.

In order to raise more funding, Condit hired a grant writer to secure more money. As the two began the grant-writing process, they realized that while there are grants for children and books, there are far fewer grants for older students.

“There are a lot of grants for pre-K and kindergarten, which is fine and I understand why,” Condit said. “Literacy is a big deal and we should start students young, but there’s a massive gap on funding for kids who are in middle and high school.”

The bookstore’s first fundraising campaign was in May, when it gifted seniors graduating from Española Valley High School with a new book for each student. Condit went through hundreds of book options before deciding to gift the students with “The Poppy Wars” by R. F. Kuang. She chose the book because the author was 19 at the time of writing and Condit hoped it would inspire students in their future goals.

With money leftover, Condit gifted a set of books to an Honors English class at West Mesa High School, her alma mater. In total, Beyond the Bosque raised over $2,000 and gifted books to roughly 250 students across the state. All money raised goes toward book donations.

Condit believes that gifting books to students around the state can help build a community and foster a love for reading.

“So many young people are dealing with anxiety and depression at rates I didn’t see growing up,” she said. “I don’t mean to simplify mental health issues, but I think my goal is if I could get somebody to enjoy reading and immerse themselves in the book and use their imaginations, it helps, right?”

Condit hopes to get enough donations to continue to provide for students who might not have access to books. Her goal is to raise enough money to gift books to a class of incoming high school freshmen, though she isn’t sure if the donation goal will be met in time.

Condit hopes to continue gifting books to high school students and wants to diversify the schools and students she helps out. Those interested in making a donation can visit www.booksonthebosque.com.