Back to school: UAE book initiative gives away four free academic books to students

Dubai: As UAE students return to school, a Dubai-based book initiative ‘Book Hero’ is giving away four academic books per student, absolutely free of cost.

This is an event that Book Hero runs at the start of every academic year, since 2017. Not only is it aimed to be an economical option for parents, it’s also a sustainable one that extends the lifespan of books.

The store’s cofounder, Montserrat Martin told Gulf News: “We are giving away around 4,000 to 5,000 books for completely free to those who are in need and we do this every year. We start the initiative every August when everyone is preparing to get back to school.”

For those looking to get the books, Martin said the process is simple. “Parents just need to show proof of enrollment from the school and they can simply come and collect the books.”

The initiative will run till September 9 at Oasis Mall in Dubai.

Martin said that people from around the UAE come to collect books as well as take part in the initiative by giving away used books.

Speaking about where the books being given are sourced from, Martin said: “We get them from book swaps and people give away books they no longer need. We also have lots of schools giving us books.”

Book Hero holds book swaps throughout the year, where people can come into the store and trade an academic book with another. The Book Hero store is open daily during mall hours and can be found at Oasis Mall, Dubai.