Mark your calendars: the bi-annual book sale from the Friends of the Surprise Libraries is right around the corner.

The next sale wil be held daily between May 10 and 17 at the Surprise Regional Library, 16089 N. Bullard Ave.

Books and other items will be available at 9 a.m. each day. The store closes at 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Friends of the Surprise Libraries is a nonprofit organization, providing extensive literacy supplies and programs throughout the city.

About 105 volunteers operate the bookstore, which is housed in a community room across the lobby from the main library. It contains thousands of gently used, and some new, books, DVDs and periodicals, with more additions to its shelves every day.

The Friends bookstore is a community resource supporting teachers, public and charter schools, homeschoolers, readers both young and not-so-young. Readers can find their favorite authors from Kristen Hannah to Stephen King, Erik Larsen and Bill Riley.

The extensive, always changing, collection features all genres including cookbooks, biographies and memoirs, fiction and non-fiction, self-help and crafts, politics, science fiction and fantasy, graphic novels, faith-based, classic and contemporary DVDs, newer periodicals and even a first-edition Charles Dickens.

Books are between $1 and $3. Collectibles are priced individually but always less than online market prices. DVDs are a bargain at $3 or 5 for $10. Young readers may purchase easy readers, picture books, read-alongs and chapter books for as little as 50 cents.

Every dollar spent at the Friends Book Store converts to a literacy opportunity.

Those who want to donate unwanted books, DVDs and periodicals can help transform it into valuable literacy programs through the magic of thousands of volunteer hours at Friends of the Surprise Library.

Friends Book Bucks are freely distributed at schools and during Surprise parades and community events. Kids get Book Bucks at summer camps, as prizes for school and community read alongs, from teachers and for volunteering. Dr. Seuss’ helper, former District 2 Councilmember and current President of the Friends Aly Cline distributes Book Bucks during the annual Read Across America program.

Book Bucks may be exchanged for anything at the Friends book store. One young recipient, Book Buck in hand, exchanged it for a cook book to put in his mother’s Christmas stocking.

Teachers in Dysart and Nadaburg school districts are heroes at Friends and shop for their classroom needs for free.

To date, Friends have raised more than $900,000 through in-store sales and donations.

The Friends support teachers through direct grants, classroom sets of books, wherever there is a need they can fill.

A special education teacher seeking books for her vision impaired students came to the Friends library. She began with books she was translating into Braille — a time consuming process. The Friends stepped in, located a source for dual Braille and printed materials, purchased the titles the teacher requested, and donated them.

One school STEM project needed supplies for students to research whether or not what “The Three Little Pigs” claim, that the brick house is stronger than one built of straw or sticks. Friends bought the supplies, the rocks and straw, arranged for a wind machine to “blow the houses down,” and provided AV equipment to record the findings.

Other district teachers wanted class sets of audio books for their early readers so students could listen to the narrative and follow along on the printed page. Friends purchased and donated class sets.

Book sales have helped extend the open hours for Hollyhock library.

What begins as an unwanted book, or DVD, or magazine, can turn into a child learning to read, teachers not having to reach into their own pockets to supply much needed literacy materials for their students, or impaired students getting the specialized support they need.

The community can help by visiting and shopping at the Friends book store or by donating gently used books. For those who have time to be a volunteer, shifts are only two hours.