GreatNeckpre-teenlaunchesliteracy nonprofittopromotejoysofreading
By CamerynOakes
PostedonJuly11,2025
GreatNeck’sMadeleineChin,12,launchedhernonprofitMindfulReadingtopromotechildhood literacy. MargaretChin
ForMadeleineChin,readingbooksisnotjustanenjoyableactivitybutanadventurethrough unimaginableworlds.
“Books,they’realwaysreallymagical,”Madeleine,12,said.“They’relikeamagicalgift.They cansendyouanywhereintheworldandinouterspaceandbeyondthat.Readingcantake youonthemostremarkablepath.”
GreatNeck
Flipthrough thelatest
Now,Madeleineissharingtheseadventureswithhundredsofkidsthroughherliteracy nonprofit, MindfulReading, whichdonatesbookstoTitleIelementaryschoolsinQueens.
SincelaunchinghernonprofitinFebruary,Madeleinehasimpactedthelivesof886students throughthedonationof2,597booksacrosssixschools.
Throughhernonprofit,MadeleinedonatesbookstoTitleIschools,speakstostudentsand hashostedapop-upreadingcornerattheGreatNeckFarmer’sMarket.
ThemissionofMindfulReadingistopromotechildhoodliteracyandassistchildreninfalling inlovewithreading,asMadeleinehas.
“Booksmadeyoufeelinsomanydifferentways,”Madeleinesaid.Theycanmakeyoufeel reallysad,ortheycanmakeyoufeelreallyhappy,ortheycanmakeyoufeelverytenseand nervousandscared.”
Madeleine,arisingeighth-graderatGreatNeckSouthMiddleSchool,isaself-described bookworm. Sheisalso the publishedauthor of twobooks
“Beingabletomakeaworldofmyownorcreatecharacterssointricatethatthey’reso interestingtoreadaboutandlearnmoreaboutjustmademewanttotrymyownatthat,” Madeleinesaid. RELA
MadeleineChinpresentingtoagroupofstudents.
MargaretChin
Herpassionforreadingandwritingbeganbeforeshecouldevenread,reflectingonhow impactfulhernightlybedtimestorieswere.
Thispassioncontinuedtotranspire,turningintoherwritingherownstoriesduringherfree timeinfirstgrade.
Madeleine’sreadersinspiredhertostarthernonprofit,andtheysharedhowshehasinspired themtoforgetheirownliterarypaths.Hearinghowshecouldinspireherreaders,she wantedtosharethesameinspirationwithotherstudentswhomaynothaveaccesstomany books.
NotonlyisMadeleinehelpingchangethelivesofhundredsofstudents,buthernonprofitis alsochangingherown.
Seeingwhatotherkidslikeherselfhave,orratherdonothave,hasfosteredagreater appreciationforwhatisaccessibletoher,whichshesaidhasfurtherinspiredhertocontinue hernonprofit’smission.
Madeleinealsospeaksinfrontofstudentaudiences,whereshetalkstothemaboutthejoys ofreading.Indoingthis,shehassharpenedherpublicspeakingskillsandshedsome shyness.
OneofMadeleine’sfavoritemomentswaswhenshespokeataschool’scareerday.After connectingwiththestudents,agroupofthemgatheredaroundherandexpressedhow inspiringshewastothem.
Anotherwasabook“shoppingevent”atoneoftheschoolswherestudentscouldpicktwo booksforthemself.Shedescribeditasafrenzyasstudentsexcitedlyshoppedfornewbooks.
Madeleine’smom,MargaretChin,praisedherdaughterforwhatshe’sbeenableto accomplish.Shesaidit’shelpedhergrowsomuchandshewasamazedtoseetheimpacther daughtercouldhaveonthesestudents.
“It’sagreatexperiencetoseeherhavethiskindofimpact,”MargaretChinsaid.“…Shecan actuallymakeaninfluencelikethis.It’samazing.It’swellbeyondwhatIeverthoughtthis nonprofitcoulddo.”
Theteachers,too,havesharedpraiseforthenonprofitandtheabilityshehadtoinspiretheir students.
“ItwasveryinspirationaltoseeMadeleine’sachievementsandthestepsshetooktoget wheresheis,”saidMs.Sukhu,ateacheratPS312,inatestimonial.“Forourstudentstobe exposedtosuchbraveryandcommitmenttowardsadreamcanempowerstudentsallover theworldtopursuetheirpassions.”
AsMadeleinelookstothefutureofhernonprofit,shesaidshehasideastolaunchwriting workshopstopromoteliteracybeyondreading.Assheheadsintoeighthgrade,shesaidall ofthiswill,ofcourse,havetobebalancedwithherschoolwork.
MadeleineChin’snonprofitdonatesbookstostudentsatTitleIschoolsinQueens.
CamerynOakes
CamerynOakesisTheLongIslandPress’reportercoveringthecommunitiesof GreatNeck,ManhassetandtheTownofNorthHempstead.Bornandraisedin California’scapitol,CamerynnowresidesinBrooklyn.Shebeganherjournalism careerwithBlankSlateMediainFebruaryof2023,whichhassincemerged withTheLongIslandPress.Herpriorworkincludedasummerinternshipat TheStocktonRecordwhereshecoveredanationalmurdertrialandas managingeditorathercollegenewspaper,TheMustangNews,atCalPolySan LuisObispo.
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