At a time when state politicians would gladly take away children's books, BookSpring has put those books into the hands of millions of young Texans, 90% of whom come from low-income families.

The 50-year-old Austin-based nonprofit, which grew out of the Reading Is Fundamental movement of the 1960s, has a long-standing commitment to promoting children's reading and personal book ownership. Supporters of the early movement, which began in Washington, D.C., included members of the presidential Johnson family, including RIF co-founder Lynda Johnson Robb.

In recent years, BookSpring, led by Emily Ball Cicchini, an established playwright, has multiplied its giveaways, released its own digital titles in Spanish and English and, like a growing number of nonprofits, bought and renovated its charitable center. It has set a goal of building home libraries of 20 books per child, which studies show leads to better educational outcomes later in life.