Dear Chicago: Help Us Build the Village Our Children Deserve

On November 14, 2026, Burst Into Books will celebrate the 5th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival—a day dedicated to books, storytelling, creativity, culture, and community.

This year's theme is:

Dear Chicago… A Love Letter to the City

For five years, Words of Wonder has created a space where children, families, educators, authors, artists, and community members can come together and celebrate the power of our stories.

This year, we're celebrating the city that helped make those stories possible.

And we need our community's help to bring it to life.

Help Us Raise $25,000

We're raising $25,000 through Givebutter to help fund this year's festival.

Your contribution will help support the authors, artists, performers, youth experiences, activities, production costs, and other expenses necessary to create an unforgettable day for Chicago families.

Whether you give $25 or $5,000, you become part of the story.

Community Giving Levels

$25 — Book Lover
Help us continue creating spaces where books, stories, and community come together.

$50 — Friend of the Festival
Join the village helping bring Words of Wonder to life.

$100 — Story Builder
Invest in experiences that celebrate literacy, creativity, and storytelling.

$250 — Literacy Advocate
Help create meaningful literary experiences for children and families.

$500 — Narrative Changer
Make a significant investment in the people, programming, and experiences that make Words of Wonder possible.

$1,000 — Words of Wonder Champion
Become one of the major supporters helping us deliver our 5th anniversary festival.

Corporate & Community Sponsorship

Businesses and organizations are invited to become official Words of Wonder Literary Festival Sponsors.

$500 — Supporting Sponsor

Recognition on select festival digital materials
Recognition on the festival website
Social media recognition
Recognition during the festival

$1,000 — Community Sponsor

Includes Supporting Sponsor benefits, plus:

Logo placement on select festival materials
Dedicated social media recognition
Recognition in festival communications
On-site sponsor recognition

$2,500 — Literacy Champion

Includes Community Sponsor benefits, plus:

Prominent logo placement on select festival materials
Recognition from the stage
Featured social media recognition
Opportunity for company/organization recognition at the festival
Inclusion in post-event sponsor acknowledgments

$5,000 — Presenting Sponsor

Our highest festival sponsorship level includes:

Premier logo placement on select festival materials
Recognition as a leading festival sponsor
Prominent recognition from the stage
Featured recognition across BIB digital platforms
On-site brand recognition
Inclusion in media and post-event acknowledgments, where applicable
Opportunity to activate or engage with festival attendees, subject to festival guidelines

Five Years of Remixing the Narrative

Words of Wonder is more than a festival.

It is an opportunity for children to meet authors.

For families to discover new books.

For artists to share their gifts.

For young people to see their stories represented.

For communities to gather around literacy.

And for Chicago to celebrate the incredible stories, history, creativity, and people that make our city what it is.

This year marks five years of creating those moments.

We want the 5th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival to be a celebration worthy of that milestone.

But we cannot do it alone.

Here's How You Can Help

DONATE. Make a gift of any amount.

SPONSOR. Become an official festival partner.

SHARE. Send this campaign to your friends, family, coworkers, and networks.

CONNECT. Introduce us to a company or organization that may be interested in sponsoring the festival.

Together, we can raise $25,000 and make the 5th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival an unforgettable love letter to Chicago.

Dear Chicago… let's celebrate our stories.

Burst Into Books
Remixing the Narrative

Burst Into Books is a CPS Vendor and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Help Bring the 5th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival to Life!

Dear Chicago… This One's for You.

Team Members