Sixteen-year-old Tess Hennigan has always found that discovering a good book fosters connection.
“I think of reading as a great way to get out of your head and help you think about what’s going on in other people’s lives,” she says.
Born into a family of book lovers, Tess devours as much fiction and nonfiction as her busy high school schedule—packed with rigorous academics, competitive gymnastics and her burgeoning commitment to service work—allows. The Greenwich High School junior, who includes being vice president of its Book Club as one of her extracurriculars, has recently turned her love of good reads into a way to do good.
“I wanted to give the money to something local, and I like the idea of addressing something related to food insecurity, which I think is really important right now,” she says.
Filling in the Blanks is the first of many deserving nonprofits Tess hopes to support with her books-for-good project. In late October, she announced that the next nonprofit that would benefit from her efforts is The Undies Project, a local organization that donates new undergarments to adults and children through a network of local nonprofit partners.
“The way I look at it, we’re lifting up the community by sharing something we love—a good book—for the benefit of others,” Tess says. “It is simple, and it’s sustainable, too. It’s kind of a win-win.”
To get her project going last spring, she placed her first shelf at Birch Bakehouse in Old Greenwich, where owner Daina Olesen allowed the grateful teen to test market her nascent nonprofit with her customers.
“I love reading and also, I really ove coffee,” says Tess, whose go-to Birch Bakehouse order is an iced vanilla latte and some banana bread. “And I thought a bookshelf just belonged in a place like a coffee house bakery where I imagined people sitting and enjoying one of my books.”
Her dad put together a bookshelf that she filled with books sourced from family, friends and community collections. Of a pop-up she ran at the Old Greenwich Sidewalk Sales last summer, she says: “I loved all the connection that happened with that—meeting people who bought my books and supported what I was doing.”
Tess adds to her inventory with a treasure trove of finds she scavenges at the town dump. “They actually have a used book bin,” she explains. “My dad discovered it, and I’ve found some amazing books there that I couldn’t believe had been thrown away—popular titles that were still on bestseller lists.”
At A Bookshelf for Better, shoppers are encouraged to take a book for a suggested donation of $5, which can be sent to Tess via Venmo. “Some people give me more, and some people have given me less, I don’t mind that. I want people to give what they can afford. And I’m just happy they are engaging in the process.”
Her foray into philanthropy has also come with a learning curve. Kids’ books, which she thought might be bestsellers, have not fared as well as titles that are book club favorites for grown-up audiences. Ann Napolitano’s bestseller Hello Beautiful, Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water and Shelley Read’s moving debut novel Go As a River have been among the hot finds her customers have quickly scooped up.
At press time, Tess had just set up a new bookshelf at Aux Délices in Darien. She also plans to host occasional pop-ups. “It’s always been my intention to have this be a roving thing,” she explains. “So, I’m excited to see what we can do next.”
The best way to follow Tess’ shelf and its new locations is on Instagram @bookshelfforbetter.
BOOKMARKED
Looking for your next great read?
If you find any of these used titles on Tess Hennigan’s shelf, she recommends grabbing a copy.
Educated
Tara Westover’s acclaimed memoir recounts her upbringing by survivalists in rural Idaho who denied her a formal education. “She ends up getting her doctorate. What she had to overcome is just so amazing and inspiring,” says Tess.
Cultish
Amanda Montell’s examination of the language of fanaticism and the social science of cult influence was, for Tess, an important primer for growing up in the age of social media.
God of the Woods
Liz Moore’s suspenseful novel about a teenager who disappears in the woods of her summer camp was a favorite of the Greenwich High Book Club, says Tess.
Remarkably Bright Creature
Shelby Van Pelt’s novel about a widow’s unlikely connection with a Pacific octopus is another Tess pick.