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The Boys And Girls Club
Finley and Will are dedicated high school soccer teammates who quickly realized their shared interest in both competitive soccer and collecting and donating used books to others. Since their team used the local Boys & Girls Club to train, it made the most sense to offer books to the Club. One of their proudest projects is developing a "Book Nook" at the Club. They even recruited their younger soccer playing brothers to help demonstrating that the best goals aren’t always scored on the field!
Our Founders
Stokes' Stories was established by Finley and Cobey Stokes during Covid when they realized the importance and enjoyment they got out of reading. Reading from a very early age has always been a passion for the whole Stokes family. With their grandmother being a reading specialist, they were acutely aware of the fact that it was difficult for some kids to learn how to read or to even have access to books. With this passion and knowledge, they set out to make books accessible to every person.
Franey Fiction was created by Will and his brother Brayden as a summer service project. Will was inspired to share the gift of escape and enrichment one gets from reading by watching grandfather's gesture of sharing books with his great-grandmother. She would get lost in their pages even when her physical abilities were limited.
Will and Brayden started by organizing a neighborhood book drive, focusing on providing books to nursing homes and to after-school programs. They have since donated hundreds of books, remaining committed to helping others in their community, regardless of age or circumstance, to have the experience of "getting lost" in a good book.
Summer Literacy Camp
The brothers launched a Lenten Book Drive at their high school, collecting over 1,400 books. These donations fueled the Boys & Girls Club’s summer camp reading initiative, D.E.A.R. — Drop Everything and Read, reaching all seven club locations.
They designed and led their own summer camp reading program, ”Rooted in Reading”. Each camper received a brand-new copy of the selected book, and throughout the summer, the boys returned to host reading sessions and assist campers with their reading logs.
They celebrated the completion of the summer and the book by hosting pizza-and-ice cream party, followed by a screening of the movie adaptation!
Community Focus
The brothers were recently recognized at the Bywater Boys and Girls Club for their revitalization efforts, specifically creating a Book Nook for children after school. They collected donations, bought and assembled shelving, solicited donated books by working with the Annapolis Monarch Academy and individual residents, and redecorated to make it an inviting space to promote youth literacy for under served communities. Over 600 books were donated and delivered for this wonderful community service program.
The boys received 3 citations each from Anne Arundel County and the State of Maryland for this project:
“In recognition of your dedication and generosity in creating a welcoming and inspiring Book nook at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County-Bywater Club. Your commitment to fostering a love of reading and learning has provided our youth with a special space to explore, imagine and grow. Your efforts have made a lasting impact, empowering young minds and enriching our Club community.”
Dear Friends of BGCAA,
Summer is here, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead at BGCAA! Our staff spent an intensive training week getting ready for the summer ahead — building skills, deepening their understanding of our mission, and reconnecting as a team. That kind of investment doesn’t go unnoticed, and I know it will show in the experience our members have this summer.
Summer camp is one of the most important times of year for our Clubs. It’s a chance for our members to stay active, try new things, build friendships, and keep learning in a safe, supportive environment. Our staff are ready, our sites are ready, and I know this summer is going to be one to remember.
Thank you to our staff, partners, and families for the role you play in making our summer programs possible. Here’s to a season full of growth, connection, and fun for every member who walks through our doors.
With gratitude,
Kenneth
#BOOKTIME
HOLIDAY PARTY:
Over Christmas, the brothers planned a special holiday party for the children. Each child was surprised with a brand-new copy of The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling, along with additional books from their most recent book drive. The boys brought bags so the children could “shop” through the donated books and choose titles to take home, helping them build their own personal libraries.
The celebration also included:
• A chocolate bar station
• A STEM activity using marshmallows
• Christmas word finds and crossword puzzles led by the brothers
To thank them, the children surprised the boys by singing Christmas songs—an especially meaningful moment that reflected the strong relationships built through the program.
💖 Valentine’s Day: Literacy Meets Computer Science
For Valentine’s Day, the brothers introduced a new twist to their literacy initiative by adding an introductory computer science activity. They led a pre-coding lesson focused on binary code, where each child created a Valentines bracelet using pink and red beads to represent their initials in binary, with white beads as separators. This activity blended literacy, logic, and creativity in an accessible and fun way.
The celebration also featured:
• A chocolate fountain with fruit and cookies
• Valentine’s Bingo
This event was especially meaningful because it also honored the children who had all earned Honor Roll status—the first time this had ever happened at the Club! The success was directly attributed to the impact of the literacy initiative and the creation of the Book Nook, which made reading more engaging and accessible for students.
2026 Summer Literacy Update
The book brothers continued their commitment to promoting literacy and a love of reading through two impactful community initiatives this year.
During their Second Annual Lenten Book Drive at St. Mary’s High School, the brothers partnered with local community partner BIG to expand their efforts. Together, they collected and donated more than 2,000 books to the seven Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis. The books were distributed through the clubs’ D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) summer reading program, helping ensure hundreds of children had access to engaging books throughout the summer.
In addition, the brothers returned to the Boys & Girls Club at Baywater to lead their signature literacy initiative, Rooted in Reading. This year’s campers selected Diary of a Wimpy Kid as their featured book. The brothers kicked off the program with interactive activities that introduced the story and encouraged excitement for reading. Throughout the summer, they returned to spend time reading with the campers and leading literacy-based activities.
The program will conclude with its Second Annual Rooted in Reading Celebration, where campers will celebrate their accomplishments by watching the movie adaptation of the book they read together—a fun way to reinforce the joy of reading while recognizing their hard work throughout the summer.
STEM Activities
Parachute Plunge
Students divided into two teams and used identical materials to design and construct their own parachutes. After testing both designs, we compared how well they worked and discussed how shape, balance, and air resistance affected each parachute’s descent. The activity encouraged teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on engineering.
Digital Book Cover Design
Students worked in small groups to create a story and design a digital book cover using Notability. They explored sequencing, layout, layering, symmetry, spacing, and color while practicing skills connected to coding and design thinking. The finished covers were printed, laminated, and displayed in the club’s Book Nook.
Marshmallow-and-Stick Tower Challenge
Teams received the same number of marshmallows and sticks and an equal amount of time to build the strongest tower possible. Afterward, students compared the structures and discussed why one was stronger than the other. This challenge introduced basic engineering principles while developing creativity, communication, and teamwork.
