One boy’s mission inspired 500,000 books, and now a wave of kindness is sweeping toward a million. A reminder that anyone can spark change.
What do you get when you mix a big heart, a little kid, and a whole lot of books? You get Orion Jean, a 10-year-old from Texas who has turned the idea of “kids helping kids” into something massive, joyful, and genuinely world-changing. His mission? To see 500,000 books donated to children who need them most, and he’s well on his way.
A Small Kid with a Huge Vision
When most 10-year-olds are thinking about recess, video games, or what flavor ice cream they want, Orion was set on something far bigger: sharing books with kids who don’t have enough of their own. His goal wasn’t modest; he aimed to collect half a million books so children in underserved communities could experience all the magic, comfort, and learning that books can give.
He knew he could do it. After all, this was far from his first good deed.
From One Project to Another
Orion doesn’t just collect and give back books. This project is part of something huge: Race to Kindness.
“Race to Kindness” might sound like a run in the park, but it’s so much more. It’s a movement. It’s an invitation. It’s Orion’s way of showing the world what kindness looks like in action. Instead of just talking about kindness, he found ways to live it, whether that meant collecting toys, meals, or books.
Before ever thinking about books, Orion tackled other needs in his community. His first big push was a toy drive to bring joy to hospitalized children. Then came a campaign to collect 100,000 meals for families facing food insecurity.
Why Books Matter (Especially When Kids Are Going Without)
Books are more than pages and words. For children, they’re doors into new worlds, keys to creativity, and tools for lifelong learning. But not every kid gets the chance to explore those worlds. Some live in book deserts, areas where access to books is limited. Orion saw that inequity, and he decided to do something.
His idea resonated with big partners, too. Organizations like ThriftBooks stepped in to support the book drive, helping Orion amplify his impact. With their backing, book counts climbed higher and higher, bringing the vision of 500,000 books within reach.
From One Kind Speech to National Attention
Orion’s journey started with a simple but powerful idea: kindness matters. In 2020, he won a kindness speech contest with a message about how kindness can make the world a better place. Instead of keeping the prize, he used it to launch his first volunteer projects. That’s pretty impressive for someone who was still figuring out long division and bedtime routines.
Soon, his work began attracting attention well beyond his hometown of Mansfield, Texas. News outlets, local organizations, and even celebrities took notice of this young changemaker. That kind of recognition doesn’t just highlight Orion’s work, but it inspires other kids to look around their own communities and ask, “How can I help?“
A Growing Legacy
Orion didn’t stop at books and meals. He also found time to share his thoughts and experiences in print. He wrote Race to Kindness, a picture book aimed at helping other kids learn how to practice kindness in everyday life, proving once again that you don’t have to be an adult to change the world.
He’s also published a book called A Kids Book About Leadership, where he talks about how everyone, even a kid, can lead with heart and make a positive difference. It’s a message that resonates no matter your age.
The Ripple Effect of Kindness
Orion’s book mission shows how kindness can ripple out and touch people in ways no one could predict. When a kid starts a campaign in his hometown, and it grows into a half-million-book movement, you’ve got to wonder: what could your kindness do? What difference would your idea make if you gave it a chance?
One thing’s for sure: thanks to Orion Jean, thousands, if not millions, of kids now have access to books that could shape their futures, fuel their imaginations, and open doors to possibilities they might never have known existed. And that’s a pretty extraordinary legacy for someone who started with a simple idea and a whole lot of heart.
The Race to 1,000,000 Kindnesses
Orion Jean’s latest project, The Race to 1,000,000 Kindnesses, takes his message to a whole new level. Instead of focusing on a single goal like meals or books, this initiative invites people everywhere to perform acts of kindness, big or small, and collectively reach one million within a year. Orion hopes that by encouraging everyone to look for everyday opportunities to help others, this kindness “race” will spark a ripple effect of compassion across communities far and wide.
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Millie Ramm
Millie has been writing since she was a child, and has spent more time with her nose in books than anywhere else. She has been ghostwriting novels and editing for the past few years, and when not working she is curled up with her cats, looking for her next read.
