Newton Elementary School Has a Blast with Mississippi Reads One Book

Earlier this year, the students at Newton Elementary School in Newton, Mississippi joined in on the Mississippi Reads One Book (MSROB) fun by reading J.D. and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard. Given this was Newton Elementary’s first time participating in a States Read One Book program, they endeavored to make an impact, starting … Read more

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has Arrived in the City of Richmond!

RICHMOND, VA – We at Read to Them are proud to share that we will be serving as the City of Richmond affiliate for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library! This means that every month, Imagination Library will provide a high quality, age-appropriate, personalized book for each registered child aged birth to five in the City of … Read more

Celebrating Five Years of ODOB at Kingsburg Elementary Charter! 

Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District (KECSD) serves a unique rural community in the Central San Joaquin Valley of Kingsburg, California. It is a town where parents, teachers, administrators, and community members are all singularly committed to the education of their children. Literacy had been a district-wide focus even before One District, One Book (ODOB) was … Read more

The Benefits Of Local Libraries For Child Development

National Libraries Week has been celebrated across the country since 1958. Running from April 23 – 29th of this year, it grants the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of libraries and librarians, as well as promote the multitude of free resources available through libraries. We hope you’ll join us in supporting your local libraries – … Read more

Incorporate Reading Aloud into Your Child’s Spring Break! 

Kids across the country are likely buzzing about in their classrooms, ready to take on all the fun that Spring Break has to offer. Whether you’re pitching a tent, hitting the beach, or simply lounging in your backyard, it can be incredibly easy to incorporate reading aloud into your Spring Break.  Wondering how you might … Read more

Read to Them Joins Forces with Better2gether!

In an effort to better serve clinic families, Better2gether and Read to Them have launched a joint effort to add a literacy component to the services they provide families who visit the Complex Care Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. The Complex Care Clinic is designed to offer support and coordination, serving … Read more

Why Diversity in Children’s Books Matters Now More than Ever 

The promise of every book is a simple but profound one: when you land on the first page, you know you’re going to be transported. Whether you take off on the back of a dragon for an unforgettable adventure or you’re the new kid in school trying to navigate equally heart-racing territory, you are setting … Read more

J. Dillard Helps Kick Off States Read One Book 2023

For the last seven years, Read to Them’s States Read One Book has rallied schools and districts across an entire state to read one book together, all at the same time. Since our inaugural program in Texas in 2016, we have proudly helped launch additional state-wide programs in Mississippi, Virginia, and Arkansas. Just this year, … Read more

Read Like a Wolf Eats: An Appreciation of Gary Paulsen

“You lived or you died… And in between you learned.” — Northwind, pp. 196 The prolific writer Gary Paulsen left us in October of 2021. The author of more than 200 books, Paulsen touched thousands of young readers’ lives. The testament of upper elementary school teachers across the country affirms that Paulsen also ignited the … Read more

Help Children Have Access to Read Aloud Programs on Giving Tuesday

Once we sit down with our families around tables filled with all the delicacies Thanksgiving has to offer, we are launched right into the holiday season. Gifts are spotted in both storefront and online windows, but one vital present that may be flying under your radar? The gift of family literacy. Earlier this month, we … Read more

Reading Aloud Is a Necessity, not a Luxury

Title: Reading aloud is a necessity, not a luxury. Image features a mom reading to her children at a library.

Recent months have featured alarming news about children’s books, reading, and literacy. We long for quieter times where children appreciate wonderful characters and stories and we support the joys of reading. The news also suggests, however, that sharing a well-told story with people you care about is more important than ever. A recent study from … Read more

Why Family Literacy Matters 

"Why Family Literacy Matters", a family reads a book together

The month of November– along with the other holidays and family gatherings on the horizon–  serves as Family Literacy Month. To us at Read to Them, this is our bread and butter, standing as essentially the biggest literacy celebration of the year… but what, exactly, is family literacy?  Family literacy refers to the way families … Read more

Head ‘Off On an Adventure’ During Read Aloud to a Child Week 2022!

Every year during the last week of October, Read to Them sponsors Read Aloud to a Child Week, a national event to showcase the importance of reading aloud to children and to encourage families to read together. For over 20 years, Read Aloud to a Child Week has been a stress-free way for everyone to … Read more

Chris Grabenstein Meets Us at The Lamp-Post

Author Chris Grabenstein is pictured beside his quote, "give yourself permission to write a really bad, terrible, no good, stinky first draft."

This month, at The Lamp-Post, we are going off on an adventure to celebrate Read Aloud to a Child Week (October 23-29, 2022). To explore how reading aloud can take you on an adventure, we are highlighting five chapter books, paired with five picture books, that can take families on a quest, romp, or journey.   … Read more

King’s Highway Elementary’s First Year with One School, One Book is a Success

A child stands in front of a paper gorilla

Earlier this year, the 600 students at King’s Highway Elementary in Coatesville, Pennsylvania participated in their very first One School, One Book program. Students, staff, and parents are all hopeful it is just the beginning of their read aloud journey. Hillory Rusnak, the Reading Specialist at King’s Highway, served as the facilitator and coordinator of … Read more

September Book Stack: School

Our September Book Stack recognizes, appreciates, and explores books in the Read to Them library that incorporate the element of school, our at The Lamp-Post theme for this month. Did someone just ring the bell? Let’s dive in! The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney  Longfellow School’s favorite classroom pet ventures home with students and teachers, … Read more