Wednesday, May 6, 2009

For the Love of Reading

Anna Claire got her first piece of mail the other day! It is a copy of The Little Engine That Could.


When I found out I was pregnant one of the first things I knew I wanted to do after she was born was register her with this

In 1996, Dolly Parton started the program in hopes of sharing the love of reading with families in her home county in East Tennessee regardless of their income. What started then, has now spread throughout the entire state of Tennessee and into Missouri and South Carolina (places where she operates businesses). Each community (education system, local government, civic organizations and non-profits partner for this) is responsible for paying for the books, the shipping, promoting, etc.. This isn't limited to Tennessee, so if you are interested in getting your community involved, visit the site to learn more about how to get books into the hands of children in your community.
The amazing thing about the library is that EVERY MONTH until Anna Claire is 5 years old, she will receive an age appropriate book! That's right, EVERY MONTH!
If you live in Tennessee, visit the Imagination Library to sign up!

7 comments:

Joanna said...

What a neat idea. We love reading in our home. I make sure that we have plenty of new books so the kids get a variety. We have done something right. My 10 year old would rather read then watch tv or play online!

Emily said...

It really is a wonderful thing...and a blessing. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to take advantage of such a gift. I'm glad you shared this on your site. We did it for Micah and have loved every book thus far.

Amy said...

yay! I LOVE the Imagination Library. It's not just in TN, either - I know for sure it's available in some places in Ohio and Maryland! You can enter your zipcode on the website and see if it's available anywhere in the country.

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

Just found your blog and enjoyed reading it.
I hope you will stop by and visit me.

The May give away has started....and next week I will be blogging from Disney World.

Lana said...

I think this is wonderful! I remember hearing about this when I lived in TN. I am glad to know it's in other states, too!

Annie said...

What a wonderful book and a wonderful way Dolly Parton is making a difference. It only takes one to spread some light! Thank you for sharing this...I hope others are inspired to join in and get books for their children. Especially when reading as gone to the wayside with all the electronics.

Amber said...

What a wonderful program! If I lived in Tennessee, I would definitely be enrolling my future children in the library too. How fun to see which book arrives each month!