Testimonials
Testimonials
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
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Reading Ready Pittsburgh
supporting families to foster a love of reading
Reading Ready Pittsburgh believes in the power of family book sharing to ensure all children are ready to thrive in school.
By increasing access to books and encouraging significant family engagement, we work to guarantee that all families have the tools and resources they need to support their children.
All children deserve full book shelves.
More than 326,000 books given away to date!
Deon's Story
Deon, a former professional football player turned early literacy advocate, shares his story about learning how to read as an adult so he could be a part of his daughter's own journey of reading.
Our Recent News
Halloween Hoopla 2026
Always such a fun time at the bookstore's annual Halloween event. Fifty children came through the door with their family! That's at least 150 books given away during the day, 50 pumpkins decorated, dozens and dozens of cookies enjoyed, and lots of memories made hearing stories and meeing new friends.
Chelsea Clinton and Lori Shapiro at B is for Books
B is for Books welcomed Chelsea Clinton and Lori Shapiro, First Lady of Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 22. Chelsea, as a representative of the Clinton Foundation's Too Small to Fail wanted to see all the good work Reading Ready Pittsburgh is doing for Pittsburgh-area children using the grant money TSTF generously awarded to us. Both Chelsea and Lori conducted storytime for some local children, too!
Photo credit: J. Hambrick/Clinton Foundation
Magic Tree House Day
Over 35 kids came out Saturday, October 10, to help Jack and Annie restore the lost information about endangered animals. We planned tons of activities for this one, and it seems everyone had a blast and got to walk away with 3 brand new Magic Tree House books. And -- most importantly -- Tortellini, an 18 year old turtle, made a special appearance!
Literacy Under the Lights
WOW! What a time at our Literacy Under the Lights on the Steel Valley High School football field. Over 160 children came out with their families over the course of our 2.5 hours. Stories were read and heard, crafts were crafted, tons of brand new books given away. So many wonderful moments we tried to capture. Thank you so much for making this event so successful! And super special thanks to the Steel Valley School District cheerleaders, band, color guard, and football players. See our social media for even more photos!
2026 Breastfeeding Friendly Place Award!
Reading Ready Pittsburgh was recognized for demonstrating how small organizations can make a meaningful difference for breastfeeding families. By providing a clean, welcoming lactation space and creating an environment where nursing parents feel comfortable, Reading Ready Pittsburgh shows that breastfeeding-friendly practices are within reach
for organizations of all sizes.
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"At Reading Ready Pittsburgh, we believe that creating a welcoming environment means making room for the whole family," said Mary Denison, PhD, Executive Director of Reading Ready Pittsburgh. "Supporting breastfeeding parents is one practical way we can show families that they belong here. You do not need to be a large organization to make a difference. Sometimes it is simply about listening, being thoughtful and making sure people have what they need."
Dells Ice Cream Storytime
A HUMONGOUS thank you to Dell's Sundae Grill for hosting Reading Ready Pittsburgh's ice cream story time and free book fair event this past Saturday. Tons of families came through, and, of course, lots ice cream was enjoyed thanks to their very generous donation. Be sure to give them tons of support before the end of the season!
Bilingual Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Books
Get this! DPIL launched their bilingual English/Spanish option in California in June 2023 and now are now expanding into all remaining states in the USA! If you are currently enrolled in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, you can switch to the fully bilingual English-Spanish program.
Mary's Essay in Kidsburgh
Our inspired and inspiring Executive Director, Mary Denison, recently wrote a wonderful op-ed about the importance of early literacy and barrier-free access to books, and it was just published on Kidsburgh. You can read it right here!
