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Reading Ready Pittsburgh partners with childcare programs and community organizations to offer literacy programs to foster a love of reading with Pittsburgh's youngest readers. Reading Ready Pittsburgh supporting families to foster a love of reading To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Reading Ready Pittsburgh believes in the power of family book sharing to ensure all children are ready to thrive in kindergarten. 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. Over 97,500 new and gently loved books given away by Reading Ready Pittsburgh to date , and Over 229,000 brand new books sent to homes through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! What We Do B is f or Books Free C hildren's B o okst o re Raising a Reader Dolly Parton's Imagination Library ParentPowered Community Outreach Little Giveaway Libraries Ranada's Story Ranada was introduced to the importance of early reading through our "Raising a Reader" program. Listen as she shares her insights about the impacts it has made on her family. Our Recent News Where Has the Time Gone? A lot has happened since our last update here, so let's fill you in! We had our Celebration of Families in November, and plenty of folks came and had their portraits taken -- some for the very first time. Local author Michael Roth came by and did a storytime and brought his therapy dog with him. For the winter solstice our very own Kathy and Sophia created all the puppets to perform a Three Billy Goats Gruff shadow puppet show. Kids got to make their own puppets afterward. And, finally, just last week we launched our Baby Book Club at the bookstore! It happens the first and third Thursday every month. Come check it out! 1/8 Halloween Hoopla 2025 We had an absolute BLAST this past Saturday, October 25, at our second Halloween Hoopla event. Well over 60 children attended, heard stories, decorated pumpkins, and took home lots and lots of free books. Hope you can make it next year! 1/10 B is for Bookbash So the B is for Bookbash this last Saturday was, well, a total BASH! We had somewhere around 100 or more families come through the Carnegie Library of Homestead in just a mere 3 hours. Thank you so much to our partners who helped us make this day a true success. Crafts were made; stories were read; snow cones and snacks were eaten; school supplies and books were gifted; and faces were painted. And, of course, much more happened but we'll leave it at that for now! Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone!! 1/11 B is for Bugs Day Reading Ready Pittsburgh hosted the Carnegie Museum of Natural History at B is for Books on Saturday, July 12, for a day filled with creepies, crawlies, and lots of fun activities. Kids and families got to see insects of all different shapes and sizes, eat some "dirt", and take plenty of bug books to learn more at home. 1/9 A Brand New Little Library! Reading Ready Pittsburgh built another free giveaway library for kids! This newest library was installed in the Millvue Acres apartment complex in Clairton, PA. It's a quite a nice one, and our very own Hannah's very own father was kind enough to build it for us. As you can see the installation was met with a very warm welcome, and we hope kids find inspiration from the books we stock for years to come. 1/4 Puppet Show Number 2 Our second annual puppet show went off without a hitch! We were so excited to have Emily Schubert and Rabbit Foot Puppetry back at B is for Books. Over 50 kids came through the door last Saturday, April 26, and everyone walked away with three free books and lots of smiles. Can't wait for the third annual show! 1/10 B is for Books Celebrates Its First Birthday It may have been wet and rainy, but the B is for Books first birthday party last Saturday was an absolute blast! A total of 80 children walked away with a brand new copy of The Magician's Hat and 3 extra books of their choosing from the shelves. To top it off, each family received one of our new B is for Books tote bags, as well. Cake was eaten, magic was performed, and balloon animals were plentiful. Thank you all for coming out and making our first year around the sun such a magical time! 1/9 Helen Smith Author Visit Children's book author Helen Smith visited B is for Books on February 4th to read her book My Hair Ain't Nappy to almost 40 parents and children! All children who joined for the day received a free, brand new copy of the book and got to participate in lots of fun activities. Thanks to all who helped make this day extra special. 1/5 DPIL Now Completely Covers 15203, 15210, 15211, + 15227! Thanks to the help of the Birmingham Foundation, all families of children under 5 that live in the area codes of 15203, 15210, 15211, and 15227 are now able to enroll their children in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Click here to enroll! Each child under 5 will receive a free book in the mail every month until their fifth birthday. Local Children's Authors Come Visit B is for Books In September and October, Reading Ready Pittsburgh hosted local children's authors, Joy Givens and Karen Lynn Williams. Joy read a book inspired her son, The Unstoppable Jaime , and Karen Lynn Williams read Bear Helps the Forest (Maybe You Help, Too) . Each event was accompanied by snacks, activities, and a book giveaway. Be on the lookout for more author vsits in the future! Joy Givens Karen Lynn Williams (left) Joy Givens 1/5

Upcoming Events with Reading Ready Pittsburgh Upcoming Events For questions about events, email mark@readingreadypittsburgh.org 1/4

Community Engagement and Outreach Reading Ready Pittsburgh loves to work directly and creatively in our local communities. Our organization is often tabling at a variety of community events and at partner's events . We also work with the family centers and pediatricians around the Mon Valley and provide them books and resources of all kinds like early literacy posters, stickers with helpful hints for parents, and literature highlighting the importance of early literacy. Click here to reach out to Mark if you'd like any items listed below or if you are interested in partnering with Reading Ready Pittsburgh in our community efforts! Executive Director Mary Denison tabling at a Beverly's Babies Community Shower Specific Projects 1/5 Family Reading Poster Campaign Much like the "Read" and "Got Milk?" public service announcement campaigns of the 1990's, Reading Ready Pittsburgh's poster project delivers a powerful message in simple language. Each of the 10 posters feature a photo of a local family reading to or with their child(ren) alongside a simple yet impactful message about literacy at the bottom. These posters are hung in areas where children and families might be: classrooms, libraries, pediatrician offices, and more. Feel free to request a couple if you know of a good place to hang one! Diaper Bank Baby Wipe Stickers Any time a parent or caregiver interacts with their child is a great time to talk, sing, and play. RRP has an ongoing partnership with Mon Valley Family Center diaper banks to put colorful tips and reminders for parents on baby wipes that are distributed alongside the diapers. 7 5 8 7 1/8 1/3 Read, Play, Learn Spaces There are many spaces in our community where families do passive errands or spend time waiting that are great places to add a reading nook. Reading Ready Pittsburgh has added RPL spaces to the Clairton laundromat, Clairton Inn apartment complex, Millvue Acres housing complex, the Latino Family Community Center, Duquesne Family Center, and even our bookstore! We hope to transform spaces in salons and barbershops, municipal buildings, and other similar areas. Let us know if you know somewhere that could benefit from a reading nook! Books for Family Health Care Centers and Pediatricians Reading Ready Pittsburgh supplies nearly a dozen community health clinics, family health providers, and pediatrician offices with free copies of Read to Your Bunny . Each time a new family with young children visit the office for a check-up or other service they get to walk away with a copy of Rosemary Wells' charming little book. From Scholastic: "This gem of a book celebrates reading through an intimate story and vibrant, bunny-filled pictures. [It] is an invitation for parents and children to read together every day. This picture book promises: Read to your bunny often, and your bunny will read to you."

Privacy Policy Reading Ready Pittsburgh Privacy Policy READING READY PITTSBURGH PRIVACY POLICY: We are committed to protecting your privacy. Your personal information, including mobile data, will never be shared with third parties for marketing purposes under any circumstances. Your data will not be transferred to external organizations. We have implemented strict safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, or sharing of your information. These measures include secure data storage, restricted access controls, and regular security reviews. If you wish to opt out of future communications, please follow these instructions: Reply to any message with the word "STOP" to unsubscribe from further communications. Contact our support team at the provided contact information and request removal from our communication list. For any questions regarding your privacy or our data practices, please contact us using the information provided on this website. Your privacy is important to us at Reading Ready Pittsburgh. When you access or use our website, we do not automatically collect Personal Data about you. Reading Ready Pittsburgh does not share or sell data. Reading Ready Pittsburgh only collects and uses the following data: (a) General . We collect Personal Data you voluntarily provide us. You may give us your Personal Data by acting in the following ways: (i) sign up for our newsletters, (ii) send us an e-mail. (iii) text with our staff. (b) Personal Data . “Personal Data” means data that allows someone to identify or contact you, including, for example, your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, as well as any other non-public information about you that is associated with or linked to any of the foregoing data. At times, individuals share Personal Data for the purpose of enrolling in our Newsletter. In addition you may share Personal Data to enroll in one of our two national programs: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and/or Parent Powered. Your data is used only for the purpose for which your request was submitted. We do not share your personal information with any other user for any purpose other than enrollment in these programs at your request. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to mark@readingreadypittsburgh. TERMS and CONDITIONS: SMS Disclosure: By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive customer care messages from Reading Ready Pittsburgh. Message frequency may vary. On average, you may receive 1-2 messages per month. To unsubscribe at any time, text STOP. For assistance, text HELP. Standard message and data rates may apply. For more information on how your data is handled, please review our privacy policy at https://www.readingreadypittsburgh.org/privacypolicy . Types of Messages You May Receive: When partnering with us, you may receive the following types of messages: • Customer care messages Opt out options: If you would like to no longer get text messages from Reading Ready Pittsburgh staff, please block us in your contacts. We send no automatic texts, so there is no direct way to opt out. Message and Data Rates: Message and data rates may apply. These charges are imposed by your mobile carrier and are your responsibility. Please consult your wireless carrier for details regarding your messaging or data plan.

If you do not live within the 20 additional zip codes we offer or the official city limits of Pittsburgh as indicated by the zip code list below, you are not eligible for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at this time.

Implementers Say "Some students come in and say 'My name was in this book!' or 'guess what I read!'" "We have had a lot of positive feedback from the parents involved." "We're given such great books." "Many of the parents like the access to so many great books and enjoy reading them with their children. We also have many parents that are inquiring about starting the program with their children." "Overall, I think it's a fabulous program. I think it has helped one of our students who was struggling with words and using 2 word sentences to expand to 5 word sentences more often now!" "They love them and enjoy getting different books!" "Our kids have all been so happy to receive a book to take home for their birthday" "[The programs] help us teach how to care for the books." Testimonials "The books were a blessing." "Receiving the bags gives my daughter something to look forward to." Parents Say "We were exposed to books I would have never picked." "I think Raising a Reader is a wonderful program that gave us access to books that are not in our home library." "We loved having new books to read and it motivated us to read more because we knew we'd have to return them soon." "Loved this [Raising A Reader] program. It helped so much with verbal skills." "It added new variety to our reading selection and introduced us to new stories and genres that we may not have explored otherwise. It also helped us set goals for getting through the entire bag. Our kids are excited to bring them home." "It was nice switching up the options to read and got my daughter engaged more in imagination and learning diversity." "Because of the books, I get to have all these new adventures with my daughters." "It [the books] gave us more quality time together." "I think it [Raising A Reader] makes my kids more interested in books and reading." "Receiving the books has impacted my daughters interest in books." "My child loves to read quick books and often will ask me or his sister. I really enjoyed these book bags. I hope to continue to be in routine of reading. Absolutely amazing program!"

Birthday Book Gifting Our Birthday Book Gifting program allows participating sites to gift each child in their childcare program an age appropriate, high quality book on their birthday. Birthday Book Gifting brings joy to children on their birthday and provides families quality books for their home library. How you can help: Purchase your favorite book(s) and send them to Reading Ready Pittsburgh. We'll wrap and deliver them fo r you! Questions? Email Ka thy Buy Local from these Pittsburgh Book Sellers: Send to: Reading Ready Pittsburgh Birthday Book Gifting Program 222 East 8th Avenue Homestead, PA 15120 Baby Preschool You can also shop from our wish list!

ParentPowered (Haga clic aquí para español) Over 900 parents enrolled! REGISTER HERE Or text RRP to 70138 to enroll FACT: Balance and coordination help toddlers navigate the world. They're important for physical tasks like climbing stairs and playing on a jungle gym. 1 year-old sample message TIP: As you lie in bed, play an emotion game. Whisper a feeling like happy or sad. Then show each other the face you make when you are feeling that way. 3 year-old sample message GROWTH: Keep comparing groups of objects. You're getting ready 4K. Now challenge your child to identify which hand is holding fewer pennies. Try one more time! 4 year-old sample message Promotional Flyers Want to promote ParentPowered in your community? Click the pictures below to download them and then share away!

Birthday Book Gifting Our Birthday Book Gifting program allows participating sites to gift each child in their childcare program an age appropriate, high quality book on their birthday. Birthday Book Gifting brings joy to children on their birthday and provides families quality books for their home library. How you can help: Purchase your favorite book(s) and send them to Reading Ready Pittsburgh. We'll wrap and deliver them fo r you! Questions? Email Ka thy Buy Local from these Pittsburgh Book Sellers: Send to: Reading Ready Pittsburgh Birthday Book Gifting Program 222 East 8th Avenue Homestead, PA 15120 Baby Preschool You can also shop from our wish lists!

Donate Explore this page to find out how to support Reading Ready Pittsburgh $35 supports one child for one year of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) $125 enables us to purchase a new initial Raising a Reader bookbag for one child and family $300 covers brand new book giveaways and other resources for our free events at B is for Books $3,000 buys new Raising a Reader materials for an entire preschool classroom—a gift that will serve them for years to come. Every contribution makes an enormous difference to us. Thanks to donors like you, Reading Ready Pittsburgh can help hundreds of families develop, practice, and sustain home literacy habits to ensure all children thrive. Make a general donation to Reading Ready Pittsburgh right here. Click here to donate to Reading Ready Pittsburgh's Dolly Drive! Donations made by check should be payable to Reading Ready Pittsburgh and mailed to: Reading Ready Pittsburgh PO Box 81111 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Support Reading Ready Pittsburgh through your workplace giving program. Our United Way Contributor Choice Program code is 19907484. Click Here to Donate Books Reading Ready Pittsburgh will gladly take your new and gently loved children's books to give away in our bookstore! It doesn't matter if it's one book or one thousand books, we will take them as long as they are in good conditio n; not offensive in their language or depictions of people and cultures; and geared towards kids birth to 18. Questions about donating? Click here to email Kathy! You can also shop from our wish lists! Baby Preschool Start a Book Drive We go through a lot of books here at Reading Ready Pittsburgh, so if you'd like to organize a book drive for us please email our librarian, Kathy, at the email address below. kathy@readingreadypittsburgh.org Thank you for supporting Pittsburgh's youngest readers!

Get free children's books sent to your home every month through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Reading Ready Pittsburgh! Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (Haga clic aquí para español) Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free high-quality books to children birth through age 5, no matter their family’s income. Eligible Zip Codes outside of City of Pittsburgh limits: 15025 - 15034 - 15035 - 15045 - 15104 - 15110 - 15112 - 15120 - 15122 - 15130 - 15131 - 15132 - 15133 - 15134 - 15135 - 15136 - 15137 - 15140 - 15145 - 15148 - 15218 - 15221 - 15227 - 15235 Eligible Zip Codes for the City of Pittsburgh: All zip codes within city limits. Click HERE if you aren't sure. NON-PITTSBURGH REGISTER HERE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REGISTER HERE What Is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library? Each month a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child’s name directly to your home. The first book is always the children’s classic The Little Engine That Could . Best of all it is a FREE GIFT to your child through our partnership with local organizations! There is no cost or obligation to your family. Who Is Eligible? Children under the age of five living within an eligible zip code. What Are My Responsibilities? Submit an official registration form, completely filled out by the authorized adult. Notify Reading Ready Pittsburgh any time your address changes. Read with your child and have fun! When Will I Receive Books? Eight to ten weeks after your registration form has been received, books will begin arriving at your home an d will continue until your child turns five or you move out of th e covered area. 8,100+ children enrolled! 229,000+ books gifted to date Like free books? Click here to receive more free resources for caregivers Promotional Flyers and Resources Want to promote Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in your community? Click the pictures below to download them and then share away!