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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 ParentPowered Raising a Reader Dolly Parton's Imagination Library 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 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 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Is Now in Sto-Rox! All families of children under 5 that live in the 15136 area code 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.

Contact Us Have a question? Please reach out to us! We would be happy to hear from you. Email us directly or fill out the form below. Mary Denison, Executive Director Megan Chips, Program Director Kathy Koltas, Librarian Mark Sepe, Outreach Coordinator Stefanie Wielkopolan, Program Coordinator Hannah Zibert, Program Coordinator How can we help? Submit Thanks for reaching out!

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.

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!"

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!

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Parents Is your family new to Raising A Reader? Check out the video below to learn all about the Raising A Reader program to start receiving books from your childcare program . 1. Check to see if your childcare program is a Raising A Reader Partner 2. If your childcare program is a Raising A Reader partner, complete the google form . We want to hear from you! What dreams and aspirations do you have for your child's literacy development? What role can Reading Ready Pittsburgh play in making your dreams and aspirations a reality? Let us know! Contact Us Parent Resources Celebrity Storytime Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Read Aloud Free eBooks eLibrary eLibrary eLibrary Digital Library Sign up for our monthly newsletter! Each month we share tips, early literacy information, and upcoming events in the area. Submit Thanks for signing up to read our news! Click here for Newsletter Archives TIPS FOR READING WITH YOUR LITTLE ONES Let your child hold the book and turn the pages. Reading before bedtime helps your child relax! When the story has a sound effect, make the most of it! A loud “boom” and an animal sound “oink” will help keep children engaged. Let your child choose the book. CLP Best Books for Babies 2023 CLP Best Books for Babi es 2022 CLP Best Books for Babies 2021 Scholastic 100 BEST Read Aloud Books Black Girl Magic: 33 Picture Books Featuring Black Female Protagonists Black Boy Joy: 30 Picture Books Featuring Black Male Protagonists Great Read Alouds for Babies and Toddlers - Reading Rockets The Pittsburgh Study Book List - Racially Affirming Books for Black Children Book Lists Raising A Reader launch at Whitaker United Methodist Head Start. Amity Community Garden 7th and Amity Street Homestead, PA 15210 Laundromat 212 East 8th Avenue Homestead, PA 15120 Steel Valley COG Building 1705 Maple Street Homestead, PA 15120 Angel’s Place Woodstock and S Braddock Ave Swissvale, PA 15218 Carnegie Library of Homestead 510 E 10th Ave Munhall, PA 15120 Carl’s Red Door Store 337 5th Ave Rankin, PA 15104 House of Soul Catering 203 Whitaker St Munhall, PA 15120 Free Store 15104 420 Braddock Ave Braddock, PA 15104 Munhall 3510 Main Street Munhall, PA 15120 beSocial - Mon View Heights 1 Midway Drive West Mifflin, PA 15122 Salvation Army - Steel Valley Corps 104 E 9th Ave Homestead, PA 15120 Dragon's Den 1008 Amity Street Homestead, PA 15120

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!

Volunteer Resources Clearances You must obtain your clearances before reading in a classroom. Reference this document to determine which clearances you need. Need help? Questions about obtaining your clearances? Contact mark@readingreadypittsburgh.org Volunteers and staff gather for a group photo at Mon View Painting Day 2023 Book Lists Click on the lists below to find engaging read aloud books. Great Read Alouds for Babies and Toddlers - Reading Rockets Best Books for Babies 2024 - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Books for Toddlers - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Books for Preschoolers - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Rhyming Read Aloud Books Black Girl Magic: 33 Picture Books Featuring Black Female Protagonists Black Boy Joy: 30 Picture Books Featuring Black Male Protagonists Volunteer Favorites Additional Resources Looking for ways to engage the children you're reading with? Check out these ideas! Do you read to groups of babies? Check out this list for best practices when reading with babies.

Upcoming Events with Reading Ready Pittsburgh Past Events Family Library Day September 16, 2023 12 - 2 pm Carnegie Library of Homestead, Homestead, PA Braddock Literacy Day May 20, 2023 1 pm - 3 pm Clara E. Davis Civic Plaza, Braddock Birthday Book Wrapping February 8, 2023 9:30 - 11:30 am Reading Ready Pittsburgh Office, Homestead Beverly's Babies - Duquesne January 17, 2023 11 am - 12:30 pm First Presbyterian Church - Duquesne Red Lantern Bike Giveaway December 4, 2022 12 - 2 pm Free Store, Braddock Volunteer Service Day October 12, 2022 1 - 4 pm Various Little Giveaway Library Locations Storytime at Amity Garden September 18, 2022 10 am - 12 pm Amity Community Garden, Homestead Mon View Paint Day June 3, 2023 10 am - 2 pm Mon View Heights Apartments, West Mifflin, PA Storytime at the Laundromat March 16, 2023 3:30 - 5:30 pm The Laundry House. 8th Avenue, Homestead Author Visit: Natasha Tarpley February 1, 2023 World Read Aloud Day N. Braddock Holiday Giveaway December 17, 2022 11 am - 1 pm Braddock's Battlefield History Center Homestead Holiday Parade December 3, 2022 12 pm Homestead Birthday Book Wrapping October 7, 2022 10 am - 12 pm Reading Ready Pittsburgh Office, Homestead Storytime at the Laundromat August 27, 2022 10 am - 12 pm The Laundry House, 8th Avenue, Homestead

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.

Little Giveaway Libraries Reading Ready Pittsburgh builds, fills, and maintains 14 little giveaway libraries in the Mon Valley. All families are invited to take books from the little giveaway libraries to add to their home collection and read with their children regularly . Children waiting to use a new little library Little Giveaway Library in the COG building in Homestead. Little Giveaway Library in the Amity Harvest Community Garden. Thank you! All the gently used books placed in our Little Giveaway Libraries are donated from many generous local families as well as elementary schools and partner organizations. Want to build a library? Email Mark at mark@readingreadypittsburgh.org to get the process started! Amity Community Garden 7th and Amity Street Homestead, PA 15210 Steel Valley COG Building 1705 Maple Street Homestead, PA 15120 Angel’s Place Woodstock and S Braddock Ave Swissvale, PA 15218 Carnegie Library of Homestead 510 E 10th Ave Munhall, PA 15120 Carl’s Red Door Store 337 5t h Ave Rankin, PA 15104 Clairton Family Center 734 Miller Ave Clairton, PA 15025 House of Soul Catering 203 Whitaker St Munhall, PA 15120 Free Store 15104 420 Braddock Ave Braddock, PA 15104 Munhall 3510 Main Street Munhall, PA 15120 Mon View Heights 1 Midway Drive West Mifflin, PA 15122 Salvation Army - Steel Valley Corps 104 E 9th Ave Homestead, PA 15120 Dragon's Den 1008 Amity Street Homestead, PA 15120 The Youth Department Children of Israel 329 9th St McKeesport, PA 15132 Millvue Acres 100 Marion Circle Clairton, PA 15025 Americorps volunteers freshen up a library Jim, a volunteer, helps install a library he built A brand new library waits to be opened by local children