Prime Time Family Reading

09/02/2026

Save the date! Applications for spring Prime Time programs will open Tuesday, September 15!

Learn more about hosting a Prime Time program: https://primetimefamily.org/prime-time-reading-providers/grants-for-providers/

Sign up for our email list to get a reminder when applications go live: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/o6WyIQi/primetime

08/27/2026

School is back in session, so we're recommending a book about how social situations snowball. What happens when a mosquito tells a silly lie to an iguana? Somehow the sun stops rising. From that one small, ridiculous moment a chain reaction unfolds, each animal panicking, assuming, reacting, until someone gets hurt and the whole forest grinds to a halt.

Who is really responsible for the whole mess? The mosquito who started it? The iguana who shut it down? Every animal in between who jumped to conclusions? Leo and Diane Dillon's bold, jewel-toned illustrations make every character feel vivid and distinct, and the story is perfect for talking about gossip, assumptions, and what happens when we stop listening. Try playing telephone after you read it. See where the story ends up.

"Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears" is part of the Prime Time Animal Tales series. To view other books in the series and all of our series, visit https://primetimefamily.org/prime-time-reading-providers/ -series

08/18/2026

We are excited to share the results of a new report that highlights Prime Time in Northwest Louisiana as a vital anchor in the region’s expanding educational ecosystem, delivering measurable academic and social benefits to thousands of local families.

Since its inception in Northwest Louisiana, Prime Time has served nearly 7,000 families. This reach is made possible by our local host sites and our partners, including the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, which also generously funded the report. Together, we will keep making an impact for families in North Louisiana and across our state!

Learn more and access the report below.

Read the full report A new report highlights Prime Time in Northwest Louisiana as a vital anchor in the region’s expanding educational ecosystem, delivering measurable academic and social benefits to thousands of local families. An initiative of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Prime Ti...

08/11/2026

It's time once again to nominate those who have made outstanding contributions to the understanding of Louisiana's culture and history for our Bright Lights Awards!

We are currently accepting nominations for:
• Lifetime Contributions to the Humanities
• Documentary Photographer of the Year
• Humanities Documentary Film of the Year
• Humanities Book of the Year
• Light Up for Literacy
• Best in Digital Humanities

Nominations must be made by October 20 (October 9 for Book of the Year). Learn more about how to make a nomination at the link below!

Nominate a Louisianan who has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of the state’s culture and history.

08/04/2026

We spent an inspiring day at the Love Our Schools 2026 CAFÉ Launch in Lafayette on Friday. The goal of the program is to bring people together to strengthen schools through connection, engagement, and purposeful action. We were happy to share how our Prime Time program does this and to make meaningful connections with so many like-minded individuals who believe that when schools and the community work side by side, meaningful change happens.

07/28/2026

Kasie Henderson is a literacy content mentor at Caddo Parish Public Schools, a Prime Time program coordinator, scholar/storyteller, site mentor, trainer, and past program participant.

Her very first teaching job in Caddo Parish was at Northside Elementary School. The principal asked her and a few of her colleagues if they would be interested in piloting a program.

"I had never heard of Prime Time or the LEH (Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities). I was provided the opportunity and jumped on it!," she said. "My first training was an in-person training in NOLA as the storyteller/scholar role. I immediately fell in love with the concept and the depth of how literature was approached."

07/24/2026

This week, we got to meet early childhood educators from across Louisiana at the 2026 Louisiana Head Start Association Conference in Lafayette. Hosted by our very own Prime Time Head Start, the conference brought together more than 500 educators for professional development in preparation for the 2026-27 school year.

Kids are never too young for books to spark big ideas! Prime Time partners with Head Starts and other preschool providers for our Prime Time Preschool Reading programs that spark conversations and build strong connections, both between the child and caregiver and between the family and school. Prime Time programs can also help start families on the path early on to building important literacy skills and a lifelong love of reading and learning in the home. If you're a preschool educator interested in learning more, reach out to us at [email protected].

07/15/2026

Kim Jones is a storyteller for Delaware Humanities, who enjoys creating a welcoming space with Prime Time where both children and adults grow together through stories, dialogue, and community. Her most important advice for fellow storytellers and other program leaders: "Relax and have fun!"

06/30/2026

Here at Prime Time headquarters in South Louisiana, we know that summer means storms, service interruptions, and the very real possibility of losing power on the hottest night of the year — no light, no AC, and nothing to distract a family from each other. We also know what happens next: the lights go off, and community shows up.

"Blackout" follows a busy New York City family who finds their way back to one another — and their neighbors — on one sweltering summer night without power. It's a story that could have happened right outside your door.

John Rocco's deeply saturated illustrations pull kids in from the very first page and keep them talking long after the last. Family members huddle around candles and flashlights, play board games and entertain themselves without a screen in sight — sound familiar? After reading Blackout, have a conversation with your kids: What would your family do if the power went out tonight? Do you know your neighbors' names? What's your favorite thing to do that doesn't need electricity? Put this one at the top of your summer reading list — we promise it won't disappoint.

06/22/2026

Before school let out for the summer, we shipped 1,000 Prime Time Boxes to schools, libraries, and community organizations across Louisiana to help them provide books and learning resources to families to help combat summer learning loss. Nearly 500 also went to families in Georgia, courtesy of the Georgia Public Library Service. That's nearly 9,000 books that are now part of families' home libraries!