Read to Them

10/06/2026

Each year, the American Library Association hosts Banned Books Week as a way to celebrate the freedom to read.

The event runs from October 4 – October 10, with this year’s theme of “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” To celebrate, we wanted to highlight some titles in our catalog that have either been banned or authors on our list who have faced challenges to their work.

Dive in now: https://readtothem.org/banned-book-week-2026/

09/25/2026

Today is Give Like Dolly Day! As a nationwide nonprofit, we are proud to be a local Imagination Library affiliate for our hometown in Central Virginia.

Support Dolly’s work here in Central Virginia: https://www.imaginationlibrary804.org/donate

Give Like Dolly Day is coming September 25! 💛

Dolly Parton believed in giving back and helping children dream bigger—and this Friday, we’re celebrating that spirit right here in our community.

Join us for Day and help us continue putting free, high-quality books into the hands of children across our community, from birth to age 5.

Every gift helps us inspire a love of reading, one book at a time.

🔗 To learn more and support Imagination Library 804 visit https://www.imaginationlibrary804.org/

09/11/2026

Every September, National Literacy Month is held to highlight the importance of being able to read and write. And it’s not just for children, but for all ages; however, it is undeniable that laying the building blocks for early literacy skills is essential to a child’s wellbeing, and to their academic and professional success.

To celebrate National Literacy Month, please enjoy this personal essay from Kayla Aldrich, Read to Them’s Marketing Copy and Grant Writing Specialist.

Read the essay here: https://readtothem.org/celebrating-national-literacy-month-2026/

08/26/2026

Read to Them staff member and Imagination Library RVA Program Manager, Kimberly, spoke with local news affiliate WTVR CBS 6 News about Dolly Parton’s remarkable legacy and the lasting impact of her Imagination Library.

08/25/2026

We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Dolly Parton. We are sending our deepest condolences to her family and will endeavor to carry her legacy and mission forward in the work we’re doing as a Central Virginia affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

In 1995, Dolly Parton started mailing books to children in her home county to inspire children to love reading in honor of her dad, who couldn’t read or write.

That idea lives here too. Every month, 9,000 children in our Central Virginia localities find a book in the mailbox — because of neighbors who fund it, volunteers who run it, and a woman from Sevier County, TN who started it all.

Thank you, Dolly. We will always love you.

08/05/2026

Read to Them was delighted to donate several boxes of books to our local YMCA Bright Beginnings program. Thank you Casey and Daniel for all you do for students and families in the Greater Richmond area!

06/26/2026

"...It can help cultivate a lasting love for books and stared story experiences, something that can grow with students for years to come.”

Since 2022, students and teachers across Rutherford County Schools use their Summer School as an opportunity to come together around a shared reading experience. In this Into the Wardrobe blog post, John Colemon Elementary School Assistant Principal, Alexandria Wilson, shares her school's experience with One School, One Book (OSOB) – and the excitement to see their program implemented over the summer.

Read more here: https://readtothem.org/four-years-of-osob-summer-fun-at-rutherford-county-schools/

06/18/2026

What could a retired circus elephant and a young girl flagged for social isolation have in common? An unexplainable admiration for each other as two daughters who dream of being reunited with their mothers.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Holly Goldberg Sloan, the author of "The Elephant in the Room", about the fun of research, the importance of perspective and point of view, and the beauty of crossing bridges to meet in the middle.

Read more here: https://readtothem.org/research-perspective-and-crossing-bridges-with-author-holly-goldberg-sloan/

05/19/2026

Read to Them is excited to announce that we have added 4 new titles to our book list! They are now available to order and read with your entire school community.

Presenting:

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty (Available in Spanish!)
Race to Fire Mountain by Remi Blackwood
The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Sophia's War by Avi

Learn more about each title on the Read to Them blog:
https://readtothem.org/spring-into-these-four-new-read-to-them-titles/

05/05/2026

It's National Teacher Appreciation Week!

Join us in saying a big, sincere THANK YOU to teachers everywhere! We are so grateful to all of you.