Books change lives. And few programs understand that truth better than Reach Out and Read, an innovative national literacy initiative that began in Boston in 1989 and has grown into a movement rooted in care and connection.

Integrating books into pediatric practice, the program equips doctors and nurses to give new books to children at well visits—and to encourage families to read aloud together. Starting at six months and continuing through age five, each child builds a home library and a lifelong love of words.

"A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever," wrote Martin Tupper. Books strengthen the parent-child bond, support early language development, and prepare children for school. And when a story is shared with love, magic happens.

As California Senator S. I. Hayakawa once said, "In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read."

As of 2024, Reach Out and Read touches the lives of over 4.5 million children each year, across more than 6,400 sites nationwide—placing more than 36 million books into little hands and growing hearts. For as Walt Disney once said, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island”… and with each story read aloud, a child sets sail toward wonder, language, and love.