Blog, Press, and News!

Memorial Hospital of South Bend is launching Books from Birth this week, becoming the first hospital in Indiana — and the latest across a select group of hospitals nationwide — to send every newborn home with a starter library of new board books.

Our 2025 Impact Report is a celebration of book joy -- of children choosing their very own books, of families snuggling up to read one more story, of a community full of people who believe, fiercely and joyfully, that every child deserves a home library filled with books they cherish.

It was a chilly winter day in 2011. I was feeling a bit nervous, not really sure what I was doing. I entered the waiting room of the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service in Carrboro, North Carolina, lugging a bookshelf and grocery bags full of donated children’s books.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Open Books, Open Doors Act to tackle book deserts, and break down barriers to the opportunity and promise of reading for millions of children in the United States. This comprehensive legislation would work to expand equitable access to books in every corner of the country, and close literacy gaps – so every child is positioned for long-term success in school, the workforce, and life.

Events and storytimes offer a special opportunity to connect with our community, bring new families into the space, and infuse reading with a sense of joy and celebration. But most importantly, Book Harvest storytimes don’t end on the last page; they extend into the home. Every attending family and child gets to keep a copy of the featured story to read again and again, building their home libraries with meaningful and memorable titles.

On March 26th, Book Harvest was honored to receive the 2026 James B. Hunt, Jr. Celebrate Literacy Award from the North Carolina Reading Association (NCRA). The award recognizes local North Carolina reading councils, organizations, or individuals for service in promoting literacy among children and adults and in developing reading and writing communities.

We are thrilled to share that Book Harvest is endorsing the Open Books, Open Doors Act, introduced yesterday by Senator Andy Kim (NJ) who believes, as we do, that every child deserves a home library brimming with opportunity and possibility.

One year ago, we highlighted our Books in a Box program in the blog post 200 Kids and Counting: Help Us Reach More Families! Today, we are excited to report that in the following year, between February 2025 and January 2026, the program has served 195 more children and 135 incarcerated parents across North Carolina—and we are just getting started.

Book Harvest's Books in a Box program can't close the physical distance between an incarcerated parent and their child. But it can build something across that distance—a shared story, a nightly ritual, a reason to call and connect. This is something I've believed since we launched the program in 2023, which delivers a home library of 20 new books directly to children who are experiencing the incarceration of a parent.