top of page

Blog, Press, and News!


Why Book Ownership from Birth Is Essential for Literacy and Justice
In the first three years of life, babies’ brains form more than one million neural connections every second.
What fuels that growth? Nurturing adults. Responsive interactions. And access to books.
Dec 4


Civic Engagement and Literacy Go Hand in Hand (from the archives)
Literacy has a long history of being connected to civic participation, and in many cases served as a barrier to voting. In the past, literacy tests have been used to prevent racial minority groups from casting their vote. Low literacy rates continue to keep many eligible voters from engaging in the electoral process today.
Oct 30


Cafecito Chats
Being able to communicate in Spanish empowers us to host bilingual storytimes, build trust with the Hispanic families we partner with, and demonstrate our commitment to being a truly inclusive organization. In that sense, Cafecito Chats are not just an hour of conversation–they’re a reflection of our values and a vital investment in the community we’re here to serve.
Aug 1


Perspective | AmeriCorps works. Let’s fight to keep it
On April 28, Book Harvest received alarming and tremendously upsetting news: the North Carolina LiteracyCorps — along with more than 1,000 other AmeriCorps programs across the country — was being terminated, effective immediately.
May 6


Perspective | How home libraries build family bonds from birth
Maria and Tiara’s stories emerge from Book Harvest, a North Carolina-based organization that has provided 2.5 million books to families
Mar 17


Delivering Books and Hope After the Storm
Book Harvest was able to help replenish bookshelves in Western North Carolina.
Mar 12


Perspective | Replenishing home libraries in Western North Carolina
On Dec. 9, my colleagues and I found ourselves driving west in the Book Harvest book truck toward the mountains of North Carolina.
Jan 10


Spectrum News 13: Free books encourage bilingual literacy for students
Free books encourage bilingual literacy for students By Jenna Rae Gaertner, Durham County Jan. 03, 2025 READ FULL ARTICLE ONLINE
Jan 4


Perspective | Summer matters
For the past 12 years, Book Harvest has actively worked to address this need by partnering with school districts to implement Books on Break
Oct 31, 2024


Book Harvest, ECU Health Medical Center prepare to provide books to families of newborns
ECU HEALTH | JUNE 14, 2024 Originally published on ecuhealth.org Books from Birth, a Book Harvest program, will begin providing...
Jun 18, 2024


Civic Engagement and Literacy Go Hand in Hand
It’s never too early to start inspiring children's civic engagement with books. Book Harvest is excited to partner with Kids Voting...
Apr 17, 2024


Perspective | One question every school superintendent should be asking right now
one question every superintendent should be asking themselves right now is this: What is our summer 2024 learning strategy?
Jan 31, 2024


Children’s Savings Accounts Keep Education Aspirations High for Kids of Color
Children’s savings accounts are a proven strategy that works.
Sep 6, 2023


Perspective | Literacy for life: It starts at birth
This flurry of attention to children’s literacy fails to acknowledge and act on one driving truth: literacy begins at birth.
Apr 23, 2023


Perspective | What does college have to do with newborns? Everything, it turns out
Children who have college savings of as little as $1-$499 are three times more likely to attend college.
Jun 28, 2022


Perspective | Winning the future for our kids is within reach
Alongside these troubling events of the day, there is a quiet and historic revolution happening across our country. Let us stand up together
Apr 22, 2021


Perspective | Want better health outcomes for kids? The American Academy of Pediatrics says combat racism with diverse books.
As anyone who has ever read Goodnight Moon to a toddler knows, shared reading is a magical activity.
Aug 20, 2019
bottom of page





