Book Harvest’s Books for K Expands to Houston: A Partnership Empowering Parents and Young Readers

Book Harvest’s Books for K program has landed in Houston, Texas! This past November, 50 children at Blackshear Elementary each chose 10 brand new books to take home and keep forever, helping them transition through winter break and into the second half of their Kindergarten year.

What is Books for K?

Book Harvest’s Books for K program welcomes kindergarten students to school with a joyful opportunity to select 10 books of their very own to take home and keep forever. In partnership with schools and districts, programs and organizations, Books for K kicks off formal education with a celebration of reading and book ownership (read more here).

Blackshear Elementary and The Parent Teacher Collaborative

Launched last year, Books for K has taken place in three districts in North and South Carolina. Thanks to generous funding provided by the Melvyn and Cyvia Wolff Family Fund, we were thrilled to be able to expand the program to Blackshear Elementary in Houston, Texas.

To make this effort possible, Book Harvest partnered with The Parent Teacher Collaborative (TPTC). Jessica Faith Carter, Executive Director and Founder of TPTC, empowered Blackshear’s parent leaders in the implementation of Books for K: parents decorated, staffed, and ran the event from start to finish, embodying both TPTC’s and Book Harvest’s missions of involving and supporting parents with their children’s literacy and education. 

“I’ve been at Blackshear for almost 3 years, and in the first year, I saw a lot of barriers stopping parents from showing up during the day or after school,” Carter explained, outlining the origins of TPTC. Since initially observing these obstacles, Carter has worked to bridge the gaps that keep parents from being involved. By addressing barriers by providing childcare and meals, TPTC supports PTAs or PTOs in growing their membership and community engagement. TPTC also offers internship programs in which parent leaders can contract at their children’s schools, directly helping teachers and programs (like Books for K!) for a few hours a week.

“Partnering with The Parent Teacher Collaborative, Blackshear Elementary, and families to launch Books for K at Blackshear has been incredibly meaningful,” shared Rachel Stine, Book Harvest’s National Director of School-Age Initiatives. “This collaboration demonstrates the power of working together to provide book ownership and support early learning for our youngest students.”

November 20th, 2025

On the big day, Carter and the Blackshear PTA got to enjoy the magic that is Books for K: each child excitedly trading, discussing, and ultimately choosing 10 books to take home and add to their home libraries. For parents to see this authentic excitement around books, Carter reflected, was incredibly meaningful: “These types of experiences will make them know that books and literacy are important, and it’s something that they can do at home.”

The parents staffing the event were already excited for their older children to partake in Books on Break in May, highlighting the success of this partnership. By empowering parents and families to embark on these literacy journeys with their children, Books for K at Blackshear encourages a strong foundation of shared routines, values, and a mutual love of reading. As Carter observed, “It’s making parents start having conversations about their children’s literacy and love of books.” 

Book Harvest is thrilled to return to Blackshear this spring for Books on Break and to continue implementing these models of parental empowerment and involvement. As beautifully exhibited in Houston, Book Harvest’s commitment to book abundance and book ownership not only unlocks opportunities for children, but also empowers their parents, families, and broader communities.

For more information about the program, please contact Rachel Stine, National Director of School-Age Initiatives, at rachel@bookharvest.org.