Book Distribution
Access to books and other reading materials is essential to raising a generation of readers. As Jim Trelease, author of The Read Aloud Handbook, has noted, “it’s tough to get good at rodeo if you’re missing a horse.” Read Aloud puts books and magazines in the hands of students through a variety of programs. See below for ways we can work together to get children in your school or community high quality books of their choice!
Request a Distribution
If you work at a school or facility that serves kids in need, you can request a Read Aloud book distribution. Books are distributed on a first come, first served basis with a preference given to communities facing the highest barriers. Teachers and administrators can submit an application for a school distribution via the link below. All others, please email stateoffice@readaloudwv.org with your request.
Virtual Book Tastings
A type of book distribution we developed to continue serving schools and families through the pandemic and beyond, our Virtual Book Tastings invite children to engage in rich book talk and preview books that are available to them through Read Aloud. On a 45 minute video call with volunteers and staff, students are given little tastes of a variety of titles, so they can make informed decisions about which they’d like to keep. Learn more about Virtual Book Tastings in this post.
Read Aloud Families
Read Aloud Families was developed to help families grow healthy reading habits in their homes during COVID-19 and beyond. With monthly shipments of books of their choice for each child in the household and accompanying activities, this program engages the whole family in habits shared by lifelong readers, such as recommending books to friends or quitting a book you don’t find interesting.
With children back in classrooms, we have phased out our Read Aloud Families program. For more information on how to connect your family to Read Aloud, contact our office.
Books for Babies at CAMC Women and Children's Hospital
Our Kanawha County chapter has revived a program from Read Aloud’s early years, Books for Babies, which gives every parent who delivers at CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital in Charleston a board book and educational brochure to engage them in reading to their baby from birth. This program would not be possible without the partnership of the nurses in the ward, who present the book to the family and ensure they understand the importance of reading to their child from their earliest days. Are you a healthcare worker who would like to see a similar program implemented at your hospital/primary care facility? Call us at (304) 345-5212 or email stateoffice@readaloudwv.org.
