Today, almost 113 million books have been mailed for free to kids age five and younger, including children in the Dayton area. The books are even age appropriate. When you register your child and enter their age, the books will progress and advance as reading skills progress.
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” Parton said. “I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
Credit: Erica Szente
Credit: Erica Szente
There are multiple participating counties in the Dayton area including Miami County, Greene County and others. If you would like to register your child, all you have to do is check the availability of the program in your county by visiting Imagination Library's website.
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
“At this point, there’s nothing my little girl gets more excited about than books,” said Erica Szente, a Dayton-area mother. “Mia is almost two years old now and she starts jumping when I tell her this month’s book has come. They’re always brand new books that fit my daughter’s interest level.”
Some Dayton-area counties, including much of Montgomery, are currently not enrolled in the program. However, according to Imagination Library, the program is willing to come to any community
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
"There is simply no limit on how far we can take this program and to what ends of the earth, but it is an absolute impossibility without your help," according to Imagination Library's website. "If your community or a community that you are aware of doesn't yet offer this proven early childhood literacy program, then we challenge you to Get Involved! It's actually quite easy to bring the Imagination Library to life in your community and we have an onslaught of available resources to help you Start A Program including a personal trainer which we like to call "Regional Director"! So come on, you can do it, follow this link to get a simple checklist of what you need to do to Get Onboard Dolly Parton's Imagination Library."
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