# Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Helps Young Kids Read

> Dolly Parton's free book program mails monthly books to children under 5 in all 50 US states and four other countries.
- Title: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Helps Young Kids Read
- Summary: Dolly Parton's free book program mails monthly books to children under 5 in all 50 US states and four other countries. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has…
- Keywords: dolly parton, imagination library, children's books, early literacy, free books, kindergarten, reading habits, science, ideas, Dolly, Parton's, Imagination
- Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/how-dolly-partons-imagination-library-is-helping-kids-start-reading-when-theyre-very-young-292207
- Author: Alex H. Poole
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: dolly parton, imagination library, children's books, early literacy, us, free books, kindergarten, reading habits, science, ideas
## 332 million books
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has gifted more than 332 million children's books to babies and kids in all 50 states and four other countries.
## Books circle Earth
If these books were set end to end, they would circle the earth 1.8 times.
## Monthly book delivery
The program mails an age-appropriate book monthly to each enrolled child from birth to age 5, meaning up to 60 books fill these children's shelves by graduation.
## First and last books
Each child receives Watty Piper's 'The Little Engine That Could' as their first book and Nancy Carlson's 'Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!' as their last.
## Early literacy focus
Parton believed reading begins in the home, where parents and guardians act as a child's first teachers and reading aloud contributes to future literacy.
## Father's influence
Parton's father couldn't read nor write, which inspired her to create the program to help children in his community.

> Daddy couldn't read nor write, and it always just seemed to cripple him, and he was embarrassed about it
## Program origins
The program started in late 1995 in Dolly Parton's hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, with an initial order of 1,760 books.
## How it works
Local partners pay $2.60 per month per child to cover book costs, while the Dollywood Foundation handles book selection and distribution.
## Growth milestones
By 2001, the program reached nearly a dozen states; by 2003, it mailed its one-millionth book and added bilingual titles in Spanish and English.
## Key takeaway

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has given over 300 million children's books to kids under 5 in the US and four other countries to boost early literacy.