HISD is partnering with Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Books Between Kids, PNC Bank, St. James Family Life Center and the Waltrip Family Foundation to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to up to 5,000 children in Houston.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that provides free books to children from birth to age 5 in participating communities within the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland. Dolly Parton launched Imagination Library in 1995 to foster a love of reading among her home county’s preschool children. Today, the program gifts over a million books to children around the world each month.

Part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the “Book a Month” program will provide young Houstonians access to books by mailing a book directly to their home each month until the child turns 5. Families who either reside or attend a school in the following zip codes can sign up to participate in the program: 77009, 77011, 77012, 77017, 77020, 77022, 77029 and 77087. The first book each child will receive via mail will be Dolly Parton’s favorite—The Little Engine That Could. 

The Book a Month program will kick off at Sherman Elementary School on Wednesday, Sept. 30 with a drive through sign-up event for families. Families who attend and sign up for the program will receive giveaway items including, a tote bag, Learn At Home kit, learning tips and a Sesame Street resource pack provided by PNC Grow Up Great, as well as age appropriate books from Books Between Kids.

Families attending the drive through sign-up event should remain in their vehicles, as physical distancing requirements will be in place and masks or facial coverings will be required. Families unable to attend the drive through sign-up event Sept. 30 can sign up by visiting booksbetweenkids.org/bookamonth/ or calling 832-831-1402 ext. 806