Madison Reporter

Madison Reading Project has announced a significant milestone in its partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Since 2021, the organization has successfully mailed over 353,400 new books to children under the age of five in Dane County. This initiative aims to promote early literacy by providing free, age-appropriate books directly to children's homes.

In 2024 alone, Madison Reading Project distributed 143,995 books across the county. The program is open to any child from birth until their fifth birthday who resides in Dane County. Each enrolled child receives a new book every month, fostering shared reading experiences within families.

Rowan Childs, co-executive director of Madison Reading Project, emphasized the importance of these efforts: “In the past year, we’ve sent nearly 144,000 books to more than 14,720 children throughout the county, and we’d love to add more to our mailing list.” Childs highlighted that such experiences are crucial for improving literacy rates from an early age.

Sarah Burke, Early Literacy Coordinator at Madison Reading Project, expressed enthusiasm about the ongoing impact: “We are so excited to make an impact and put more books into the hands of young children in Dane County.”