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Read to Rise, Nashville Public Library’s (NPL) initiative to improve literacy and school preparedness in children from birth to age 5, celebrated its first birthday last month.

In a year, nearly 1,000 children have benefitted from this free early literacy effort, with parents and caregivers reading with them for more than 12,000 days in total. 

As the program moves into year two, NPL invites you to follow along with a few of the amazing Read to Rise children! Tune in every month to see what they’re reading, what they’re learning, and just how much fun they’re having in the process.

Ray

Ray just loves to read! (Image courtesy of Yurina)

This is Ray’s first year participating in Read to Rise. He and his mother, Yurina, are having a blast with touch-and-play books.

Number of Days Read: 90
Last Book Read: Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth
Favorite Thing from Reading this Month: “In My First Peek-a-Boo Animals by Eric Carle, Ray loved lifting the peek-a-boo flaps and saying 'Peek-a-Boo' along with me!”

Poppy (with sister, Goldie)

Nothing better than two sisters who read together! (Image Courtesy of Virginia)

What’s more fun than reading a great book? Enjoying it with your baby sister! Their mother, Virginia, says the girls “won’t go to sleep until we’ve read a book and sung a song.”

Number of Days Read: 34
Last Book Read: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Favorite Thing from Reading this Month: “We’re learning about resilience! ‘Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! Buttons come, and buttons go.' ”

Read to Rise is not only fun — it’s also a great way to get your children ready for school. Did we mention there are free prizes involved? 

Enroll your little “listeners” in Read to Rise and make your own sweet reading-time memories today.

Love programs that inspire you to read? NPL’s Summer Reading Challenge is another great way to share the love of reading with your child and this year's was the best one yet.