Can you imagine your childhood without your favorite stories?

Neither can we. But the fact is that most children in low income communities have few, if any, age appropriate books in their homes.

The number of books in a home is the single strongest indicator of a child's future reading ability, setting him or her on a track for success in school and in life.

We encourage you to participate in “Read for the Record,” a national campaign sponsored by Jumpstart, where thousands of children and adults will read the same book, Corduroy, on the same day, October 2nd.

The campaign is designed to bring attention to the importance of early literacy by:

•creating the largest shared reading experience ever,

•putting a great book in a child’s hands, and

•breaking the record set on 9/20/07 when 258,000 people participated.

Reading can take place anywhere and everywhere! We suggest you promote group reading on October 2nd during home visits, family meetings and workshops, in daycare settings, at the playground, or at your local library.