How Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is helping kids start reading when they’re very young

This free program mails an age-appropriate book monthly to each enrolled child from birth to age 5.

By: Alex H. Poole, Drexel University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 2, 2026

Words: 1,335

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 2 days ago

By Alex H. Poole, Drexel University

By the time Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25, 2026, her Imagination Library had gifted more than 332 million children’s books to babies and kids in all 50 states and four other countries: Canada, the U.K., Australia and Ireland.

If they were set end to end, these books would circle the earth 1.8 times.

This free program mails an age-appropriate book monthly to each enrolled child from …

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