Soft cover books coming. Learn more here!

Reading to your child from birth
is one of the most important activities you can do to ensure he or she is prepared for school and also prepared for life, research tells us. Sharing reading time not only helps introduce your baby to language but also aids in proper brain development and assists in strengthening your bond as parent and child. 

That is why the Middletown Community Foundation is so pleased to serve as our local coordinator for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, an early childhood literacy program that provides one free, age-appropriate, expert-selected book every month to any child birth to age 5 living within the borders of the Middletown City School District. (In partnership with the United Way of Greater Cincinnati - Middletown Area's Women Living United, we anticipate expanding to the Monroe, Edgewood, and Madison school districts in late 2010, but we are unable to begin registering children from those communities yet.)

The only requirements to register your child for this important program are that he or she be under the age of 5 years old and live in the Middletown City School District. (You may enter your address on the School District's website here to determine whether your home is located within the District's borders.) There are no costs to join and no income requirements to be met. These books are a gift to all of our community's children. 

Once your child is enrolled and receiving books, we encourage you to visit the Activity Sheet section of this site each month to find projects to engage your child with his or her book. Also, if you have questions you may visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. 

There is no cost associated with registering your child for the Imagination Library. Dolly Parton's Dollywood Foundation pays for the program's international administration, and several wonderful local sponsors pay for the costs of book purchase and shipping for children in Middletown, roughly $28 per child annually. However, if you would like to contribute to support the program in our community, you may make a tax-deductible gift via credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) here. 

Copyright © 2009 Middletown Community Foundation, Inc . All rights reserved. Some photographs and other materials are owned by their respective copyright holders and are used with permission.