Book Buddies Initiative

At Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, we strive to provide books for every child who enters their pediatrician’s office. Children need to feel seen in the books they read. They need to feel represented. Furthermore, parents need to feel that representation too. The population we serve is one of the most linguistically diverse in the world. Therefore, in many households of families in our program, English is not the primary language spoken at home.

We have made it a top priority to distribute books to our families that reflect the communities in which they live. However, these diverse and inclusive books tend to be more expensive and therefore less accessible.

Our Book Buddies Initiative built a coalition with other early literacy organizations to purchase more diverse books through a bulk book order at a lower cost per book. We have just completed our first order through our partners at Scholastic and are excited to ship 47,000 new books to our program sites at a better cost!

These books will allow families who often don’t feel represented in the books they read together to see families like their own on the pages.

Independent, peer-reviewed studies have consistently indicated that Reach Out and Read improves language ability in young children. Through this initiative, multilingual children will also reap the benefits of our program.

On March 2nd, students, parents, teachers, and communities around the country will come together to celebrate their love of reading. However, in lower-income communities, many households do not have books of their own.

You can make a difference by hosting a Virtual Book Drive through ROR GNY.

ROR GNY has partnered with 230 New York based medical centers to distribute books. Each of these sites have their own book needs to cater to their specific population demographic. The books requested for each site will reflect the communities in which they serve.

To host a virtual book drive, ROR GNY will provide you with a custom list of books to be purchased online, which will then be shipped directly to the program site. It’s an easy way to support our mission and to ensure every child has a book to read with their families at home. 

To learn more, contact Patricia Rollins, Development Manager, at 646-893-7333 or PRollins@reachoutandreadnyc.org. 

Joshua Rhodes from Great.com interviewed Reach Out and Read NYC as part of their ‘Great.com Talks With…’ podcast. This series is an antidote to negative news stories that aims to shed light on organizations and experts whose work is making a positive impact on the world.

Many of us are not aware that an ability to read and a familiarity with books in elementary school is one of the most important life outcome predictors. The younger a child shows an interest in books, the more likely they are to become well-educated, successful adults. Kristen Rocha Aldrich discussed the importance of helping underprivileged children discover reading.

Whole Family And Community Support

Between birth and the age of five, a child has around 15 health checkups. Reach Out and Read NYC provides children with books during these checkups to help kickstart a family’s relationship with reading.

Reach Out and Read NYC trains pediatricians and other pediatric providers in early childhood development as well as early literacy best practices. Trained staff can assess the child’s development by how they interact with the book, while also encouraging parents and their kids to read together.

Kristen explained that her approach spans two generations – the caregiver and child. Many parents are not used to the idea of reading to their child and don’t know how to access books for them to enjoy. That’s why Reach Out and Read encourages the parent to discuss their child’s development while providing community-based support. We partner with several other non-profits as well as New York Public Library to provide a plentiful supply of books.

Listen to the whole interview to find out about the magic of picture books and the power of language-agnostic visual engagement. Reach Out And Read NYC also welcomes donations.

Great.com is an organization that is changing the way people think about charity, development, and organizations. They’re leading the next generation of charitable giving with their completely remote and radically transparent team. Find out more.

Starting Wednesday, March 10, Reach Out and Read Partners with Healthcare Providers Across New York to Provide Books & Encourage Literacy in Underserved Communities. The Announcement is Part of Vooks’ National Reading Month Celebration Which Includes Live Read-Alongs

Portland, OR – (March 3, 2021) – Vooks, the world’s first and only streaming platform bringing storybooks to life through animation, announced today a partnership with Reach Out and Read Of Greater New York (ROR GNY) —providing more than 75,000 children with a year of free access to the Vooks library beginning Wednesday, March 10.

ROR GNY is a research-driven organization working directly with healthcare providers across New York to promote literacy and put books in the hands of children in underserved communities from birth to five years old. As part of their platform, ROR GNY provides doctors with a selection of books to read to children during pediatric checkups, before giving the book to the children to keep. It is often the only book the children will have at home. With the continuing pandemic forcing some appointments to move to virtual platforms, doctors no longer have books to give these young patients.

Seeking to restore this vital connection, Vooks is bringing all children in the Reach Out and Read program one year of free access to the entire Vooks library—giving them an invaluable resource available instantly at their fingertips. Starting March 10, doctors will show a Vook to children during their video appointments, and help parents and caregivers sign up for Vooks using a special promo code. Doctors will then walk parents and caregivers through custom guides that come with each book, encouraging them to share along with their child in the unique Vooks experience and make reading aloud a routine at home.

The announcement comes as part of Vooks’ celebration of National Reading Month in March. Vooks is putting the spotlight on a series of live read-alongs designed to spread the joy of reading and spark the imagination. The interactive event is accessible via the Vooks Facebook page and features Kitty O’Meara’s “And The People Stayed Home” on March 12, a poem about hope and positivity amidst the global pandemic from Tra Publishing, narrated by Oscar® winner Kate Winslet; as well as “Unicorn and Horse,” Familius Publishing’s popular story about differences, on March 19; and Jonathan Sundy’s whimsical friendship tale “Where Are You?” on March 26.

“At Vooks, we believe that every child should be able to experience the many joys and benefits of reading, firsthand,” said Marshall Bex, Vooks Co-Founder and CEO. “This partnership with Reach Out and Read is a strong reflection of that mission, and I cannot think of a more perfect time to launch it than during National Reading Month. We are proud to join forces with them to ensure that all children in their program are able to enjoy the absolute best that Vooks has to offer, and we hope this will help lay the foundation for a love of books and reading that will last a lifetime.”

“Our heart goes out to homebound families during the pandemic and this profoundly generous partnership with Vooks will ensure that all the children we serve-now including those in telehealth appointments-will still have access to the high quality books and resources they have come to expect from us,” said Emily Marchese, Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York.

“ROR GNY is committed to diversity in the books and resources provided to the community and titles like ‘Our Class is Family,’ ‘Sweet Dreams, Sarah,’ and ‘The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter’ available on the Vooks platform support our vision for books that provide windows and doors to all little New Yorkers,” noted Kristen Rocha Aldrich, Program Director of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York.

Vooks (rhymes with “books”) conveniently highlights special categories targeted to pre-school and elementary-aged readers, as well as the streaming service’s most popular and newly-released titles, making it a popular platform among parents, caregivers, and teachers, alike. Vooks is the fastest growing company in its class with readers in nearly 200,000 elementary schools in 175 countries, boasting the quickest adoption rate from teachers around the world.

The service is available worldwide and can be enjoyed on all popular devices including Apple’s iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple TV, as well as Android platforms and devices, Roku, and Amazon TV Fire Stick. Readers can enjoy unlimited access to the platform’s diverse content library for $4.99 per month or $49.99 a year. The platform also offers a free 30-day trial for those who would like to interact with Vooks before purchasing.

About Vooks

Vooks is the world’s first streaming platform bringing storybooks to life through animation. With an expansive library of titles, the Vooks storybook experience adds slight animation, sound and narration to classic and award-winning books that are loved by parents and educators alike. The kid-safe and ad-free streaming library of read-aloud animated storybooks transforms the reading experience by bringing words to life in order to spark every child’s imagination. Vooks combines the love, trust and safety of children’s books with the convenience of online streaming, for a whole new way to experience stories. Founded in 2018, Vooks is headquartered in Portland, OR. To learn more about the Company and services, visit Vooks.com and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York (ROR GNY) is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers who promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms by giving new books to children and guidance to their parents and caregivers about early childhood literacy, and the importance of reading aloud daily. The Reach Out and Read model is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the program has one of the strongest records of research support of any primary care intervention. ROR GNY serves over 255,000 children ages birth to five annually, in over 230 clinics and hospitals throughout New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. For more information or to donate, visit www.reachoutandreadnyc.org/donate. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @reachoutreadgny

Media Contacts:

Cindy Ronzoni            cindy@vooks.com

Emily Marchese          emarchese@reachoutandreadnyc.org