Books from Birth
Igniting Literacy for Every Newborn
Books from Birth partners with hospitals to send newborns home with a starter home library of 10 new board books and additional resources for families. Books from Birth is a core component of Book Harvest's early literacy continuum of care.
What is Books from Birth?
Book Harvest’s Books from Birth program partners with hospitals to send newborns home with a starter home library of 10 brand new board books.
Healthcare providers equip new parents with this home library packaged in a Books from Birth box that includes a onesie and additional resources that help families foster early language and reading routines from a baby's first days.
Books from Birth lays the foundation for early relational health and optimal brain development in the first five years -- a precondition for school readiness, academic success, and a healthy childhood that leads to a lifetime of flourishing.
Why Books from Birth Matters
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Literacy support from a family's medical team increases active engagement in literacy activities at home, including reading aloud several times every week and reporting that reading together is a favorite shared family activity. [1]
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Books in the home are the single biggest predictor of a child’s reading proficiency and long-term success in school [2], and regular reading from birth improves infant language scores by as early as 9 months of age. [3]
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A guiding principle of the American Academy of Pediatrics is that literacy begins at birth in the home, with parents. [4]
As a proud Book Harvest Champion for ECU Health, I’m over the moon to share what we’re doing right here in ENC! 🎉 Thanks to our Books from Birth program, every newborn at Maynard Children’s Hospital is already heading home with the sweetest gift—a box of 10 board books, educational goodies, and even a onesie! 📚👶💕This incredible partnership between Book Harvest and ECU Health is helping families across Eastern NC kickoff a lifelong love of reading from Day 1.
J. Nicole, NICU Nurse at Maynard Children’s
Joining the Books from Birth Network
Hospitals that join Book Harvest's Books from Birth network commit to:
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Provide all families with a Books from Birth starter home library, including 10 new board books and additional resources that support early language development and shared reading routines from a baby’s first days
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Participate in the program for a minimum of 36 months
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Secure funding for the program, with fundraising and strategic support from Book Harvest
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Designate one staff member to serve as the primary liaison with Book Harvest
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Participate in periodic implementation review meetings, scheduled jointly
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Share regular program data with Book Harvest, with metrics and reporting schedules determined collaboratively
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Integrate Books from Birth into the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR) when feasible
Interested in learning more about Books from Birth? Contact Michelle Sioson Hyman, National Director, Books from Birth, at michelle@bookharvest.org.
The Books from Birth Network
Oregon
Columbia Memorial Hospital (Launched 2024)
Funded through state investments administered via Oregon’s Early Learning Hubs
Georgia
Emory Decatur Hospital
(Launching 2026)
Supported by a healthcare foundation with private donor funding
Indiana
Memorial Hospital,
South Bend
(Launching 2026)
Supported by community and healthcare foundations with private donor investments