Reach Out and Read launched the Bookend City Initiative in 2008 to encourage regional leaders, local officials, and pediatric care providers to work together to promote early literacy and school readiness for every child in their community. A community becomes a Bookend City when 100% of the eligible pediatric practices have implemented the Reach Out and Read program.

Once a community earns the Bookend City designation, Reach Out and Read hosts an event with the Mayor, local elected officials, and the pediatricians, family physicians, and nurse practitioners in the community honoring their commitment to children.

At Reach Out and Read, we have always believed that the best way to achieve our goal of preparing children to succeed in school is through developing partnerships with the public and private sectors and the medical community. We recognize that our success is due in large part to the support and leadership we receive from local, state, and federal governments, businesses and foundations, and of course, doctors, nurses, and other medical providers.

The Bookend City Award emphasizes the importance of those partnerships and honors all those who have worked together in their own communities to ensure that every family understands the importance of reading aloud to children and its impact on early literacy and school readiness.

Below is a list of the communities that have earned the Bookend City designation.