Read to Me: Nurturing Young Readers One Book at a Time

If you were born in Tuolumne County anytime since June 1990, there’s a good chance you received your very first book from the Read to Me program.

Founded by Iota Epsilon – the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional society for women educators – Read to Me has distributed a book to virtually every baby born at the Adventist Health Sonora Birth Center over the last 34 years. That’s more than 17,000 books gifted to the Mother Lode’s littlest readers.

Research has long demonstrated the positive outcomes of reading to children, including strengthened relationships with parents and caregivers, language development and future success in school. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends shared reading beginning at birth and continuing through at least kindergarten.

Members of the Read to Me committee, all retired Tuolumne County teachers, knew that the best way to help families achieve these outcomes was simply by getting books into kids’ hands. That shared purpose has continued to fuel the program, even after the formal Iota Epsilon chapter dissolved several years ago.

“This group has always been passionate about education and doing the right thing for kids,” said Brenda Chapman, a member of the committee and former teacher and administrator at several Tuolumne County schools. “That’s what binds us and keeps us going.”

The Read to Me gift bag each baby receives includes a bib with the Read to Me teddy bear logo, information about getting a library card and local literacy resources, and of course, a book.

Initially, Read to Me developed and distributed an original book, written by local educator Leslie Minium, and illustrated by Christen Blechschmid, a local artist. The cost and labor involved in printing and hand-binding each book became prohibitive, so the committee later opted to give commercial children’s books.

“We like to choose books that are fun for parents and kids to read and that have great pictures,” says Stacy Tune, Read to Me committee member and retired Summerville Elementary teacher. “I especially like the ones that have a song, too.”

The program has been running long enough now that multiple generations have received their first books from Read to Me, including many on the committee’s own grandchildren. And despite all the life changes that come over three decades, the inscription in the original Read to Me book still rings true to the committee’s mission: “dedicated to children … who we hope will grow to love books.”