August and September are the months that my primary ROR-KC responsibility is talking with brand new pediatric and family medicine residents about Reach Out and Read, and how to implement the program in their pediatric clinics. These young physicians are just starting their career. There’s a lot of anxiety, excitement and wonder as they begin their training journey. I love starting my conversation during our training sessions with a question – “What are YOUR favorite memories about reading as a young child? What favorite book do you remember?”

It’s so fun to watch their faces relax as they are thinking back to their childhoods, and see smiles emerge as they tell me what their favorite books were…Junie B Jones, Chika-Chika Boom Boom, Give a Mouse a Cookie, and more. “Then I comment about my observations – “Your faces just lit up as you recalled these special childhood moments! That’s exactly why Reach Out and Read is so important for your  patients and their families.” 

The simple gift of a book with brief guidance about how to share it with the child along with the recommendation to share books everyday helps children experience so many moments of not only sharing the book  but importantly, sharing love. Making moments that matter, making moments that reduce toxic stress, making moments that will serve that child’s health and well-being all of their lives! It's really hard to imagine how potent these interactions with

our patients and their families are!   We have the opportunity to help caregivers change trajectories of their children’s lives – just with that gift of a book, and advice to share the book and moments of love.

Thanks to you, our donors, we can continue to facilitate these special moments for families. Your gifts assure the flow of wonderful books to 37 clinics and thousands of children in our KC Metro area. I am so, so grateful.   I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at Books-On-Tap soon!