Every child benefits from being read to, and one great way to foster a love of reading in children is through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
This program provides children with a FREE age-appropriate book, every month, sent directly to your home.
As of November, 2024, over 254 million free books have been distributed through this program to over 3.1 million children.
Find all the best (and cheapest) kids’ activities on our list of upcoming kids’ events in Charlotte!
Children who haven’t yet turned five years old are eligible, starting at birth.
You can register your child any time, as long as they are in the appropriate age bracket.
Depending on when you register, it can take up to 8-12 weeks to receive your first book, but after that they come regularly each month.
For example, if you registered your child on January 6th and were approved by your local affiliate in January, you would receive your first book in March.
Not every zip code is eligible, so you’ll need to plug in your zip code to check. Check your availability here, and then, if your zip code is eligible, you can register your child.
The reason it’s not available for every zip code is that a local affiliate has to sign up. For example, in Mecklenburg County, the local affiliate is Smart Start of Mecklenburg County. In Union County, the affiliate is Alliance for Children. In Cabarrus County, the affiliate is Cabarrus County Partnership for Children.
If your zip code is not covered, it’s because no nonprofit in your area has signed up to the program.
The local affiliate’s role:
- Enrolls local children ages 0-5 years old
- Pays a small amount (currently $2.20) per child per month, toward the wholesale books and mailing costs
- Promotes the program locally to drive enrollment and to gain funding
Dolly Parton’s imagination Library’s role:
- Covers all overhead and admin expenses
- Provides Book Order System database and support
- Coordinates Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee
- Coordinates monthly book order and fulfillment
- Handles the wholesale purchasing of books
Learn more about how it works.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Charlotte on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and we are not always notified. It's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
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More Events for Kids
Check out our huge list of upcoming events for kids in the Charlotte area, or look at a few of them here:
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