Book Babies is a research-backed program designed to prepare children from low-income families (ages 0–5) for kindergarten success by fostering early literacy skills. Through home visits, families receive literacy coaching and 20 new books each year, helping them build a 100-book home library by the time their child starts school.

Grounded in three research studies — including a three-year randomized control trial by UNC Chapel Hill — Book Babies strengthens vocabulary development and school readiness.

The program was inspired by a simple moment in 2011, when a young child’s excitement over a donated book sparked a movement that grew into Book Harvest’s large-scale early literacy initiative.

With Endowment Fund support, Book Babies aims to expand, hiring trained literacy coaches to serve more families across North Carolina, including new growth in Durham, Winston-Salem, and 15 additional counties.