The Kenan Trust recently approved a grant to support an expansion of Book Harvest’s Books on Break program. Books on Break is an initiative aimed at realizing literacy gains for elementary aged students over summer breaks. Students at participating schools are invited to select 10 brand new books to take home for the summer and add to their home libraries.

The program has shown great success in improving literacy outcomes for students — especially for those from lower income families. In 2024, 90% of participating teachers reported that the program supported the literacy goals of their classrooms, school, and district. External research about the power of access to books over the summer break validates the importance of this work as well. One study went so far as to say, “if every school district gave children from low-income families the opportunity to take home self-selected books to read over the summer months, American schools would likely produce comparable levels of reading achievement for all children, regardless of family income.”

This spring, the Books on Break program reached 10,420 students across 30 elementary schools in eight counties, enabling them to take home 104,200 books for summer reading. Books on Break is part of Book Harvest’s With Literacy and Justice for All initiative which has significantly expanded literacy access across North Carolina. Since 2011, the program has provided 2.6 million books to families, empowering parents to nurture their children’s literacy through evidence-informed programs that emphasize early, home-based learning.