Hawaii’s first lady, Dawn Amano-Ige, along with state and non-profit partners, has expanded the ʻOhana Readers program to make it available to children under five years old in Naalehu and Pahala.
According to a release from Gov. David Ige’s office, ʻOhana Readers is a literacy program that focuses on reading with family. Launched on Molokai in 2019, the program offers “high-quality, age-appropriate Imagination Library books each month to children in specific zip codes.” Children registered for the program receive one book each month in the mail. The program is free and operates through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
“Research shows that children are ready to learn in their earliest years, and this program provides no-cost opportunities for learning from birth through age four,” Amano-Ige said in the release. “ʻOhana Readers encourages family read-aloud time, an activity that increases the vocabulary and language skills of our children and contributes to their growing knowledge of the world.”
Families can sign up now at the Naalehu Public Library and Pahala Public and School Library. The libraries offer programs that complement the books the children receive and provide other activities to promote literacy and reading.
In addition to Kaʻū, ‘Ohana readers is available for families with children five years old and younger on Molokai (entire island), Lanai (entire island), and parts of Kauai (in zip code areas 96703, 96714, 96722, 96752, 96754, and 96796). The Hawaii State Public Library System is encouraging families within the covered areas to register for the ‘Ohana Readers program at their branch.
“This program is all about reading!” State Librarian Stacey Aldrich said in the release. “It encourages the development of a love of words and reading by helping each child create their own library of books. Each book read builds early literacy skills for school readiness. The Hawai‘i State Public Library System is very excited to partner with the ʻOhana Readers program by being a place for families to sign up their little ones and attend story times at the Naalehu Public Library and Pahala Public and School Library to complement the books being mailed out.”
The program is made possible through partnerships between the Office of the Governor, the Hawaii Department of Human Services, the Hawaii State Public Library System, Rep. Lynn DeCoite, and nonprofit partners Dollywood Foundation, Friends of the Library of Hawaii, Learning to Grow, and Read to Me International. Program sponsors also include Kamehameha Schools, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, Friends of the North Shore Library at Princeville, Windward Community College’s Learning to Grow project in partnership with the Hawai‘i State Department of Human Services through monies from the Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant, and aio. The Hawaii island program is funded by aio, according to the release.
“Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i is pleased to be expanding the ʻOhana Readers program that helps build a life-long love of reading at home with family,” Nainoa Mau, executive director of Friends of the Library of Hawaii said in the release.
The ʻOhana Readers program has distributed over 10,000 books to Hawaii children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library since 2019. Prior to that, First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige distributed approximately 2,000 books through the Scholastic Summer Reading Ambassador program through schools across the state in Kekaha, Laie, Fern, Naalehu, Maunaloa, and Nanaikapono.
For more information about the ʻOhana Readers program please visit, FLHhawaii.org/ohanareaders. To sign up for the program in Naalehu or Pahala, visit either the Naalehu Public Library or the Pahala Public and School Library. The form is available for download from the website above and must be dropped off at the library.