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Triplets receive 3 millionth book from literacy group

Raising Readers gives out free books to children born or seeking care in Maine under five-years-old

PORTLAND, Maine — The first chapter in a child's life can shape the future. More than 1 in 3 American children start kindergarten without the language skills they need, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and reading, singing, and talking stimulates brain development.

In Maine over the last 20 years, a tote bag stuffed with books at a mother's bedside in the hospital or a kid's goodie bag at the end of a doctor's visit provides the first reading materials for many families.

Now the organization behind it all is celebrating its 3 millionth book given out at hospitals, birth centers and doctors' offices around the state. Raising Readers is a statewide early literacy program promoting the link between health and education. Raising Readers is funded by the Libra Foundation, led and administered by MaineHealth in collaboration with Northern Light Health.

Dr. Stephen DiGiovanni, a pediatrician at Maine Medical Partners, says by age five, 95% of your brain development is in place. During the first two years of your life there are over a thousand brain connections at least made every second. 

"So if you think about it. Three million books and one thousand connections, if each book was only read for ten minutes, once, we would have one-trillion-eight-hundred-billion brain connections made during reading," said DiGiovanni.

Five-year-old triplets were at an event Wednesday at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at MMC to receive Baabwaa and Wooliam, the three millionth book. The first book handed out was given to Trevor Borelli by the late First Lady Barbara Bush in 2000. He was on hand during the presentation.

Credit: NCM
Credit: NCM
Credit: NCM

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