Reading Hospital Joins Babies with Books Read-A-Thon to Boost Literacy and Healing

From Reading Hospital Newsroom

Reading Hospital’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is participating in the 2025 “Babies with Books Read-A-Thon,” and the community can support by donating children’s books for the project.

The Babies with Books Read-A-Thon is an initiative dedicated to promoting early literacy and bonding by reading to hospitalized infants. It is a friendly reading competition between NICUs across the globe that share the same mission: to highlight the power of reading to babies aloud to support language development, family connection, and long-term outcomes.

“We believe it’s never too early to start reading to your baby,” said Ariana Thomas, a registered nurse in the NICU. “Even in the NICU, where babies may still be too small to hold, they can benefit immensely from the comfort of a parent’s voice.”

Community members can donate new books to the NICU by ordering directly from the unit’s wish list. The deadline to donate is Thursday, Sept. 4.

Then, from Monday, Sept. 8, through Thursday, Sept. 18, families and staff at the Reading Hospital NICU will use the donated books during read-aloud sessions. These sessions help to improve language development, strengthen parent-infant bonding, reduce parental stress, and build foundations for lifelong learning. The team is looking to collect 100 books.

At the end of the competition, staff will gift the donated books to NICU families so they can continue their reading journey after discharge. Any additional books will be shared with families at the Children’s Health Center, helping to promote literacy for children of all ages.

“Our Level III NICU offers the most advanced newborn care in Berks County, and the staff here are just incredible,” Charles F. Barbera, MD, president and CEO of Reading Hospital, said. “I am incredibly proud of them for helping to organize this beautiful initiative to help support our tiniest patients.”

To donate to the book drive, please click here or scan the QR code on the flyer to visit the Reading Hospital NICU wish list.

For more information on the most advanced newborn care in Berks County, please visit towerhealth.org or call 1-833-34-TOWER.

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Source: bctv