Six months of author read-alouds, free literacy activities, book giveaways, and a nationwide challenge to read 100 books

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s leading children’s literacy nonprofit, today announced the launch of the sixth annual Rally to Read 100 at rallytoread.org, kicking off six months of reading fun as RIF prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary in November.

Running October 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, Rally to Read 100 inspires children nationwide to discover the joy of reading while challenging classrooms and families to read 100 books. This year’s campaign brings together an exciting lineup of celebrated authors and illustrators, including Joanna Ho, Peter H. Reynolds, Rae Wynn-Grant, Devin Elle Kurtz, Brad Meltzer and more.

Building on the success of last year’s campaign, which engaged more than 700,000 children, RIF will once again unite classrooms, families, and communities through monthly reading themes, exclusive author read-alouds, nationwide book sweepstakes, and free literacy resources. The six-month initiative will culminate during National Reading Month in March 2027 with a live nationwide celebration simulcast from a Barnes & Noble in New York City. Past Rally to Read participants have included acclaimed authors and literacy champions such as Mo Willems, Hoda Kotb, and Nick Bruel.

At a time when engaging children in reading is more important than ever, Rally to Read gives educators and families an easy, accessible way to make books and reading part of children’s everyday lives. The initiative is made possible with the support of Inspiration Partner Barnes & Noble and exclusive publishing partner Penguin Random House.

“As we enter the sixth year of Rally to Read and celebrate RIF’s 60th anniversary, we are building on six decades of inspiring children to discover the joy and power of reading,” said Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. “Rally to Read brings that mission to life by giving educators and families engaging ways to connect children with great books, inspiring authors, and meaningful reading experiences. Together with our partners, we are creating more opportunities for children across the country to read, explore, and imagine.”

“We’re thrilled to support Reading Is Fundamental’s Rally to Read campaigns for five years now,” said Shannon DeVito, Senior Director Books at Barnes & Noble. “Reading is such a core part of growing up, and partnering with RIF, whose commitment and contribution to children’s literacy is terrific, has been a wonderful way to continue the conversation and highlight books in the classroom.”

RALLY TO READ 100 PROGRAM ELEMENTS

• Challenge to Read 100 Books: Children, classrooms, and families are invited to take the challenge to read 100 books over six months, with resources and recommendations to help them reach their goal.
• Book Sweepstakes: 100 randomly selected educators will win 100 high-quality books donated by Barnes & Noble, a total of 10,000 books for classrooms and youth-serving organizations nationwide.
• Monthly Themes & Author Read-Alouds: Each month introduces a new theme, Community, Sustainability, Celebration, Responsibility, Changemakers, and Innovation, along with two featured author read-alouds and free literacy resources.
• Free Reading Activities: Educators and families can access complementary classroom and at-home activities, including Spanish-language resources, to extend the stories and keep children engaged in reading throughout the program.
• National Reading Month Celebration: A live event simulcast from a Barnes & Noble in New York in March 2027 will bring classrooms and families across the country together to celebrate reading and mark the culmination of the six-month challenge.

FEATURED READ-ALOUDS

Each month, Rally to Read will feature two special read-alouds from Barnes & Noble Storytime Picks and Penguin Random House selections connected to the monthly theme.

October – Community
Joanna Ho, author of A Room with a View
Sara Holly Ackerman, author of How to Hatch

November – Sustainability
Ruth Spiro, author of Growing Together
Kelly Rice Schmitt, author of The Farm Next Door

December – Celebration
Devin Elle Kurtz, author and illustrator of The Bakery Dragon and the Giant Cookie
Belen Medina, author of Emilia Wishing

January – Responsibility
Peter H. Reynolds, author and illustrator of When You Dream Big!
Lauren Wolk, author of The Outermost Mouse

February – Changemakers
Rae Wynn-Grant, author of You Belong in the Wild
James Yang, author and illustrator of Swing

March – Innovation
Joe Todd-Stanton, author and illustrator of The Lost Robot
Brad Meltzer, author of We are the Wright Brothers

Reading Is Fundamental is proud to recognize the generous support of Inspiration Partner Barnes & Noble and its Promotional Partners, including the American Association of School Librarians, Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, Kiwanis International, Little Free Library, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National PTA, Penguin Random House, and United Through Reading.

About Reading Is Fundamental

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to creating a nation of lifelong readers by inspiring the joy of reading among all children and putting them on the path to becoming skilled readers. We provide free, high-quality content to engage children, educators, families and literacy advocates in the solution to the U.S. literacy crisis so that every child has the fundamentals for success. As the nation’s leading children’s literacy nonprofit, RIF has provided nearly 430 million books and reading resources to more than 212 million children since 1966, impacting generations of children.

In November 2026, RIF proudly celebrates 60 years of inspiring the joy of reading and putting books in the hands of children across the nation. Explore our results and learn more about partnering with us at rif.org.

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SOURCE Reading is Fundamental (RIF)