A wave of joy is spreading across San Joaquin County as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library officially opens enrollment to every child from birth to age five—no matter where they live in the county!
Thanks to the determined efforts of Read to Me, Stockton!, families in Manteca, Tracy, Mountain House, Escalon, Ripon, Lathrop, Linden, French Camp, and Stockton can now register their little ones to receive a free, high-quality children’s book every month, mailed directly to their home. That’s right—stories delivered straight to your mailbox, at no cost to families.
This exciting expansion is set to double local enrollment and fuel early literacy in every corner of the county. It’s not just about books—it’s about creating bonding moments, sparking imaginations, and building a lifelong love of reading from the very beginning.
And there’s more good news: families can now choose bilingual books in English and Spanish, meeting the needs of the county’s richly diverse communities. In fact, over 11,000 books will be mailed to Stockton children this month alone—with 22% of them in bilingual format, and that number is climbing every month.
This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the incredible community support behind it. First 5 San Joaquin, the Rotary Club of Stockton, and the Antone & Marie Raymus Foundation have stepped up to fund this expansion, alongside generous contributions from individuals and local organizations.
Each book costs just $2.60 to print and ship, with half covered by the State of California and the other half by Read to Me, Stockton!—a small price for a giant leap in early childhood development.
“This is a dream come true,” said Ann Johnston, President of Read to Me, Stockton! and former Mayor of Stockton. “Every child deserves the gift of reading, and now that gift is just a mailbox away for families across San Joaquin County.”
Parents can enroll their children today by visiting https://www.readtome209.org or searching for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library online.
Let’s turn the page on a new chapter of literacy, one book—and one child—at a time.