At All About Books, we champion early literacy by supporting initiatives that spark a lifelong love of reading. One program we’re especially proud to partner with is the RX for Summer Reading Program, hosted annually by Reach Out and Read-Alabama. We recently connected with Salina Sowell, Program and Communications Coordinator, to highlight their inspiring work and the impact they’re making across Alabama.
Can you give us a brief history of Reach Out and Read Alabama and the RX for Summer Reading Program?
In December 1996, Marsha Raulerson, MD, FAAP, became the third pediatric practice in the country to implement the nationwide program, with six other practices joining the national program from 1997 through 2005. In 2006, she collaborated with the Alabama Chapter-American Academy of Pediatrics to establish Reach Out and Read-Alabama, welcoming six more practices that same year. As the program has expanded across the state, 90 practices now incorporate shared reading into their pediatric care, providing books and coaching families to read together daily. We are currently in the planning stages for our 20th anniversary celebration in 2026!
The Rx for Summer Reading campaign was launched 16 years ago as part of the national ROR initiative, Summer of a Million Books. Our inaugural campaign highlighted the beloved book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In that first year, 32 program sites hosted engaging events and distributed over 3,000 books to families throughout the state. The event was a tremendous success for the families we serve, and our program sites have continued this cherished campaign every summer since.
What is the process for selecting the book each year? How did you choose this year’s book?
Our approach to choosing books is based on "finding the right book at the right time," building empathy and resilience in children while focusing on what is happening around us.
For example, in 2018, we partnered with Brush Book Bed (BBB), a new at the time statewide program of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AL-AAP), which provided families at well-child visits with materials in hand (age-appropriate books, stickers, a toothbrush, and toothpaste) to remind them of the need to complete the BBB routine each night to achieve optimal oral health for their children. The campaign focused on bedtime routines with program sites across the state providing copies of Goodnight, Daniel Tiger, hosting fun “pajama parties” based on the book, and providing a "prescription" to become involved in the reading program at their local libraries.
In 2019, ALABAMA 200 and Reach Out and Read-Alabama partnered to celebrate the State’s bicentennial and the 10th annual Rx for Summer Reading campaign with the book Alabama, My Home Sweet Home, by Alabama author Charles Ghigna and illustrated by Alabama artist Michelle Hazelwood Hyde. Program sites across the state provided copies of the book and hosted fun Alabama-themed activities.
A favorite campaign featured the book Ruby Finds A Worry, a story that touched children and families as they had dealt with unprecedented worries in recent years. Ruby's journey sparked meaningful conversations among families, extending beyond the examination room and into their homes. Last year, we marked 15 years of Rx for Summer Reading with a festive birthday celebration with Curious George and the Birthday Surprise. The 2025 selection, Baby Unplugged: PLAY by Dr. John Hutton, honored timeless childhood experiences and icons, highlighting that education naturally arises from a child's instinct to play, explore, and connect—without the need for screens, batteries, or Wi-Fi! This book was chosen in conjunction with the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics for their Pages over Pixels campaign, which encourages families to engage in screen-free activities. Check out Pediatrician Kym Do Middleton read Baby Unplugged: PLAY below!
How many total pediatrician offices have participated this year?
This year, 52 pediatric and family medicine practices/clinics participated, a record for the Rx for Summer Reading campaign.
What are some of the standout events that pediatrician offices have organized as part of the RX for Summer Reading Program?
Our program sites have exhibited remarkable creativity in their approach to each book; this year was no exception. Events featured engaging childhood games and activities alongside story time. Many practices designed custom T-shirts to wear on the event day, while one even created special cookies adorned with the PLAY! logo for participants One clinic combined their Back to School Bash with their summer reading event, which included bounce houses, chalk drawings, outside games, and more! Another practice challenged their patients to put down the iPad and instead read a book, build a fort, play games, and hold prize drawings throughout the summer for fun, educational toys.
We would love to hear more about your collaboration with All About Books to support the RX for Summer Reading Program this year.
Our partnership with All About Books has continued to grow over the years, and we were thrilled to team up again this year for our Rx for Summer Reading campaign. Together with the All About Books staff, we selected the book Baby Unplugged: PLAY! Thanks to All About Books' partnership with Dr. John Hutton, we could incorporate artwork from the book into our promotional materials and social media posts. Additionally, we were featured on the Alabama Pediatrician podcast alongside Brittany from All About Books and Dr. Hutton, where we discussed the book and our summer campaign.
Hey there, I’m Brittany Winans
Brittany started in Spring 2022 and works on maintaining all our marketing, branding, publishing, and social media efforts with our Marketing Manager. If you follow us on social media, chances are you have already seen some of Brittany’s work!
