GELF Delivers Books to Beat the Summer Slide in Tennessee

A Tennessee student with his K–3 Home Library pack

The Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) in Tennessee was founded in 2004 to help kids become lifelong readers. I spoke with the President and CEO of GELF, James Pond, to learn more.

 The K-3 Home Library program was developed by GELF, in collaboration with Scholastic, in 2020 to deliver books and resources to students and educators over the summer. In 2024, the program sent 1.3 million books to more than 230,000 students, teachers, and librarians all over Tennessee.

 Pond explained how the program helps prevent the “summer slide” which is learning loss that happens when kids stop reading over summer break. “Think of reading like a superpower. If you don’t use it, it is something you can lose,” said Pond.

 Research from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™: 8th Edition reveals that over 40% of kids get most of the books they read for fun over the year from their school, making this summer initiative critical. Each student receives their own K-3 library packs. “The packs include six great books, fun activity sheets, and a letter to the families explaining how to make reading fun and a shared experience,” Pond explained.

 Many students do not have books of their own. Since launching in 2020, GELF has mailed out more than 4.5 million books through the K–3 Home Library program. The books are selected to match students’ grade levels and include popular stories kids enjoy. GELF hopes these deliveries help kids build strong reading habits for life.

 “Our biggest dream is to make sure that every child in Tennessee has books of their own at home. Making sure that their home library has books that they love, feel proud of, and get them excited to read is very important to us,” Pond said.

 GELF helps kids return to school ready to learn by encouraging reading during summer break. To learn more or get involved, visit https://governorsfoundation.org.