Browning Elementary Hosts One Millionth Book Celebration for My Home Library

Tying a bow on the Foundation’s tenth anniversary, the My Home Library initiative officially distributed its one millionth book, culminating in a grand event at the original school where the first My Home Library was distributed. Gathered at Browning Elementary, HISD officials, Foundation staff, corporate partners, and school faculty members celebrated with students as third grader Justin was gifted the one millionth book.

“Thank you, Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, for the incredible gift of brand-new books for my home library! My collection is growing, and I can't wait to dive into new adventures! It’s an honor to receive the millionth book, and I wish there were a million ways to say thank you for making a difference,” said Justin.

Justin’s mother, who is a teacher at Browning Elementary School, shared the difference she has seen not only in her students but the impact these books have made at home for her son, Justin. Witnessing the change in and out of the classroom.

“It’s such an honor to have my son, Justin, be the one millionth recipient of the books from the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and it’s a memory for him and me that will definitely go into our family photo albums!” Justin’s mother and Browning Elementary educator, Angelica Sanchez continued. “As an educator…it makes such a huge impact in our community…and just having them bring books home, taking a bit of what we teach and adding books to their learning, you see them read a little more and then come back with that book and tell us how excited they are about the book they received is just an amazing experience.”

In collaboration with HISD, Ladies for Literacy Guild, and the Foundation, over 400 students handpicked six books each for their My Home Library bundles the day of the event. Since the inception of the program, the Foundation has donated home libraries, comprising six books each, to more than 173,000 children through the My Home Library program, reaching a monumental total of over one million books.

“The Nation’s Report Card showed that 2022 reading scores for HISD students were significantly lower than those of their peers across the country,” said HISD Central Division Superintendent Luz Martinez. “HISD is working to dramatically improve the quality of instruction and teach students in ways that reflect what the research says about how students best learn to read. We are grateful to the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation for their partnership and for supporting HISD students in learning how to read.”

The celebration was enriched by the presence of beloved literary icons like Clifford the Big Red Dog and Dog Man, providing students with the opportunity to capture cherished moments with their favorite characters.

“My favorite book is Dog Man! It was exciting to see him today!” said Third grader Joshua.

Completing the day’s mission, students were gifted an additional book, How Much is One Million, to visually comprehend the significance of the remarkable achievement of distributing one million books.

The Foundation extends appreciation to KHOU 11 and Telemundo for their invaluable contribution in capturing and sharing the essence of this celebration. We invite you to explore their coverage below, as together, we continue to illuminate the path towards a future where literacy is accessible to everyone. The Foundation’s journey to one million is complete, but our mission is far from over.