Jumpstart Read for the Record is happening on Thursday, October 24, 2024!

On October 24, 2024 over two million readers and thousands of classrooms, libraries and community organizations will come together to celebrate early literacy by reading Piper Chen Sings by Grammy Award-Winning Hamilton star Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran.

The Early Learning Hub of Linn, Benton & Lincoln Counties would like to help our partners Read for the Record this year. We will send you this year’s book to read to your class or care group. If your organization would like to participate this fall, please sign up at https://forms.gle/Y9gJNFrd9Kid6ufY8.

Piper Chen Sings is a story about a young girl who loves to express herself through singing but is struck with self-doubt and nervousness when asked to perform a solo in front of an audience. Piper tells her Nai Nai that she felt “like butterflies were having a dance party” in her belly; she doesn’t feel she can sing in front of others without making a mistake. Thankfully, Nai Nai teaches Piper that feeling butterflies means “something exciting was ahead” and that recognizing and welcoming that anxious feeling would help it pass. Nai Nai’s advice empowers Piper, who finds her voice on stage.

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is the world’s largest shared reading experience and celebrates and supports children’s early language and social-emotional development. The event– a day of celebration and fun– builds an intergenerational community through reading and raises awareness around the critical importance of early literacy and access to inclusive literature that fosters belonging and connection by reflecting children’s own experiences as well as showing the experiences of others.