Kids in five zip codes in Waco are now able to sign up to get free books sent to them every month, thanks to Dolly Parton’s imagination library.

Kevin and Noelle Baker moved to Waco from Knoxville, Tenn. several years ago. They saw how many families were part of the program there, and decided to bring it to the Waco area.

The Bakers say they loved Parton’s vision for the program, and wanted to help kids in the area find a love of reading and get ready for kindergarten.

“The aim of the program is really to help parents instill literacy from the earliest age possible,” Kevin said. “The aim is really to just have these children reading and enjoying the love of books.”

With the pandemic, the Bakers thought this was the perfect time.

“For families who maybe aren’t able to get to the library, or kids who aren’t able to get to preschool, they’re still getting good quality books mailed to them every month for the parents to bond with them, read with them and help prepare them,” Noelle said.

The Bakers said almost 80 children have signed up since registration started. Registration is currently open at imaginationlibrarywaco.org. In addition to the online registration, the Bakers are partnering with community organizations.

Noelle is an OBGYN at Ascension Providence, and she hopes to partner with labor and delivery department to sign new moms up for the program, and even send babies home from the hospital with their first book.

The Bakers said the program is only possible through community support, which will help them get more books into the hands of more children in the Waco area. If you’d like to donate, you can find that information on the website as well.