Literacy Explorer Kits
Celebrating Barbara Bush
In 2025, we are marking the 100th anniversary of our founder’s birth with the Barbara Bush Centennial – a yearlong celebration featuring special events across the country and the launch of exciting new family literacy programming. As part of this celebration, we are shipping 100 free Literacy Explorer Kits to 100 sites nationwide – libraries, family literacy programs, and community organizations.
Our goal is to honor Mrs. Bush’s family literacy legacy with 100 opportunities for families to read, learn, and play together over the course of the year. She believed that a parent or caregiver was a child’s first and best teacher, and she wanted all families to have opportunities to read and learn together.
Literacy Explorer Kit materials are free – click on the documents below to explore:
- How to Use Your Literacy Explorer Kit
- Promotional Flyer | En Español
- Why do we celebrate former first lady Barbara Bush? (A letter to share with families) | En Español
- Little Blue Truck Family Literacy Event Guide
- Little Blue Truck Parent Letter | En Español
- Little Blue Truck Cutout Template
- The Day You Begin Family Literacy Event Guide
- The Day You Begin Parent Letter | En Español
- First Ladies Make History Family Literacy Event Guide
- First Ladies Make History Parent Letter | En Español
- Station Sheets for Family Activities | En Español
- Which Book is Right for My Child Right Now? (Birth to age 3 resource) | En Español
- ReadLife Bookshelf Flyer – English & Español
To download all materials at once, click here.
Find additional materials for Little Blue Truck at this website!
We have reached maximum distribution on the Literacy Explorer Kits, but sites can still join the celebration! All materials are listed above and free to use and share with families. Check out the books at your local library and use the materials for a story time or family literacy event. Share your celebration with the Foundation by emailing photos to bbfprograms@barbarabush.org with the subject line “Photos Literacy Explorer Kit.” For the best resolution, be sure to select “Actual Size” when emailing your photos.
Upcoming Webinars to Support Family Engagement:
Dynamic Resources to Support Families Learning Together on Thursday, April 17, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET.
We would like to thank HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, as well as Anita and Giovanna McBride and our friends at the White House Historical Association for donating these wonderful children’s books.