Imagination Library Testimonials

From Cortland, NY

Here are some examples of how Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has enhanced the lives of parents and young children in Central New York State.

Vivian Bosch, who started the Imagination Library program in the Cortland community, provided these testimonials

Cassandra, mother of Payton who has been receiving books for four years: “It’s amazing the bonding that has happened just from this simple act of kindness!”

Kacie, mother of 2-year-old Colton: “Please don't ever stop doing it and thank you so much for the opportunity to be able to read these books to my children.”

Savannah, mother of Hayleigh who was enrolled at 11 months: “I’m surprised at how much she loved her books. I hadn’t realized a child could enjoy books and reading at that age.”

Carrie, mother of 2-year-old Rose: "I wish you could see Rose's face when she gets the books. She just loves them! She "read" it to me from her car seat on the drive home."

Nicole, mother of 2-year-old Carter: “Carter will grab one or two of his books and say ‘Mommy read this.’ It is now a nightly routine at bedtime. When we receive a book in the mail each month Carter gets excited and has to read it right away! The books are very colorful with a lot of pictures. He will point at pictures and say the word, sometimes even making sounds or says the color.”

A Foster Parent: “Awesome program. I am a foster parent, and all of my kids love when books come in the mail, some of them have never held a book or been read to before coming into my home … your support is a great asset … thank you.”

Adrian, mother of Lila: “Not only does my daughter, Lila, love receiving mail, but obtaining new books from the Dolly Parton Foundation brings her pure joy. We love adding to our home library with each delivery. As a social worker in the community, serving many underprivileged women and children, it’s nice to see that anyone can access the service free of charge.”

Shayla, mother of 2-year-old Imogen: “The Imagination Library Program is important to my daughter because it brings us together for 20 calm minutes every night. The last book she received was ‘My Mommy Loves Me Because.’ It is wonderful to expose her to so many different forms of love and wonderful to give her a big hug each time we read it together. Every time we read an Imagination Library story together it gives me a different opportunity to connect with her.”

Megan, mother of 1-year-old Adelyn: “My daughter, Adelyn, and I equally look forward to a new book each month from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. As a new mother, it's been a godsend having books selected that are age-appropriate.”

Terry, mother of 4-year-old Hailey: “My little reader LOVES to have books read to her and she gets so very excited every month when a new book comes. So excited that she cannot wait an extra minute to have the new book read to her. It also has helped expand her imagination. For example, playing train conductor or a waitress at a restaurant. And I haven't even mentioned how reading books has expanded her vocabulary. My 4-year-old uses bigger words than me!! LOL”

Natalie, mother of 3-year-old Magnolia: “We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE getting her book each month. Books are a very special gift.”

Rebecca, mother of 2-year-old Noah: “We love the books and are so grateful for the program. Noah will be 2 on the 16th, and we read to him enough so that he recognizes the pages and tells us a story. This program is wonderful. Thank you.”

Alice, mother of a 2-year-old daughter: “It's one of the best days of the month for our daughter — she loves getting her new books! Also, the books are high quality and we're building a great collection!”

Maria D., an Early Intervention Services Provider: “It’s wonderful to watch the child turn to his favorite page and then make the noise that is on the page or the face of a character because they’ve read it so many times they’ve got it memorized!”

From parents whose children recently “graduated” out of the program on their 5th birthdays:

Joyce, grandmother of 5-year-old Jailene who had just received her last book: “What a nice thing this has been. She gets so much enjoyment out of being read to.”

Brenda S.: “My daughter benefited greatly from being a participant in the Imagination Library. She loves books and is quickly learning to read in kindergarten. Beyond the academic benefits, she also gets to read books from a variety of perspectives and learn about the world and cultures around her.”

Olivia C.: “Our child enjoyed getting this in the mail every month. She looked forward to the book and enjoyed reading it. (Sometimes reading it each month.) She has since aged out of the program, which was very sad for her. The books helped her improve vocabulary, identify shapes, color and objects. The books helped her learn about firefighters and the world! Jenna has a great love for books and this only helped make it stronger.”

Stephanie S.: “My daughter Eleanor loved receiving the monthly Imagination Library books. Every book we received was opened that same day, and we were able to sit together and read. She was very prepared for kindergarten and reading almost independently prior to starting, and the monthly books certainly helped her practice! Receiving a new book each month motivated her to practice reading and made it even more fun. We hope the program will continue as our youngest daughter just turned 3 and is still receiving her books. Thank you so much!”

Heidi B.: “Thank you so much for your hard work in maintaining the program! I have two girls, and both have been enrolled since birth. They are immeasurably excited to receive new books in the mail and always tear right into them! My oldest, now in kindergarten, has learned a love of books and reading. That makes my heart sing. She's now reading on her own and couldn't be more proud of herself! I believe that starting young truly helped her grasp vocabulary and storytelling themes from an early age, giving her the confidence to learn how to sound out words with little frustration. Reading with my girls is a special time we share.”

Christopher P.: “We have immensely enjoyed being a part of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library over the years. All of our kids were enrolled when they qualified. Our daughter looked forward to receiving a new book each month. The books selected are wonderful, engaging, and not necessarily something she would have picked on her own (which, we hope, broadened her horizons). We really like how the books matched her development as she grew. Some of the books have definitely become household favorites. The themes were relevant and helpful, and all of the books emphasize kindness and understanding. Our daughter loved the program and so did our whole family.”

Kari F.: “My daughter is in preschool this year and very excited to start kindergarten. She has not started to read words yet but is trying really hard to piece together some letters. She is also working on her speech. We read all of the books we received through the Imagination Library and even though we would probably would have had the means to purchase these books ourselves, the books we received may not have been titles we would have noticed or picked out ourselves. With the lack of physical bookstores, and the selection limited at our local Walmart, I don't know where or how I would have purchased books (maybe online through a subscriptions service?) I noticed that the books we received were very diverse and included an array of other backgrounds, cultures, and even economic status. We learned about families living in apartments, using local transportation, visiting soup kitchens, even a young girl living in a small hut in Africa. Some of the books were written in English and Spanish. I think it's important that kiddos in this small town of Cortland understand that the rest of the world does not look or live like Cortland. The books were beautifully written, engaging, and prompted discussion. Both of my daughters benefited from the program.”