A Seattle nonprofit that distributes books to kids across Washington has been named a Successful Practices Honoree in the Library of Congress’s 2026 Literacy Awards, according to a Tuesday announcement from the organization, Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program. The local program is the only Washington state group honored this year.
The Library of Congress program recognizes organizations for specific literacy practices. Page Ahead was cited for its approach of pairing book choice and book ownership with support from a trusted adult. In fact, book access is the cornerstone of the organization’s work.
In an email, Page Ahead Development Manager Debra Carnegie pointed to the Page Aheads flagship program, Book Up Summer, to illustrate the organization’s approach and impact. The book fair–based three-year program helps build literacy skills and home libraries for kindergartners, first graders, and second graders at elementary schools in majority low-income communities.
“Book Up Summer is based on proven research that shows when you give kids the chance to pick free, brand-new books for summer reading at book fairs, they are less likely to experience the summer slide of learning loss,” Carnegie wrote. “We are thrilled for the recognition of our work, but more importantly, that this award enables us to serve more children across Washington.”
Susan Dibble, Page Ahead’s Executive Director, added: “This recognition reflects something we’ve believed since our founding: when children get to choose their own books to keep and call their own, their excitement to read is shared with the whole family.
“Every child — no matter their zip code or family income — deserves to see themselves as a reader,” Dibble said.
Founded in 1990 as a King County book giveaway effort, Page Ahead distributed more than 238,000 books to over 22,500 children statewide last year, including nearly 6,900 students across 34 King County schools.
