Keeping with its commitment to provide free and beneficial services to Fort Bend County residents, including supporting early childhood literacy, Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) will continue its tradition of celebrating newborns with a free book bag during the system’s Children’s Book Week event.
From May 31 through June 6, 2026, every baby born in Fort Bend County may receive a special baby book bag, courtesy of the Friends of the George Memorial Library. Each bag contains a book, a bib, a special certificate, a list of suggested reading for children, and information on parenting and on library services.
The Youth Services Department will also have book bags on hand, while supplies last, for newborns who do not receive a bag at the hospital and for babies born outside of the hospital during the Children’s Book Week period. Book bags will also be available at some birthing centers throughout the county.
For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at 281-633-4762.
This week-long celebration is one of several initiatives that showcase FBCL’s commitment to supporting early childhood literacy skills.
Reports from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which collects data to provide insight into U.S. education, underscore how introducing literacy activities early in a child’s life can be a strong predictor of later academic success. The reports also revealed that consistent story time, developing reading skills, and access to books and the library are highly correlated with higher proficiency rates and long-term educational results.
“Reading presents a tremendous opportunity for children to bond with their parents. Furthermore, it nurtures young minds, furthering a child’s brain development,” said Dana Brittain, Coordinator of Youth Services for FBCL. “The benefit of reading extends to even the youngest of children, like babies, who can develop eye focus by looking at the page of a book, while being comforted by the familiar voice of a parent. Reading aloud to children also exposes them to the sounds, patterns, and cadences of a human voice, resulting in an earlier and stronger grasp of vocabulary skills.”
In addition to announcing Children’s Book Week, FBCL is also encouraging parents to register their children for its popular annual “Summer Reading Challenge.”
The challenge is open to children and adults, with the opportunity for infants through school-age children, to earn rewards based on the number of books they read (or have read to them) during the summer.
Registration will open on Monday, May 25, 2026. For more information, please visit www.fortbendlibraries.gov or call 281-633-4734.
