FAQ

Rally to Read is a free nationwide reading engagement initiative designed to inspire a love of reading in children from Pre-K through fifth grade. Anchored on monthly themes, the program features author read-alouds, book and theme literacy building activities, a challenge to read 100 books, and more. 

Rally to Read is open to everyone—students, families, educators, and schools. It’s designed for Pre–K through Grade 5, but anyone who loves reading is welcome to join in. 

Rally to Read runs from October 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027, with new monthly themes, author read-alouds, and activities released each month. Rally to Read culminates with a live, virtual reading event in March. Featuring popular children’s authors, the event is held in partnership with Barnes & Noble. 

No! Rally to Read is completely free for all participants—families, schools, and educators alike. 

You do not need to register or sign up to participate. However, if you want to get the latest updates on Rally to Read, we invite you to sign up for our eNews and monthly Rally to Read email updates here. 

Teachers can integrate Rally to Read into daily literacy instruction using the monthly themes, author videos, and downloadable classroom resources including standards-aligned theme activities. It’s a great way to boost reading motivation and build a strong reading culture. Use RIF’s guide to support Rally to Read in the classroom.

Yes! Each month, we provide book activities for the two read-alouds, a themed activity packet including standards-aligned in-class and at home lessons, a recommended book list, and ongoing reading resources that support reading motivation and greater comprehension. Check out our reading log and certificate—just two of the many resources available.

Families can join the reading fun by watching the monthly read-alouds, setting home reading goals, and using our at-home activity ideas to extend learning beyond the classroom. 

Absolutely! While we highlight specific books and authors each month, and provide a monthly recommended themed book list, families and classrooms are encouraged to choose any books that support the monthly theme or reflect students’ interests. Each month’s recommended book list has a list of discussion questions that can support any related thematic book.

We offer downloadable reading logs for classrooms and families. Some schools may also use their own reading logs. Tracking is optional but helps kids visualize their progress and stay motivated. We welcome you to use our Rally to Read reading log.

Each month features pre-recorded read-alouds from celebrated authors and illustrators, sharing their book in their own voice. You can view them any time during the month—and revisit them whenever you’d like until March 31, 2027. 

Yes! We encourage schools and families to share their Rally to Read experience. Use our official hashtag #RallytoRead and tag us to join the nationwide celebration of reading. We also provide a social media tool kit to make sharing easier.

To encourage and motivate children to read, we are challenging everyone to read 100 books by National Read Month in March 2027. We offer the twice a month read-alouds to support this challenge, a monthly book list, and a reading log for tracking progress.

RIF and Barnes & Noble are giving away 10,000 books! Kindergarten–fifth grade teachers are invited to enter the Rally to Read 100 sweepstakes to win a collection of 100 high-quality, diverse books on behalf of your school or youth-serving organization. This collection of books is especially selected for readers in kindergarten through fifth grade to spark the joy of reading. We are grateful to Barnes & Noble for their generous donation of book prizes! See official rules.

RIF is grateful for the support of our Inspiration Partner, Barnes & Noble. We also want to thank our promotional partners including our exclusive publishing partner, Penguin Random House as well as American Association of School Librarians, Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, Kiwanis International, Little Free Library, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National PTA, and United Through Reading.