More area children will have free books mailed to their homes thanks to a recent donation to the Franklin-Granville-Vance Partnership for Children.

United Way of Vance County, Granville County United Way and United Way of Franklin County donated $6,000 to FGV Partnership for Children for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program.

"They see this as something wonderful for the community," Garry Daeke, development coordinator for Franklin-Granville Vance Partnership for Children, said. "If we can get books in homes and get parents to read to children, we'd see most of our children entering kindergarten ready to succeed."

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a program that mails free books to pre-school age children. Once a child in enrolled in the program, he or she receives a new book each month until the fifth birthday.

The local program is open to all children in Franklin, Vance and Granville counties. If a child moves out of one of the counties, he or she is no longer eligible.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library began locally in 2003 after startup funds were raised and the FGV Partnership for Children received a grant from the Dollywood Foundation.

The Imagination Library costs FGV Partnership for Children about $30 per child.

Daeke said there are 208 children currently enrolled in the program but anticipates up to 250 before the end of the year.

Nancy Gray, executive director of United Way of Vance County, said the organization was happy to continue funding the program.

"Reading is so important," she said. "There are so many families in our community who don't have any reading material at home. It's a fantastic program."

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is one way for children to start their own library at home, Daeke said.

"The book comes to the kid's home with their name on it," he said. "It's their book and hay have ownership of it."

The first book children receive is "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper. The book mailed to children when they turn 5 years old is "Kindergarten, Here I Come" by D.J. Steinberg.

"Kindergarten teachers comment on the impact of the program so we know it's having a positive effect," Daeke said.

Pre-schooler McKayla Nunn had her mother dictate a letter to Daeke, affectionately known as "Bob the Book Man,” to alert him of her new address.

"I love looking in the mailbox and finding new books," McKayla said in her letter. "It will make me very happy to get some more books. I love reading the books I get. I love reading all books."

When parents enroll their children in the program, they are encouraged to read to their child a few times a week and get library cards.

"There's so much value in that parent-child interaction," Daeke said. "And there's that social and emotional component, the bonding that happens, when a parent and child read together."

For the United Way, the program serves an additional purpose by jump-starting the organization's third-grade reading initiative, Gray said.

"The program kicks off 'United We Read, United We Succeed' to help children in our community improve their reading skills," she said. "It it theirs, a brand new book. It not only helps kids learn to talk but also pick words."

Parents can enroll their child online or do so in person at the Ducky Derby Festival on Aug. 29.

The festival will be from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Breckenridge Street in Henderson. Daeke said there will be a table setup for parents to register their children for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

He also said FGV Partnership for Children will be giving out free books to children as part of its Reach Out and Read program.