City's First Readers Will Celebrate RISE's Fifth Birthday at a Free Fall Reading Festival on Friday, October 10!

Get ready for a magical day of books, bonding, and big smiles! Families with little ones from birth through age 5 are invited to join LINC and City's First Readers at the Fall Reading Festival on October 10th at the Brooklyn Children's Museum! This special, free event promises to bring excitement and learning in celebration of RISE x Penguin Workshop's fifth anniversary.

RISE works to publish impactful stories for the youngest readers, with a mission to empower children ages 0-5 with authentic, relevant, and elegant books. Their work naturally aligns with LINC's efforts in chairing City's First Readers to ensure that children from all backgrounds have a solid foundation to start school successfully, thrive academically and succeed beyond their school years. Together, we are mobilizing to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our families at this unique festival.

Register now. Young learners and their families will have the chance to:

📚 Meet incredible RISE authors and illustrators from across the country — hear directly from the creative minds behind your favorite picture books!

📖 Snuggle up for lively read-alouds that bring stories to life in the most delightful ways.

🎨 Engage in hands-on early literacy activities designed to spark learning through play — from sensory fun to storytelling games.

And the fun doesn’t stop there! After the festival, the museum will swing wide its doors for open play, allowing families to explore all the exciting exhibits the museum has to offer. It’s the perfect way for little ones to continue their adventure — through reading, laughing, and making lasting memories with their caregivers.

"We have the power to inspire our readers to become a generation of empowered, confident, self-loving, empathetic, and resilient people," says Cecily Kaiser, Publisher of RISE, "all through the power of exposure. Every book we publish serves to help children feel smart, capable, important, safe, and loved." The same goes for each program and resource provided by City's First Reader's seventeen partner organizations. At the core of our collective effort is the belief that each family has the ability to raise curious, confident readers who will lead our city in the decades to come.

Register now for CFR's Free Fall Festival!

Thank you to our sponsors Ponce Bank and Fidelis Care, and to our partners at the Brooklyn Children's Museum and Penguin RISE for enabling us to create this magical event.

Interested in partnering with us or supporting our work by helping sponsor the Fall Reading Festival? Learn more by contacting Nanci Pavlisko at npavlisko@lincnyc.org or 212-620-5462, ext 150.