Operation Read USA

10/11/2026

Check out this fore-edge process applied to books. A perfect blend of my love for art and books.

Makes me want to look at all my books to see if they have a hidden image. 🤔

Click on the video inside the article to see the master at work.

Giles Kime profiles the amazing Martin Frost, the last commercial fore-edge painter in the country.

10/01/2026

We appreciate Dekko Foundation featuring us and our work!

NORTH WEBSTER — Before a child can dream of becoming a teacher, a doctor or an astronaut, that child must first learn to read.

09/30/2026

Put down your phone. Pick up a story!

As Literacy Month comes to a close, I have a challenge for you: For the next seven nights trade 20 minutes of bedtime scrolling for reading a book.

Then pay attention to how you feel:
- Does your mind feel more engaged - imagining scenes, following clues, or considering something new?
- Do you feel calmer, relaxed and/or less distracted?
- Is it easier to settle down for sleep? Do you feel more rested the next morning?
- Have you discovered new words, a different perspective or something you want to talk about?
- Do you feel like you want to talk with others about what you are reading? Is it engaging you?

BIG BONUS if you read WITH your child! Share a cuddle and let them hear the words while following along on the page (hearing the words while seeing them on the page helps children connect written and spoken language ). Ask them "What do you think will happen next?" (Predictive reasoning is golden).

My current read: The Violin Maker's Secret by Evie Woods. Three unlikely companions work to uncover a mysterious violin's secrets...as you realize they each have secrets too. You also get to hear the violin's own story through time. I would call it PG-13 so far but I am not finished yet. Hopefully this weekend!

Who is joining me? Tell us what you are reading, then come back in a week and report what you noticed - which might be "I stayed up too late reading!!"

Build lasting habits and keep your brain muscles active.

09/28/2026

https://timesuniononline.com/stories/every-story-matters-operation-read-receives-90000-to-inspire-readers-from-birth-to-age-99,300814

We are so excited about this opportunity to inspire more readers across our community! Thank you Dekko Foundation for being incredible cheerleaders and believing in the work we do. Together, we are helping more people discover the possibilities that begin with reading.

NORTH WEBSTER — Before a child can dream of becoming a teacher, a doctor or an astronaut, that child must first learn to read.

09/11/2026

📚 THREE SCHOOLS. ONE BIG READING ADVENTURE! 📚

Operation Read is incredibly grateful to the Esther Pfleiderer Charitable Trust for a generous $6,000 grant supporting Book Boogie®!

This funding will help us bring Book Boogie® simultaneously to kindergarten through second-grade students at Milford, North Webster and Syracuse elementary schools—encouraging children across the Wawasee community to read, grow and dream!

The Esther Pfleiderer Charitable Trust is helping make this expansion possible, along with generous anonymous donors and funding from Operation Read.

Book Boogie® also requires something money cannot buy: many, many, many dedicated volunteers—and parents and caregivers who encourage their children to keep reading at home. It truly takes an entire community to grow strong readers!

Pictured are DeeAnna Muraski, Executive Director of Operation Read, and Tom Tearney, Vice President and Personal Trust Administrator at 1st Source Bank, representing the Esther Pfleiderer Charitable Trust.

Thank you for investing in our children and helping us grow a community of readers! 💙📖

08/31/2026

When a student you tutor brings YOU flowers.. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

08/28/2026

Something wonderful is about to happen at Wawasee Community Schools!

This fall, K–2 students at Milford, North Webster and Syracuse elementary schools will READ, GROW and BOOGIE together as all three schools participate simultaneously in Operation Read’s Book Boogie® program!

Through an $18,000 combined investment from the Esther Pfleiderer Charitable Trust, Operation Read and generous anonymous donors, children will enjoy monthly reading challenges, books, recognition and celebrations from October through May.

We are deeply grateful for our extraordinary partnership with the Wawasee assistant superintendent, principals, teachers, families and volunteers. Our schools work incredibly hard to help children become successful readers, and Operation Read is honored to come alongside them with additional encouragement, resources and celebration.

We are also thrilled to unveil our new Book Boogie® logo and the message at the heart of this program: ✨ Growing Readers. Growing Dreams. ✨

Every page matters. Every child matters. And we will be cheering for them every step of the way!

08/06/2026

🔖 LOOK WHO IS HELPING YOUNG READERS MARK THEIR PLACE! 📚

The wonderful members of the Rural Neighbors Club of the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association gathered to create colorful, one-of-a-kind bookmarks for Operation Read—and just look at those smiles and that table full of creativity!

These bookmarks will soon find their way into the hands of children through our Book Boogie® and Operation Read Around Kosciusko County programs.

Each bookmark was made by hand, with care, to encourage a child to open a book, keep reading and discover where the next page might lead.

Thank you to the Rural Neighbors Club for sharing your time, creativity and love of reading with children throughout Kosciusko County. You are helping us grow readers—and grow dreams—one bookmark at a time! 💙📖

07/30/2026

What a wonderful way to begin the day!

I had the privilege of speaking at this morning’s New Educator Event and introducing our newest teachers to Operation Read and the many ways we support literacy throughout Kosciusko County.

We talked about the teachers who shape our lives, the importance of helping every child discover the joy of reading, and the exciting literacy opportunities ahead this school year.

Of course, we also had a little fun! We gave away an Operation Read Around Kosciusko County bag filled with books to the educator who had traveled the farthest to begin this new chapter in Indiana. We had an impressive three-way contest between Michigan, Texas, and Washington State—with Washington taking the prize!

Welcome to Kosciusko County, new educators. We are so glad you are here, and Operation Read looks forward to partnering with you as we grow readers, inspire learners, and change lives.

Thank you to the sponsors: United Way, Vicky Decker-Our House Real Estate, the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, and the Warsaw Education Foundation for welcoming and celebrating our new educators!

07/17/2026