Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan joined former Mayor John Peyton at the first distribution of books for the “Mayor’s Book Club,” an expansion of Mayor Deegan’s successful River City Readers literacy initiative aimed at giving a free book every month to every four-year-old in Jacksonville.

Thanks to a $1 million donation from the Gate Foundation, four-year-olds in early learning centers across Jacksonville will begin receiving a new, free book every month. Parents with four-year-olds not enrolled in early learning will also be able to register for the book club to receive the free monthly books. The first distribution of books and branded backpacks took place at Kreative Success Academy on Jacksonville’s Northside.

"Literacy is the foundation for every child's success, and I'm thrilled that we can now reach even more of Jacksonville's youngest learners," said Mayor Donna Deegan. "Thanks to the generosity of the Gate Foundation and the partnership of Mayor Peyton, we're ensuring that every four-year-old in our city has access to books that will spark their imagination and build critical reading skills."

The Mayor’s Book Club is a reimagining of the successful “Mayor Peyton’s Book Club,” launched during Peyton’s term in office. It builds on the success of Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers, which has challenged students across the city to log their reading minutes, and also reaches children and encourages reading through the mayor’s River City Readers Bookmobile.

"Investing in early childhood literacy is one of the most important things we can do for our community's future," said former Mayor John Peyton. "I'm proud to support this expansion of the River City Readers program and help put books in the hands of our youngest residents."

The books are provided by Ferst Readers, with the goal of distributing more than 120,000 books directly to children throughout the first year of the program and improving kindergarten readiness and long-term literacy outcomes for students.

Parents with four-year-olds not enrolled in an early learning facility can register for the Mayor’s Book Club at https://ferstreaders.org/jacksonville.