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As of 2019, more than 67 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home. Spanish accounts for 62% of that group, making it the most commonly spoken non-English language in the country. Maryland reflects this national trend. According to recent data from the Migration Policy Institute, a substantial share of Maryland’s children (those between the ages of 5-17) speak Spanish at home. While many of them feel confident speaking English, over 35,0

Happy holidays from the Maryland Book Bank! This time of year always brings an opportunity for reflection, and lately I’ve been thinking about an important concept for our MBB team: fostering a literacy ecosystem.   When Kim Crout, our wonderful Program Director, first used that phrase, I wasn’t sure what she meant. A literacy ecosystem? What does that look like?   Before we can define a literacy ecosystem, it’s important to first understand that reading is a complicated skil

One of my favorite parts of working at the Book Bank is getting to see thousands of book covers per day. The books we see range in color, size, texture, and shape, and the illustrations are incredible.   The most classic children’s characters from picture books - Eric Carle’s very hungry caterpillar, Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie, and Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat - are colorful, creative, and loveable. They’ve become so beloved because of the way these characters enhance the