Storytime Meets Story Care: How Advocate Children’s Hospital and Chicago Libraries Are Advancing Pediatric Literacy

“Reading is a Right,” that’s the idea at the heart of a pioneering partnership between Advocate Children’s Hospital (ACH) and Chicago-area suburban libraries.

Through a shared commitment to childhood literacy, this collaborative is reimagining pediatric health by embedding books, storytelling, and literacy practices into clinical settings and expanding health teachings out into the community—turning the hospital’s children’s centers and book nooks, along with Chicago-area libraries into spaces for healing, bonding, and brain-building.

The reciprocal sharing of resources extends far beyond the pediatric hospital rooms in north suburban Park Ridge and south suburban Oak Lawn, into more than a handful of Chicago area public libraries. It includes book donations, children’s health resources and lectures for library patrons, along with two Advocate Children’s Centers in those hospitals.  

At its core, “this partnership is about more than books—it’s about recognizing the healing power of stories,” says Marjorie A. Getz, PhD, co-founder of “Reading is a Right: Childhood Literacy Collaborative.” It was launched at Advocate in in 2016 in response to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ literacy promotion policy and the national Every Child Ready to Read library initiative, Dr. Getz is the Program Manager, Psycho-Educational Consultation and Evaluation Services, Developmental Pediatrics and Co-Director of Advocate’s Narrative Medicine program.

By integrating early literacy practices into pediatric care, “Reading is A Right” supports critical areas of development—language, attachment, school readiness, and long-term health outcomes.

“From hospital book nooks to newborn board book distributions, every child is given the chance to begin life with a story in their hands and a connection in their hearts,” says Dr. Getz.

How the Collaborative Works

The program extends beyond the pediatric hospital rooms in Park Ridge and Oak Lawn, reaching into Chicago-area libraries like Morton Grove, Chicago Ridge, and others. It includes:

• Librarian Storytime in Clinic: Children waiting for appointments at the ACH clinic in Park Ridge are invited to listen to local librarians read aloud, creating a moment of calm and connection.
• Board Book Drives & Book Nooks: Book donations from libraries, Bernie’s Book Bank and other generous donors along with a public Amazon wish list fueling book donations, fills hospital rooms and waiting areas with accessible, high-quality reading materials.
• Tools for Families: Parents receive book coupons, literacy tips, and access to health and library resources—shared digitally or in print.
• Training Pediatric Clinicians: Residents and clinicians learn how reading aloud promotes early brain development, how to model literacy interactions, and how to connect families with local library resources.
• Focus on Vulnerable Populations: The initiative strategically reaches families in high-need zip codes and those receiving care through Healthy Steps clinics. Special attention is paid to distributing the book “I Love You Like Sunshine” to new parents of vulnerable children.

A Growing Network of Champions

With support from libraries across the north and south suburbs of Chicago, the collaborative is growing—and so is its impact. In 2024 alone, over 500 individuals were served through in-clinic story times, and partnerships have led to cross-promotional health education events, book fairs, and even “Teddy Bear Clinics” at local libraries where pediatric residents teach young children about medical environments through play. More than 20,000 books have been distributed to babies and children since the inception of the initiative.

How the Story Program Was Born

When the American Academy of Pediatrics released its literacy promotion policy statement in 2014, emphasizing the importance of nurturing early literacy beginning at birth, and the significant positive impact on brain development, attachment, social-emotional skills, school readiness, academic success, and long-term health outcomes, Advocate Children’s Hospital and The Center for Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics felt compelled to respond says Kathryn (Kathy) Smart, MS RN, coordinator for the Children’s Health Resource Centers.

“Every child has the right to learn to read. Our goal was to bring together hospital and community stakeholders to create literacy-rich environments within our hospital and outpatient settings says Kathy. “And, we knew we had to also educate families if we wanted to treat children’s complete well-being. The response from our interdisciplinary teams and area public libraries was outstanding and all of a sudden, we found ourselves on a committee making it happen.”

Earlier in 2013, Dr. Getz and longtime colleague David Thoele, founded the Advocate Narrative Medicine Program in the Chicago area. Their efforts were inspired after attending a weekend workshop at Columbia University in New York City (one of the birthplaces of Narrative Medicine) and discovering that they had both been following a narrative medicine approach in their own clinical work. Narrative medicine uses storytelling to improve both patient care and clinician empathy.

With a new hospital-wide Narrative Medicine program launched by Dr. Getz, Kathy Smart and the team were inspired by the national call to action about the importance of literacy in the care of the whole child. A literacy program leveraging that Narrative Medicine concept and would bring it to life at Advocate through shared reading activities between parents and children, physician-led literacy modeling, and even librarian-led story times within the hospitals’ clinics.

When Lurie Children’s Hospital pediatrician Mariana Glusman, MD,  presented two Grand Rounds to residents at Advocate, the connection to the Narrative Medicine and literacy programs was instantaneous, says Dr. Getz.

“Plus we all fell in love with her book, I Love You Like Sunshine. A book for babies and parents, it is a unique fusion between storybook and parenting guide that includes a read-aloud poem, accompanied by hints on how to increase communication with infants and educational material on early brain development.

Today, more than eight years later, I Love You is still given to parents of pediatric patients at the Advocate hospitals and clinics.

“The two programs were like a tsunami coming together and a passion project was launched between our Narrative Medicine program and literacy program,” says Dr. Getz.

Libraries, The Heart of Local Communities Jumped On Board

Serendipity also stepped in as area libraries were exploring ways they could inspire reading to children, says Debbie Wiedeman, early literacy coordinator at nearby Morton Grove Public Library.

A former teacher, Debbie new firsthand the challenges, and the powerful impact of teaching children how to use their words. “Reading books teaches them how to use their words, how to empower themselves.”

“Suddenly the local libraries were jumping on board too,” says Getz.

“We are always exploring ways we can get every child to read,” says Paula Johnson, Youth Services Associate at Chicago Ridge Public Library. “The idea that we could partner with a children’s hospital and get parents reading to children from birth, it made all the sense in the world.”

In addition to the Chicago Ridge Public Library and the Morton Grove Public Library, participating libraries include: the Des Plaines Public Library, the Glenview Public Library, the Niles-Maine District Library, the Oak Lawn Public Library, the Tinley Park Public Library and the Skokie Public Library.

“Reading books teaches children how to use their words, how to empower themselves.”
– Debbie Wiedeman

Looking Ahead

Advocate Children’s Hospital plans to measure and expand the initiative annually, seeking new partners and deepening the integration of literacy into child health services, says Kathy.

“With every book opened and every story shared, this program is writing a new chapter in pediatric care—one where literacy, love, and health all begin on page one,” she says