Taylor Swift, Scholastic donate books to Reading Hospital

Country music star Taylor Swift is giving something back to the hospital where she was born.

Swift, a native of Wyomissing, Berks Co., and Scholastic Inc., have donated 2,000 books to the Reading Hospital Child Health Center’s early literacy program.

Swift made the donation through the national Reach Out and Read initiative, which promotes early childhood literacy by bringing new books and information about the importance of reading aloud into the pediatric exam room, officials said.

The Reading Hospital’s Child Health Center gives each child between the ages of six months to five years a new, developmentally and culturally appropriate book to take home from their visit, officials said. Over time, children can receive up to 10 books for their home library.

Gently used books are also available for children of all ages to read and take home, and are displayed on an easily accessible book shelf in the waiting room, where volunteers donate their time to read aloud to children while they wait for their appointment.

The Reading Hospital program is currently in need of gently used children’s book donations and volunteer readers for the waiting room.

Meanwhile, Swift is keeping busy with her country music career. She’s scheduled to perform at the 55th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 10.