I’m a mom, teacher, and children’s author who believes, passionately, that we should never, ever, underestimate the power of a picture book.  According to Reading is Fundamental (RIF), Nearly two-thirds of low-income families in the U.S. own no books. That statistic is common in other developed countries as well.

That’s just plain wrong. But, we can help fix it.

Last November I launched the literacy initiative, Picture Book Pass it On (#PBPiO). I encouraged people to donate new or gently used books to needy kids, locally, and to challenge friends to do the same. It caught on in the US, and we also had people “Passing it On” in the UK and Australia.  Many children’s book authors participated by giving local kids in need copies of their books.

With a few exceptions, the PBPiO charge is being led by an all-female squad of super-heroes (a.k.a. The Sisterhood…