In celebration of “Read Across America” Day, The Good and the Beautiful will host a nationwide live read-aloud on March 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Central Time. Families, educators, influencers and children across the country are invited to read together in a shared virtual “Reading Room,” sending ripples across the nation through this unified effort to encourage reading and literacy-building activities.

This free event comes at a critical moment for childhood literacy. A 2025 study found that fewer than 50 percent of children ages 0–4 are read to daily, and for children ages 5–7, that number drops to less than 40 percent. Reading aloud during the early and elementary years is strongly linked to increased confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning, making “Read Across America” Day an important opportunity to bring families together around books.

At 6:00 p.m. Central Time, participants will log into a live Zoom “Reading Room,” where they will be greeted by The Good and the Beautiful’s team. During this 30-minute event, the team will read two books and give away book shop gift cards to three lucky families. The event is designed to create a visible, community-centered response to declining literacy rates, learning gaps and unequal access to books. Participants who register will receive both the live Zoom link/ details for the Read Across America read-in AND early information about The Good and the Beautiful's Summer Reading Program, where 200K free books will be given to families nationwide.