Hachette Marks 200th Anniversary with $200,000 Fund to Provide Curated Classroom Libraries to 200 Underfunded Schools and Education Programs
Twenty-three organizations join HBG to counteract the current literacy crisis
Raising Readers is HBG’s social impact campaign to combat the significant decline in children’s reading for pleasure, the single biggest predictor of a child’s future success
New York (December 9, 2025) — David Shelley, CEO of Hachette Book Group (HBG) and Hachette UK announced today a $200,000 investment to its Raising Readers campaign to combat the growing decline in children’s reading for fun and entertainment. This contribution also commemorates the 200th anniversary of Hachette’s parent company, Hachette Livre, which was founded in 1826 in Paris. HBG is proud to celebrate this significant literary milestone, as Hachette Livre has published many masterpieces from more than 200 imprints worldwide, each with its own rich history.
“In 2026, we aim to take Raising Readers to the next level. 2026 serendipitously marks the 200th anniversary of Hachette Livre. Milestones like this are often celebrated internally, but given the urgency of the reading crisis, I believe the most meaningful way to mark the bicentenary is to invest more deeply in Raising Readers,” said Shelley.
HBG’s $200,000 Raising Readers fund will be dedicated to social impact initiatives embedded within its urgent and long-term Raising Readers campaign. Raising Readers strives to raise awareness of the decline in the number of children reading for fun and encourages everyone to make reading for enjoyment part of children’s daily lives. Reading for fun impacts academic results, mental health, wealth, communication skills, happiness, and ambition.
As a part of the campaign, HBG’s 2026 philanthropic initiatives include:
- Providing curated classroom libraries to 200 underfunded schools and education programs in confirmed book deserts. This will allow at least 50,000 students to gain sustained access to books that support literacy, rehabilitation, and educational advancement.
- Mobilizing at least 200 volunteers to deliver reading or literacy support.
- Launching a minimum of 200 Little Free Libraries in book deserts with committed replenishment throughout 2026. Priority will be given to neighborhoods with low access to bookstores and libraries, plus areas surrounding reentry housing and transitional communities. This will allow HBG to place at least 40,000 books in circulation throughout the year.
- HBG will host 200 author visits to classrooms (virtually or in-person) for immersive author sessions and read-alouds, providing access to at least 10,000 participants, all of whom will gain direct exposure to the joy of reading.
In addition to the above actions, investments will be made toward evidence-based literacy programs that measurably improve reading proficiency via structured tutoring, classroom literacy coaching, family literacy, community library rebuilds, or community programs that aim to close the gap in lower-than-average literacy rates.
“The outpouring of support from our authors and partners in the first year of the Raising Readers campaign has been inspiring and energizing. I am confident that these new initiatives will help us raise significantly more readers during this historic year for Hachette and well beyond,” said Megan Tingley, President and Publisher of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers at Hachette Book Group.
The larger Raising Readers campaign has made major strides since its launch in December 2024. Some key highlights and updates include:
- To date, across HBG and Hachette UK, six million books now include the Raising Readers message about the reading crisis and sharing the importance of encouraging a child’s lifelong love of reading. By the end of next year, this number should be 25 million+ across more than 3,000 works.
- Currently, 23 organizations have agreed to partner with HBG to tackle this reading crisis including, PEN America, Poets & Writers, Read Ahead, Inkluded, The Toronto International Festival of Authors, American Booksellers Association, Authors Guild Foundation, Behind the Book, Her Agenda, National Book Foundation, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, Book Industry Charitable Foundation, Canadian Manda Group, United Way of Central Indiana, We Need Diverse Books, ParentChild+, National Coalition Against Censorship, House of SpeakEasy, Literary Agents of Change, The Book Manufacturers’ Institute, Book Industry Study Group, Indy Book Project and Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
- In addition to our partners, Academy Award-winning actress and HBG author Reese Witherspoon is the Raising Readers audio spokesperson. You can listen to Witherspoon’s audiobook message here.
- On December 11th at its NYC headquarters, HBG is proud to end the year with its first in-person Raising Readers event: a Holiday Book Wrapping Party hosted with Read Ahead, where volunteers and supporters will wrap 1000 children’s books for the development of students’ social-emotional skills essential for academic and life-long success.
- HBG is also working with TDW+Co, a social impact agency, to grow the Raising Readers campaign to reach larger audiences. TDW+Co is a community-based and mission-driven agency that seeks to build authentic connections between brands and consumers through cultural understanding and a network of community partners. The collective goal to elevate diverse communities aligns closely with HBG’s Changing the Story business pillar.
To get involved with HBG’s Raising Readers initiative, please reach out to communications@hbgusa.com.
About Hachette Book Group:
Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading U.S. general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group, Grand Central Publishing Group, Hachette Audio, Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Orbit and Workman Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to several publishing companies.
Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Peace Prize, and other major honors.
We are committed to diversity in our company and our publishing programs, and to fostering a culture of inclusion for all our employees and authors. We are proud to be part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher.
Visit hachettebookgroup.com to learn more about HBG imprints. For updated news follow HBG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Threads, TikTok, X.com, and YouTube.
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CONTACT: Gabrielle Gambrell, Gabrielle.Gambrell@hbgusa.com