Julie Andrews and Family Lend Voices to Hachette Book Group’s Raising Readers Campaign
Accompanied by daughter Emma Walton Hamilton and granddaughter Hope Hamilton, Andrews will voice a Raising Readers message featured in select HBG children’s audiobooks beginning Fall 2026.
New York, NY (Oct. 13, 2026) — As part of Hachette Book Group’s (HBG) global Raising Readers initiative, legendary performer and long-time HBG author Julie Andrews will co-voice a message about the campaign to appear in a selection of HBG audiobooks for readers ages 0-7.
The Raising Readers campaign aims to raise awareness about the alarming decline in children’s reading for fun while providing individuals and families tools for developing and inspiring a lifelong reading habit. The centrality of family reading is reflected in the multi-generational message from Andrews, her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, and her granddaughter Hope Hamilton.
Here’s an excerpt from the audio message’s script:
Julie A.: We believe there are few things more important than to find ways to enable more children to discover the joy of reading. Here are a few ways YOU can help raise readers:
Emma W. H.: Find 10 minutes a day for shared reading, even after a child can read independently.
Hope H.: Give kids a choice in what they read—let them find something they love!
Listen to the full recording here.
Beginning Fall 2026, this message will appear at the end of select audio titles from HBG’s children’s imprints, including Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (publisher of 17 Andrews and Walton Hamilton collaborations, including The Very Fairy Princess series, The First Notes, and Waiting in the Wings); Running Press Kids, Union Square Kids, and Workman Kids. A Raising Readers call to action will also appear in the print editions of these and a wider list of books for children, marking an expansion of the larger campaign, which has to date focused on sharing the message via HBG’s books for adults, including Andrews’ two memoirs with Grand Central Publishing (GCP), Home and Home Work. Across HBG and Hachette UK, more than 12 million books include a message about the reading crisis and by the end of 2026, this number is expected to grow to more than 25 million books across more than 3,000 works.
“We are thrilled to support Hachette’s Raising Readers campaign,” Andrews said. “We can think of no better activity to support brain development and brain health than reading.”
“And reading has a direct impact on how successful a child becomes, in school and in later life beyond,” Emma Walton Hamilton added. “It is truly the golden ticket.”
Megan Tingley, LBYR President & Publisher, expressed her excitement for Andrews’ family’s involvement in HBG’s long-term campaign.
“We are deeply grateful to Julie, Emma, and Hope for lending their voices to Hachette’s vital Raising Readers initiative. Shared family reading is at the core of developing a lifelong love of books, and there could be no better embodiment of that message than three generations of a family united by a passion for reading. And what a gift it is to have the iconic voice of Julie Andrews —who has enchanted generations from Mary Poppins and Maria von Trapp to Lady Whistledown— helping to deliver the Raising Readers message.”
For more information about Raising Readers, please visit www.JoinRaisingReaders.com.
About the Narrators:
Julie Andrews’ legendary career has encompassed the Broadway and London stages, as well as multiple films, television shows, album releases, concert tours, directing assignments, and the world of children’s publishing. In 2000, the title of Dame Commander of the British Empire was bestowed upon her by Queen Elizabeth II for lifetime achievements in the arts and humanities. She was married to film director Blake Edwards for 41 years, and the couple has five children, ten grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She invites you to visit her online at @julieandrews on both Instagram and Twitter.
Emma Walton Hamilton is an award-winning writer, producer, and arts educator. Together with her mother, Julie Andrews, she has written more than 35 books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Very Fairy Princess series, Waiting in the Wings, and The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi. Her first book of poetry, Door to Door, was published in 2022. Emma is a longtime faculty member of Stony Brook University’s MFA in Creative Writing and invites you to visit her online at @ewhamilton on both Instagram and Twitter.
Hope Hamilton is a freelance writer and journalist. Having recently received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College, she is currently pursuing a master’s in Comparative Literature from Northwestern with an eye toward a career in publishing.
About Hachette Book Group:
Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading US 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 other 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, Threads, TikTok, X.com, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Press Contact: Gabrielle Gambrell, Chief Communications Officer, Hachette Book Group
gabrielle.gambrell@hbgusa.com