Grand Opening of Nation's Largest Free Bookstore for Low-Income Families Held in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Our Kids Read celebrated the grand opening of its expanded Baltimore Literacy Hub on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 418 E. 33rd Street in Baltimore. The new Hub is designed as a unique community literacy "3rd space" where children and families can access free books, literacy support and a reading lounge, all at no cost.

Funded through the generosity of local foundations and donations from the public, the Baltimore Literacy Hub will offer more than 60,000 free diverse books for Baltimore families and close to 200,000 free books shipped to children nationwide. Thanks to a generous $3 million in-kind donation of over 300,000 books to Our Kids Read, low-income families across the country will benefit from books at Our Kids Read events.

At the grand opening, families were invited to tour the new space, meet community partners, learn about Our Kids Read programs, and celebrate the organization's growing impact across Baltimore. Children attending the event received up to 10 free books each, helping families build home libraries and strengthen access to reading materials. Thanks to a partnership with the Travis Manion Foundation, the first 75 families also received a free backpack filled with school supplies.

The impact of the Baltimore Literacy Hub will extend well beyond Baltimore. With expanded inventory and distribution capacity, Our Kids Read expects to be able to ship over 100,000 additional books to children and communities across the country, allowing the organization to support schools, nonprofits, community organizations, and families far beyond the Hub itself.

In an exciting late-breaking partnership, Our Kids Read has teamed up with international film star/Grammy Award-winning recording artist and philanthropist Chris "Ludacris" Bridges to promote the importance of literacy in our communities. Courtesy of a gift from Scholastic, Our Kids Read launched a campaign to give over 2,000 copies of Ludacris' children's book, "Daddy and Me and the Rhyme to Be," to families across the country. Guests at the Baltimore Literacy Hub were also greeted by a video of Ludacris welcoming them to the Hub.

Media Contact:
Jahmal Lake
Executive Director, Our Kids Read
[email protected]
917-686-3629
www.ourkidsread.org

SOURCE Our Kids Read Association