Dolly Parton stressed the value of learning to read

September 28, 2026

State Sen. Bryant Richardson

Country music legend Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer.

Although famous for her hit songs, Dolly Parton has said one of her greatest joys was helping children learn to love reading.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has touched the lives of more than 50,000 children and families in Delaware, providing them with age-appropriate books to encourage a love of reading.

The Imagination Library mails books to children from birth to age five at no cost to families.

Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995.

In 2022, she expanded the program in Delaware on a visit to the Wilmington Public Library.

Parton said she created the initiative in honor of her father, Robert Lee Parton, who never learned to read or write.

Since its inception, the Imagination Library has donated hundreds of millions of books to children.

Parton also founded the Dollywood Foundation, which supports scholarships, disaster relief and medical research.

On May 5, 2022, Gov. John Carney, First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney and Annie Norman of the Delaware Library welcomed Dolly Parton for a statewide celebration of the Imagination Library.

Prior to her appearance, around 1,000 Delaware children were signed up for the Imagination Library.

The following week, more than 21,000 Delaware children were enrolled in the program.

Born on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of twelve children in a farming family.

Parton’s humble beginnings and strong family values, influenced her music and philanthropic efforts, particularly in Tennessee.

Parton avoided commenting on political issues, saying she didn’t want to alienate fans on either side.

That attitude was one of the reasons she received praise from those of all political leanings.

Parton focused on lifting people up through her songs and charitable activities rather than politics.

In March of this year Delaware announced the implementation of its statewide early literacy strategy.

The Delaware Department of Education (DOE) said it is allocating more than $8 million in investments to strengthen reading instruction in classrooms across the state.

DOE announced two investments supporting that work: a $1.9 million State Implementation Fund grant from Accelerate and $6.1 million in competitive Bridge to Practice grants awarded to school districts and charter schools

in Delaware.

The Bridge to Practice grants to public schools range from $42,993 for the Seaford School District to $774,125 for the Red Clay District.

Not all public schools received these funds.

Dolly Parton’s father worked as a sharecropper and later ran his own small tobacco farm, while taking on construction jobs to support his family. The Partons did not take government handouts.

Parton graduated from Sevier County High School in Tennessee in 1964. Her childhood days are portrayed in the movie, “Coat of Many Colors,” based on Parton’s upbringing in rural Tennessee.

The possibility that the Sevier County schools received funding for early literacy programs is unlikely.

One element that led to Dolly Parton’s success was her faith.

The Bible says “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

Parton’s faith touched the lives of countless children in our state and throughout the world.

Parton grew up poor, but did not use that as an excuse, but put her whole heart into pursuing her dreams for success.

Her Imagination Library helps inspire countless youth to do the same.