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1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Count every book you read together until your child starts kindergarten. Print a log for the fridge, or keep count on this phone.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a free early-reading challenge from the 1000 Books Foundation, a Nevada nonprofit: read 1,000 books to your baby, toddler or preschooler before kindergarten, and yes, the same book read again counts again. Libraries, schools and day cares host it, often with logs and small prizes; one book a day gets you there in about three years.

Checked October 29, 2026.

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Count on this phone

Tap after each book. The count stays in this browser on this device; nothing is sent to Peabody, and there's no account.

0 books read

Next stop: 100 books, 100 to go.

More: another child, start again

Counts are saved in this browser only. Clearing your browser's site data clears them too, so jot the number on your printed log now and then.

Print a log

Each sheet has 100 circles to color in, one per book. Print the first sheet now and the next one when it's full.

1,000 Books Before KindergartenBooks 1 to 100 · Name: ____________________

Color in a circle for every book you read together. The same book again counts again.

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From parent.peabody.kids/read/1000-books · Free, no ads · The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge is run by the 1000 Books Foundation and many public libraries.

How does 1000 Books Before Kindergarten work?

  • Any book counts. The Foundation's rule is “a book (any book)” read to your newborn, infant or toddler.
  • Repeats count. Reading the same favorite five times is five books.
  • It's free. The Foundation's log sheets and milestone markers are free on its website.
  • Libraries add the fun. St. Louis County Library, for example, gives a reading log at any branch or a phone app, a sticker at 100 books, a free book and a small prize at 500, and a free book and a bag at 1,000. Ask at your library's children's desk; rules and prizes differ.

Is 1,000 books a lot?

It's less than it sounds. One book a day is 365 a year, so 1,000 takes under three years, and short board books read three times at bedtime get there faster. Starting at birth leaves plenty of time before kindergarten; starting at 3 or 4 is fine too, with a couple of books a day.

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