Kennebunkport, ME – The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy hosted its Maine Celebration of Reading on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Vinegar Hill Music Theatre in Arundel, Maine. This signature event, held to raise support for the Barbara Bush Foundation’s nationwide literacy work, featured appearances by New York Times bestselling authors and special guests including Claire Lombardo, Dani Shapiro, and Chris Whitaker, as well as a video message from Jenna Bush Hager.

The Maine Celebration of Reading was one in a three-day series of events held in the Kennebunkport area to honor the former first lady’s life and legacy – especially her passion for literacy.

“Being a reader helped me to become both a writer and a person,” said Claire Lombardo. “Books make us better people, full stop – ensuring that everyone has the ability to read is critical for fostering imagination, empowerment, and empathy.”

“Reading was my education, a gateway to my interior world and my salvation. It is no exaggeration to say that reading saved my life,” said Dani Shapiro. “Reading is also a portal to the interior of others. No other art form has such direct power to connect cultures, divides, and generations, which is why literacy is such an essential part of the human experience.”

“It’s an honor to be a part of this Celebration of Reading,” said Chris Whitaker. “Reading and writing have offered solace in some of the most challenging moments of my life, so I know firsthand the power that literacy has to change lives. These are true gifts that everyone should have access to and I’m grateful to the Barbara Bush Foundation for the critical work they do and for the opportunity to support its mission.”

Whitaker’s most recent novel, All the Colors of the Dark, was a New York Times bestseller, as well as a TODAY Read with Jenna book club selection in 2024. Read with Jenna is participating in the Foundation’s series of Celebration of Reading events throughout the year. Jenna Bush Hager provided a special message to Maine Celebration of Reading attendees via video.

“My grandmother had an enormous influence on my love of reading. She taught me that the written word has incredible power to change hearts and minds,” said Jenna Bush Hager. “She believed that a parent is a child’s first and best teacher. Now as a mom of three, I know how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to share my love of reading with my own children. Her hope was that every family in America would have that same opportunity to experience the joy of reading and to pass it down to their children.”

The event was hosted by Doro Bush Koch, daughter of Barbara Bush and President George H.W. Bush, who serves as the Foundation’s honorary chair.

“It is particularly meaningful to honor my mother here in Maine, where my family has made countless special memories over the years,” said Doro Bush Koch. “Mom never really liked to celebrate her birthday, but she took every opportunity to highlight the importance of literacy, so I know that she would be thrilled to see so many people paying tribute to her by supporting the cause that meant so much to her.”

Throughout 2025, the Foundation is celebrating the Barbara Bush Centennial – a yearlong series of special initiatives honoring the 100^th anniversary of Barbara Bush’s birth. In addition to the Maine Celebration of Reading, the Foundation has hosted events in New York City and Miami, Florida. The initiative will culminate in a National Celebration of Reading, to be held on November 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C., where the Foundation is headquartered.

While in Kennebunkport, the Foundation participated in a series of local events paying tribute to Barbara Bush, including a community birthday celebration hosted by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. In partnership with the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, the Foundation provided family literacy activities, story times and take-home resources centered around its Literacy Explorer Kits. In honor of Barbara Bush, the Foundation is distributing these free kits, which provide the materials needed to host a family literacy event, to 100 sites nationwide, including libraries, family literacy programs and community organizations. The kits were created with generous support from HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, Anita and Giovanna McBride, and the White House Historical Association.

Festivities in Kennebunkport also included a dedication ceremony for the new Barbara Bush Commemorative Forever Stamp, hosted by the United States Postal Service.

The Barbara Bush Foundation has a long history of service and impact in Maine. Over the past two decades, the Foundation has invested more than $6 million in support for 300+ family literacy across the state.

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About the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy: The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has been the nation’s leading advocate for family literacy for more than three decades. Established by former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1989, today the Foundation is a public charity providing high-quality programs, resources, education initiatives, and research to help families and communities nationwide build brighter futures through literacy. Learn more at www.BarbaraBush.org.