Discover how readers are harnessing the power of books to build a better world. Get our updates.
With BookSmart, every day is a different reading adventure! Spend quality time learning with your child and start important conversations at home.
BookSmart, powered by Worldreader, is a free digital app that helps parents and caregivers build simple, daily reading routines with children ages 0–5. Through thousands of culturally relevant books, playful activities, and practical tips, BookSmart supports shared reading experiences that strengthen early learning and family connection. Designed around Worldreader’s research and experience and backed by brain science, BookSmart meets families where they are — on the devices they already use — making it easy to read together anytime, anywhere.
Short on time? Our BookSmart video collection will help you build a habit of reading for your family in minutes! Includes videos in English and Spanish.
Our BookSmart programs and resources are designed to make reading simple, accessible, and sustainable for all.
Short on time? Our BookSmart video collection will help you build a habit of reading for your family in minutes! Includes videos in English and Spanish.
BookSmart also features monthly Reading Challenges that encourage consistent engagement as well as fun parenting tips and activities for children that can be done anytime, anywhere.
These are playful goal-oriented campaigns (often supported by corporate sponsors) that encourage families to read a certain number of books or minutes, with badges, rewards, or community recognition along the way. By gamifying reading in this way, BookSmart sustains children’s interest and helps turn daily reading from a routine into a cherished family habit.
We celebrate our BookSmart families and partners.
We showcase inspiring family and partner stories through our newsletter, social media, and television. Stay connected as we transform reading moments into a global movement milestones.
Explore our tips and materials to build a bright future for your child through reading.
Parents are children’s first and most powerful teachers. When families read together, they show love, attention, and belief in each child’s future.
Our one-stop reading experience BookSmart is trusted by families, educators, and organizations in over 100 countries. Discover some of their stories below.
Helping young dreamers become strong readers
Across Africa, only 20% of families read with their children. But in Kenya, a young, digitally connected generation is turning the tide. By transforming the mobile phone into a powerful reading ally, we’re helping families build strong reading habits through playful online and offline activities, vibrant community events, and joyful reading challenges.
In a world where digital platforms vie for attention, Kenyan families are choosing stories – with the help of their parents, some of Kenya’s youngest finished over a thousand books on BookSmart in just three months. Meet Kenya’s inspiring Reading Heroes in the video below.
Tackling the reading crisis from day one
According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (2022), roughly 65% of children in the United States cannot read or understand a simple story. Worldreader is meeting this challenge early by helping parents build positive, sustainable reading routines from birth that can grow and evolve alongside their families.
From laundromats to community centers, waiting rooms to prisons, BookSmart is bringing the power of reading into everyday spaces, helping families bond, learn, and thrive together – anytime, anywhere.
A trusted reading partner
81% of South African children in Grade 4 are not able to reach the lowest benchmark scores in reading, up from 78% in 2016. Thanks to BookSmart, families are transforming everyday moments into powerful learning experiences that can support their children through school and life.
A recent survey with our partner Moya revealed that parents see BookSmart as a valuable tool for building literacy, language development, and school readiness. Families are embracing the joy of reading together – 71% report reading with their children at least twice a week. Through shared stories, they’re fostering stronger bonds, creating positive routines, and inspiring a lifelong love of learning.
Whether you’re a company, a donor, or a family—this is our moment.
Let’s get families reading!
