600 doctors and nurses who give out books in their offices. In 2014, children in the Philadelphia region took home more than 78,000 new books through the program. Dr. Haecker says she would like to help even more children receive books. “I get to give out books and make a difference in a child’s life,” she says. “That’s why I do Reach Out and Read.” Dr. Haecker says reading to young children is important because it helps them build their vocabulary, exercise their brain, and develop a love of books. As one result, they will be better prepared for school. Reading is essential in life for many reasons— including staying healthy, Dr. Haecker says. For instance, you need to know how to read the labels on medicine packages so you don’t buy the wrong one. Reach Out and Read provides new books for children ages 6 months to 5 years. Program staff members also stock waiting rooms with gently used books that older children can enjoy. “My job is to make sure there are enough books and the right kinds of books,” Dr. Haecker says. Trude Haecker Making books part of a medical check-up When her children were small, Dr. Trude Haecker read to them every night before they went to bed. She and her husband found it exciting to introduce books like Hop on Pop and Winnie-the- Pooh to them. She says it was a special, cozy time for her family. At her job as a pediatrician, she would ask the parents of her young patients whether they, too, read to their children. Most parents said no. Their answer made her sad. She wanted them to have as much fun with their children as she did with hers. So Dr. Haecker decided that she would start a chapter of the national Reach Out and Read Program at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The program enables pediatricians to give out free books to children during their regular checkups. The program has grown dramatically since Dr. Haecker first handed books to her patients in 1996. She now oversees the Greater Philadelphia Reach Out and Read Chapter, supporting 22