Singer's father couldn't read, so she gave millions of kids free books

Did you know that a famous singer started a book program because her father could not read?

Dolly Parton is an American music star. Her father was a poor man. He could not read or write. When Dolly was a child, she saw how sad this made him. He wanted to read books. He wanted to understand words. But he could not.

This memory stayed with Dolly. When she grew up, she had an idea. She wanted to help children. She wanted them to love books. She wanted every child to have books at home.

In 1995, she started the Imagination Library. This program sends free books to children. Every month, a new book arrives at a child's home. The books are good stories. They are fun. They teach children new words.

Today, the program is very big. It sends books to millions of children. Children in America get books. Children in Canada get books. Children in the United Kingdom get books. Children in Australia get books. And more countries every year.

Families say the program works. Parents tell stories. They say their children read more now. They say their children love these books. Some children learned to read because of the free books. Some children who did not like reading now enjoy it.

Dolly Parton never forgot her father. His story became her dream. Now millions of children have books because one man could not read. Is that not amazing? What would you do if you had this kind of power to help children learn?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.