reading

Up To Date's book experts revisited classics and devoured new releases, too. Check out their recommendations from several Kansas City bookstore owners and more to add to your to-be-read list, or to gift this holiday season.

A literacy program has helped mothers and grandmothers in prison improve their reading abilities while also giving them the chance to bond with their loved ones.

Missouri legislators this year approved $11 million to fully fund Parton's program that sends free books to children ages 5 and under. Parton came to Kansas City's briefly-renamed Folly Theater to celebrate — and sing a few songs.

More than half of U.S. adults said that they’ve listened to an audiobook at some point. The industry is continuing to expand, and Up To Date’s panelists have a diverse range of recommendations for every listener’s needs.

The Rabbit Hole, which opened on March 12 in North Kansas City’s Iron District, is the first museum in the country to bring a century of children’s literature to life. The immersive venue transports visitors of all ages into the worlds of “Goodnight Moon,” “Last Stop on Market Street” and so much more.

The new museum in North Kansas City’s Iron District is dedicated to immersing kids and their parents in the world of children’s literature. Co-founders Deb Pettid and Pete Cowdin have spent the last six years bringing to life their unique vision for the attraction.

Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and plotlines. Up To Date's panel of romance readers recommends celebrating non-traditional love stories this Valentine's Day.

Romance novels and romance-fantasy titles topped the check-out charts in Kansas' most populous county. Among kid readers, authors Mo Willems and Jeff Kinney cleaned up.

If you're looking for a good book to end the year with, Up To Date's panel of Kansas City book enthusiasts have read a combined total of more than 210 books this year. Check out their recommendations for your personal reading or for gifting to loved ones.

Books have the ability to take you to another time. This month on Up To Date, author Steve Paul, and BLK + BRWN bookstore owner Cori Smith share the literature that brought them to the 1930s Harlem jazz scene, the 1980s war on drugs, through the twists and turns of the life of a mad genius and more.

Multiple factors are contributing to lower rates of reading proficiency for students in Missouri and nationwide, including lingering disruptions from the pandemic. Educators and advocates say that a solution to the literacy "crisis" needs to come from the whole community.

In the first full year of the pandemic, both states saw drops in reading and math proficiency. But educators hope that higher levels of school funding in Kansas should help reverse the trend.