The Marine Toys for Tots Literacy Program is addressing a critical barrier to academic success: the lack of access to books for children in low-income communities. Through its Operation Turn the Page initiative, the program distributes books and educational resources to underserved children across the nation, aiming to prevent summer learning loss and ensure they return to school confident and prepared.
The initiative is rooted in a stark reality: in some low-income communities, there is only one age-appropriate book for every 300 children. This scarcity hampers literacy development and widens the achievement gap. Since 2008, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program has provided more than 63 million books and educational resources, but the need remains significant.
“A single book may seem like a small gift, but for a child impacted by summer learning loss, it can open the door to possibilities they never knew existed,” said Lieutenant General Jim Laster, U.S. Marines (Retired), President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. “When children living in low-income communities have access to books throughout the summer, they return to school more confident, engaged, and prepared to learn. When you give a book, you unlock a future.”
The impact of Operation Turn the Page is already visible in schools across the country. At United Elementary, more than 400 books found new homes with students, creating excitement that extended beyond the classroom. “With over 400 new books in the hands of our students, we’re seeing excitement, pride, and a growing love of reading both in school and at home,” staff shared. At Entheos Academy, a teacher described a student’s reaction to receiving a book about baseball: “One student’s face lit up with pure wonder when she found a book about baseball—proof that the right book can spark a lifelong love of reading.”
These moments illustrate the program’s mission: ensuring that disadvantaged children have access to books during the summer so they can enter the classroom with a stronger foundation. The importance of this work cannot be overstated, as summer learning loss disproportionately affects students from low-income families, who may lose up to two months of reading skills during the break. By providing books, the program helps mitigate this loss and fosters a love of learning that lasts beyond the classroom.
As children prepare to return to school, supporters have the power to help write the next chapter of their success. A single book can inspire a love of reading, strengthen literacy skills, and help a child start the school year ready to learn. By supporting Operation Turn the Page, donors are doing more than giving a book—they are helping disadvantaged children turn the page on summer learning loss and toward academic success and a brighter future.
To learn more or donate, visit the Toys for Tots Literacy Program page.
