Jenna Bush Hager is planning on reading a lot this summer, and she wants kids to get involved as well.
Folks know the Today show host loves to curate books for her monthly book club “Read With Jenna.” Well, she announced a surprise in late May, revealing in an Instagram video her plans to expand her book club audience. As she sat amongst a number of literary works, Jenna shared that her kids reading program “Read With Jenna Jr.” is back for the second summer in a row.
“We’re so excited, because it’s summer,” she said in the clip posted on May 22. “And summer means Read With Jenna Jr., which is our awesome list of books that we have put together for all age groups.”
Along with displaying her excitement for the upcoming venture, Jenna further elaborated on the process for how she picked the book list. She told Today.com that the program breaks down into three categories (Picture Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult) and offers a number of titles suitable for the appropriate age range. She also noted that she had a specific purpose in mind when selecting both classics and newer offerings for children.
“We chose all the books on Read With Jenna Jr. … by thinking about different books for all different readers,” she continued in the snippet. “We try to think about diverse topics and also something where every kid will feel represented for all ages.”
When parents saw Jenna’s plans to offer children a chance to get involved in her “Read With Jenna” club, they were thrilled by the prospect.
“This is so cool! I’m excited that more young people will be encouraged to read! ‘The Giving Tree’ is one I’ve read my entire life and I still love it. 😍,” one person wrote while mentioning a book off the list of works. “Great list! Thanks for sharing and always being a proponent of reading 🤓,” another agreed. “The sweetest book list! 💗💗💗,” a different follower added.
Guess it’s time to hit up our local libraries or Amazon, because we now have a long list of books to get through!
Editorial Assistant
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
