Louisville Book Festival gives thousands of free books to kids

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB+WAVE) — Thousands of free books went home Saturday as the Louisville Book Festival returned for its seventh year to the Kentucky International Convention Center.

The downtown event highlighted the city’s culture and addressed limited book access, with organizers saying no bookstores exist west of Interstate 65.

Each child picked out at least one free book.

Organizers have now given away more than 20,000 books through the festival and programs like It Pays to Read.

The event also included meet-and-greets with writers, book signings, panel discussions, writing workshops and interactive activities.

“It’s great. I’ve met so many families, especially ones with little kids, and it’s wonderful seeing how much people still love books,” author Amy Foos Kapoor.

The Louisville Book Festival is a nonprofit founded in 2018 to promote reading, writing and literacy.

Organizers say access to books can help close early vocabulary gaps.

Research shows children in higher-income households hear about 45 million words by age 4, compared with about 13 million for children in low-income households.