{
  "id": 3867436,
  "title": "#SHOWBIZ: Dolly Parton's legacy lives on through book deliveries to kids",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/showbiz-dolly-partons-legacy-lives-on-through-book-deliveries-to-kids",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-28T01:34:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/groove/2026/08/1520371/showbiz-dolly-partons-legacy-lives-through-book-deliveries-kids"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Cleveland, young Simon Dockery eagerly anticipates receiving a new book each month courtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Since infancy, the three-year-old has received books in Georgia, and now his 11-month-old brother Samuel also enjoys the monthly deliveries. The tradition has sparked a newfound love for reading within the family, with mother Olivia Dockery expressing excitement over the experience.\n\nDolly Parton, the renowned country music star and philanthropist who passed away at 80, founded the Imagination Library in 1995. Inspired by her father's struggles with illiteracy, Parton's program delivers free books to enrolled children from birth until they turn five. Beginning in Parton's hometown of Tennessee, the initiative has since expanded internationally, operating in five countries and distributing over 300 million books worldwide.\n\nFor Dockery, the program was not a given enthusiasm for reading as a child, but she hopes the monthly deliveries will instill a love for literature in her sons. Personalized books, selected based on age, are sent directly to each child's home, making the arrival of a new book an event. In Washington, D.C., more than 100,000 children have participated in the program through a partnership with the Imagination Library and the D.C. Public Library. Shami Chimonyo, a participant, signed up shortly after giving birth to her 7-month-old daughter, drawn to the well-written books and their visual appeal for young learners.",
  "summary": "CLEVELAND: For 3-year-old Simon Dockery, a trip to the mailbox can mean a new adventure.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "How Dolly Parton transformed her fortune into a force for good",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/how-dolly-parton-transformed-her-fortune-into-a-force-for-good",
        "published": "2026-08-27T10:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Why Dolly Parton wrote a letter to Eminem after Hall of Fame induction",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/why-dolly-parton-wrote-a-letter-to-eminem-after-hall-of-fame-induction",
        "published": "2026-08-27T11:41:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "El Pais English",
        "title": "In the land of Dolly Parton, queen of the Smokies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/in-the-land-of-dolly-parton-queen-of-the-smokies",
        "published": "2026-08-27T16:19:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "WATCH: Inside the largest private collection of Dolly Parton memorabilia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/watch-inside-the-largest-private-collection-of-dolly-parton",
        "published": "2026-08-27T20:00:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KahawaTungu",
        "title": "Dolly Parton’s health struggle highlights a crisis facing millions of American caregivers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/dolly-partons-health-struggle-highlights-a-crisis-facing-millions-of",
        "published": "2026-08-27T20:21:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "How Dolly Parton used \"I Will Always Love You\" royalties to support the Black community in Nashville",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/how-dolly-parton-used-i-will-always-love-you-royalties-to-support-the",
        "published": "2026-08-27T23:32:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "#SHOWBIZ: Remembering the Queen of Country: 5 key Dolly Parton songs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/showbiz-remembering-the-queen-of-country-5-key-dolly-parton-songs",
        "published": "2026-08-28T03:30:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}