2025 Virginia Reads One Book Resources
Sponsored by the VBA Education Foundation and Banks Across Virginia

Internal Links Monica McDearmon

Thank you for sponsoring Virginia Reads One Book in your community! 

View a thank you message for our bank sponsors from this year’s author Jacqueline Davies below!

Program Overview & Timeline

During the Virginia Reads One Book (VAROB) program, the entire school community, including bus drivers, resource teachers, facilities staff, office personnel, students and their families, read the same book on the same schedule. Students participate in financial literacy activities that correlate with the state standards of learning and each chapter of the book. 

Program Timeline

  • Beginning in December 2024 - Schools will receive access to program resources.
  • By January 6, 2025 - School/bank partnerships will be secured and orders will be placed for books/materials.
  • January 15, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. – Bank sponsor meeting. You can view the recording here.
  • By the first week of February 2025 - Schools receive their books*, posters, stickers and bookmarks.
  • On or around March 3, 2025 - VAROB begins, immediately following Read Across America Week. The program is designed to last about three weeks. 

*Some schools may receive their books earlier than others - book orders were placed in the order that they were received.

How Can Your Bank Be Involved During the Program at the School?

Step 1: Assign a team at your bank to lead your efforts. Consider bank employees who are comfortable in the classroom (either virtually or in person) and already participating in financial literacy efforts at your bank.

Step 2: Decide on your bank’s level of involvement. Being a sponsor for the Virginia Reads One Book program allows for community engagement opportunities for your bank and your employees. Bank engagement options are available at a variety of time commitment levels and could include the following:

  • Attending and helping at school kick-off ceremonies.
  • Helping to pass out books at kick-off ceremonies.
  • Provide promotional giveaways or bank logo items to students/staff as trivia question prizes.
    • You could also consider providing the next book or two in The Lemonade War series as prizes.
  • Serving as guest readers throughout the program in classrooms or with small groups (virtually or in-person).
  • Presenting financial literacy lessons that correlate with the chapters of the book (virtually or in person).
  • Tie the program with youth savings programs/accounts that already exist at your bank (providing students with a bookmark voucher worth $X when they bring it in to open a savings account with their family).
  • Purchase extra copies of the book to have available at bank branches.
  • Attend closing activities/culmination ceremonies/literacy fairs/etc.

Step 3: Support the school, students, families and community! Be proud that your bank is helping to make a difference in the lives of families in the community you serve!

Templates & Resources for Bankers

Before the Program Begins:

During the Program:

AFter the Program:

Family engagement activities:

VAROB Press Kit

Social Media Information:

Be sure to tag @vabankers, @readtothem and use the hashtags #vabankers, and #VAROB2025 in your social media posts on Facebook and Instagram.
Link to the VBA’s VAROB page: https://www.vabankers.org/post/virginia-reads-one-book
Link to Read to Them’s VAROB page: https://readtothem.org/virginia/

Learn more about the author Jacqueline Davies here.

Connect with the publisher, HMH Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) on Facebook, Instagram and X – @HarperChildrens.

Social media post templates

2025 VAROB Poster

2025 Bank Sponsor posters/digital display images

pictures from the program

Please upload any pictures from your bank’s participation in the program to this folder. 

Media alert and press release templates:

  • These will be available here soon!

Chapter Reading Recordings

You can view the chapter reading recordings here! This link has been shared with all schools participating in the 2025 program.

What Resources Do the Schools Receive?

When you sponsor a school for VAROB, they will receive a wealth of resources to ensure the program’s success. You can find links to the school resources below.

Click here to access the portal.
User ID: VBA
Passcode: efesen25!

Resources include:

  • Implementation information
  • Reading schedule
  • Trivia and discussion questions
  • Digital resources, including Kahoot and Flipgrid activities
  • Activities by chapter
  • Specific financial literacy activities
  • Social media graphics and a sample press release
  • Family fun pack
  • …and more!

Read to Them Contact Information

Anne Curry
Read to Them Regional Outreach Manager
anne.curry@readtothem.org