
About this Event
One thing predicts a child’s reading success better than family income, neighborhood, or school quality: parent-child interactions in the first three years of life. Yet too many parents don’t realize their power as literacy champions—leaving children to struggle unnecessarily on the road to reading.
Join author Maya Smart and Harmonic Harvest for an unforgettable evening launching the Reading for Our Lives Campaign—a movement to ensure every Milwaukee family understands the urgency of early literacy and has the knowledge, confidence, and ongoing support they need to raise readers from birth.
✨ Highlights:
- Live music by Grammy-nominated cellist Malik Johnson
- Silver Linings Story Project—add your reading story to our community tapestry
- Reading Priorities Vote—weigh in on Milwaukee's literacy future
- Bookish photo booth
- Delicious refreshments by Chef Deborah
Your support funds book donations delivered through trusted professionals at organizations like Penfield Children’s Center and St. Francis Children’s Center, ensuring families not only receive books but also ongoing guidance. Every recipient family also gains access to weekly online Q&A sessions with the author for real-time, practical literacy support.
In Milwaukee, too many children start kindergarten already behind. But when parents are shown how to proactively bolster their little one's language and literacy skills from birth, children develop stronger vocabularies, greater school readiness, and a lifelong love of learning.
Come connect with book lovers, parents, educators, and community champions who believe literacy changes lives. Help create the next chapter in Milwaukee’s story—one where every child grows up to read and thrive.
Ready to give now? Visit or text MAYASMART to 41444.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Harmonic Harvest HQ, 250 N Water St, Milwaukee, United States
USD 0.00