Newborns get books in goody bags from Florida hospital

Beginning Jan. 1, every newborn in Jacksonville, Florida, will leave the hospital with a carry-all bag filled with goodies, including their first books about the city. The idea for baby Rally Jacksonville came from the family of Fran Peacock Coker, who authored the books for 4-year-olds. Coker died at the beginning of the year in Nova Scotia. Reading to infants is important in part because it teaches the child how to hold a book, flip the pages and identify colors, shapes and other objects, said Linda Lanier, who heads the Jacksonville Children's Commission. Read the article at the Florida Times-Union website.