. >> jane robinson mentioned reading is fundamental and we are joined by carol hampton rasco. gives the background if you would miss rasco on reading is fundamental. >> 46 years ago margie met merra and bob macnamara who was in the cabinet, she went to a meeting with jacqueline kennedy called at the white house of all cabinet spouses and mrs. kennedy had told each spouse, we are each going to do something to make washington a better place for the people who live and work here every day. and mrs. macnamara had a great reputation as a reading tutor. she tutored the wealthier children in town and she tutored children from very poor economic graph -- backgrounds. she had found how much it meant to the three boys she was tutoring at a public school, to be given up look she had brought that her children had years before and had been left at home of course. she wanted them to take a book home. one of the mothers came to the school the next day and returned the stolen book. i said no, we want the child to have a book and that started a tradition where we might present a book to a chil

we're about to do that working hand in hand with terrific organizations like rif. >> host: now, carol rasco, former first ladies barbara bush and laura bush made reading their, one of their signature issues when they were in the white house. do you see a difference in support when something like that happens, when it's that high profile? >> guest: well, we certainly did, and rif was fortunate to have both of those first ladies on their advisory committee until they went in the white house when you're forced to get off every committee you've ever served on. but the visibility that each brought with them to the white house whether they were still serving on any official board or committee was extremely helpful. and they both have foundations that have had that continued to live. so it's, it's certainly a big help when people like that in those positions of power are helping people see that there really are children out there who do not have a single book in the home except -- and what we hear most often when we talk to children of lesser economic means, you'll say do you have a book at home,

. >> gene robinson mentioned that end we are joined by carol hampton rasco, who is the president andceo of "reading is fundamental." give us the background, if you will, the program, "reading is fundamental." >> 46 years ago, there is a meeting that jacqueline kennedy called at the white house with all the cabinet spouses. and mrs. kennedy said that she told each spouse that we are each going to do something to make washington a better place for the people who live and work here every day. mrs. mcnamara had a great reputation as a reading tutor. she tutor the wealthier children in town and also children from poor economic backgrounds. she had found come up one day, how much it meant in the life of public school, she had bought books that her children had used before. well, one of the mothers wanted to return the stolen book. and i said no, we want the child have to have the book, and that started the tradition of when we present a book to a child, helping the child. she appeared to help children, those who do not learn to read well on time, it usually means we are here to help them s

. >> carol hampton rasco, what is your pitch? .. so we need to start early and we need to be ready to really pour the resources and that were discussed and said the earliest years, children being in a school setting where we can try to reach the best. >> president and ceo of reading is fundamental. what is your website quickly? >> riff got bored. >> and chief financial officer of first book and the website. >> first book. >> and we thank you both for being on book tv and talking about your reading programs. >> thank you. >> from the fourth annual boston book festival, a panel entitled, what's next for women featuring anita hill, and arose in, and madeline kahn in. this is about an hour. [applause] >> good morning, everyone. such a pleasure to see you all year at what is absolutely one of my favorite advance in the city every year, the boss and books festival. i am co-host of radio boston. [applause] >> thank you very much. if you don't listen to this show i'm going to give a shameless plug. 3:00 p.m. monday through friday and, of co

. >> carol rasco is president and ceo of reading is fundamental. ms. rasco what is sure web site very quickly? >> r guy s.org. >> jane robinson as chief financial officer of first book and web site. >> first book.org. >> we thank you both for it being on booktv and talking about your reading commitment. >> thank you. >> this is booktv live coverage from the 29th annual miami book fair. a full weekend of author panels, collins and other events ahead. here is our lineup for today. in just a minute day humor columnist will be talking about his most recent book, "lunatic" and he will be joined by seth reiss in will tracy of the onion, "the onion book of known knowledge" is their latest volume. after that, naomi wolf will be talking about her latest book. it's called "vagina" a new biography. after that we want change d.c. to lila weaver and argentinian immigrant in his shoes written a book about her experiences, growing up in the american south. darkroomdarkroom, and amar'e in black and white is what it is called. michael sandel will be talking about his b