and when sean doolittle sent his tweet out, we had a record day.store, it sends the message that books and bookstores matter, and where you buy them makes a difference. by giving your money to them, you keep that going. you keep reading alive in the community. >> reporter: that is the real win. >> there's a lot of really kind of alarming statistics when it comes to littleracy rates and kids -- literacy rates and kids in the united states. over half of the kids in the fourth grade read below basic level. that's a crucial time for them because there's so many indicators about where they're at in fourth grade can determine where they go in their, you know, education level down the road. >> reporter: and he says where they simply go in life. just look at him. >> it's a little surreal. this started out as something that i was doing just because it was a hobby that i enjoyed. but it's been a really rewarding experience. if you can get kids excited about reading, maybe that can open up a whole other world for them. >> i know people say athletes should sti