Edison Boy Reads 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, And He's Only 3

EDISON, NJ - A 3-year-old Edison boy has become the third young patron to complete the Edison Public Library's 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program since it launched in February 2025.

Atlas Lam-Fortes finished the challenge last month, joining Angela Towers and Jack Ambos as graduates of the literacy initiative, which aims to build early reading habits before children enter school. The program is free and sponsored by the Friends of the Edison Public Library. Participants track books through the Beanstack app and receive prizes for hitting reading milestones.

Atlas' mother, Michele Lam-Fortes, said the family started the challenge last summer and quickly made it part of their daily routine.

"The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, in particular, has been an amazing goal for us to work toward together," she said. "We started the challenge last summer, a little unsure if we'd be able to keep up — but it flew by faster than we ever imagined and became a special part of our daily routine."

Atlas is a regular at the library, attending children's programs including Baby Bookworms and Toddler Tales with his parents, Michele and Christian. Lam-Fortes singled out Children's Librarian Allia Nisa for recognition.

"A special shoutout to Ms. Allia — our very own 'Ms. Rachel' of Edison — who has been such a consistent and positive presence in Atlas' library journey," she said. "Ms. Allia and the rest of the team at the Edison Public Library have made every session fun, interactive, and meaningful."

Nisa said the program's early graduates reflect the commitment of Edison families to early literacy.

"I am immensely proud of these young readers for building a foundation that will serve them for a lifetime," Nisa said. "I look forward to celebrating many more milestones with the community as our young patrons and the program continue to grow."

For more information on 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, visit any Edison Public Library branch or the Bookmobile. To join the Friends of the Edison Public Library, visit edisonpubliclibrary.org/friends-of-the-library.

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