Special Book Club session with Maya Smart, author of Reading for Our Lives!
On May 31, 2025, the Women’s Storybook Project hosted an inspiring virtual conversation with author and literacy advocate Maya Payne Smart, centered around her book Reading for Our Lives. The Texas-based nonprofit connects incarcerated mothers with their children through the power of books and voice. Program volunteers record moms reading aloud and send both the book and the audio home to their children to enjoy.
In this session, Smart shared how her personal journey to support her daughter’s love of reading sparked a deeper mission to empower parents with practical tools to build children’s literacy from birth. Drawing on her background in journalism, she emphasized the power of curiosity, clear communication, and parent-child connection in laying a strong foundation for reading success—especially during critical moments like the pandemic, which underscored the vital role caregivers play in education.
The discussion resonated deeply with the audience, many of whom are educators, caregivers, and program leaders. Smart spotlighted the importance of early, intentional talk and shared her signature T.A.L.K. method (Take turns, Ask questions, Label and point, Keep the conversation going) as a simple, actionable framework for boosting language development. She also addressed practical strategies for engaging babies, supporting multilingual learners, and encouraging older children—particularly preteens who may have lost interest in reading—with autonomy and book choice. Her reflections on the tactile power of print books, the role of audiobooks, and the necessity of decoding instruction were both research-backed and deeply relatable.
Audience members praised Smart’s clarity, warmth, and encouragement, calling her book “so full of actual things you can do” and “right on about everything.” The event wrapped with a powerful reminder: reading is not just about decoding text—it’s a relational, social act that strengthens bonds, builds knowledge, and shapes lifelong opportunity. Participants left affirmed in their mission to connect incarcerated mothers and their children through books, and eager to apply new insights to deepen that connection.
Maya Payne Smart is a writer, parent educator, and literacy advocate who has served on the boards of numerous library and literacy organizations. She and her family live in Milwaukee, where she serves as affiliated faculty in educational policy and leadership in the College of Education at Marquette University. Her website, MayaSmart.com, provides tips and tools for parents to nurture, teach, and advocate for kids on the road to reading.