Get this month's free booklist here!
Curated themed books + expert prompts = memorable storytime.
I'll help you fill their childhood with stories they'll never forget!
Your child engages. You connect. Storytime finally works.
If you’ve ever hoped a random bedtime book would keep your child engaged (and keep you awake), you’re not alone. Raising Readers takes the guesswork out of what to read and what to do with it in under 5 minutes a day, so storytime becomes the easiest part of your day.
When books are paired with the right prompts, scripts, and simple follow-ups… reading becomes connection—and connection becomes growth.
How It Works:
A Simple Step-by-System You Can Actually Stick With
01
download resources & create a plan
Identify your child's reading needs and emotional struggles. Anxious? Frustrated? Lonely? There's a story for that.
Choose guides that match your child's needs and pair them with the recommended books (you can the borrow books from the library or purchase). The guides are designed to support those specific challenges.
02
read with purpose
Use the guided bibliotherapy scripts during storytime to spark reflection, deepen emotional connection, and support both reading comprehension and emotional growth. These scripts are your shortcut to connection.
Reading aloud is just the beginning. True growth comes when you engage your child’s thoughts and feelings through conversation and connection.
03
connect with therapeutic activities
Reinforce learning with simple, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy based activities designed to boost resilience and build skills—all thoughtfully created to be playful, purposeful, and easy to use at home or in the classroom.
These activities pair directly with the themes of each book in the guides—making it easy to integrate emotional learning into your everyday storytime routine.
Meet Dr. Billen: Founder of
HI, I'M MONICA.
I'm a former elementary school teacher, current college literacy professor, and literacy researcher.
For me, your child's reading journey is deeply personal.
"I’ve read parenting books, I’ve tried breathing exercises—but this was the first thing that actually worked for my anxious child. The stories gave us a way to talk about big feelings without it turning into a meltdown."
Melissa A. | Mom of a 6-year-old
"I thought this would just be about reading—but it turned into healing. My son now says things like, ‘I’m just having the thought that I’m scared,’ which blows my mind. This is therapy hidden in bedtime stories."
Renee D. | mom of two
"As a therapist, I’m always looking for tools that parents can actually use at home. This packet combines solid CBT practices with the emotional power of storytelling—and it’s beautiful, simple, and smart."
Sara F. | LMFT
you don't have to do this alone
Join The Membership
Join a growing community of parents, educators, and therapists who are using stories to strengthen hearts, minds, and reading skills inside our "Books of The Month" club.
Inside the membership, you'll get the tools, guidance, and support to help your child grow—emotionally, socially, and academically.
Book of the Month Membership
Get monthly access to curated book lists and guided bibliotherapy tools. I tell you what to read, how to read it, and how to use each book to build literacy skills and emotional growth.
Library List Membership
Get monthly access to supplemental, curated book lists that can be found in a local library or purchased to enhance growth and promote intentional mentoring
READ THIS WHEN...
Resource Packets
Purchase themed packets of 10 guides and discussion cards and activities to build your personalized emotional literacy library.
Teach Your Child to Read Resource Packets
Purchase themed packets of 10 guides and discussion cards and activities to build your personalized emotional literacy library.
How to Raise A Reader resource packets
Guides for every age to make sure you’re doing what you need to be doing at every age: Brain basics, must-do steps, and tools that actually work.
Family Book Club
Reading together changes brains AND families. But figuring out what to read and say can feel overwhelming. This guide walks you through exactly how to start and run a family book club.
"This packet gave me language I didn’t know I needed. The questions, activities, and book pairings helped me see my child in a new way—and helped him see himself in the characters."
Jonathan M. | dad of a 5-year-old
"My daughter asked to re-read Jabari Jumps three nights in a row—and then she actually volunteered to try something new at school. That’s never happened before."
Tara R. | parent of a 7-year-old
Get started today with this month's free booklist
Curated themed books + expert prompts = memorable storytime.
I'll help you fill their childhood with stories they'll never forget!
join us in our reading corner (aka instagram)
Our cozy corner of the internet where we share tips, book picks, and 5-minute routines you can actually use.
@drbillen_thereadingprofessor
