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<p>Since its founding in 1997, Yum! has been Serving Up Good with its brands by investing in initiatives that enable team members, employees and communities to thrive. Yum! remains committed to using its capital – financial and human – to reduce food insecurity and to help individuals gain the skills and capabilities they need to build meaningful careers. This series highlights both the stories of Yum! leaders who are driving meaningful change and shaping a better future for all, as well as the beneficiaries of the many Community Impact programs Yum! leads around the world. </p>
<p>The Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program makes reading as fun and rewarding as a slice of pizza. Since 1984, this beloved platform has inspired more than 70 million children to fall in love with books by turning reading goals into delicious rewards — a free Personal Pan Pizza® from Pizza Hut. It’s a simple idea that’s been sparking smiles, building confidence and creating lifelong readers for 41 years — proving that great stories and great pizza are the perfect combo. </p>
<p>The Yum! Newsroom sat down with Prisma Garcia, associate manager of BOOK IT!, to talk about her personal connection, how the program has evolved over time and what makes it such a special part of Pizza Hut’s story.</p>
<p><strong>Why is BOOK IT! important to you personally?</strong> </p>
<p>I tasted my first slice of pizza thanks to BOOK IT!. I grew up in a culture where pizza wasn’t part of everyday meals, so when I earned my first BOOK IT! coupon, my family decided to go to Pizza Hut to redeem it. Once we tried pizza for the first time, we were completely hooked! That experience became such a core memory for us. My dad still says Pizza Hut is his favorite and refuses to eat pizza anywhere else. </p>
<p>BOOK IT! didn’t just encourage me to read, it brought my family together around something new and exciting. When I think back on those days, I remember getting lost in books — from childhood favorites to the series that kept me turning pages as I grew older. Earning that free Personal Pan Pizza for reaching my reading goals was always the best feeling – no matter how my taste in books evolved. There was truly nothing better!</p>
<p><strong>What is your favorite thing about BOOK IT?</strong> </p>
<p>It’s incredible to see how the program has inspired a love of reading across generations. Our team often hears from people who share reflections such as “I was a BOOK IT! kid, and now I’m a teacher — my students participate every year,” or “My kids are doing BOOK IT! now, and I love reliving it with them.” </p>
<p>The program has truly come full circle, connecting families, classrooms and communities through the joy of reading. Now with options for both traditional schools and homeschool families, along with a mobile app to make tracking reading progress and rewards even more accessible, BOOK IT! continues to grow and spark that same excitement for reading (and pizza!) that’s been shared for decades.</p>
<p><strong>Why is the BOOK IT! program so important to Pizza Hut?</strong> </p>
<p>It all started with Pizza Hut’s former president, Art Gunther, and his desire to encourage his son to read more. Art thought that by incentivizing reading goals with pizza, his son would enjoy reading more, and maybe if it worked for his child, then it would do the same for other children – thus birthing the BOOK IT! program. </p>
<p>Reading is the foundation for lifelong learning and success — as the saying goes, “You learn to read, and then you read to learn.” By celebrating kids’ achievements with a shared meal, the program makes learning joyful while connecting people through the joy of pizza. The BOOK IT! program is the largest and longest-running corporate-sponsored reading program in the U.S., and it represents exactly what Pizza Hut stands for: learning, connection and community.</p>
<p><strong>After 41 years how has BOOK IT! evolved – what’s next?</strong> </p>
<p>The heart of BOOK IT! is the same as it’s always been — all about encouraging kids to read — but the way we bring that mission to life has evolved. When I was a kid, it was all about those paper coupons and classroom charts. Now, we’ve modernized to keep up with how families, teachers and students engage today. This year, we launched a brand-new <a href="https://www.bookitprogram.com/" >BOOK IT! app</a> and redesigned website to make participation even easier and more fun. </p>
<p>Looking ahead, our focus is on continuing to evolve the program to meet young readers where they are, while staying true to our mission: helping kids fall in love with reading. Even after 41 years, BOOK IT! still sparks joy, builds confidence and brings families together — one book and one pizza at a time.</p>
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<p data-start="220" data-end="368">As we wrap up the year and reflect on our impact, Chris Turner is challenging all of us to think differently about what success really looks like.</p>
<p data-start="370" data-end="516">👉 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chris-lee-turner_every-year-like-most-businesses-we-set-ugcPost-7396257820100366336-ejIU?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABK-lF4BgIvXw0zqjpz8w1s6xVrYXRn5ooU" >Check out his latest LinkedIn post </a>for an inspiring message on how we can grow, lead, and build capability together. </p>
