Lots of colleges have these reading programs; some are just for freshmen, and for others, the entire campus or local community joins in. The idea is that books will stir discussion — and unite a class or campus around a topic. Photo Illustration by Ruby Wallau/NPR hide caption
A 3-year-old presents her artwork to Hillary Clinton at Lee Highway KinderCare in Fairfax, Va. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
S.E.C.R.E.T. at the Children's Museum Of Houston in Houston. Courtesy of the Children's Museum Of Houston hide caption
Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana takes photos with supporters during a Welcome Home Rally on Saturday in Zionsville, Ind. Pence is a passionate advocate for school choice and state control over federal oversight. Darron Cummings/AP hide caption
Preschool students from Nikki Jones' class at Porter Early Childhood Development Center in Tulsa, Okla., line up in the hallway on their way back from outside play. John W. Poole/NPR hide caption
Morgan Polikoff, associate professor at USC's Rossier School of Education, wants the Department of Education to ditch its reliance on the "proficiency rate." Steve Cohn/Courtesy of USC hide caption
Gay-straight alliance school bus at Seattle Pride, 2008. Flickr user jglsongs/Flickr Creative Commons hide caption