BRADENTON, FL — The Library Foundation of Manatee County hosted its signature annual fundraiser, Booked for Lunch, welcoming author, journalist, and Today with Jenna and Friends host Jenna Bush Hager as the featured speaker. The event drew a full house in support of the Manatee County Public Library System, raising both funds and awareness for the essential role libraries play in community life.
Photo credit: Wendy Dewhurst
Founded in 1985, the Library Foundation has been a steadfast partner in promoting literacy and lifelong learning throughout Manatee County. This year’s luncheon brought those values to life through the stories and insights shared by Jenna Bush Hager, a lifelong advocate for reading and education.
In a warm and witty conversation with Tammy Parrott, Manatee’s Library Services Manager, Jenna reflected on the deeply personal role reading played in her childhood, crediting much of that to her mother, Laura Bush, a former librarian and teacher.
“My mom instilled the joy of reading in me and my sister Barbara from an early age,” Jenna said. “We even had a cat named Dewey—yes, after the Dewey Decimal System.”
Photo credit: Wendy Dewhurst
Her remarks were met with knowing smiles and applause from the literary-loving crowd. Jenna shared anecdotes about growing up in the Bush family, highlighting the quiet yet powerful examples of service, curiosity, and compassion passed down from her grandparents and parents alike.
“Fun and joy can be overlooked,” she noted. Reading was always a path to find joy.
Jenna also spoke passionately about the impact of screen time on children’s development, sharing her personal decision to delay giving her children phones and encouraging more intentional time for connection, especially through books. She shared fond memories of connecting with her grandparents and parents by reading every evening and how important she finds that time with her own children.
Speaking about her eldest daughter, “I want her to have real-life experiences. I don't want her just to be sitting in her room staring at a phone.” Jenna spoke about connections and how technology has also made people more lonely, “so when I'm with them, I'm with them and it is super fun. And they're the best and hilarious. It’s connection.”
She reflected on her grandfather, President George H.W. Bush, and how she only learned after his passing about the many quiet, philanthropic acts he carried out—including supporting a child in the Philippines throughout his life.
“Your kids know who you are. They witness what you do,” Jenna said. “Quiet acts of service, like giving to your local library, matter deeply.”
The event served not only as a fundraiser but as a celebration of the vital role public libraries play in shaping a literate, connected, and compassionate society. Guests left inspired and uplifted, many with signed copies of Jenna’s newest children’s book—I Loved You First, a love letter to parenting and family.
The Library Foundation of Manatee County continues to support technology upgrades, children’s literacy programs, and community learning spaces across the library system. To learn more or to contribute, visit manateelibraryfoundation.org.
