Usha Vance launches new podcast to promote childhood literacy

Second lady Usha Vance launched Monday her “Storytime with the Second Lady" podcast, which is aimed at boosting childhood literacy rates nationwide.

The White House said the podcast will include readings from celebrities, children’s authors, athletes, veterans and musicians, among others. 

“Reading for pleasure at home builds stronger literacy and classroom skills and opens the door to a world of opportunity for children,” the second lady said in a news release. “I’m excited to invite special guests to share great stories, spread their love of reading, and help reverse the decline of childhood literacy rates in our country.”

It comes after Vance launched her Summer Reading Challenge last year, which encouraged children from kindergarten through eighth grade to read 12 books between June 1 and Sept. 5, 2025.

The first three episodes are already available for streaming and the first episode features the second lady reading Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." The episodes can be streamed here.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.