Rosie came to Australia at age 3 so with a migrant family, English wasn’t always the first language she heard at home, and through a pretty tough childhood, literacy skills weren’t made a priority. Rick knew she had always been anxious about people using ‘big words’ that she didn’t understand at things like social events. That’s not to say she wasn’t bright but her lack of early start in literacy did hold back her confidence despite becoming a massive reader (and Scrabble shark) in later years. Rosie Mostogl passed away peacefully aged 63 from a rapid brain disease called CJD on a September morning in 2022. It was only in her final days that Rick’s step Dad Ray and his birth Dad Keith shared more about what drove her hunger for reading. She read to Rick from the day he was born and Scrabble was a popular game as he grew up. She also read to her grandchildren and we know that her time on earth is best honoured by helping tens of thousands of Tasmanian children reach their full potential through the gift of literacy.

She wasn’t the strongest reader before Rick was born, but by always staying a few words ahead, for all Rick knew Rosie was his ‘Reading and Spelling Hero’. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is our core program which, in itself is about much more than delivering books to kids. It also offers helpful things like tip sheets for caregivers and other resources to help educators. But Rosie’s Reading, as the Tasmanian focused charity, will also promote, support and encourage Tasmanians to take this opportunity to read and bond with their children. While reading to a child may be daunting for some, we hope that Rosie’s story of staying a few words ahead will provide the confidence to make reading a priority in their home and across the community.