I didn't set out to get Word Nuts into a library. That wasn't part of any business plan. What happened was simpler and more personal than that, and I think the story is worth telling because it says something about how the best partnerships actually form.

A Volunteer First

I've been a STAR volunteer reader at the Sunland-Tujunga Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library for a while now. I read with kids in the children's section, and I also work with adults learning English, sometimes for the very first time. If you've never sat across from someone who is sounding out a word they've never seen before, with real concentration and real courage, it changes how you think about reading. It changed how I think about it.

During this same stretch of time, I was building Word Nuts Reading at home. Printing prototypes, iterating on letter combinations, testing the system with my daughter Demi after her bath each night. The library and the product existed in the same period of my life, but they weren't connected. Not yet.

A Natural Connection

The connection happened on its own. Helen Cate Pérez, the children's librarian at Tujunga, saw what I was working on. She asked questions. She understood immediately what the system was doing and why it mattered. Helen works with children and families every day, and she recognized that Word Nuts addressed something real: the gap between knowing letter sounds and being able to blend them fluently, automatically, under the normal pressure of reading a sentence.

From there, the conversation grew. What started as curiosity became genuine interest, and genuine interest became a partnership.

Now Available at the Tujunga Branch

The Sunland-Tujunga Branch is now the first library in the country to carry Word Nuts Reading. Starting May 16, 2026, families can explore the system in the branch's new Sensory Spaces area or check out sets to use at home.

I want to be honest about what this means to me. This is the library where I volunteer. These are the families I already sit beside. Watching something I built with my own hands become part of how this branch serves its community is not a business milestone. It's a personal one.

Why Libraries Matter for This Work

Libraries occupy a specific place in the landscape of early literacy. They're free. They're trusted. They don't require a monthly subscription. A parent can walk in with their child, pick up a Word Nuts set, sit at a table, and spend five minutes building sounds together. No barriers, no friction, just a tool and a moment. That's what libraries do better than anyone, and it's why I believe this is one of the most important places for Word Nuts to live.

We're also developing a deeper partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library to explore how Word Nuts can support families beyond this single branch. The details are still taking shape, and we'll share more as they come together.

Come Try It

If you're in the Tujunga area, come by the Sunland-Tujunga Branch and try it. Ask at the children's desk. Helen and her team will point you in the right direction.

And if you'd like to follow along as this story continues, you can visit our partnership page for all the details, or stay connected with us to get updates as we grow.

— Michael