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Mary-Louise Parker

"Books were my best friends when I was little," says the Weeds star, who as the new spokeswoman for the literacy group Jumpstart spends time sharing her favorites with youngsters in low-income communities. "I wasn't a social kid, and books were my escape." She loves reading aloud to her son, Will, 5, and daughter, Ash, 3—and applauds the nonprofit's model of building educational skills through one-on-one mentoring. "Books allow you to relate to what you don't understand, which teaches you compassion," says Parker. "It's why I'm so passionate about the organization."

HOW YOU CAN HELP Make a pledge to read to young students at a school, or donate at readfortherecord.org: $50 can provide a preschool with a library of 20 books.

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