Jenna Bush Hager Talks 'Carrying On' Childhood Favorite Reads with Her Three Kids (Exclusive)

The mom of three tells PEOPLE about exploring new reads with her kids as she teams up with the Kendra Scott Foundation to bring books to young readers

Jenna Bush Hager is sharing her new book with little readers.

On Wednesday, the children's book author, 41, teamed up with iconic jewelry brand, Kendra Scott for a special event at P.S. 108K The Sal Abbracciamento School in Brooklyn, New York, to unveil its first Little Yellow Library.

Little Yellow Library is the latest program from the Kendra Scott Foundation, which supports low-income Title I schools by providing access to books through First Book for classrooms and libraries that need them most. Speaking with PEOPLE about the event — where she read and donated her new children’s book Love Comes First (written with sister Barbara Pierce Bush) to the students in attendance — the mom of three explained why the initiative has such a special place in her heart.

"I was a teacher and saw firsthand in my classrooms how important early literacy is, whether that's kids having access to books in classrooms or at home," she tells PEOPLE. "The statistics around kids' ability to learn to read is so directly tied to early literacy. I was so impressed with everything that Kendra Scott and her foundation was doing and I wanted to be a part of it."

The opportunity to share Love Comes First is extra special for Bush Hager, who is about to embark on a book tour introducing the new title to readers across the country.

"I'm so excited about it. I wrote it with my sister. This is our third children's book. First, we wrote a book called Sisters First, which was very much based on our sisterhood and how we always felt we had a partner who made us feel brave and empowered."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Related: Jenna Bush Hager and Her Family Honor New York City's Pizza Rat as They Dress Up for Halloween

"While we were on that book tour, so many people said to us, 'I don't have a blood sister, but I have a group of friends that are like sisters to me.' And so we wrote Superpower Sisterhood, which is about found sisterhood," she explains.

"And while we were on tour for that book, our lives were basically changed. In the last four years since we wrote that book, I had a baby boy and my sister had a baby girl and so this book is about welcoming more people into our families."

Bush Hager says she's also hopeful the book will help kids realize "how our hearts are always open for infinite love."

"Kids can make friends, can pull up chairs at tables, can make sure that people feel they aren't alone or not seen or not listened to. Others can be brought it and so I think it's about family, but also the fact that kids have hearts that are open for love."

At home, the mom of three is having a blast exploring different books with her three little readers —  Hal, 4, Poppy, 8, and Mila, 10.

"Mila is reading a lot of chapter books. She read a book called Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and she loved it. She's really into those books that teach are sort of driving home empathy. She likes to feel when she reads, which is something I also really like. So I'm just trying to help guide her to books that are like that," the proud mom tells PEOPLE.

"She finished the whole Harry Potter series, so she's kind of done with fantasy and wizards for now and is really more into grounded fiction. I actually just went to the library with her and helped her pick out a lot more like that."

As for Poppy, "she's just started reading chapter books and graphic novels on her own, so she's reading through the whole Baby-Sitter's Club graphic novel series. They're so good because they take a series that we were obsessed with growing up and updated it a little bit and made it more manageable to get into as an earlier reader."

Last but not least is Hal, who enjoys reading books with Mom. "He plays this really fun game, because he knows I love the books that are basically about how much a mom loves their child, the sweet ones that are more for parents than they are for kids. So he's always like, 'Guess what we're gonna read tonight, Mommy?' And then he'll pick and it sort of depends on his mood, if he wants to terrorize me or not," she laughs.

"Sometimes he's like, 'We're gonna read On the Night You Were Born, Mommy!' and then sometimes he'll sort of dangle it over me and then say, 'Not tonight, Mommy!' which is hilarious and it works every time."

Bush Hager cherishes getting into "typical little dude" things with Hal as he's getting older, explaining, "We'd never had little boy energy in our house but he loves trucks, so he loves all the Little Blue Truck books. He loves Cars, Trucks and Things That Go, all of those books."

When it comes to sharing childhood favorites of her own with her kids, Bush Hager was recently touched by sharing Charlotte's Web with her girls.

"I read it to both Mila and Poppy, and it's just so beautiful. I recommend that every parent read that book to their children because it's about the seasons changing, about friendship, about life and death. It's so poetic and kind of heartbreaking and one I'm glad we've carried on."

"It's just so amazing to me how The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Good Night, Moon hold up," she notes. "They're classics for a reason. Kids are obsessed with them."

Aside from sharing books, Bush Hager also loves sharing the spirit of giving back with her family.

"I think it's important to show it. We've realized that it wasn't like my parents taught us, 'Now we're going to give back.' They modeled it for us," Bush Hager shares. "My dad worked with Habitat for Humanity on the weekends. It was something we witnessed them do as an integrated part of their lives, not an appendix to what else they do. It's part of how they live, and so I think Henry and I try to do the same."

She continues, "We also definitely try to find ways to do things as a family throughout the year where our kids can be part of it and see it as a lifestyle rather than a lesson."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.