At the Library: Holidays perfect time to enjoy books

By Kathleen O’Dell;
At the Library;
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School is out, grandparents and cousins are in town for the holidays and, chances are, families will be looking for fun things to do together. It’s a perfect time to visit the library and find some books for Grandpa to read aloud to a little one, or find your favorite childhood book to read to your own children.

“Sharing a beloved book is a wonderful way to instill a love of books in young children and create bonds between family members or friends who don’t see one another very often,” says Jessie Alexander-East, youth services manager at the Brentwood Branch Library.

“Love Books” is also one of five suggested activities for adults to share with preschoolers to help them build early literacy skills — the skills that prepare children for reading. “Love Books” is part of the library’s early learning program, Racing to Read.

You can find age-appropriate book recommendations, songs, activity ideas and upcoming library programs at the Racing to Read website, thelibrary.org/racingtoread.

Can’t leave the house? You can find a book to read online — or have one read aloud — by going to thelibrary.org/kids and click on TumbleBook Library.

Our Racing to Read storytimes also continue through the holidays at many of the library branches. You can see the full schedule at the library. org/kids/programpod.cfm or call your favorite branch for times and dates.

“Allowing a child to choose his or her own books is an excellent way to get a child excited about reading,” Alexander-East said. “We also have many excellent, age-appropriate, beautifully illustrated non-fiction books for our young readers.”

Racing to Read offers these tips:

? Babies, even newborns, benefit from being read to. Board books are great for babies who want to hold it, turn the pages, and even chew on it.

? Toddlers don’t always want to sit still for stories, but that’s OK. They are moving, but still paying attention. Short and frequent storytimes are valuable, too. And be prepared to read favorite stories over and over again.

? Preschoolers love hearing stories with lots of expression. They will also enjoy choosing their own book and “reading” a book to younger children.

For more information about the library’s early literacy program, feel free to email racingtoread@ thelibrary.org, or call 616-0585.

Kathleen O’Dell is community relations director of the Springfield-Greene County Library District. She can be reached at kathleeno@thelibrary.org.

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