1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!


Here is our July update for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!

Remember, if you have not yet registered, there are two ways to participate in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten:

  • You can visit a Library location to receive a paper log. Staff will take your information and provide you with a booklet to keep track of all the books your child reads. 
  • Or sign up on Beanstack to track books online, the Library’s online reading platform. Just create an account and log books as your child completes them. You can even download the Beanstack app to log books by scanning their barcode with your phone!

Literacy at Home
There are so many different practices and recommendations to encourage reading and build literacy skills, including the few this newsletter has highlighted in the past. However, there is one that is sometimes overlooked: allowing a child to choose their own reading material. There are scores of articles and studies that highlight the value of choice in developing a love of reading. As we help children master the literacy building blocks, it is, of course, important to choose books that can assist in developing reading skills with appropriate complexity for growth. However, this can be balanced with making room for choice. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is focused on helping children reach critical literacy milestones, but also on developing an early love of reading itself.

Encourage your child to build their literary interest as they choose the next book they will read or have read to them! 

Book recommendations
SLPL’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is rolling out new prize books! Check out our newest titles:

LMNO Peas A fun alphabet board book with large letters and funny peas. We have acrobat peas, dancer peas, kayaking peas, and even zoologist peas. This book is perfect for practicing letter recognition with letter sounds and learning some new vocabulary. Don’t forget to hunt for the little ladybug on each page! 

We All Play A Best Children’s Book of the Year winner, We All Play is a beautifully illustrated book about playtime, featuring the natural world. This book is special because it also includes a glossary of Cree words for wild animals as well as a pronunciation guide and link to audio pronunciation. 

Don't Hug Doug This is Doug. Doug does not like hugs, and he will tell you so. This is a fun book that introduces kids to consent and bodily autonomy. Finison lists all the things and people who would like a hug (just not Doug), all of the types and occasions for hugs (still a no from Doug), as well as things Doug is okay with - like high fives! You do not want to miss this ALA Notable Children’s Book of 2022 and MLA Building Block Nominee. 

Where Are You From? When other children and their parents keep asking a young girl where she is from. She decides to turn to her dear grandfather for help with this question. This award-winning picture book explores the themes of self-acceptance, identity, and home. 

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures Another award winner, It’s bedtime, and this headstrong toddler is embarking on an adventure of imagination and animals in defiance of being sent to sleep, but a patient mother corrals her child through animal sounds and behaviors, and of course, a visit to the bathroom and a glass of water.

Check out this list of all of our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten prize books!

For caregivers: You may find, as you're teaching your child to read, that you need some resources as well! Here is a great book that offers tips and recommendations for babies through teens: 

How to Raise A Reader

Do you remember your first visit to where the wild things are? How about curling up for hours on end to discover the secret of the Philosopher's Stone? Combining clear, practical advice with inspiration, wisdom, tips, and curated reading lists, How to Raise a Reader shows you how to instill the joy and time-stopping pleasure of reading.

Library updates

SLPL’s Summer Challenge has begun! Log your summer reading on a booklet or online from June 1st - August 15th then visit a branch to redeem for your prize while supplies last! 

There’s so much to do at the library! Check out our events page to find programs and events for kids and families. 

Happy reading!