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In the Chattahoochee Valley, signs that summer is approaching are everywhere: longer days, the warmth of the afternoon sun, the sweet smell of flowers. Soon the school year will end and children will sing the old refrain, "No more pencils, no more books..." |
by Charmette Kendrick
In the Chattahoochee Valley, signs that summer is approaching are everywhere: longer days, the warmth of the afternoon sun, the sweet smell of flowers. Soon the school year will end and children will sing the old refrain, “No more pencils, no more books …” At the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries, children’s librarians are busy in preparation for the summer months with the goal of encouraging children not to throw down the books when the last school bell rings, but to pick them up.
Children’s librarians see themselves as allies with teachers in the fight against illiteracy. It is their job, along with parents, to see that preschool and school-age children progress in their reading skills while school is in recess. In addition, librarians want to pass on their love of books and reading to the young. Summer is the perfect time for children and their parents to explore books they might have missed during the hectic school year.
Various studies conducted during the past 30 years show that children who read during the summer not only maintain their reading skills, they improve them. Stephen Krashen, author of The Power of Reading, reports on research demonstrating the value of voluntary or pleasure reading in the development of reading, writing and spelling skills. He concluded that reading as a leisure activity is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary and reading speed. In addition, he found that a child who reads one million words a year adds at least one thousand words to his or her vocabulary.
Don’t fret if your child skips over the classics in favor of lighter reading options. Comic books, joke books, books featuring strange and bizarre creatures are all fair game during the lazy days of summer. One study found reading skills could be strengthened by letting children and teens read any format of reading material they wanted, including comic books and teen romances. Resist the urge to criticize their choices and focus, instead, on helping them find books they will enjoy.
Starting May 15, all public libraries in the Chattahoochee Valley will offer an Aflac sponsored summer reading program called, “Make a Splash, Read!” Each branch will feature special performers, including magicians and puppeteers, and each child who reads, or is read, 10 books will receive a prize.
Throughout the summer and all year long, local libraries offer a multitude of programs to encourage children to read. Visit thecolumbuslibrary.org or phenixcitylibrary.com to see schedules for story times, arts and crafts, and a host of other activities at your local branch. And remember, librarians are always on hand to help children and their parents find exciting and fun books to expand their minds and tickle their funny bones.
Perhaps Dr. Seuss said it best: “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” –I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
| Ages 3 to 5 | |
| Fiction: | Non Fiction: |
| Chicken said, “Cluck” by Judyann Ackerman Grant |
10 Black Dots by Donald Crews |
| Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems |
All Pigs are Beautiful by Dick King-Smith |
| How I Became a Pirate by Melida Long |
Trucks by Gail Gibbons |
| Olivia by Ian Falconer |
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| Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester |
| Ages 6 to 8 | |
| Fiction: | Non Fiction: |
| Junie B. Jones and the Stupid,
Smelly Bus by Barbara Park |
Fishy Riddles by Katy Hall |
| The Not-So-Jolly-Roger by Jon Scieszka |
I Spy: A Book of Picture
Riddles by Walter Wick |
| Parts by Tedd Arnold |
DK Eye Know: Insect by Penelope Arlon |
| Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne |
|
| Stinky: A Toon Book by Eleanor Davis |
| Ages 9 – 11 | |
| Fiction: | Non Fiction: |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney |
Nic Bishop Spiders by Nick Bishop |
| The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker |
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz |
| The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman |
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein |
| Loser by Jerry Spinelli |
|
| Moving Day
(Allie Finkle’s Rules
for Girls) by Meg Cabot |
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