1000 Books Before Kindergarten Project Launches!

We are launching a multi-year, early literacy program called 1000 Books Before Kindergarten beginning today. Using Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar as theme and mascot, this program is an on-going, multiyear project to encourage parents to read aloud 1000 books with their children before they enter school.

Families register by visiting the library. They will receive a bookbag, a binder to record their books and bilingual Spanish/English pages to record their first 100 books read. Each time a family finishes 100 books with their preschooler(s) and returns to the library, the child receives two stickers -one to leave at the library inside our giant caterpillar and one on their pages; the family receives the next set of pages to record 100 books and a CD of nursery rhymes and songs to keep.

For each 100 books, the caterpillar eats a different piece of food and the stickers and pages reflect this thematic change (apple, pear, ice cream cone, etc). Families who finish all 1000 books will collect the entire set of 10 CD's. The children will receive a certificate of achievement and their names will be placed on our Butterfly Wall of Fame - plus families receive a book to keep: You Read to Me, I'll Read to You by Mary Ann Hoberman. Most importantly, each child will have received the tools for reading and school success.

A special thenk you to our funders: The Friends of the Library, Target, the Menahsa Rotary Club and the Menasha Educational Endowment Fund. If you are interested in making a donation to keep this program free for all families, please contact the Children's Department at 967-3670.

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