Literacy is critical for a successful life at any age. Whether you're reading a school text book, filling out a job application or sharing a bedtime story with a child, the ability to read well enhances our enjoyment of life and increases the options and opportunities available to us.

Reading aloud to children, and having them read aloud to you, is one of the best ways to help them become better listeners, better readers and better students. Reading aloud develops vocabulary and language skills and piques a child's curiosity and knowledge about the world around them. Aim for 20 minutes a day and see what a difference it makes!

Here are some terrific sources of information to help develop a reader in your house!

LVCCLD Executive Director Jeanne Goodrich shares the importance of reading to children. Watch the video!

Getting Ready to Read

Learn about the six skills associated with reading success and how library staff incorporate them into weekly storytimes. You can build these same skills into the storytimes you do at home, and help get your children get ready to read!

Find a Storytime That's Just Right for Your Child

Weekly Storytimes are available for children and their parents (grandparents, too!), for ages from birth to school age.

Check out the Hot Topic called Reading is Fun! On this special web page, library staff have gathered information about great books for all ages and links to web pages that will encourage and develop a love of reading.

What to Read

Visit the bookshelf for recommended reading on the Preschool and School age web pages.

Raising a Reader

No one plays a bigger role in developing the joy of reading in children than their parents. The sites on this special page contain a variety of tips, activities and book lists that will encourage children to become lifelong readers. Go there!

The Summer Reading Program

What's so important about summer reading?

  • Summer reading prevents "summer slide," a loss in reading and learning achievement.
  • Kids who participate in a summer reading program return to school ready to learn and they do better in school.
  • Kids who read more, read better; they also write better, spell better and have larger vocabularies.

Look for information in the branches or on the web site, as we get closer to summer!