Libraries throughout the country serve those of all ages, operating as a resource to develop a love of reading in younger generations.
One national program that seeks to create a habit of reading before children even enter elementary school is the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge, which the Cherry Hill Library participates in.
Program graduates – or those who reach the goal – are celebrated with an annual pizza party in September of each year, marking the end of one year of the challenge before another begins.
The program runs year round for children as young as infants up until 5 years of age, with parents signing up their children at the desk and receiving their first reading log, which features 100 books that can be colored in as the children read them.
Parents who wish to sign up their children for the challenge must have a library card and fill out a form with their child’s information.
Once one log is completed, the children return it to the library and receive another, until 10 logs are completed.
After the first 100 books are read, participants have a picture of their face taken and receive a paper worm that they are able to put on the board that tracks all of the readers participating in the challenge.
The photo of their face is placed on the worm to keep track of each individual’s progress throughout the program.
Sharon Clarke and Jacquie Daddato run the program for Cherry Hill’s participants.
“After the first 100, we take their picture, and their worm goes on the board… they can see their progress going up to 1,000 and then once they reach 1,000, they get an invitation to a pizza party, which Jacquie and I do to run together,” said Clarke.
Once they reach 1,000 books, a larger picture is taken of each child and it goes up on the wall above the progress board until the party.
“They get that as one of their prizes for finishing their 1,000 books, [which is] their graduation photo,” said Daddato.
At the party, which was held on Sept. 6 this year, the kids have stories read to them and Clarke gives a proclamation on the achievement, with each child receiving a button and a signed and laminated copy of the proclamation of their success.
The party also gives the children the opportunity to enjoy cookies, music and a photo booth station.
Cherry Hill has participated in the program for a number of years, though the parties for graduates were not able to be run during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. They did a bigger party to celebrate those years.
“… Everybody got celebrated that did that, once we were able to,” Daddato said. “It’s a good time. The kids really look forward to it. The parents are very, very happy and appreciative.”
Though the program is national and does have a model for how it can be run, not every library does it the same way, with some libraries offering different rewards for reaching the goal.
This year, Cherry Hill saw a total of 36 graduates with 27 coming out to attend the party.
Books that are read more than once can be logged multiple times and still count towards the total.
“If they read the same book 17 times, they check it off 17 times,” said Daddato.
In addition to promoting early literacy, the program also serves as a way to help parents and children bond with one another.
“Most people don’t even realize they’re doing it…,” Daddato points out, noting her friend reads her daughter five books a night.
