Children’s Book Week is a celebration of books for young people to foster learning and a love of reading. Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the United States.
From November 6-12, this year’s theme is “Read Books. Spark Change,” which speaks to the power of books to inspire positive change in the individual, family, classroom, and community.
Reading books is foundational to how we learn and serve as a gateway to expanding our world. Encouraging children to read a variety of stories sets them on a path to success. Yonkers Public Library supports this mission through its 1000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative.
When you begin reading to children at a young age, you set the stage for a lifetime of success and a lifelong love of reading. According to the Children’s Bureau, there are many benefits to reading to children, including:
- Supporting cognitive development
- Improving language skills
- Increasing concentration and discipline
- Encouraging imagination and creativity
- Motivating imagination and pretend play, leading to self-discovery and practice of adult roles and responsibilities
Initiatives like 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and storytime programs at your local library branch can help you and your child explore the wide and wonderful world of reading!
This year at Yonkers Public Library, we are adding a fun new game to play! It’s called Tic Tac Toe: Read Three in a Row. The idea is to pick three books in a row from the ones shown on the tic tac toe board and read them. There are three boards you may complete to win your prize: Early Readers (JE), Picture Books and Non-Fiction. (Printable from the links provided!) Each board features favorites like Pete the Cat, Fancy Nancy, Curious George, Dr. Seuss, space books and cookbooks plus some lesser known stories about Angelina Ballerina, Amanda and Oliver Pig, and poetry. There’s even a free space in the center so you can choose any book you’ve never read in those collections! You can read the books in the library, complete the game and get your prize right away, or you can borrow them! The game lasts as long as the week, Monday, November 6 until Sunday, November 12.
Be sure to visit your local branch this week to celebrate Children’s Book Week, and join us for any of these great programs for our youngest readers!
Monday, November 6
Children’s Books Week Bingo - All Day, All 3 Yonkers Public Libraries - Crestwood, Will & Riverfront
Wednesday, November 8
Babies and Books - 11:00 AM, Riverfront Library
Children’s Books Week Bingo - All Day, All 3 Yonkers Public Libraries - Crestwood, Will & Riverfront
Thursday, November 9
1000 Book Thursdays @ Crestwood - 10:30 AM, Crestwood Library
Storytime @ Will! - 10:30 AM, Will Library
Children’s Books Week Bingo - All Day, All 3 Yonkers Public Libraries - Crestwood, Will & Riverfront
Friday, November 10
Father Goose Stories - 11:00AM, Riverfront Library
Children’s Books Week Bingo - All Day, All 3 Yonkers Public Libraries - Crestwood, Will & Riverfront
Sunday, November 12
Children’s Books Week Bingo - All Day, All 3 Yonkers Public Libraries - Crestwood, Will & Riverfront
Be sure to ask a librarian for recommendations on some great books to read this week!
Alison Robles is a part-time page at Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she graduated from Iona University in 2020 with a dual-degree in Marketing and Public Relations. She is pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.
Nancy Wissman is a part-time Children’s Librarian at Crestwood Library. With many years experience as a librarian in a variety of settings, Nancy is happiest working with children and their caregivers helping them to find the books that are just right! She also enjoys connecting with children during her Saturday storytimes at Crestwood.
Z is the Branch Manager at Crestwood Library. She encourages readers of all ages to read Children’s Books (no one is ever too old to enjoy a picture book!) and enjoys cultivating library experiences for patrons of all ages and connecting people with resources and has been doing so for over 30 years.