Trips to the library with your children are always fun, but what if you don’t have time? Have no fear, the Morgan Hill library provides e-books for children, which are available simply by logging on to the library’s website at sccl.org/locations/Morgan-Hill/.
The e-books section can be accessed by clicking on “Kids” from the main page and then selecting “e-books” from the drop-down menu. The e-books are renewable, and you can also place holds on the books you’re interested in. Even classics like Tom Sawyer and Shakespeare are available.
“You get a three week check-out, like books,” said Saralyn Otter, children’s librarian, of the downloadable options. Another big plus? There are no overdue book fines.
Otter said the e-books are “pretty popular,” and she anticipates the popularity will continue to grow as local schools equip more students with computers and tablets.
Readers can choose from five e-book categories. Of those five, BookFlix, Tumble Books Library and the Sesame Street collection are all interactive and perfect for preschoolers.
BookFlix by Scholastic offers approximately 100 pairings of books and movies in a variety of subjects for young readers ages 4 to 8, including Spanish versions.
TumbleBook Library offers picture and chapter books for older children. For picture books, animation is displayed on the screen depicting what’s happening in the story. Nonfiction and easy reader options like Dr. Seuss, along with learning games, are also available through TumbleBook Library. An option allows readers to search by reading level, which is helpful for students enrolled in Accelerated Readers classes.
Otter feels all the e-book options are great for parents and children, and she encourages everyone to “give it a try.”
“I think the format can help kids who are reluctant readers,” Otter said. “It’s on a computer, and there’s a little game. It’s another format to consider.”
1,000 Books Before 6
As part of a national movement to promote early literacy, the Gilroy Library and Santa Clara County Library District are collaborating with First Five on a yearlong and system-wide program, “1000 Books Before 6,” initiated Sept. 15.
“Parents who read to their children give them an enormous advantage in preparing them for learning,” Children’s Librarian Sharon Kelly said.
To take part in “1000 Books Before 6,” simply register at any Santa Clara County Library District location. Upon registering, parents will receive kits, which include logs for recording the books they read to their children.
The number of books can be tracked by coloring in circles on the log. When 50 books are read, kids can collect stickers from the library. For reading 100 and 500 books, children receive prizes.
When parents reach 1,000 books, their children will receive certificates of accomplishment and one free book each.
Kelly believes reading to children in their formative years creates and solidifies a unique bonding experience between the child and the reader.
“Plus, you’re building the daily habit of reading, which is about the most powerful habit you can build,” Kelly said.
The library provides parents with lots of incentives to participate in the program, including a book list, reader’s advisory and reader recommendations for every age, as well as hundreds of board books for the infants.
Lupe Ramirez, Gilroy resident and mother of Gael, 4, and Marco, 1, began the program last month. She feels reading builds her children’s vocabulary, and she has read to them since birth.
“We started it already,” Ramirez said. “Gael has done 150 books and Marco has done 100.”
Ramirez said her son Gael likes to start his day with a story.
“This morning, the first thing when he wakes up, he wanted a story,” Ramirez said. “We always read, every day. There are books all over our house.”
When Alejandra Espinoza came to the library last week with her children Leilani, 5, and Vicente, 3, she was introduced to the new reading program.
The concept of reading with her children was nothing new to Espinoza.
“It’s just something that’s always been a big part of us, to sit down and actually read with them, which is why we love coming to storytime, too,” Espinoza said.
