Summer Reading Kick-off

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of performing at the Sacramento Public Library’s kickoff to their summer reading program. Whatever children’s librarian Susan Benson does to get the word out works; she said 6,000 new people signed up for the program in the 3 days leading up to the celebration. Many more thousands take part in the program overall. That’s a lot of Sacramento area moms, dads, grandmas and granddads sitting down with little ones and nurturing them with words, stories, artwork and attention. As teachers point out, reading for fun during the summer months prevents “academic slide” which can set kids back many months once school resumes. But the best reasons to read with young kids are personal. Reading with kids opens the channels of communication, deepens the emotional bonds between parents and kids, and it provides comfort and (free!) entertainment for both. Hats off to Susan Benson, Rivkah Sass and everyone else who works with Children’s Services at the Sacramento Public Library system. In good economic times and not so good, summer reading brings about huge benefits. Here’s a link to fun photos of the event from the Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/05/3678833/kick-off-of-summer-reading-at.html”>