1,000 Books Before Kindergarten: Finding 1,000 Books To Read
By: Krystal Keagle
As a lifelong lover of books, it felt like a special milestone the first time my 2-year-old daughter Maya asked to go to the library.
She loved her first trip to the downtown branch of Elkhart Public Library earlier this year. I like to think the excitement of all the books to read captured her attention, but I know the play area and the aquarium likely also played big roles.
We visited every week or two for a while after that initial trip, and Maya loved each visit. Then our schedules got busier as summer went on and we went a few weeks without going to the library.
We were getting ready for bed one night. As we started to read, Maya said, “We go to the library please, Mommy?” My heart soared, and I promised her we’d go that weekend.
Luckily, we were able to make it to the library that weekend, which was great because we needed to get more books to read. We need to find new books often as we work on our goal of reading 1,000 books before Maya starts kindergarten in fall 2027. As of the writing of this blog, we’re getting close to 200 — so we still have a long way to go.
Elkhart Public Library makes it easy to access plenty of books to help us along our journey. The library has five locations across the city of Elkhart. Each branch has its own collection of items, though you can request specific books from other branches online and have them delivered to the branch closest to you.
When library visits aren’t always easy to fit into our schedule, EPL still makes it easy for us to get new books. One of my favorite features is the ability to request Book Bundles. You can fill out a form online, answer a few questions about your child’s age and interests and request a librarian to put together a bundle of up to 12 books for you.
When the bundle is ready, you can pick it up at your preferred branch.
This is great for both getting new books even when we’re busy, but also for checking out books we may not usually check out. In her first book bundle, Maya got “Little Green Peas: A Big Book of Colors” and “Dinosaur Kisses.” We read both books multiple times while we had them.
In addition to Book Bundles, the EPL also has a network of Free Little Libraries across Elkhart County. These are small boxes where anyone can put books in or take books home.
We visited Walker Park a few times this summer and found a few great books there too, including “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?” and “The Cat In The Hat.” When Maya doesn’t want to leave the park, it’s a good routine to take her to pick out a book on the way out. The excitement of a new book soothes the disappointment of leaving the playground.
Elkhart Public Library also partners with Wellfield Botanic Gardens for StoryWalk, where a children’s book is pieced out on stands throughout the garden. You can read a book as you walk through the garden. It’s a fun way to get some exercise, spend time outside and read a book.
We haven’t made it to a Storytime at the library yet but hope to make one this winter. That’s another great way to get exposed to new books and socialize with other kids and parents.
One of our other goals for this fall and winter is to visit every branch of the Elkhart Public Library. We want to explore each location and take advantage of the unique collection at each branch. I’ll be sure to share our experiences in future blog posts as we continue through our journey to 1,000 books before kindergarten.
What EPL branch do you and your kiddos like to visit? Tell us about it in the comments on the Elkhart Public Library’s Facebook page.