Connecting with school kids, one book at a time

Every academic year, youth services staff from the library visit all local schools. They speak to thousands of students in first through eighth grade, one grade at a time. The “Book Talks” shine a light on current books, picked just for students. The idea is to encourage children to explore what interests them, to read for fun. The Book Talks also remind kids that the public library has lots of great books and friendly people who are ready to help.

Spring 2020 brought the in-person visits to a halt as schools moved to remote learning. But the Book Talks carried on, just in a different format. When the school year began, Vernon Area librarians were ready with short videos for grades 1 through 8, all available on YouTube. Each Book Talk video is presented by a youth librarian who tells students about two or three books, with a new video each month. 

The book recommendations for K–8 are available anytime at VAPLD.info/BookTalks. A page for each grade lists books of the month, fiction picks, graphic novels, and nonfiction ideas for higher grade levels, along with a new video installment each month.

Kindergartners get their own video series, Book Bites, featuring Miss Julia reading stories perfect for budding readers. Each short storytime ends with a few suggestions for picture books to check out.