1,001 Books Before Kindergarten Program

The Algonquin Area Public Library District’s is enthusiastic to create young readers!

Literacy is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child, and learning the skills needed for reading and writing begins at infancy into childhood.   1,001 Books Before Kindergarten was designed to get parents actively involved in reading to their child from birth and help foster a lifelong love of reading as children gain pre-literacy skills. 

1,001 Books Before Kindergarten is a reading program for families with children birth through age five.  Parents will be able to register their child/children for the program with their Algonquin Area Public Library Card at the Youth Services Desk beginning January 7, 2013.  At registration, information will be given about the program and the Library, the children’s collection and recommended reads, early literacy skill and early literacy practices, and a book log for the first 100 titles recorded in 1,001 Books Before Kindergarten.  After each set of 100 books are read and logged; Parents and children can return to the Youth Services Desk, pick-up a prize and pages for the next 100 books, and receive additional information about upcoming programs at the Library.

When you reach 1,001 books, your child will get a graduation ceremony, a book and their picture on our wall of stars.

1,001 books read over time will make reading together a special time and become part of a daily routine.   Every time you read a book to your child it counts in this program, and there will be favorite books children will want to hear over and over again.  Have fun and enjoy the adventure along the way!

Sign up during the first week, January 7- 13 and receive a special registration prize.

The Youth Librarians at the Library have created a list of 101 Books Every Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten!  Here are the first twenty books on the list.

Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough, Find it @ JE/ALB

Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard, Find it @ JE/ALL

Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen, Find it @ JE/ALL

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, Find it @ JE/CALDECOTT/ANN

Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky, Find it @ JE/ARN

Happy Birthday Moon by Frank Asch, Find it @ JE/ASC

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater, Find it @ JE/ATW

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judith Barrett, Find it @ JE/BAR

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans, Find it @ JE/CALDECOTT/BEM

Mitten by Jan Brett, Find it @ JE/398.2BRE

Clifford the Big Red Dog by Normal Bridwell, Find it @ JE/BRI

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach, Find it @ JE/BRO

Arthur’s Valentine by Marc Brown, Find it @ JE/BRO

Stone Soup: An Old Tale by Marcia Brown, Find it @ JE/BRO

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Find it @ JE/BRO

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, Find it @ JE/BRO

The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff, Find it @ JE/BRU

Book! Book! Book! By Deborah Bruss, Find it @ JE/BRU

Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, Find it @ JE/CALDECOTT/BUR

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burten, Find it @ JE/BUR