Book Buddies Help Children Grow Their Love of Reading

“Dog Man” by Dav Pilkey includes plenty of tricky words for young audiences, such as firecracker, celebration, surfboard and complicated. Eight-year-old Angelo Poguio sounded his way through them with the help of Helen Garcia, a retired teacher, at the Ossining Public Library.

The pair had met through the Ossining School District’s Book Buddy program, part of its campaign to promote summer reading so children do not lose skills they developed during the academic year.

“She helps me when I get a word wrong,” Angelo, who starts third grade next month, said of Ms. Garcia.

They are among some 50 children and dozens of volunteers who have been meeting at the library twice a week since early August.

Ms. Garcia, an Ossining resident who is also a Book Buddy for a second student, said that Angelo’s reading ability has improved. “I think it’s probably a combination of more self-confidence and that he feels more comfortable with me,” she said.

The Book Buddy program is one part of the district’s summer reading saturation initiative. Other volunteers, including staff and community members, have been reading to children at Nelson Park, Community BLOCK Parties, camps, and the Summer Food Program at Park School and Anne M. Dorner Middle School. The Ossining Loves to Read Bookmobile has been on the road all summer to give away free books.

“It has been our hearts' work this summer to set the stage for a large volume of reading,” said Carrieann Sipos, director of elementary teacher and learning for the Ossining School District. “It is always about the number of books children read that helps promote literacy development.”

Vidal Abreu, another Book Buddy volunteer, has been working with two students. On a recent Thursday, he helped Jack Cardenas, 7, read “The Lion and the Mouse,” “Dinosaur Dig!” and “All the World.” Mr. Abreu, an Ossining parent who teaches in New York City, encouraged Jack to read unfamiliar words by tackling them in chunks. He explained the definitions of words that Jack was not familiar with, such as a “moat.”

Jack, who starts second grade in September, said his favorite type of books to read are about superheroes. He likes to read at least one book per day and often does so after taking a morning walk with his family and their three dogs. “I read all by myself,” he said. “Nobody helps me.”

Eudocia Anguisaca, Jack’s mother, said the Book Buddy experience has been great for her son. The family does not have much technology in the home, and she places a lot of importance on her son reading printed books versus reading ebooks on a tablet.

Mr. Abreu said the Book Buddy program is a good way for him to get involved in the community. “I just want to help children along with their love of reading,” he said.

That is what he does with his own children, who are 3 and 5. “They get up in the morning and ask me to read them a book.”