The Spoon River College Literacy Program is pleased to announce that the 32nd Annual Family Reading Night will be celebrated on Thursday, November 16. Held in partnership with libraries and schools throughout the SRC district, the goal is to encourage families to take time to read together as a family. With help from a grant from Dollar General, Spoon River College will provide 25 free books to each library to hand out to attendees.
“Family reading promotes healthy brain development in children, and can improve their language and listening skills. It can also help create a strong parent-child bond and instill a lifelong love of reading,” said Cyndi Johnston, adult education coordinator at Spoon River College.
“Our libraries do a wonderful job of finding fun and supportive ways to support Family Reading Night, and we hope families will take advantage of these free events. Taking time to read together is a great habit to cultivate.”
The activities, locations and times of each library’s events are listed below.
Astoria Public Library will celebrate on Thursday, November 16, starting at 5:30 p.m. Families are invited to come in their pajamas to enjoy Storytime, a fun craft, and refreshments. Families will receive handouts, and children are invited to bring a stuffed animal to sleepover at the library with Foxy Loxy, the library’s stuffed fox.
Canton Parlin-Ingersoll Library will host Family Reading Night Thursday, November 16, 6:00-7:30 p.m. There will be special guest speakers, a craft activity, and books to give away.
Cuba: The Spoon River Library did their program in October with the grade school.
Farmington Area Public Library is celebrating with a Dinovember theme as a family reading focused week November 13-18 with take-home packets that have dinosaur themed stories, poems, crafts and activities for families to do together. They are also teaming up with Farmington elementary school for a family reading event at the school on the evening of Thursday, November 16 (time to be determined).
Havana Public Library District will celebrate November 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., and are encouraging attendees to wear their favorite pajamas for a fun-filled night of guest readers, snacks, and magic with magician Rick Eugene. Snacks will be provided by Skye Mibbs, Snap-Ed Community Worker.
Lewistown Carnegie Public Library District will celebrate on Thursday, November 16 by handing out books, art kits, and treats.
Macomb Public Library will celebrate Family Reading Day on Thursday, November 16 with story time in the morning for daycares and in the afternoon for school agers. Book marks and cookies will be distributed.
Rushville Public Library will celebrate on Thursday, November 16, 4-7 p.m., with a craft and snacks, and all children will be able to pick out a free book.
For more information about the Literacy Project at Spoon River College, visit www.src.edu or call Cyndi Johnston at (309) 833-6038.