Herr Memorial Library makes choosing children's books easier

       Few experiences are as exciting to young children as the moment when
they learn to read, and few experiences are as damaging to those children's
fragile self-esteem as picking up children's books that are too hard for
their early reading level.  Staff at the Herr Memorial Library have taken
steps to see that children are guided toward appropriate reading material.
       There are thousands of children's books on the shelves of the Herr
Memorial Library, many with brightly-colored smiley-face stickers
designating them as "Early Readers."  The "Easy Reader" range is very broad,
however, and includes books that are appropriate for children from
kindergarten through third grade.
       "Children and parents face an assortment of books that include
titles that may be too "babyish" for a third grader and others that are too
difficult for a kindergartener.  To add to the confusion, different
publishers have different methods for designating reading level," library
director Jeanne Roberts said.  "Parents can become frustrated if librarians
organize readers by levels printed on the jacket."
       To help parents choose appropriate books for their children to read
independently, the staff at the Herr Memorial Library has researched and
painstakingly labeled the books in the "Easy Reader" collection with
appropriate reading level numbers.  These small labels are located just
above the card pockets, usually inside the back cover of the books.
       The library's staff used the Accelerated Reader system of numbering
to determine the reading level of each book.  A designation of 0.7, for
example, indicates that a book would be appropriate for a child in the
seventh month of kindergarten.  A book with a reading level number of 2.3 is
appropriate for a child in the third month of second grade.
       Children can improve their reading abilities, and learn to love
reading in the process, by choosing books in their reading "comfort zone"
that are about subjects in which they have an interest. Of course, the
reading level of an individual child often varies from the child's specific
stage in school, but knowing the difficulty of a book helps parents match
books to their children's levels to maximize their success and enjoyment.
       For more information, call 966-0831 or visit the Herr Memorial
Library at 500 Market Street in Mifflinburg.