Rebecca Stein, age 5½, recently hit a big accomplishment. Shortly before her third birthday, Rebecca, who frequents the Bergenfield library with her sister, grandmother and mother, signed up for their ‘KinderGarden’ Early Literacy Book Club—a club with a goal of having each child read/hear 1,000 books before kindergarten. Rebecca was excited to begin the club and made sure that all family members who read to her logged the books on her reading log. Along the way, milestones were marked at the library—for each 100 books logged Rebecca was able to hang a paper vegetable on the library’s reading garden wall, for 250 books she received a library tote bag, and for 500 books she was able to select any book in the children’s section and have a plaque placed in commemorating her accomplishments. For more than 2.5 years this reading club was an exciting part of Rebecca’s routine. On September 5, the night before Rebecca began her first day of kindergarten at Yeshivat Noam, Rebecca completed her 1,000th book!

Rebecca’s entire family is proud of her accomplishment, but even more proud of the love of reading this has fostered for her. They know this is only the beginning of a wonderful literary journey for her.

By JLNJ Staff