By AMY MANN
Technical Assistant, Warsaw Community Public Library

Did you know that children in our area who are becoming independent readers have a section of their own in the Warsaw Community Public Library children’s department? Easy readers were first published in the United States in the 1930’s.

“Dick and Jane” adventures helped children to become confident in using their new reading skills. By the 1950’s, authors like Theodore Geisel, or Dr. Seuss, made reading more fun for the children of that era. Parents and other caregivers who remember such books can enjoy these stories along with young readers, and new books can draw the attention of both the older and the younger generation.

WCPL offers easy reader non-fiction books, as well. If a subject is of special interest to a child, like dinosaurs, he or she is likely to pick up a book and try to read it. If we can give our kids books which can be read by the child himself or herself, they may spend more time with those volumes. Learning about animals or community helpers or how other people live is important to a child’s development, and if they have books that they can explore on their own, we will be giving them the tools to foster a lifelong love of reading.

WCPL offers non-fiction easy readers such as a set of 16 Scholastic Guided Science mini-books, and Wonders of America books, which feature attractions like Yellowstone National Park and the Mighty Mississippi. And come and check out our easy reader version of David McCauley’s “Castle.” It was listed as an outstanding core collection book in the most recent edition of the School Library Journal. Bring your little readers and let us share our resources with you and your family.