1,000 books before kindergarten

Case Smith is Mountains Branch Library's latest 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Reading Superstar! Case "virtually" climbed up Chimney Rock Mountain and slid down Hickory Nut Falls to achieve his reading goal.

Case is the son of Wyatt and Anna Smith of Lake Lure. Mom brings 5-year old Case, little brother, Cole, 3, and baby sister, Caroline, 1, to Family Storytime at Mountains each week. Anna also allows the boys to select as many books as they can carry, encouraging them to read several books together each day.

Attending library storytime and reading together at home are excellent ways to instill a love of reading in children.

Close to fifty families have signed at Mountains Branch and are participating in 1000 Books Before Kindergarten. Using their own personal hiking avatar, kids start out at the library and make their way up Chimney Rock every time they read 100 books, finally sliding down Hickory Nut Falls to reach 1000 Books.

The 1000 Books literacy initiative is a national program to promote reading to newborns, infants and toddlers and to encourage parent and child bonding through storytime.

For more information about the program or other children's programs at Mountains Branch, call 828-287-6392.