The Culver-Union Township Public Library is celebrating the birthday of Dr. Seuss tomorrow, and Youth Services Manager Jill Gavlick says local kids are invited to join in the fun. “We have a story time,” she says. “We do crafts and some games and just a little bit of everything, all revolving around Dr. Seuss.”
The author would have turned 112 earlier this week. Gavlick says the books of Dr. Seuss go a long way in getting children excited about reading at an early age, “I’ve read a lot of books on him lately to children, when I go to the schools and the local preschool and daycare. And you’re reading through the books and there are wacky characters that do not exist and they’re asking you, “What is that?” So that’s kind of funny and hard to explain, but they just get fascinated and interested, and immediately when I’m finished, they want me to read again. I’m not sure exactly how it works. I think just they’re intrigued, especially with somebody that’s so eccentric like Dr. Seuss.”
One of her challenges, though, is keeping that interest in books alive as young people reach middle and high school, especially considering all the forms of digital entertainment that they have available, “I lead a young adult book club at the high school, and what I’ve noticed with them is just finding books that they can relate to, that have topics in them that they are relating to, some of the challenges they are involved in now, with their peers, bullying, pressure, with all kinds of social issues.”
She says it’s important that young people remain interested in reading, in order to help them build their communication skills and use their imagination.
The Dr. Seuss Birthday celebration will take place tomorrow morning from 10:00 to 11:00 EST at the Culver-Union Township Public Library Children’s Room.
