September is National Literacy Month, which makes it the perfect time to get a library card, discover a new author, check out a new read or re-read an old favorite.
Get a Library Card
September is also Library Card Sign Up Month. Cards are available and free to any and all residents in the library taxing district. Depending on your municipality, your card can grant you access to books, eBooks, audiobooks, movies, music & museum passes. Bonus – munchkins can get their very own cards! Click here to get a card in Broward, Central Florida, Jax, Miami, Palm Beach or Tampa Bay.
Explore a New Read
Books are incredible windows to education, adventure & entertainment. They’re great moments of connection, independence and self awareness. Click here to check out Munchkin Fun’s September book picks and here to view our complete library of book recommendations.
Free Reading Resources
New World’s Reading Initiative. To be eligible for New Worlds Reading, a child must be either a VPK student who is not yet meeting age-appropriate standards according to FAST Star Early Literacy, or a K-5th grade student in a Florida public or district-sponsored charter school who is not yet reading on grade level. New Worlds Reading’s books and activities support students in strengthening literacy skills, building reading confidence, and nurturing a lifelong love of reading. Get fan-favorite kids’ books delivered to your door to encourage a lifelong love of reading. This amazing program gives families the opportunity to build a personalized home library with up to 63 free books by the time their child graduates 5th grade! Applying is really easy and only takes about 5 minutes.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides children with a free new book every month through their fifth birthday. Dolly Parton started Imagination Library in 1995 to fight illiteracy in her eastern Tennessee community. Research shows that disadvantaged children come to school years behind their peers in pre-reading skills, and rarely catch up, and that the children still struggling to read in 3rd grade are the ones who eventually drop out. Children are mailed an age-appropriate book directly to their homes each month to build their own private library. There are over 20 participating locations across the state of Florida! To check if you r area has a participating program, click here.
Other Free Resources:
Miami-Dade Residents can join The Children’s Trust Book Club! Families living in Miami-Dade County are welcome to register their kids from birth until 4-and-a-half years of age. A new book with activities will be sent to your home by mail every month for free until the child’s 5th birthday! Sign up today to build your library at home and join us on this reading adventure! Register here!
Broward Bookworms provides FREE BOOKS to Broward County families with children between0 to 5 years of age. Families can sign up to receive new books in English or Spanish, which also includes an activity guide. Must be a Broward County Resident with a child 5 years old or younger. Limit two (2) bookworm book bundles per household. Click here for bookworm signup.
Tips for Family Reading
Our biggest tip – don’t overthink or stress about it. All reading is good reading and any amount of reading you do with your munchkin is great – the more the better! Beyond that, find a comfortable space to sit; slow down (look at pictures, pause at page breaks); ask questions (what does this word mean, what do you think about that character, how do you like the ending?); and use funny voices for characters.
