A conversation with the kids.
If you haven’t been following my blog since the beginning, you might not know that I work with kids. Well, actually you probably know because I constantly talk about them…lol. I even read books specifically geared FOR them so that I can find things they’ll enjoy. What can I say? I don’t have any children yet, so each and every one of those little faces are my happiness. At least they’re mine temporarily :).
Today we started a conversation about libraries.
Me: So what do you all think about going to the library this month?
Class: YEAAAAHHHHH! When are we going?
Me: Well I don’t know yet. We have to get permission so maybe in two weeks?
Class: Awww…. (one of my kids spoke up) I love the library.
Me: I love the library too! What do you love about the library?
Ready to hear what they said? I was amazed. I have second graders, most of whom are between 7 and 8 years old and come from very low income areas.
Reasons we love the library:
1) It’s a quiet place to do homework. One of my kids lives in a two bedroom apartment with her 2 siblings, her mom, her dad, and another family of 4. YES. Another family of 4. That her apartment has 9 people in it at all times! No wonder she wants a quiet place to do homework.
2) You can use the internet! I can count on one hand how many of my 20 children have their own computers at home to use for fun and research.
3) It’s a lot of fun! Our local libraries host giveaways, carnivals, book groups and story times. Apparently a lot of my kids go to these free events with their families which makes me happy!
4) A place to hang out, and be safe. I work in an after school program so I KNOW my kids would go home to empty houses if it wasn’t for our free program. The library is where they hang out on the weekends. It’s safe there, away from peer pressure and bad ideas. If you think about it there is also adult supervision. Smart, smart children.
5) ESCAPE! This was their big one. All the kids who love to read (which thankfully are most of them) love going to the library to escape their little worlds in the world of books.
Isn’t that amazing???
All from the minds of my fabulous little children. I really wish I had a video camera so I could have recorded them talking about the library. It nearly brought tears to my eyes. You hear me world? Despite Ebooks and Ereaders, there will always be someone who needs these libraries. Support them. Not just when it’s library month, but always.
