CLEARFIELD – The Joseph & Elizabeth Shaw Public Library is currently accepting registrations for its Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child celebration sponsored by the local Kiwanis organization. This year’s selection, The Bus for Us, is written by Suzanne Bloom.
According to the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child Web site, The Bus for Us was published in 2001. The book tells the story of an excited young girl named Tess. Tess is waiting for the bus on her first day of school. Waiting at the bus stop with her older friend Gus, Tess eagerly asks, “Is this the bus for us, Gus?” as each vehicle passes by. From fire engine to front loader, Suzanne Bloom introduces young readers to a variety of vehicles through a simple text and spirited illustrations. Bloom is also the author of the 2007 Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child selection A Splendid Friend Indeed.
The Web site states that the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child program began in 2007 and focuses on the importance of early literacy development for preschoolers. The collaborating agencies highlight the significance of reading early and often to children, as well as engaging them in conversation and other activities around books. The Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child program is available to all areas and populations of the state.
Shaw Public Library will celebrate its PA One Book event April 16 during National Library Week. There will be a morning program held from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and an afternoon program held from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Special guest readers from Clearfield Kiwanis will share The Bus for Us and other similarly themed stories, and children will enjoy activities and refreshments. Each session is limited to 31 families, and registration is open to families with children ages 6 months through 5 years old. Each family in attendance will receive their own copy of the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child 2013 selection The Bus for Us. One lucky family at each program will win a hardcover copy of the book.
The PA Forward initiative, launched by the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) in 2012, supports the efforts of libraries across the state as leaders in community education. Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child is a PA Forward Basic Literacy program.
For more information or to register for the program, please contact the library at 814-765-3271 during regular business hours. Shaw Public Library is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Fridays from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. Additional information can also be found on Shaw Public Library’s Web site at www.clearfield.org/shaw.