Encouraging young children to read is one of the hardest tasks parents have. Yet a new Bay Area program may just have a solution to the problem of kids choosing television over books, and video games over socializing.
Beyond the Books, a program of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, aims to help families with young children connect with books in a more personal and tangible way, than merely reading them, through events such as storytelling, musical performances and reading parties.
“The idea was that we have a wonderful group of families that signed up for the PJ Library,” said Vivien Braly, the outreach coordinator for the federation’s Early Childhood Education Initiative, which oversees the program. “Why don’t we create events around the PJ Library where they can do some fun activities for kids?”
The PJ Library (“PJ” is short for pajama) provides families with children ranging in age from 6 months to 5 1/2 years with free Jewish-themed books and music. Each month, families receive a new book or CD in the mail and are encouraged to enjoy them together.
The PJ Library is currently available under different auspices around the Bay Area — the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley have partnered with the Massachusetts-based Harold Grinspoon Foundation to bring the program to their respective communities. The program also operates in Santa Cruz County.
While the S.F.-based federation’s PJ Library, with its 1,400 active families, fosters reading among children, Beyond the Books goes further by inviting readers to become part of the books.
“The goal is engaging families in education projects and expanding the program beyond just receiving the book,” Braly said.
Beyond the Books has several events planned this summer. At the first event, on July 14, more than 20 families met in the late morning at Linden Tree Books in Palo Alto to read “Joseph Had a Little Overcoat,” sing Hebrew songs, talk about clothing and decorate cutouts of Joseph with different fabrics and buttons.
“Parents got to meet each other and feel less isolated, and feel more connected to the people in the same stage of life,” said Janet Harris, director of the Early Childhood Education Initiative.
Upcoming events will include “Books, Bagels and Beyond,” which will take place in San Francisco on Aug. 9. The event will feature bagels, reading, singing and entertainer Mimi Greisman, and is based around the children’s book “Bagels from Benny” by author Aubrey Davis.
Aside from encouraging children to read, the creators of Beyond the Books hopes the program will cultivate more unity within the Jewish community.
“We want to provide some friendly, no-barrier way for families to get to know the Bay Area Jewish community,” Braly said.
No barriers really means no barriers — being Jewish isn’t a prerequisite for joining the PJ Library or Beyond the Books. However, Braly notes, “they should have an interest in the Jewish community,” given that all the books sent to families have a Jewish theme.
Braly also envisions the program helping to increase the number of families involved in the community.
“We want to target the families we already have, and try to expand the PJ Library,” Braly said.
The Beyond the Books program receives funding from the S.F.-based Jewish Community Endowment Fund, and is scheduled to continue through the summer and the school year.
Beyond the Books will present the PJ Shabbat Storytime at T’enna Day Camp at the Palo Alto JCC at 12:45 p.m. July 24. The event is free and open to everyone. For more information, contact Vivien Braly at (415) 499-1223 ext. 8106.