News Summary

Tall red and white hats were in fashion this week as local elementary school students joined their peers across the country to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

Middletown, Monroe, Madison and Franklin students celebrated Read Across America or Right to Read Week with author visits, family fun nights and book fairs. Carlisle will have events starting Monday, March 10.

With a week of reading focused events behind most students, parents may continue to encourage even their most reluctant readers to keep turning pages.

Audio books can be a first step to motivating children to read, said Lisa Insenga, children services supervisor for Franklin Public Library.

Start by listening with a child at home or in the car, and once an audio book is found the child is excited about, "Stop listening to the story and tell the child if they want to know what happens in the book the must read the rest of the story," Insenga said by e-mail.

"Classics and award-winners are great books, but children are usually exposed to those books in school," she said.

When reading for pleasure, children should be encouraged to choose their own books, and a series can keep them excited, she said.

"If a child finds a series they like, it is easy for the child to just pick up another book in that series. The child knows the characters, the writing style of the author, even though they might not be aware of it," she said.