December is Read A New Book Month and since I spend all day sharing my love of reading with children at the East Asheville Public Library, I've compiled a list of favorite juvenile books to read over the holiday break.
Libraries are powerful. Libraries have always been powerful. We librarians hear this sentiment time and time again from parents, teachers, friends, and other educators. A public library can do wonders for broadening the mind of a young child, planting seeds for growth that will set them on the course for success for years to come.
I am the Youth Specialist at the East Asheville Public Library in Buncombe County. There are many things youth librarians do, ranging from programming to outreach, and simply just reading to children. However, I like to say my job is first and foremost the education and development of the children who come into my library, and the children in my community.
Libraries and librarians are also more than the sum of their books! Libraries are a bastion of resources and support for their communities, something I’m proud to say that Buncombe County Public Libraries strives for. The growth and development of an individual does not stop at childhood but becomes a lifelong journey.
December is Read A New Book month, a perfect time for everyone to further their love of reading or to discover it for the first time! When readers open a book, they open themselves up to stories of people from all walks of life. In each and every one of us there is a story that makes up our world, and outside of each and every one of us there are other worlds to discover.
We librarians hope that readers of all ages, who love reading or are learning to love reading for the first time, will take part in reading a new book this month. The library would be a great place to start this month’s journey that we hope will become a lifelong journey of enrichment.
Brandon Autar has worked in the library system for three years and currently serves as the Youth Services Specialist for the East Asheville Public Library. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing.
Brandon is a member of our inaugural group of Rootle Ambassadors representing Buncombe County.