The story below is from our July/August 2021 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
A best-loved storytime reader shares her top 10 read-aloud books for kids.
Ashley Fellers
If you’ve ever visited Melrose Library during one of Antinette Beane’s storytimes, then you can picture exactly what it looks like: a tight circle of dozens of children, round-eyed and open-mouthed, leaning forward in wiggly anticipation as she brings a book to life.
For many children in Roanoke’s Melrose neighborhood, storytime with Ms. Beane – a library associate for nearly 15 years – will be their first introduction to reading. And it’s here, seated on the brightly colored carpet in a jumble of blocks and Legos, where they will learn that the library can be a place for fun.
“Reading is joyful. Learning is joyful. And if a person catches that, then they’ll be the person that you see learning to play the piano when they’re 95,” says Sheila Umberger, Roanoke City’s director of libraries. “That’s really what I would wish for every child.”
The Power of Storytime
Research has long shown that some of the most important steps in literacy begin early – sometimes very early. An oft-quoted longitudinal study published in the “Journal of Educational Psychology,” for instance, showed that children who fell behind in reading by age seven tended to continue that lag at ages twelve and beyond. But library storytimes can intercept that trend, providing kids with powerful tools they need as they first begin to read.
In that tight circle on the carpet, kids discover not only a knowledge of the alphabet, but also critical book-handling skills, vocabulary, and – perhaps most importantly – a basic understanding of the relationship between sounds and letters, as a study published in “Children & Libraries” points out. And the social lessons of storytime – listening and learning alongside others – can benefit older children, too:
“I would make the case that you don’t stop storytime with preschoolers,” Umberger says. “I know that my first real memory of what made me want to be a librarian was that I had a librarian, in fifth grade, who read ‘Tom Sawyer’ and ‘Huck Finn’ to us.”
It’s that fun, shared approach to books that convinces kids to want to read … and makes the library an exciting place where that can happen.
And that’s something Ms. Beane understands well.
A Storytime Reader with Deep Roots
Decades before she ever dreamed of helping others learn to read, young Antinette was regularly cozying up with a book at the Gainsboro Branch Library, where her great-aunt worked as an assistant.
“It impacted me,” she remembers. “It was just a sense of a little independence. I could browse, check out a book… I felt like I was it.”
That sense of self-confidence is something she’s been determined to pass on in Roanoke – first at the Main Library, then in Raleigh Court and now in Melrose.
“Seeing [kids] grow mentally as well as physically … it’s important to me,” she says. “I want them to continue to thrive and know their worth.”
More Than Just a Read-aloud Session
If you haven’t been to a storytime lately – or if you haven’t seen one of RPL’s online readings, offered throughout the COVID-related shutdowns – then you might think of storytime as a simple event in which someone reads a book out loud.
Not so fast, says Beane, who frequently incorporates sing-along songs, themed crafts and snacks. It’s not uncommon to see someone in costume, or to catch a visit from the police chief or vice mayor. During a firetruck-themed reading, EMTs and firefighters have rumbled up in their trucks, lights flashing. And for a farm-themed storytime, live chickens, donkeys and goats joined in for the fun.
“The children love it,” says Beane, who notes that some previous storytimes, like a “Frozen” themed event, have attracted as many as 200 kids and parents. “We just have a good time.”
Those events form a welcome complement to the many other offerings at Melrose Library – the city’s newest and largest branch location – including fitness classes, an outdoor fall festival, and a Feed and Read program providing hot meals for children. With Goodwill’s job training facility next door and a huge new Kiwanis-funded playground nearby, the library has become a destination … and a community.
It’s a community Beane is proud to be building, from its youngest members up.
Want to create your own storytime library? The Roanoker asked Ms. Beane to recommend her top ten read-aloud books for kids. Here’s what she said:
- If You Plant a Seed, by Kadir Nelson. While this looks like a simple book about bunnies and birds in the vegetable patch, young readers stand to reap a deeper harvest. “It’s about sharing with your neighbors!” Beane says. With lush illustrations from a Caldecott medalist and Coretta Scott King Award-winner, this book is great for beginning readers, but it’s one we can all appreciate.
- Baby Bear, also by Kadir Nelson. In this tale, a lost bear cub searches for home. “It’s about who you are and who you’re becoming,” says Beane. Consider it for a child in the midst of transition.
- The Greedy Goat, by Petr Horacek. “This goat is eating up all of everybody’s stuff!” Beane says with a laugh. “She’s greedy, and she gets sick… She tries to get better about asking for what she needs.” It’s a perfect pick for a child (or an adult) who struggles with “more madness.”
- Mary Had a Little Glam, written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. In this comic riff on the Mother Goose classic, Mary has style by the mile, and she wants to share it with others. “Her way of spreading love is decorating and putting some bling on it… but she does it in a kind way,” Beane says. It’s a fun read for little guys and gals who crave some extra sparkle and shine.
- The Big Brag, by Dr. Seuss. This tale is one in a collection – the classic Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories – and it holds a special place in Ms. Beane’s heart: “This is an old, old book I used to read to my nephew,” she says. It’s a perfect tale to teach the quiet power of humility.
- I Promise, by LeBron James, illustrated by Nina Mata. “This is one of my newest books that I’ve come to love,” says Beane. Kids will get excited about the fact that it’s written by one of their favorite NBA all-stars, but it’s about far more than basketball: “Sometimes you may have obstacles, but dust yourself off and keep going,” she says.
- We Are All Welcome, written by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. “This is all about inclusion,” says Ms. Beane. In Penfold’s story, a child goes to school and, for the first time, encounters children who look and speak and dress differently. “It helps [kids] see that even though we look different, we all love hugs; we love to smile … It’s universal!”
- Hey Black Child! by Useni Eugene Perkins, illustrated by Bryan Collier. Told in the form of an empowering poem, this book is perfect for young children asking what it means to live in brown skin. “It talks about how you see yourself … What do you want to be?” says Beane. “You’re just as important as any other child.” Perkins’ book was Beane’s 2021 pick for her Black History Month storytime.
- Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment, by Parker and Jessica Curry, illustrated by Brittany Jackson. This is the story of little Parker, who encounters a portrait of Michelle Obama in a museum … and sees an image of possibility for herself, too. “I think when children see themselves in books – in a positive way – it makes a huge difference,” Beane says.
- How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace, by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison. “This is a book I read to my grandsons or at church,” Beane says, and it tells the story of the writing of the famous hymn. “The words and pictures just jump off the page – it is absolutely riveting!” Beane says.
To see Roanoke Public Libraries’ latest events and to keep up with their plans to transition from curbside to in-person services, follow the library on Facebook and Instagram.
The story above is from our July/August 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!