But Read to Rise Continues, and It’s Always the Perfect Time to Join

This is the final entry in a yearlong series. Read the previous update here.

What a crazy year it’s been.

For most of us, 2020 flipped our lives upside down. The COVID-19 pandemic changed our daily habits, the way we interact in our workplaces, and, for many, the way we look at the world.

But at Nashville Public Library (NPL), it’s also been a year filled with plenty to be thankful for.

As we celebrate Read to Rise’s second birthday, we’re very proud to see that 1,198 lil’ readers have registered for our early literacy initiative. So far, they’ve logged 29,446 days where reading was part of the routine with their families, and earned 201 prizes for their efforts.

But this occasion also marks the final entry in our yearlong series of updates with Ray, Poppy, and Goldie. It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye, but we’re not letting it get us down. Our lil’ readers have grown so much this past year, and we have no doubt they’ll continue to blossom and stay reading ready for school and life.

So, as we check in with our lil’ readers for the last time, we want to thank them so much for sharing their  journey with us. It’s been an experience we’ll always treasure, and we can’t wait to see where they go from here!

Ray

Number of Reading Days Logged: 386

Last Book Read: Unstoppable! by Adam Rex

“This is one of those books that became an instant classic for us and Ray,” said Yurina, Ray’s mother. “What starts off being a funny book about animals becomes an amazing story that teaches kids how to enact real change in the world, the role of the President and Congress, and even environmentalism.

“It makes us laugh out loud every time, and it's exactly the kind of hopeful story we need in a time like this.“

Favorite Thing from Reading this Month: “Sharing has been a difficult concept to teach Ray under quarantine, but thankfully there's a Llama Llama book called Time to Share that's helped us talk about it and put it into practice,” Yurina said.

Poppy and Goldie

Number of Reading Days Logged: 266

Last Book Read: Imogene’s Antlers by David Small

Favorite Thing from Reading this Month: “Imogene’s Antlers was one of our favorite books this month. The premise is silly, and we learned a new vocabulary word: milliner,” said Virginia, Poppy and Goldie’s mother. “We also learned about different kinds of houses from the books Home by Carson Ellis and If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche. They both have lovely illustrations and make you consider how big the world is!”

Join Us for a Journey Through Read to Rise

Our yearlong series may be over, but Read to Rise isn’t slowing down one bit. As we move into year three, we’re excited to welcome new members to our family of lil’ readers and hear about the amazing things you learn through reading. With the chance to earn free prizes all year long, it’s always the perfect time to join.

Sign up for Read to Rise, and start your journey with your lil’ ones today.