My neighborhood library is rather small, but half of it is dedicated to children and children’s books.

This library is used by quite a few neighborhood adults as a remote office. It’s a comfortable space, there are even two fireplaces, and the people who work here are as nice as can be.

The children’s section has it’s own space. Every day, starting around 3pm, it becomes a hive of activity – children coming and going, running around, putting their books in the return slot, wandering through their small stacks looking for their next adventure, Moms or Dads allow them to roam but are pretty good about keeping a close eye on them.

As I was leaving the library the other day I passed by the front desk. One of the librarians was reading a kid’s book and I just offhandedly asked him if he was working or just randomly looking at things. He explained that he is the Children’s Librarian, something I never knew in all the years I’ve been using this place. I knew he seemed to like doing the after school programs, but I didn’t know that was his specific job. I spent the next twenty minutes or so getting a crazy enthusiastic tour of the kid’s section of the library. The tour of his favorite books was so enthusiastic, I actually had wished I had thought to film it.

When I was a kid we had something like 5 books. Actually we had more books than that, I’m being sarcastic, but we didn’t have a lot of choice. The Children’s Librarian and I talked about that and he walked me through and showed me all the different kinds of choices the kids have now – everything from high quality graphic novels to the old Beatrix Potter books to the Young Adult section. Fantastic variety and learning opportunities abound in kid’s books these days.

Where is the disconnect then? Why are older kids graduating high school and are reading at a fourth grade level, give or take, if there is so much reading material available for them throughout their education years?

The Children’s Librarian said that the disconnect, he thinks, comes from two places. Having access to books by being a Library Kid from a very young age means they will probably read from then on out, becoming adult readers of books. There are toddlers that are regulars at my neighborhood library – with parents looking for books to read to them. Those little ones have a great starrt in life. The other disconnect might begin during the Junior High School years when the kids become more distracted by other things and events in their lives, or attaining the access to tech. Knowing this, isn’t there a way to steer these young high schoolers into their school or local libraries and keep them reading?

What can we do, especially in California, to get the reading levels of our students up to their grade level? Any suggestions? Send them a library card when they are born as a welcome to the planet gift? How do we make it easier for kids to have access to hard copies of age appropriate reading materials?

Leave your suggestions in the comments below!