Skip to main content
Hamilton Public Library

Frequently Asked Questions

Why 1000 Books?

Studies have shown that families who start reading to their children at young ages help strengthen their language skills and build their vocabulary. The goal is to have read 1,000 books before your children enter kindergarten.

Can you really expect to read 1000 books to your child before kindergarten?

If you read only one bedtime story every night for three years you will have read 1095!
If you read 10 books each week for two years, you will have read 1040.
Double that rate to do 1000 books in one year.
You can begin much earlier though, when your child is an infant!

Do we have to read books from the Hamilton Public Library?

No, you can read books from anywhere – your home, the doctor’s office, preschool, Grandma’s house, other libraries.

I read the same story every night to my child.  Can I count that book more than once?

Yes, write down the title each and every time you read the book.

I have more than one child I read to.  Can I count the same title for each child?

Of course you can! And if one of your older children reads to their sibling, you can count that also.

Can I count books that are read at Story Time we attend at the library?

Yes, just ask for the titles.

What about the books that my preschooler hears at school?

Yes, you can count those too.

My older children like to read to their younger siblings.  Can I count those books?

Count any books that are read to your child, no matter who reads the books. It can be a brother, sister, grandparent, babysitter, teacher, etc. As long as they hear the entire story, you can count it.