1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Get Started with 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!
Borrow a 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten backpack from the Fairfield Public Library! Each of the 100 backpacks, carefully curated by our Children’s Librarians, includes 10 books for you to enjoy with your infant, toddler, or preschooler. These books are organized by theme, character, or author to make reading even more fun. Track your progress on Beanstack, and work towards your 1,000-book goal.
Earn Rewards Along the Way:
- Register and earn a button pin!
- Every 100 books, come in to get a sticker with your number of books!
- Reach 500 books and receive a free book to keep!
- Read all 1,000 books and earn a certificate to celebrate your accomplishment!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative?
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a national initiative that promotes early literacy, school readiness, and strengthens the bond between parents, caregivers, and children. The goal is simple: read 1,000 books (yes, repeats count!) before your child starts kindergarten. Reading just one book a night means you’ll read 365 books in a year, 730 in two years, and 1,095 in three years. Most children begin kindergarten around age 5, so there’s plenty of time to meet your goal! Want to learn more? Visit: http://1000booksbeforekindergarten.org/
How do we register for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?
Sign in or create a new account for our reading challenge website Beanstack here. You can access your account on the web or via the Beanstack Tracker mobile app. When you register as a family, you will have one username and password to log in for all readers. If you don’t remember your login information, you can recover your password through the login screen. If you have trouble with your account or other Beanstack questions, please contact Stefanie Bergstrom sbergstrom@fplct.org.
Who can participate in the program?
Any family with a child who has yet to enter kindergarten!
How do we borrow a backpack?
The 1,000 Books Backpacks are available to borrow at the Main Library and Woods Branch Library (in smaller quantities) for a period of 3 weeks. Holds and renewals cannot be placed on the backpacks. Backpacks may be returned at either the Main Library or the Fairfield Woods Branch Library at the Circulation Desk.
Do we need to be registered for the program to borrow a backpack?
No! While we encourage everyone to register for the program, you can borrow our 1,000 Books backpack collection at any time. You can use your Beanstack account to keep track of the backpacks by navigating to Badges > Activity Badges.
Do we have to borrow the backpacks to participate in the program?
No! To reach your 1,000 books goal, you can read any book you like, as many times as you like! The goal is to increase the reading time with your preschool child before they enter kindergarten. As a bonus, you can use the barcode scanner in the Beanstack mobile app if you would like to keep track of your book titles. However this is not a requirement to complete the program, we trust you!
How else can we develop early literacy skills in our preschool children?
When you read, write, sing, talk, and play with your child, you are providing rich opportunities to build your child’s early literacy skills! We have included extension activities in each backpack to help develop these skills. Fostering a love for written and oral language will benefit your child as they prepare for school, while the shared experience of reading together strengthens the caregiver-child relationship.