JaxKids Book Club
Jacksonville Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
The Jacksonville Public Library’s JaxKids Book Club enhances or establishes a home library for all registered Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten students in Duval County by distributing a backpack containing eight new books and a reading tracker each fall to increase access to books and promote early childhood literacy.
Challenge/Opportunity
Starting voluntary pre-kindergarten is a big step for children and their caregivers. Helping children learn to read and to love books is a big part of this time for these families. The JaxKids Book Club meets parents where they are on their journey to provide their children with engaging reading materials in the home by enhancing or establishing their child’s home library with eight brand new books at the beginning of their VPK school year. These books are unique because the Library commissioned them to feature the city of Jacksonville and early literacy tools to help children learn to read. The Library supports this book distribution by going into the VPK classrooms with story times and support for the child’s VPK teacher. Early childhood literacy is critical to a child’s future ability to succeed in school and beyond. The Jacksonville Public Library and the Library Foundation of Jacksonville are committed to making reading fun and accessible for all Duval County children.
Key Elements of Innovation
The JaxKids Book Cub books are unique stories that feature the city of Jacksonville so that children immediately identify with the content of the stories. We sought a diverse group of authors and illustrators from around the world to write and illustrate these books with Jacksonville at the center of their work. The results are a set of children’s stories that every child in Duval County can see themselves in and relate to. Each book contains a READ, SING and EXPLORE section to help parents adopt early literacy tools in the home and while reading with their children. Videos of each song, more book suggestions and activity sheets are available by scanning the QR code in each book.
Achieved Outcomes
- More than 8,000 children and their families receive a backpack containing 8 JaxKids Book Club books annually.
- Over 360 Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten sites are served reaching over 600 classrooms of students with 79% of providers responding they feel this project encourages early childhood literacy and 83% reporting they read the books in the classroom.
- More than 10 Jacksonville businesses and organizations provide annual support, making the project possible.
