1000 Books Before Kindergarten

An adult is sitting on the floor with a child and reading a book to them.

What is 1000 Books Before Kindergarten?

Our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program encourages parents, grandparents, and caregivers to read to their children on a regular basis from an early age. It is a self-paced, ongoing program that is open to any child from birth to five years old, who has not started kindergarten. 

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

1000 seems like a large number (and it is!), but…

  • If you read 1 book per day for 3 years, you'll have read 1095 books.
  • If you read 10 books per week for 2 years, you'll have read 1040 books.
  • If you read 3 books per day for 1 year, you'll have read 1095 books.

Reading promotes listening skills, enhances language development, stimulates the imagination, and instills a love of books and learning. Need more reasons to join? Children earn a prize for every 100 books they read. At the end of the program, they’ll receive a new book to keep, and another will be added to the Library’s collection in their honor.

How it Works

  1. Sign up at the Children's Services Desk at any Library location and pick up a starter packet. This self-paced program runs continuously. 
  2. Color in or check off one square on your log for each book you read together. If you read a book more than once, you can record it every time. You can also include books read at storytime, books read to your child by others, recorded books, and books read on e-devices.
  3. Each time you read 100 books, come back to the Library! Your child will get to pick out a prize from our prize bin, and you’ll be entered into our quarterly drawing just for caregivers. We know you’re working hard throughout this process too!
  4. When you have read 1000 books, your child will receive a new book to keep, and another book will be added to the Library’s collection in their honor. You can turn in your logs at any Naperville Public Library location. 

You can also register online through our Beanstack Reading Program platform. If you would like to create a Family Account, please create an account for yourself first and then register your child or children under your account.

Printable Reading Logs

Help Finding New Books

Stumped on what books to read next on your 1000 Books Before Kindergarten journey? We will create a reading list just for you! Complete a form detailing your child's reading preferences, and we will email you a list of up to ten books based on those preferences.

View the Personalized Reading List for Children form.