Youth Programs
Story Time
Story Time is held each Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the amphitheater of the Bruce Area Library with an activity or craft to follow.
Lego and Games
Lego and games are available for use in the library during normal library hours (some exceptions exist, such as when the area is being used for a program or event).
Read-along books
Read-along books are a physical children’s book with a built-in audio player attached to the cover, allowing children to listen to a professional narrator read the story aloud while they hold and turn the pages of the book. No separate devices, internet connection, or CDs are needed; children simply press a button to start the audio narration, which cues them when to turn the page. They are designed to be a fun and interactive way to boost literacy skills, increase print awareness, expand vocabulary, and provide an independent reading experience for children, with options available in multiple languages.
Vox Books and Wonderbook are the two manufacturers of these products.
The Bruce Library has a small collection of these purchased with a donation from the Friends of Bruce Library. We will be adding to our collection in 2026. They are also held at other libraries in the MORE system – click here to search the catalog.
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
This is an early literacy program for families with children who have not yet entered kindergarten (ages 1-5). The goal of the program is for parents to read 1,000 books to their child before they enter school. It’s never too early to start reading to your child! The program is administered by the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Foundation. There is no cost for the program and you do not have to register your child.
The program uses reading logs to track your child’s reading. There is a log for every hundred books. To get your child’s first reading log, visit the library and ask the staff for the first reading log for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program.
Using the reading log, record the titles of the books or just cross off the numbers as you read. Books read by grandparents, siblings, babysitters, teachers, etc. count as well.
After your child has read 100 books, bring their reading log back to the library where we’ll stamp it, return it, and give you the reading log for the next 100 books,
If you have more than one child under the age of five, all of them can participate in the program but you must keep a separate reading log for each child.
If you or someone else reads a book to more than one child at the same time, this can be recorded on each child’s reading log.
If your child has a book that they want to read over and over again, each reading counts as a book for their reading log.
Your child will receive a free book after they’ve reached five hundred books. Bring your child to the library along with their fifth reading log to get their free book.
When your child finishes the program, bring their final reading log to the library. Your child will receive a certificate and a free book. To celebrate your child’s achievement, with your permission, we will take a picture of them with their certificate and send it to the Ladysmith News.
1,000 books may sound like a lot, but you’ll be amazed by how fast they add up. No matter how far you get, your child will learn and grow as they read with you.