When Jessica Savarese and her family moved to Auburn from Sevier County, Tenn. - the birth place of country legend Dolly Parton - Savarese was elated to learn that the singer's Imagination Library education program would make the trip, too.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
The Savarese family, Joey, 6, Jessica, Hannah, 9, Isabella, 3, and Joseph sit in their Owasco home. The family has participated in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program in which each child is sent a book every month until the child reaches kindergarten. The family has collected about 140 books to date.
The Savarese family, Joey, 6, Jessica, Hannah, 9, Isabella, 3, and Joseph sit in their Owasco home. The family has participated in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program in which each child is sent a book every month until the child reaches kindergarten. The family has collected about 140 books to date.
Parton began her program to promote literacy by supplying participating families with one book a month to read to children from birth until they turn 5. Savarese's two oldest children, Hannah, 9, and Joey, 6, were immediately signed up due in part to the library's popularity in Parton's hometown since she started it there in 1996.
Their first book, as per program tradition, was “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper. The subject matter of the sent books, which are selected every year by the Imagination Library, gradually matures as the children do.
“Everything we've gotten so far has been age appropriate and enjoyable,” Savarese said.
When they reach school age, young readers are bid farewell from the program with “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!” by Nancy Carlson. When Hannah completed the Imagination Library, her copy of Carlson's book included a note from Parton saying she couldn't believe the time had passed so quickly. Other books include notes advising parents how to stimulate their children's thirst for reading and additional books that might quench it.
As Savarese's children grew accustomed to the Imagination Library book schedule, they began to anticipate more and more the arrival of the next.
“One book comes, and they want to read it every day until the next one comes,” Savarese said. “When it comes in the mail, it brightens their day. It's just a book, but it's for them and addressed to them.”
Books sent to participating families through the Imagination Library are free and typically new hardcover editions, Savarese said. Shipping costs are covered by donations from sponsors. The only work required of the family is filling out a signup sheet.
It was at Cayuga Community College's February Family Fun Day that Savarese enrolled her youngest child, Isabella, 3, in Parton's program. The family had relocated northward about two years prior when Savarese's husband, Joseph, took a job as a paramedic for the city.
Any doubts the parents harbored over the health of the Imagination Library outside of Sevierville were quickly erased. Since 1996, it has grown to include 500,000 children in 44 states. More than 2,000 of those young readers reside in Auburn.
“It's exactly the same program here,” Savarese said. “Now the older children will sit while I read to Isabella, or maybe the next night they'll read.”
Savarese feels the enthusiasm her two oldest children show for reading is one positive effect of their time with the program. It supplies families with books - in the Savareses' case, close to 150 - when the parents might not have the time or even money to purchase them.
But the parental appreciation for the program reaches across socioeconomic strata, said Nancy Tehan, Auburn's Imagination Library coordinator. Both she and Savarese feel it's what the families do with the books that brings the real reward of the program.
“Anything that encourages parents to interact, sit down and read a book to these little children is amazing,” Savarese said. “I stress this to people with little ones at (Seymour) Library who don't know much about the program.”
The early exposure to books also provides an invaluable mental boost to growing children, Tehan believes.
“Listening to spoken word and looking at pictures - those connections are incredibly important for building a foundation for pre-literacy skills,” she said. “A simple story book between the ages of 1 and 3 uses all the senses and makes positive connections for building their brains.”
Savarese has watched her oldest children's literacy skills strengthen with each book they're sent, and now Isabella shows the same improvement. Though she's still a couple years from reading on her own, Savarese has seen her daughter combing through her Dolly Parton Imagination Library books and trying to decipher their meaning herself.
For Savarese, the wonder of her and her children's reading experience all stems from a fellow Sevierville native's efforts with the Imagination Library.
“I think it's amazing,” Savarese said. “I can't believe that one person started all this.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
Their first book, as per program tradition, was “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper. The subject matter of the sent books, which are selected every year by the Imagination Library, gradually matures as the children do.
“Everything we've gotten so far has been age appropriate and enjoyable,” Savarese said.
When they reach school age, young readers are bid farewell from the program with “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!” by Nancy Carlson. When Hannah completed the Imagination Library, her copy of Carlson's book included a note from Parton saying she couldn't believe the time had passed so quickly. Other books include notes advising parents how to stimulate their children's thirst for reading and additional books that might quench it.
As Savarese's children grew accustomed to the Imagination Library book schedule, they began to anticipate more and more the arrival of the next.
“One book comes, and they want to read it every day until the next one comes,” Savarese said. “When it comes in the mail, it brightens their day. It's just a book, but it's for them and addressed to them.”
Books sent to participating families through the Imagination Library are free and typically new hardcover editions, Savarese said. Shipping costs are covered by donations from sponsors. The only work required of the family is filling out a signup sheet.
It was at Cayuga Community College's February Family Fun Day that Savarese enrolled her youngest child, Isabella, 3, in Parton's program. The family had relocated northward about two years prior when Savarese's husband, Joseph, took a job as a paramedic for the city.
Any doubts the parents harbored over the health of the Imagination Library outside of Sevierville were quickly erased. Since 1996, it has grown to include 500,000 children in 44 states. More than 2,000 of those young readers reside in Auburn.
“It's exactly the same program here,” Savarese said. “Now the older children will sit while I read to Isabella, or maybe the next night they'll read.”
Savarese feels the enthusiasm her two oldest children show for reading is one positive effect of their time with the program. It supplies families with books - in the Savareses' case, close to 150 - when the parents might not have the time or even money to purchase them.
But the parental appreciation for the program reaches across socioeconomic strata, said Nancy Tehan, Auburn's Imagination Library coordinator. Both she and Savarese feel it's what the families do with the books that brings the real reward of the program.
“Anything that encourages parents to interact, sit down and read a book to these little children is amazing,” Savarese said. “I stress this to people with little ones at (Seymour) Library who don't know much about the program.”
The early exposure to books also provides an invaluable mental boost to growing children, Tehan believes.
“Listening to spoken word and looking at pictures - those connections are incredibly important for building a foundation for pre-literacy skills,” she said. “A simple story book between the ages of 1 and 3 uses all the senses and makes positive connections for building their brains.”
Savarese has watched her oldest children's literacy skills strengthen with each book they're sent, and now Isabella shows the same improvement. Though she's still a couple years from reading on her own, Savarese has seen her daughter combing through her Dolly Parton Imagination Library books and trying to decipher their meaning herself.
For Savarese, the wonder of her and her children's reading experience all stems from a fellow Sevierville native's efforts with the Imagination Library.
“I think it's amazing,” Savarese said. “I can't believe that one person started all this.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
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teacher1 wrote on Feb 16, 2009 5:27 AM: