A volunteer had barely finished reading the last page of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” when Adelin McNulty asked her to read it again.
The 4-year-old had already made her rounds at the Reading Railroad event, stopping by each table for free books and snacks.
“She tried to walk away with an armful of books,” her mother Kaylin McNulty said. “We took a few back, but she loves to read so she’s definitely in her element.”
Reading Railroad is an annual event hosted by Starkville Junior Auxiliary, along with Friends of the J.L. King Center and Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District’s Reading 2 Succeed program, to promote childhood literacy in the community. Families were invited to the Starkville Sportsplex Saturday for children to participate in reading-focused activities.
Kids were given free books and snacks, made crafts and enjoyed group reading circles with different age groups. Parents had the opportunity to sign up for a library card and Imagination Library, a program that sends an age-appropriate book to children each month.
“Children can choose books to take home to read, sign up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and have their vision screened,” Project Chair Mary Mitchell Hill said. “Our goal is to help children of all ages foster a love of reading.”
Outside of the activities, Junior Auxiliary also restocks Little Free Libraries throughout Starkville as a part of the event. Little Free Libraries located throughout the city allow anyone to share a book or take one for free.
Reading Railroad is a chance to show children that reading can be fun while encouraging early childhood literacy at the same time, JA Public Relations Chair Nikki Fondren said.
“Reading Railroad is just one of the many Junior Auxiliary projects that works to benefit the children of Oktibbeha County in a specific way,” she told The Dispatch. “Not only do we want children to grow up loving to read, but we want to promote early childhood literacy in our community – at school, in their homes and in their spare time.”
For McNulty, attending the event was a perfect way to encourage Adelin’s love for reading while also taking her and her 1-year-old sister Olivia out of the house for the morning. Offering free books for the kids was especially nice, she said.
“I wanted to get the kids out of the house, so this was perfect for us to come to, especially since she likes to read so much,” she said. “We’re going to stay here the whole time since she’s enjoying it.”
More than 90 participated in the Reading Railroad, and each child went home with at least one new, age-appropriate book to read.
“We are thrilled about this turn out and hope their books open doors to their imagination and future literary possibilities,” Fondren said.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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