Join DIEEC this fall in supporting early literacy and instilling a lifelong love of reading! We are offering early childhood programs two flexible ways to participate and receive free books for your collections:
Host a Guest Reader: Center administrators and family child care educators can request a DIEEC guest reader to visit your program. Your guest reader will bring several brand-new books for your classroom to keep and enjoy.
Share Your Favorite Read Aloud: Classroom educators can submit their favorite read-aloud book recommendation. The first 100 eligible programs to share a recommendation will receive a free new book by mail(limit one book per program).
Celebrate Children’s Book Week with DIEEC this fall! From November 9th through November 13th, DIEEC will celebrate the nationwide initiative sponsored by Every Child A Reader. This year’s slogan is Books: Get Curious, “celebrating all the ways that the stories we read, share, and tell encourage and quench the curiosity inherent in every child.”
DIEEC’s guest reader program is back, and we’re working on some exciting new ideas to support programs in developing children’s love of books and reading!
Looking for more ways to celebrate? Every Child a Reader offers free Children’s Book Week resources and materials, including activities, bookmarks, promotional tools, celebration ideas, and more. Explore the 2026 Children’s Book Week resources and materials.
This is a list of books that Delaware early childhood educators, like you, enjoy reading to the children in their care. We hope you’ll browse the list and perhaps find a new favorite for your children!
2025 Children’s Book Week: By the Numbers
Guest readers: 44
Programs visited: 72
Classrooms read to: 172
Books delivered: 380
Guest Readers and Book Donations
DIEEC is excited to have guest readers visiting early childhood education programs across the state this week. They will read a book with the children and donate books to their libraries, a meaningful way to make reading a fun and engaging experience for young readers.
Check out this year’s book selections!
Watch DIEEC professional development coordinator, Rebecca Joella, discuss the importance of early literacy.
Discover Helpful Resources
Resources and tools to enhance your reading experience all year round
The Delaware Division of Libraries published a web page of valuable resources for Children’s Book Week, designed for your early childhood education programs. These materials support educators and families, offering tools to enhance learning and engagement. We encourage you to explore and share these resources with your families to foster growth and connection beyond the classroom. Visit the page or click on the links below.
For more information on selecting quality diverse children’s books, try using this Children’s Books Checklist.
For further exploration of books for various ages, the We Need Diverse Books site has many features which lead to discovering children’s books on many aspects of culture, identity, and life experience. You can also go directly to their Where to Find Diverse Books page to view their suggestions in multiple categories.
Tips for reading to different age groups
While these sheets may be labeled for “parents,” they contain excellent hints for anyone who reads with children.
Microlearning video “How to Read a Book to Young Children” (Available in Spanish)
Reading to children from a very early age frequently develops language, reading skills, vocabulary, and comprehension. It also increases their knowledge of the world. Check out this microlearning video created by DIEEC for additional tips!
Leer a los niños desde una edad muy temprana fomenta el desarrollo del lenguaje, las habilidades de lectura, el vocabulario y la comprensión. También aumenta su conocimiento del mundo. ¡Mira este video de microaprendizaje creado por DIEEC para obtener consejos adicionales!
Excursiones y Recursos (DIEEC) Explora actividades para enriquecer las excursiones y llevar el aprendizaje al aire libre. Las encontrarás convenientemente listadas por condado.
