Welcome!
It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Anastasia Finch, and I’m a children’s librarian in Southern California.
I recently got my Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree from San Jose State University, but I’ve worked in libraries for almost 10 years now, at university libraries, elementary school libraries, and public libraries in the children’s, teens, and adult departments. I’m a reference librarian, meaning I work on programming, collection development, outreach, marketing, and (of course) staffing the reference desk answering questions from library patrons.
Me, right before an outreach event.
Basically every librarian loves books– and I’m not an exception to that– but one of the highlights of my job is getting to help my library patrons find the PERFECT book for them. Usually this is called reader’s advisory (if you’re a librarian) or book recommendations (if you’re a patron)!
I get a lot of questions from parents who aren’t sure what their kid should be reading. Some parents are concerned with reading levels, some with literacy scores in school, and some with just wanting to help their child find a good book.
As a librarian, I know that reading books, and LOVING to read books, is the best way to achieve long term success. That’s why I think it’s so important to be able to match up a kid with a book that’ll make them go “WOW!” That excitement will carry them through to the next book, and the next, and the next.
I want to help as many families as possible find the perfect book…and the perfect reading strategy. It’s not enough to just find a good book: you have to have a solid reading habit behind it to really get the best impact on long-term success.
What is Family Reading Club?
It’s the internet version of what I do in real life.
Family Reading Club (FRC) is for kids who need to learn to LOVE to read, and for parents who want to support and encourage them in their journey. Not only do we have amazing reading lists full of great reads (reader’s advisory), we also have resources, tips, tricks, and ideas for creating and maintaining a lifelong reading habit.
Want advice and inspiration directly from a librarian?
This is the place for you!
Families in need
What I’ve found to be the same in all the libraries I’ve worked at is the fact that a lot of parents have NO idea how to a) find books for their kids to read and b) encourage and maintain a high level of interest in books throughout their kid’s life.
It is VERY important to read books, starting from a young child and continuing through adulthood.
Kids who read books (and ENJOY reading books) learn better in school, get higher grades, go to better colleges, get better jobs, and make more money as adults.
This is true for families and kids across all income levels– even kids who go to after school tutoring every day don’t do as well as kids who read every single day, as part of their daily reading habit.
My library usually has three types of visiting families:
- Families who come every week to get new books, read every day, and need only a little
help finding something new to read. - Families who come once a month for programs or to use computers for homework, but
never even LOOK at a book the entire time they’re here. - Families who come once a year to find something to read for their kid who needs to find a specific book for their reading program (which they’re struggling with), and has no interest in finding anything else. The whole family is stressed out and nobody has fun in the library.
Do you see yourself or your family in one of these three situations?
While it may seem overwhelming, there’s a solution for every problem.
Even kids who stopped reading, or who struggle to find books, can get over the hump with a little encouragement and support. Enter Family Reading Club!
The fun stuff
Well, hey! Now that you’re here, check out what’s on offer for you and your family.
What you’ll find here:
- Reading lists full of great book recommendations for all kinds of readers.
- Tips and resources for building a lifelong LOVE of reading.
- Exciting news and events for keeping up with the latest happenings in the book world.
- A free Resource Library full of great printables and downloads to take with you offline.
- Interviews with authors, parents and librarians!
And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to get access to:
- Weekly book recommendations and reader advisory requests
- All printables and freebies in the Resource Library
- Tips and tricks for reading more and finding better books
- Early access to any secret Club projects