September 18, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Library page provides inspiration for reading

Before the end of the school year, District #169 librarian Cindy Berry created a Ms. Berry’s Library page on Facebook.

The page was a way to reach out to families in the district during the school closure, Berry said.

The page has links to virtual story times and other resources parents can use to encourage young readers.

“I am sort of flying by the seat of my pants in terms of what I am posting or planning for the page, but read alouds, activities that I have found online that I think the kids may like, whether they pertain to children’s literature or something else like Legos, which I know my K-4 kiddos love,” Berry said.

Berry said the stay at home order has enabled her to have quality time with her own children but she missed the students she worked with at the schools.

“I never thought that when I took this job at the start of the school year, that 400 kids would steal my heart,” she said. “I adore each and every one of my students and feel honored to have been able to get to know them and connect with them. I am really missing seeing them every day.”

Berry said parents who are concerned about the summer learning loss should encourage their children to read things that interest them.

“Some kids are never going to be avid readers, but every kid has something that they are really interested in,” Berry said.

Berry said there are books on every topic including sports, animals, anime, unicorns, princesses, sharks and history just to name a few. Graphic novels are also popular items in the school library.

“I love helping my students find books that they enjoy, especially if they don’t like reading all that much. It’s very rewarding for me to connect with the students over a book. Parents are more than welcome to reach out to me for book ideas for their children,” she said.

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