Inspiring Young Readers
Beyond the Book is a literacy program designed to support children who are developing their reading skills, and those who are below the "decoding threshold" — the point at which students can read text accurately and efficiently. When students fall below this threshold, they often struggle with reading comprehension at grade level. Beyond the Book helps bridge that gap by introducing vibrant, engaging stories that showcase the wonders of children's literature, making reading an exciting and accessible adventure.
At DC Public Library, we are uniquely positioned to spark curiosity in young readers and empower families with the tools they need to support their child's growth as a confident reader. Through this program, children discover the joy of reading in a supportive, nurturing environment, which not only enhances their reading skills but also builds their confidence and love for learning. Beyond the Book encourages both children and caregivers to explore the vast resources our library offers, creating a community where children can thrive as readers and lifelong learners.
Your Beyond the Book membership includes:
- A Beyond the Book Club membership card
- A monthly newsletter with tips and tricks for developing readers
- A free copy of the seasonal Featured Book and fun, educational activities
- Exclusive invites to author talks and other fun family events
- BONUS: Does your family have a library card? If not, caregivers can get a DC Public Library card when their child signs up for Beyond the Book!
To register, visit your neighborhood library, or use the online registration form then stop by your neighborhood library to pick up your membership card.
Sign Up For Beyond the Book
Fall 2025 | My Name My Crown
About The Book
My Name, My Crown is a heartwarming story about a young girl named Shante who is on a journey to discover the beauty and power of her own identity. Frustrated that her teacher, Miss Lynn, frequently mispronounces her name, and feeling left out because her name never appears on store-bought items like keychains or birthday crowns, Shante decides to change her name to "Kate."
Her parents, however, help Shante see the family love and connection woven into her name: it's a special combination of her mother's name (Shawna) and her father's (Tay), making her unique. Together, the family engages in problem-solving through creativity by crafting a custom crown decorated with meaningful items—each symbolizing Shante’s special qualities like intelligence, happiness, and brightness.
On her birthday, Shante proudly wears her handmade crown to school. When she models how to stand up for yourself by wearing her unique creation, Miss Lynn finally sees Shante and correctly pronounces her name. This joyful moment reinforces a message of cultural pride and self-worth, teaching young readers that names carry history, love, and meaning, and that being unique is a strength to be celebrated, not a weakness to be hidden.
My Name, My Crown is a celebration of self-acceptance, family heritage, and the courage to own who you are, loud and proud.
About the Author
Chavi' Lassiter was born and raised in Clifton, New Jersey, to parents who encouraged her to be her true self. Today, Chavi' is a writer with Scholastic's Our Stories Decodables project, where she is able to use her creativity to discuss subjects that are informative and encouraging in a positive and fun way. She is devoted to telling stories that resonate with children who go through common challenges that are rarely discussed. My Name, My Crown is her first children's book. She currently continues her studies as an Elementary Education major at Howard University.
“Publishing a book about a life-changing experience offers a unique chance to share a very private journey with readers. I hope the students who read this book learn resiliency, tenacity, and the value of self-discovery. I hope they find comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone in their hardships and be inspired to embrace their individuality and fearlessly follow their aspirations. My books can help African American children embrace their originality and prosper in a society that frequently tries to minimize their value by emphasizing the value of accepting oneself and one's background. By sharing my experiences, I want to encourage black children to take pride in who they are, accept their cultural background, and boldly forge their own routes to happiness and success.”
Supporting Your Developing Reader
What is a developing reader?
A Developing Reader is someone that is learning how to use foundational reading skills and their background knowledge to understand text. A developing reader is interested in books but can’t yet read them independently or may be able to read some words but require support to convey meaning from print. Developing readers tend to be between the ages of children 5-8 that are starting their educational journey.
Developing Readers enjoy a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction. As they gain more foundational reading skills such as the mastery of phonics and word comprehension they increasingly read books with more complex text and vocabulary words. Most excitingly, is that developing readers begin to discover that reading happens everywhere.
How do children learn to read?
There are five key important categories that are important to be successful readers. These categories are not listed in a particular order.
Fluency
Fluent readers have mastered the multitasking skills of a reader’s ability to decode words and comprehend them at the same time. Fluent readers read smoothly and with expression. Read aloud to your child and listen to them read aloud. Discuss with them what a reader sounds like. Reading familiar text will help your child build their confidence as a reader and their fluency skills.
Reading Motivation
Make reading personal for your child. Children should love the things that they are reading. The more they enjoy the topic of books, the more they will want to read. Keep your child’s interest at the forefront of the reading process. Allow them to explore and pick books that appeal to their interests.
Comprehension
Comprehension is all about your child’s ability to understand what they are reading. It is the ability for the child to make connections with the story to their own life, make predictions, explain the story, and so much more. A developing reader’s comprehension skills can be strengthened by making observations about illustrations and discussions around the story’s plot. Repetition also makes a big difference, so make sure you reread stories and make observations about the illustrations. Have a conversation with your child about what they are reading.
Decoding
Words are made of letters and those letters make sounds. Combined sounds make words that possess meaning. Decoding is what happens when readers put sounds together to figure out words. Practice sounding out words with your child and practicing common sound patterns they often hear. As their decoding skills grow, they will learn more about how to sound out larger words and identify more complex sound patterns such as vowel sounds and consonant blends.
Background Knowledge
This is all about what a child knows before they open the book. What is in their immediate environment that gives them access to the information presented in the text? You can build upon your child’s knowledge by teaching them new vocabulary words and introducing them to new experiences.
Developing reader tips
Developing readers have to do a lot of work as readers. This is the beginning of their journey where they will start to read not only for enjoyment but also for performance. It is important to
keep it fun while encouraging them to learn new reading skills.
Start with what the child knows and likes. Read about things that are of interest or bring joy, like sports, the arts and other activities. Think about all of the things you’ve done to help your child to enjoy the practice of reading. Keep doing those things and elevate your practice by supporting their book selections, and discussing how reading relates to life activities and experiences.
- Pause when you are reading together and ask them questions about the story or think your thoughts out loud so they can see how you make meaning from the stories you read.
- If your child knows the alphabet song, start to sing the song with the letter sounds versus the letter names.
- Expand the alphabet song by finding names of things they love that match the sound or sound pattern. This can be done as you’re walking around your neighborhood.
When you are at the library, look for easy readers, speakerbooks, picture books and books of poetry. These are great kinds of books for your developing reader. Check out DC Public Library's recommended reads and resources for kids to find titles for readers of all levels!
About Beyond the Book
This seasonal program builds on the Books from Birth program, an initiative with Imagination Library that mails a new book each month to children in DC from birth to age 5. Beyond the Book, generously funded by the DC Public Library Foundation, is a city-wide reading and learning club that engages Books from Birth graduates as well as developing readers across DC around a carefully selected title along with fun and educational learning activities that will deepen their understanding and enjoyment of the book as well as build their reading skills.
