CHECK IT OUT: Library offers new feature for beginning readers

LEFT: Ava Henson, 3, enjoys a cracker and a Playaway bookpack in her makeshift fort. Her parents are Crestview residents Bryan and Kelly Henson, of Crestview. RIGHT: Jaylen Clark, 7, of Crestview, enjoys a Playaway bookpack in the Crestview Public Library's Story Room. Each bookpack has an audio player loaded with content that corresponds with paperback books.

The Crestview Public Library is proud to introduce… Playaway bookpacks!

Each bookpack has an mp3-type player loaded with audio content that corresponds with a couple of paperback books also included.

The library has recently invested in this new format for books with our beginner readers in mind, although other children will also enjoy them.

Playaways are easy to use and harder to damage than cassettes and compact discs, but please handle them with care; some cost as much as $140 to replace.

You may check out one Playaway bookpack per card, or bring your headphones and enjoy them in the library. We ask that you replace the AAA battery (if needed).

I chose some of my favorite children’s books that I consider timeless, so you’ll find familiar characters like Clifford, Curious George, and fun titles like “Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type ” by Doreen Cronin.

Come check them out!

Heather Nitzel is the Crestview Public Library's youth services librarian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Library offers new feature for beginning readers