Every Story Brings Us Closer

Reading with your child is one of the best ways to support brain development, strengthen your bond, and build essential early literacy skills. With 1000 Stories Before Kindergarten, you’ll help your child prepare for school success, one story at a time!

This self-paced program is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, along with their caregivers. Track your progress, collect stickers and prizes, and celebrate milestones together. Read one thousand stories to complete the program and win a prize!

 

Program Highlights

  • Flexible participation: Visit your local library or complete the program entirely from home.
  • All stories count: Books, audiobooks, and even made-up stories all contribute to your total.
  • Self-paced: Complete the program on a schedule that works for your family.

 

How It Works

1. Sign Up
1000 Stories reading logs

Visit any FVRL location to register. All children from birth until the start of kindergarten are eligible. When you sign up, you'll receive:

  • A welcome letter with instructions
  • A reading log booklet to track stories
  • Stickers for celebrating milestones
  • A magnetic picture frame as a welcome prize
  • Monthly 1000 Stories email newsletter subscription
2. Read and Track

Every story counts! You can include books, audiobooks, oral storytelling, and even repeated readings. Use your reading log to track your progress and celebrate each milestone.

3. Earn Rewards

Receive a registration prize upon signup. Then visit the library to collect a sticker for every reading milestone. Complete one thousand stories to win a reading certificate and a picture book! Visit any FVRL location to claim your completion prize. 

 

Why 1,000 Stories?

Early literacy activities like reading together help your child develop vocabulary, increase reading readiness, and establish positive habits that last a lifetime. Reading three stories a day will surpass 1,000 stories in just one year!

 

A mother and baby attending Babytime at Murrayville Library

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1000 Stories Monthly Newsletter

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Other Ways to Participate

  • Can’t make it to the library? 1000 Stories Before Kindergarten offers an online option for FVRL customers who have difficulty travelling to a library or prefer to participate entirely from home. Fill out our online registration form to sign up. We’ll mail you a welcome package with all the materials you need to complete the program.  Once you've completed 1,000 stories, fill out the online completion form to claim your prize. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery for all mailout packages.
  • Live outside the Fraser Valley? Families living outside the FVRL service area are not eligible to receive 1000 Stories reading logs, prizes or mailout packages. However, you are welcome to download program materials to print at home and subscribe to our newsletter.
     

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility: Fraser Valley Regional Library's 1000 Stories Before Kindergarten program is for caregivers with young children and babies who have not yet entered kindergarten. The program is available to anyone who resides in any of the communities we serve: Abbotsford, Barnston Island (Metro Vancouver), Chilliwack, Delta, Fraser Valley Regional District, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, Kent, Langley City, Langley Township, Maple Ridge, Mission, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam and White Rock. Everyone is welcome to receive the 1000 Stories newsletter; to receive the newsletter without program enrollment, subscribe here.

Research shows the benefit of reading to your child at an early age. Sharing stories builds vocabulary, increases reading readiness and prepares your child for success in school. It also encourages positive attitudes and habits around reading that can last a lifetime. Any thousand stories will have a variety of words and pictures, which helps with brain development. 

Yes, but it’s easier than you think! Reading three stories a day adds up to over 1,000 in just one year.

Absolutely! Repetition supports learning, so each reading counts.

That’s fine! Reading aloud while your child plays nearby still builds literacy skills.

No. Any story counts — from a library book, a personal collection or even your imagination!

Yes! Stories read by anyone, anywhere, can be included.

1000 Stories Reading Lists

Your library has so many wonderful picture books to keep your child entertained and engaged. And remember, each story you read with your child moves you one step closer to the goal of 1,000 stories before kindergarten!

A purple baby dinosaur sits on top of a colourful stack of books.

D Is for Dinosaur

Explore a world of prehistoric wonder with colourful picture books, all about dinosaurs. From gentle giants to roaring adventurers, these tales bring the distant past to life.

volcano
Reading List
A brown owl with big eyes.

Nocturnal Animals

Explore the wonders of the night! These stories introduce kids to the amazing animals that roam, fly and play under the stars.

owl
Reading List
A young girl reads a book in bed.

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home! Explore the places, people, and things that make a house feel like a home. As you read, think about your own home and the things you love about it.

house
Reading List
A happy young boy holds a paint brush and a paint palette.

Art Stories

Art can transport us to different places, real and imaginary. And when we read together, art can help us visualize the stories. Here is a list of books that will add some colour to your world!

color_lens
Reading List
A happy boy in a wheelchair.

Learning About Disability

This list features picture books that celebrate disabled characters, explore different ways of moving through the world, and promote empathy, inclusion and self-acceptance.

accessible
Reading List
A little girl waters a plant with a watering can.

From Seed to Story

Whether your little ones are planting their first seeds, exploring how vegetables grow or simply curious about bugs and blooms, these books will inspire budding green thumbs. Perfect for story time or sparking outdoor adventures, each title encourages curiosity, patience and a love for the natural world — one page at a time.

potted_plant
Reading List
A dragonfly and a ladybug.

Amazing Insects

Get ready to crawl, fly, and buzz your way through an exciting collection of bug-filled books! This list is perfect for little nature lovers and curious explorers who want to learn about the incredible world of insects.

hive
Reading List
A spotted cow munches on grass and flowers.

On the Farm

Explore the world of farming through colourful picture books! From growing crops to caring for animals, these stories introduce young children to the rhythms of farm life, offering fun and valuable lessons about nature, hard work and community.

agriculture
Reading List
A young boy is playing football. He wears a football uniform and holds a football as he runs.

Sports

Whether it's the thrill of competition, the joy of teamwork or the spirit of determination, these stories will take us on exciting adventures.

sports_football
Reading List
A girl in a construction helmet looks at blueprints and gives a thumbs up.

Construction Site

Get ready to hear stories about hardworking construction trucks, busy builder, and big machines that help make the world a better place.

build
Reading List
Illustration of a cat standing on back legs and holding a pen and clipboard.

Customer Survey

Are you participating in the 1000 Stories Before Kindergarten program? Then we want to hear from you! We created 1000 Stories to help your child learn the early literacy skills needed for success in school. We're always working to improve the program, and you can help.

Tell us about your experience