If there is one thing in my life that I am passionate about, it is our local library and the joy of reading. My passion for our library knows no bounds. You will find me there every few days checking out novels I will probably never get to read and breathing in the air of a room full of books. There is nothing that calms my soul more than the quiet and peacefulness of our library.

Taking a road trip to visit libraries with your family can be a fun adventure.  Imagine the stories your children will be able to tell someday about the year that your family explored the architecture of the world’s most beautiful libraries while reading a great book or two along the way. Here are just a few recommendations for some truly unique libraries that are worth your visit.

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“All aboard!” the conductor cries. “Well, are you coming?”

“Where?” the little boy asks.

“Why to the North Pole, of course,” the conductor answers. “This is the Polar Express.”

Chris Van Allsburg’s book, The Polar Express is a classic holiday picture book about a little boy to take a train ride on Christmas Eve to the North Pole. There he meets Santa and receives the special gift of a silver bell. If your kid’s enjoy reading this story or watching the movie, you might consider bringing them to experience the magic of Christmas firsthand aboard a real Polar Express train.

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Summer’s here! The days last longer, the kids are out of school and it’s most families’ peak travel season of the year. My kids couldn’t be happier. Well, actually, they COULD be happier. Their schools gave every student a list of books to choose from, and expect the children to read at least three books this summer.

It doesn’t sound too draining a goal to me, of course, but summer is a natural “brain drain” time for lots of children – days spent playing on the beach have much more appeal than days spent sitting in the library.

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The following post is by a special guest blogger: Carla Raynor of Homewood Suites.

It’s startling to know that not all children in America are getting the best education. How can we break this cycle of poverty and crime if our children don’t have a chance to dream, to achieve, to READ?

As you have seen with the election of Barack Obama as our president, education is the key to achieving any dream, and a solid education starts with early childhood literacy skills.

Most pre-schools in low-income neighborhoods have just one book for every 300 students, and teachers often have to create or bring their own learning materials from home. This is especially shocking when compared to middle-income neighborhoods, where children enjoy a ratio of 13 books per child and often have much greater access to a library.

Our philanthropy partner, Books For Kids, a New York nonprofit, is changing that equation for at-risk preschool children. They are building libraries directly within housing projects and publicly funded day care and after school programs where low-income children reside.

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