Reading with your children is a special thing. Reading helps children explore with their imagination. It allows them to experience a variety of words and increase their vocabulary. It can help with their listening skills and increase their attention span.

It can give parents and children a way to explore different topics and situations together. And, it’s a way to connect with children and show them how much you care about them.

Rick Blauvelt, executive director of the local Raising A Reader program, said, “We know that early literacy skills are highly correlated with future success in school and in life. Read-aloud time has the added benefit of building strong family bonds, and it delivers a powerful message to the child about the family’s commitment to learning.”

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Read With Me Week was created to help foster all these wonderful outcomes.

From Thursday, Feb. 23, through Wednesday, Feb. 29, families of children ages 6 months to 5 years are encouraged to read together and track their read-aloud sessions.

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There are special tracking forms with instructions and information on local storytimes. At the end of the week return this form to your preschool, or contact Raising a Reader by email (readwithme1@hotmail.com) or by phone (970-230-9117) with the information on the form.

Participants who return the forms by March 9 will be entered into a drawing for prizes such as new books and gift certificates to local retailers and restaurants.

This program, offered to families from Basalt to Parachute, is hosted by Reach Out and Read Colorado, Raising A Reader Aspen to Parachute, Garfield County Human Services Childcare Program, Early Childhood Network, Betsy’s Barefoot Books and the Garfield County Libraries.

Tracking forms are available at all Garfield County libraries, local preschools, medical clinics, and at http://www.reachoutandreadco.org.

For more information, call Raising a Reader at 970-230-9117.

The Winter Lecture Series continues this evening with the presentation “What Are We Fighting For?”

Chautauqua performer Susan Marie Frontczak returns to reprise her role as former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Find out how the first lady felt about the individual’s role in a world torn by war, hardship and uncertainty.

The program will be held at 7 p.m. tonight at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library, 413 Ninth Street. The Winter Lecture Series is co-presented annually by the Frontier Historical Society and the Friends of the Glenwood Springs Branch Library, and this program is funded in part by Colorado Humanities.

It is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call 945-5958 or 945-4448.

The Rifle Branch Library will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax,” which opens in theaters next month with two special events.

First, tweens are invited to use recycled materials to make Truffula Tree bookmarks at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20. Then at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, children are invited to a special storytime, where after reading the book everyone will plant flowers to take home. Registration is required for both events. For more information call 625-3471.

Here is your opportunity to get a glimpse of the projects coming to Glenwood Springs.

At 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, there will be an open house and pre-bid meeting for the new Glenwood Springs Branch Library, Colorado Mountain College expansion building, and city of Glenwood Springs parking structure projects.

The meeting will be held at the current Glenwood Springs Branch Library at 413 Ninth Street.

Subcontractors who wish to get more information on the project but are unable to attend the meeting can call the general contractor, FCI Constructors, at (970) 434-9093.