Scott library celebrates youth reading with Dr. Seuss Published March 12, 2015 By Senior Airman Sarah Hall-Kirchner 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The Scott Air Force Base Library celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 5 with a birthday party in his honor. Members of Team Scott participated in crafts, a sing-along, story time, and party games to celebrate. Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, whose birthday was March 2, wrote and illustrated more than 40 children's books during his career. "We have this party because it's a fun way to get kids interested in literacy and excited about reading," said Tamela Smith. "What kid doesn't know about Dr. Seuss?" When children arrived at the birthday party, they were given "Thing 1" or "Thing 2" hats to wear and a "Horton Hears a Who" color sheet. While coloring, Diego Esguerra, 9, told his playmate why he likes Dr. Seuss. "I like Dr. Seuss," Diego said. "He was determined to get his books published. He had gone to many publishers, who were not interested in publishing his stories. One of his friends saw his determination and decided he would help him publish his books." According to National Public Radio's website, Geisel's first book "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" was rejected more than 25 times by different publishers. However, a chance meeting with an old friend, who wanted to see the manuscript, got his story published by Vanguard Press in 1937. Diego said that he loves Dr. Seuss's books, and couldn't pick a favorite. "Dr. Seuss had an unlimited imagination and I like that," said Diego. "His books are fun to read." According to Smith, the reason the library has the birthday party each year is to have fun with reading. "This is my third year," said Smith. "My favorite part of the Dr. Seuss birthday party is to see where we take it each year. We've expanded the party each year. This year we added a Dr. Seuss photo booth. It is fun to see the kids enjoying themselves and getting excited about reading." The base library has many Dr. Seuss books available to be checked out, along with 6,000 other juvenile titles. The library has more than 34,000 books from which to choose. There are also DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and over 50 periodicals available at the library. An online catalog offers access to over 400 Illinois libraries, which will deliver books to the base library for members of Team Scott to borrow. "As a nation, one of our greatest responsibilities is to ensure every American child can experience the transformative power of reading," said President Barack Obama in an official proclamation. "Literacy is the gateway to all other learning, and it is the most basic building block of opportunity in an economy increasingly built on knowledge and innovation. On Read Across America Day, we celebrate the ways literacy has enhanced our lives and recommit to empowering every student with a strong start and a passion for reading." Hours of operation for the library are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays, holidays and family days. For more information visit www.375fss.com/scott_library.htm or call 256-5100 or 256-3028. The library is located at 510 Ward Drive, Bldg. 1940.