Overton Little Eagle Library

The Little Eagle Library: Building Readers, One Book at a Time

A child doesn’t need a lot to become a successful reader. Sometimes, they just need a book, someone to read it with them, and a few minutes together each day.

Books are at the heart of how children develop language. The words children hear and the stories they experience help build the vocabulary and communication skills they need for kindergarten and future school success. Just 15 minutes of reading together each day can expose a child to an incredible number of words while giving parents and children time to talk, learn, and connect.That is the idea behind the Little Eagle Library.

Jennifer Petzet, Speech-Language Pathologist for ESU 10/Overton Public Schools, has worked with children and families for 24 years. She has a passion for literacy and has seen firsthand how reading can strengthen a child’s language and vocabulary. Working with Overton Preschool and PreK teachers, Jennifer provides language lessons in the classrooms and created the Little Eagle Library to help every child develop a love of reading.

Thanks to generous community donations, every Preschool and PreK student at Overton Public Schools received 12 brand-new books during the 2025–2026 school year—335 books in all. These books helped children begin building their own home libraries. Parents also received simple ideas for using books to build vocabulary and encourage conversation at home.

The Little Eagle Library is also about creating special experiences for families. The fourth annual Christmas Movie Night brought students and families together in pajamas for The Grinch, cookies, and hot chocolate. The third annual Stuffy Sleepover, held with help from the Overton Library and sixth-grade students, gave children the chance to send their favorite stuffed animal to school for the night and return the next day to find their stuffy—and a new book waiting for them.

These may seem like small things, but for a young child, they can create lasting memories and help make reading something they look forward to.

Looking Ahead the Little Eagle Library hopes to:

 Encourage families to read together for at least 15 minutes each day

 Continue providing free monthly books to Preschool and PreK students

 Give each child a book for their birthday

 Continue Christmas Movie Night and Stuffy Sleepover

 Help more children build home libraries and develop a love of reading

The Little Eagle Library is made possible by community support. As the cost of everyday expenses—and books—continues to rise, that support is more important than ever.

 When you support the Little Eagle Library, you aren't just buying a book. You are putting a story into a child's hands, giving families an opportunity to read together, and helping build the language and literacy skills that children will carry with them for years to come.

Together, we can put books into the hands of Overton's youngest learners—one child, one family, and one book at a time.