Paws to Read at Spades Park

Paws to Read is back at the Spades Park Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library on Saturday, November 21, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. It's a program designed for beginning or reluctant readers aged 6 to 11, and the setup is as simple as it sounds: kids get to read aloud to a registered therapy dog that loves listening to stories. The idea is that reading to a dog helps them practice their skills and build confidence without the pressure of a human listener. Each session is 15 minutes long and is for one child reader; groups can't be accommodated, so it's a one-on-one thing.

If you're not familiar with the venue, the Spades Park Branch is a 7,500-square-foot library at 1801 Nowland Avenue. It was built with funds from a $120,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and opened in 1912, six months after the East Washington Branch. It went through a $610,000 renovation in 1987 and celebrated its centenary in 2012, so it's a long-standing part of the neighborhood. The session runs from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM on Saturday, November 21, at the Spades Park Branch.