Mixed-Age Storytime: When One Size No Longer Fit

When I started storytime at my new library, I brought a rule with me that I’d held onto for years:three picture books, every time. It was familiar. It felt “right.” It was what I knew worked. But my audience had changed. At this library, I needed to shift gears for a mixed-age storytime. My storytime crowd regularly includes babies in caregivers’ arms, toddlers on the move, preschoolers ready to shout out answers, early elementary kids who want more depth—and occasionally children as old as ten. Trying to make three picture books work for everyone left me constantly adjusting on the fly, and honestly, feeling a little stressed. So I made a change that made me nervous. Now, I plan for two picture books and one board book. And it has worked far better than I expected. Why the Change Felt Risky Like many librarians, I worried about how this would…
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