SPRINGFIELD - Governor George H. Ryan encouraged parents and children to make a special moment on International Children's Book Day, Sunday, April 2, 2000 and outlined 10 steps to better reading.

"Simple things like a trip to the local library or stopping at a book store mean the world to children when they get to share it with their family," Ryan said. "I think these few easy steps will make reading educational and memorable."

Through the Governor's Office on Literacy, Ryan is promoting the reading of books on every subject from nonfiction to poetry. Ryan's 10 tips include:

1. Get a child his or her own library card. Let them pick out their own books.

2. Read stories again and again. A child loves to hear the same story because it comforts them to know what happens next and helps them to learn better.

3. Buy books as gifts for all events, especially during celebrations like awards from school, church or sports. The books can relate to the event or be biographies of someone else outstanding like them.

4. Encourage new learners and readers to read along or repeat their favorite lines, such as "That Sam-I-am, I do not like that Sam-I-am."

5. Look for books that allow children to touch and feel the pictures. Books that are fuzzy or squeezable or have pull out tabs with hidden pictures are perfect for new learners.

6. Choose books with simple pictures, which you can point to explain the story.

7. Read a book and then discuss it with the child.

8. Ask questions about the characters or how the ending can be changed.

9. Make your own stories and your own books.

10. Create a home library and put the books on low shelves so children can reach them.