The Boone Area Library in Birdsboro is the place to be on Fridays, when children can listen to a story read aloud by a Daniel Boone Area School District teacher as well as visit with a certified therapy dog.

Stories With Teachers began on June 9 and will run through July 28, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Following the story, an art or STEM activity is offered. The program is recommended for children ages 5 to 12, and registration is not required.

On June 16, the guest reader was teacher Pat Smith, who read "Do Not Take Your Dragon to Dinner" by Julie Gassman. After the story and project, Susan Goodling brought Charley the dog to the library so that children could read to him.

"(Charley) is a very gentle dog, but he does lick - he is a kisser. We call him the kissing bandit," she told the children. "He is a dog that you can pet anywhere. You can read to him and show him pictures, and after the books are done, you can play with him and his toys."

"This is his first time (at the Boone Area Library); he is so happy to be here," added Goodling, a former teacher in the Daniel Boone Area School District.

She explained that Charley always wears a banana indicating that he is a KPETS dog, which means he has been certified with Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services.

The idea to train Charley to become a therapy dog came after Goodling visited Godfrey's Welcome to Dogdom in Mohnton. "Charley was walking around, and they told us he would make a good therapy dog. They had two dogs at the time who went through KPETS," she said. "He had to go to an orientation with other dogs, and he automatically flunked because he barked (at the other dogs, and) they are not allowed to bark. So, we went back and did some training and practice, and he (eventually) passed all of his tests."

Since earning his certification, Charley has visited libraries throughout the Berks County Library System, including Spring Township and West Lawn-Wyomissing Hills. "He became a therapy dog right before COVID hit and he didn't get to do many things (at first) because everything was closed down," said Goodling. "He did stress release for accountants during tax season. He went to the Highlands (at Wyomissing) for employee stress relief. They took him through the whole Highlands facility, and he got to meet everybody."

Charley, along with his older sister, Jordie, are bichpoos, a mixed breed that is a cross of a poodle and a bichon frise. Goodling noted both Charley and Jordie enjoy having children read books to them and that they frequently dress in costume when visiting libraries. For example, Charley has dressed as Paddington bear and as a unicorn. For his visit to the Boone Area Library, he was dressed as a duck in honor of the Birdsboro Street Fair and Duck Derby.

Nonreaders enjoy visiting with him as well. "When he goes to libraries, he sometimes doesn't have readers, so they show him how to pick up and put away toys, but he sure does love stories," Goodling said.

Boone Area Library is located at 129 N. Mill St., Birdsboro. For more information about Stories With Teachers and another library activities, visit http://www.facebook.com/boonearealibrary.