The authors think fun is a key word when it comes to early literacy. Learning to read is hard work for most children--and kids, like adults, enjoy things that bring them pleasure. So as professionals who work with young children, their job is to make sure that kids discover the joy of books. And one of the best ways to do that is by providing children with exciting, memorable reading experiences. In the past two years, the Public Library Association and the Association of Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library, Association) have joined forces with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to disseminate the latest research findings on how children learn to read. The research pinpoints six emergent literacy skills--the building blocks that kids need in order to learn to read and write successfully when they begin school. A brief list of these essentials skills and a list of suggested reading is included in this article.