Sensory bags can be a great tool to help children get started learning their letters and numbers—especially if they don’t yet have the fine motor control to use writing tools. Children can use their fingers to trace letters and numbers on the bag. If they need some assistance, write the letters or numbers on a piece of paper, and place the paper under the bag for them to trace. Once you’ve gathered your supplies, you can follow along with our YouTube video. Continue reading “Recipes for Fun: Sensory Bags”
Hello friends and happy February! This month will slip by, and before we know it March will be here! For my second-to-last blog post of the winter, I’ve got some great options for you. Happy reading!
Picture Books
“Trouble” by Katherine Nicole Battersby
Squirrel is leading a quiet life in her apartment with her pet mouse, Chamomile…until a new neighbor moves in. Bear is large, with terrifying teeth and claws, and Squirrel is sure he is nothing but trouble. Yet the illustrations show a different story, as readers observe that Bear is clumsy but gentle, and loves baking cookies. Chamomile discovers this and spends time with Bear, much to Squirrel’s chagrin when she discovers them sharing a peaceful afternoon together. Not only will this book make a fantastic read aloud, it will be an excellent conversation starter about how to keep an open mind about others, free from misconceptions and prejudice. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: February Favorites 2021”
In addition to its designation as Black History Month, February is also the birth-month of Rosa Parks (February 4th) and Nina Simone (February 21st)—two luminaries of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s. As a celebration of these remarkable women and their long-lasting contributions, here are some of the many books for kids about the lives of women who accessed their unique gifts to contribute to this important historic movement:
Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1913—a time when Jim Crow laws, which mandated racial segregation in public facilities and transportation, were being enforced mostly in the southern United States. Parks saw the dehumanizing effects of racism firsthand, and in 1955 she entered the national stage when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger and helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Both “A Girl Named Rosa,” by Denise Lewis Patrick, and Wil Mara’s “Rosa Parks” (which is part of the “Rookie Biographies” series), tell Rosa’s inspiring story for young readers—from daughter of a single mother in the Deep South to civil rights activist and icon. Continue reading “Women of the Civil Rights Movement”
Online Resources
Feeling stressed about online education and learning from home? You are not alone. We want to help.
These are guides available through DBRL that include resources, information, links and databases. If you would like to use a database, you have the ability as a resident of Boone or Callaway counties using your library card. The username is your library card number and the password is your PIN—usually your birth date (MMDDYYYY). Many databases request you set up an account and may ask you to make an original username after using your library card the first time.
This guide can direct you to a variety of places for helpful resources. Here are a few of my favorite learning tools:
- Brainfuse: HelpNow
- This is a tutoring resource that comes with a variety of help options, including live tutors from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day, a writing lab tool, a question-and-answer style help tool, a language tool and other ways to meet and study virtually, whether alone or with a group
- LOTE Online: Storytime, In Your Language
- This is a newer DBRL resource we are trying out. This resource offers a variety of stories in different languages, including the English translation to help develop reading and listening skills. Some languages included are German, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish, Korean and Mandarin.
- Universal Class
- Universal Class offers classes taught by real teachers, but it is self-paced. There are hundreds of classes available for users to take, including a tab labeled “Homeschooling” that lists courses for science, writing and more!
Need help on a specific subject? This guide can be super useful in locating more information and resources.
- This guide provides local and library resources available for parents.
Continue reading “Learning Online? We Can Help!”
Here at DBRL we are so excited to be able to offer classic stories in languages other than English with LOTE Online! Finding Spanish or French books is difficult, but for speakers of languages like Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin and Urdu, it’s next to impossible. Now you and your family can access children’s picture books in 25 different languages, all from the comfort of your own home with your library card. You can choose to have the books “read aloud” or you can read the text yourself. The online library includes many classic tales: “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Little Red Hen” and “Puss in Boots.”
One of the areas of strategic focus for our library is to “foster a community-focused culture of innovation, leadership and access for all.” We believe that reading to children, no matter what language, is an important step in that direction. According to a recent study, reading to your child in your native language will help them learn how to read in other languages in the future. Reading with young children is a lot like putting a child in gymnastics. Even if they don’t go on to become the next Simone Biles, the flexibility, strength and muscle memories they develop will help them learn any other sport in the future. When you read to a child in their home language, the brain starts learning what reading is and will be able to apply the same “muscle memory” if they learn another language, such as English. Having access to stories in languages other than English helps bridge the literacy gap, enabling all children in our community to have access to stories they can share with their families.
Please share this great resource with any families in our community who speak a second language, and stay tuned for 10 more languages being added soon!
Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media.
The following titles and contributors are some of the 2021 YMA winners!
The John Newbery Medal is for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. The 2021 Winner is:
“When You Trap a Tiger,” written by Tae Keller
When Lily, her sister Sam and their mother move in with her sick grandmother, Lily traps a tiger and makes a deal with him to heal Halmoni. Continue reading “2021 Youth Media Award Winners”
I must admit that the idea for this blog started through my own personal exploration into the world of hygge, as a survival tactics for a long winter ahead at home with my 3 year old and 15 month old boys, Oliver and Porter. The library has WONDERFUL resources available if you would like to dive deeper into the hygge world. And a fellow blogger at DBRL recently wrote about this concept too, so make sure to check out her blog as well.
Quick history lesson: the word hygge (pronounced hoo-ga), originates from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being.” Explaining exactly what hygge is, that’s the tricky part. Regarded as a defining characteristic in Danish culture, hygge has been described “coziness of the soul,” “cozy togetherness,” and my personal favorite, “cocoa by candlelight.” Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with people we love. A feeling of home. Hygge is the antidote to cold winter days and nights. Continue reading “How to Hygge With Young Children”
Emotions can be overwhelming for all people of all ages. Talking about our emotions helps us deal with them and express them in acceptable ways. But first we have to identify what we are feeling. Talking with your child about emotions will help them identify feelings in themselves and others and improve their ability to communicate. Here are some resources to help with the conversation.
Books
“Niko Draws a Feeling” written by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Simone Shin
Niko loves to draw, but when he shows his art to others, they don’t understand his abstract pictures. Then he meets someone who understands the feelings that he was trying to capture with his art. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Emotions (Part 2)”
Today begins our “Comforts of Winter” program, a program that is as chill as the air outside! One of the coolest features of this program is that everyone can join in. We will suggest ways to enjoy the winter months, along with cool reading recommendations on all of our blogs. Register here.
With this program, you can set a family goal or individual goals for each person. It can be a number of books to read or a certain amount of time spent reading. Whatever you choose, you’ll have six weeks to reach your personalized goal. Once you’ve met your goal, just complete the finishing form to let us know, and we’ll make a prize available for you at your library or bookmobile stop or via curbside pickup. Kids ages 0-12 will win a book and folks ages 13 and above will win a canvas tote.
To help get you started with your reading goals, here are a few books you can curl up with on a cold and blustery day.
Continue reading “Winter Reading for Kids”
It’s a new year, and I’ve got plenty of exciting new books to tell you about!
Picture Books
“Avocado Asks” by Momoko Abe
When a young grocery store customer asks, “Is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable?”, Avocado doesn’t know the answer. The question so consumes Avocado that he goes on a journey through the store, trying to figure out where he belongs. Finally, confident Tomato assures Avocado that he is amazing, regardless of label. The illustrations in this one are super cute, and the themes of identity and self-confidence are welcome and well done. A delightful debut picture book! Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: January Favorites 2021”
