“I’m so glad we live in a world where there are Octobers.”- L.M. Montgomery
I have always been a fan of “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery. My parents read me the first two books when I was in the second grade, and I was further hooked when I watched the “Anne of Green Gables” movie starring Megan Follows. Ever since then, I have devoured anything to do with my beloved Anne—including throwing myself an Anne of Green Gables themed party for my 31st birthday! Visiting Prince Edward Island is still high on my to do list, and I’m hoping to make the trek sometime in the not so distant future. My newest Anne find is the “Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel” by Kansas City native Mariah Marden. This a great read for both die-hards like myself and for folks who may be daunted by the prospect of reading all 440 pages of the original novel. The text touched on all of my favorite scenes—Anne discovering the White Way of Delight, Matthew fretting over Anne’s puff sleeves—and the playful illustrations by Brenna Thummler fully capture the quiet beauty of Avonlea that Montgomery so lovingly describes. For a perfect fall afternoon, grab a fuzzy blanket and a cup of cider and curl up with this book!
”Pug is happy here at home.” Me too, Pug! This book made me delightfully happy. As a pug owner myself, I am of course biased, but I think this book by Sue Gallion with art by Joyce Wan is an absolute gem. Pug’s story begins with his enjoyment of routine and solitude, then everything changes when Pig arrives. Pug must adapt to this newcomer in his life, which he eventually does with grace and generosity. The simple words and clean, friendly illustrations make this an excellent choice for beginning readers, and little ones who aren’t quite there yet can try telling the story back to you after they’ve heard it once or twice. The theme of accepting changes and making new friends is one that will resonate especially with preschoolers and those facing new experiences.
Once a week, starting today, we will be writing about all ten Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees for 2018. These award nominees encourage reading aloud to children and are selected annually by a group of children’s librarians from Missouri. The books nominated for this award make for exciting and engaging story times for any group of kids. For the first nominee, we’ll start with Julia Donaldson’s, “The Giant Jumperee.”
We’ve all been scared of things that we can’t see, whether it be a situation or a mysterious monster. In this story, Rabbit comes home to find his burrow occupied by a Giant Jumperee who is “scary as can be!” Cat, Bear, and Elephant try to help Rabbit, but the Giant Jumperee is just too frightening. Will Mama Frog be able to face the unknown and help Rabbit take back his burrow? This book looks at our fear of the unknown in a lighthearted way and reminds us that things aren’t always what they seem.
After you’ve read the book, Penguin Books has provided printable activity sheets that you and your child can enjoy together. Practice observation skills by searching for the differences between two pictures, and then get a chance to draw your own Giant Jumperee!
Babies are enchanted by the sound of the human voice, the feeling of being held close and seeing new and interesting things. So, it’s no surprise that babies love to be read to! The more a baby is exposed to books in the first few months of life, the more likely they are to enjoy reading as they grow. Listed below are some great literacy tips for families of infants as they begin their journey into the world of children’s literature.
Get cozy
In the beginning, reading is all about the ambiance. Get a soft warm blanket, find a quiet place, grab a big stack of books and let the snuggle time begin! Soon, you and your baby will begin to see book time as cuddle time.
2. Newborns aren’t picky
Exposure to spoken language helps develop connections in the brain that lay the foundation for reading. This means that for the first few months, your reading selections are for quantity, not content. Before dedicating the next five years to Curious George, Pete the Cat, and Pinkalicious, finish that hot new romance series, visit Hogwarts one more time or—for you students out there—read aloud from your bio-chem textbook! Listening to your voice will soothe your infant and can help to bridge the 30 million word gap.
Think back to a time when you felt “different.” Perhaps you were in a situation where you didn’t look like or act like everyone else. Maybe you couldn’t keep up with an activity due to physical limitations or lack of skill sets. Regardless of why you felt the way you did, you remember these times because they evoked strong emotions. Brene Brown, American author and research professor at the University of Houston, provides some insight into this universal need to fit in. “A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically and spiritually wired to love, to be loved and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.” Continue reading “Vive la Différence”
When you’re really little, sometimes a box is more fascinating than its contents. Especially if it’s a big cardboard box that you can sit in! If your kiddo is sitting in cardboard boxes anyway, why not take it a step further and decorate that box to look like a car?
Step One: Find a cardboard box your little one can fit in easily.
Step Two: Attach black paper plates as tires! I like using hot glue, but it’s up to you. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can glue old CDs in the middle of the plates to make wheels! Just make sure it’s the shiny side out.
Step Three: Add headlights and tail lights. You can use yellow circles for the headlights and red circles for tail lights. Cut them out of construction paper or just draw them on with markers. Continue reading “Cardboard Box Cars”
Calling all lovers of history and geography! One of the coolest parts of owning a library card is acquiring access to a variety of online resources free of cost. One of my favorites is CultureGrams. This program is designed to allow kids to explore and learn about places and cultures around the globe.
When entering the CultureGrams website, you are presented with four different choices: World Edition, Kids Edition, States Edition, and (Canadian) Provinces Edition. All choices give a plethora of information including history, geography and fun tidbits about each location. Want to know what it is like for kids in different countries or how to cook a dish from Peru? CultureGrams Kids has information on that and much more.
What are you waiting for? Check out CultureGrams today!
Is your little one learning to coordinate their arms, legs and other body parts to accomplish goals (like walking independently or kicking a ball)? If so, PAL Kit 3: Gross Motor Development for children ages birth-2 will be perfect for them! We have just updated this kit with brand new toys, including a fun bowling set and activity scarves to encourage your child to move, dance and play.
PAL Kit 3 also includes several books, and each of them incorporate movements that you and your child can act out together. One my favorite books in the kit is “Silly Sally” by Audrey Wood. As you read “Silly Sally,” encourage your child to jump, dance and sleep along with Sally and the animals. For infants, act the story out on their bodies.
Interested in checking PAL Kit 3 out? If so, place a hold online to pick it up at your library or bookmobile.
Do your kiddos love moving and grooving? If so, try out these super simple DIY rainbow dancing wrist bands! We use these all the time at the library, and they’re an awesome and colorful way encourage dancing and self expression with your little ones.
What you need:
Shower curtain rings or adult-sized hair elastics
Colorful ribbon, cut into 12″–18″ lengths (You’ll want at least three, though having a rainbow of colors is pretty cool.)
Did you know the library offers tablets for children, called Launchpads? These educational, pre-loaded tablets playfully cover topics such as reading, science, math and much more. Each tablet has 10 learning apps chosen around a theme and checks out for one week.
Already a fan of the Launchpads? Then you will be excited to learn we have rolled out several new tablet themes for each age range! Check out the full lineup below.
Babies are enchanted by the sound of the human voice, the feeling of being held close and seeing new and interesting things. So, it’s no surprise that babies love to be read to! The more a baby is exposed to books in the first few months of life, the more likely they are to enjoy reading as they grow. Listed below are some great literacy tips for families of infants as they begin their journey into the world of children’s literature.
Step Three: Add headlights and tail lights. You can use yellow circles for the headlights and red circles for tail lights. Cut them out of construction paper or just draw them on with markers. 
