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Have a Bubble Bash at Home!

Posted on Monday, April 13, 2020 by Kristy

I just looked at the calendar and realized that this Friday is the day we had originally planned my Bubble Bash program at the library. Though the program is canceled, I thought I would bring the Bubble Bash to you with some ideas! And trust me, almost all kids (and teens and adults!) love bubbles. There’s just something magical about them!

You can make bubbles at home with this simple yet AMAZING recipe and have some bubble fun of your own.

Here’s what you need:

  • ¼ cup dishwashing liquid
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 2 tsp. white corn syrup
  • Mixing spoon
  • Bowl
  • Sealable container
  • Bubble wand

Here’s what you do:

  1. Gently mix dishwashing liquid, water and corn syrup.
  2. Pour into a sealable container such as a plastic milk jug.
  3. Let it sit for one day. (The bubble mix improves after sitting. Plus, waiting to play with the bubbles is a great opportunity to practice patience and self-control with your child.)

After you’ve waited a day, it’s time to play with the bubbles! You can use bubble wands, straws or other circular objects from around the house (examples above!) to blow bubbles. When your children jump, run and kick to pop the bubbles, they’re working on their balance and their control over large movements. If you have older kids, you can talk about the science behind bubbles— elasticity, chemistry, light and even geometry! The fun and learning opportunities are endless. Enjoy!

Brianna’s Books: Excellent eBooks (Part 2)

Posted on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 by Brianna

Here’s round 2 of some excellent eBooks (and audiobooks) I’ve been purchasing for you!

First of all, I wanted to make sure you can still access all your favorite series. We now have all ten of The Bad Guys books in eBook format, as well as all of the Baby-sitter’s Club graphic novels, including the newest Little Sisters book. I also picked up all of the Wings of Fire downloadable audiobooks. If you’re wanting something a bit more haunting, try Mary Downing Hahn’s eBooks and audiobooks.

New Chapter Books Online

Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom“Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom” written by Louis Sachar, illustrated by Tim Heitz

Guess when the last Wayside School book came out? 1995! 25 years later and we have the next book in this delightful series. While I haven’t read this newest one yet, what I loved about the first books is the perfect combination of comedy and kindness in each chapter. Definitely check out this new book, but if you want to go back and read the others first, we have all of those in eBook format as well.

 

Narwhal on a Sunny Night“Narwhal On a Sunny Night” written by Mary Pope Osborne, illustrated by AG Ford

Here’s another new book to try! This is the latest in the Magic Tree House series, in which Jack and Annie get to meet Lief Erikson—and narwhals of course. We have this one in eBook and downloadable audiobook. Once you’ve finished it, bring in a little nonfiction fun with the companion book “Narwhals and Other Whales.”

 

 

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky“Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky” written by Kwame Mbalia

Fans of Percy Jackson should definitely check out this Rick Riordan Presents book. Mbalia crafts an adventure with African-American folklore, West African mythology, and a relatably imperfect hero. When Tristan accidentally punches a hole into another world, he must team up with John Henry and other heroes to save that world.

 

Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: Excellent eBooks (Part 2)”

Brianna’s Books: Excellent eBooks (Part 1)

Posted on Monday, April 6, 2020 by Brianna

My own personal pile of library books is starting to dwindle at this point. If your family is in the same boat, why not check out some of our materials on OverDrive/Libby? The great thing about these eBooks and audiobooks is that I can purchase them and they show up in our catalog later that same day. With no shipping times, it makes it easy for me to keep up with your holds, so hopefully you won’t have to wait too long for anything!

Below are some electronic picture books that I’ve recently purchased for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Dragons Love Tacos“Dragons Love Tacos” written by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Dragons and tacos. Enough said. If you haven’t read this delightful picture book yet, definitely check out this eBook. This particular one is actually an audiobook as well, so if your kiddo loves this story as much as I expect, they can just keep listening on repeat. Of course we have the sequel too!

 

 

“Grumpy Monkey” written by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang

Grumpy days are inevitable, especially with all the changes little ones are experiencing recently. Not only is this a fun read-aloud, it also teaches an important lesson about giving others space to work through their feelings.

 

 

“Sulwe” written by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Actress Lupita Nyong’o has written this beautiful story about colorism and self-love. Sulwe is the darkest person in her family and struggles to come to terms with that. She tries various ways to lighten her skin, to no avail. When a shooting star comes through her window and relates a fable of the two sisters Night and Day, Sulwe realizes that dark is beautiful.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog coming on Wednesday, April 8, where I’ll write about some awesome eBooks for older kids that I’ve purchased. See you then!

#HarryPotterAtHome: No Wait for the First Harry Potter Book!

Posted on Friday, April 3, 2020 by Kristy

Harry Potter At Home

Calling all Ravenclaws, Slytherins, Gryffindors and (my personal favorite) Hufflepuffs! This is not a drill!

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling is now accessible online in eBook and audiobook formats with no wait lists or holds through OverDrive. The eBooks and audiobooks are in over 10 different languages and will be available through May 31.

Never used OverDrive before? Here’s some information to get you started.

After reading some Harry Potter, visit harrypotterathome.com for activities like:

Have fun! And always remember:

“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” ~Albus Dumbledore

Scholastic Learn at Home: Keep Kids Reading, Thinking and Growing

Posted on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 by Kristy

Are you teaching your child from home? If so, I know there’s an abundance of resources out there for you to use! One of my favorites that I recently learned about is Scholastic Learn at Home.

This online resource gives parents and caregivers 20 days’ worth of topics (or, as Scholastic calls them, “learning journeys”) created to reinforce and sustain learning for students who are unable to attend school at this time.

These learning journeys, designed for preschool all they way up to grade 9, are really fun! The content for the preschoolers through grade 2 includes eBooks that you can read or watch online, videos and drawing and writing activities. The older kid learning journeys include cool articles like, “Burger bugs? Why some experts think more people should eat insects.” Not only is this title a fun draw, it explains about how 2 billion people in the world eat insects, the nutritional benefits of eating bugs and how eating bugs can actually help the planet!

Scholastic Learn at Home
Here’s an example of what a day’s learning journey could look like. Fun!

The articles for older kids include photos, videos and are a fun, bite-sized way to learn. They also have the option of speech-to-text, if you want to listen as you read. You can select a Lexile level, and the articles will adjust, getting easier or more difficult with your pick.

Here are some additional resources for families to go along with Scholastic Learn at Home. They’ll be adding more every day!

Knickknack Art

Posted on Monday, March 30, 2020 by Kristy

Knickknack ArtSlowly yet surely, spring is making an appearance! Parents around Missouri are rejoicing that their kids can now play outside. (I know I am!) It’s especially nice to take the fun outdoors when you want to let your kids be creative, but you don’t want your house looking like a disaster zone.

If you want to have some messy fun, try knickknack art. All you need is paint, paper (or, alternatively, foil or parchment paper), and literally anything from around the house to paint with.

Here are some ideas:

  • LEGO
  • Toy cars
  • Combs or brushes
  • Forks
  • K’nex
  • Paper towel rolls
  • lids
  • Junk drawer items (old keys, change, rubber bands)

Have your kids dip these items in paint, and apply them to paper in different ways to create unique and beautiful artwork!

 

Continue reading “Knickknack Art”

Stressed Out? Me Too. These Ideas Might Help.

Posted on Friday, March 27, 2020 by Kristy

My cute baby posing so I can have a photo for this blog!

I woke up this morning feeling like a giant stress ball. My jaw was so clenched that I had to massage it back to life. And I know I’m not the only one—this is a tough time, for both kids and adults.

For times like these, when I wake up already overwhelmed, I keep a mental toolbox of things to help me chill out. I used a few of these tools today before my new coworkers (my husband and baby) woke up, and they helped me transform myself from a giant stress ball into a medium stress ball. I’ll take that as a win!

Below, I’ll share some tools that help me manage my overwhelm and anxiety. I’ll also share some great resources for kids too!

Yoga

I have to admit, I used to loathe yoga. I’ve tried it off and on over the years because it is recommended by practically everyone, but I never really got into it. Then I tried the Down Dog app. Now I’m totally won over. I like it because you can be so specific—you can pick the exact amount of time you want to work out, the difficulty level, what you want to focus on (lower back stretches, core strength, hip stretches, etc.) and you can even pick the music and the narrator’s voice! You get a unique, personalized yoga practice every time. Because of the current pandemic, Down Dog is offering this app free to all customers until May 1. And they are offering it free to students and teachers until July 1. I totally recommend giving it a try.

The library also offers Hoopla, which has a variety of workout videos you can watch online for free, including yoga! Here’s some yoga videos just for kids.

Meditation

A lot of us have found ourselves with some extra time on our hands. Why not set aside a few minutes for meditation? Since my baby demands nearly all of my time during her waking hours, I usually reserve meditation for early in the morning before she gets up. It always makes me feel more centered and ready to take on my day. Hoopla has lots of resources on meditation, from books to videos and music. Here’s some meditation resources just for kids.

If you prefer an app for guided meditation, Headspace is great. Unfortunately, after a free trial it is pretty pricey to use. However, if you are a U.S. healthcare professional, you can get free access to the Headspace app through December. Just fill out this questionnaire. If you are a K-12 teacher, school administrator or supporting staff, you can also get Headspace for free.

Therapy

Sometimes you just need to hash things out with a mental health professional. Unfortunately, many offices are closed at this point in time. If you or your child would like support and help coping with the stress and anxiety related to the life and routine changes due to COVID-19, the MU Psychological Services Clinic is offering telehealth services via videoconference or telephone. Fill out this survey to get connected with a mental health professional.

The DBRL Adults blog wrote a similar article recently about other things you can do to protect your mental health. Check that out here.

What are other things you are doing to keep yourself and you kids calm during this time? Share your ideas in the comments below.

Make Math Fun With TumbleMath

Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 by Kristy

TumbleMath logoOkay, I have to admit, I’ve never been one to enjoy math. However, I have always enjoyed books! If your kiddo is like me (Yay books, boo math!) and you want to stealthily sharpen up their math skills from your computer at home, try out TumbleMath!

TumbleMath has a collection of math picture books that are available online. The books are both animated and narrated, and they are accompanied by supplementary materials like lesson plans and quizzes if you want to take your learning even farther. To get the most out of your TumbleMath experience, read this nifty “How to Use TumbleMath at Home” document.

Want even more math picture books accessible online? Check out our collection on Hoopla! Or, if you like the concept of animated picture books but your brain just isn’t feeling like doing math, that’s cool too. Just head on over to TumbleBooks to watch and listen to some math-free titles. (You’ll just need your library card.)

Big thanks to Tumbleweed Press for allowing Missouri Libraries to provide access to TumbleMath for free until the end of August. They are also giving us access to:

  • TeenBookCloud: Offers a robust selection of graphic novels, enhanced novels, eBooks, classic literature, National Geographic videos, educator resources and audiobooks.
  • AudioBookCloud: Online audiobook library that has audiobooks for adults, teens and children. Includes audiobooks in Spanish!
  • RomanceBookCloud: Woo! Something just for us adults to pass the time. There’s a huge selection of romance eBooks that range from historical to time travel.

Story Time From Space!

Posted on Monday, March 23, 2020 by Amy

astronautWhile we’re really sad that we can’t host story times for you right now, we’re happy to announce that you can enjoy story time from outer space! Say what?! That’s right, you read correctly.

Thanks to this super cool website, storytimefromspace.com, you can watch astronauts aboard the International Space Station read books for all to enjoy. There are currently 21 books to choose from. Some are even read in Arabic and Japanese!

Want to read along with the astronauts? Try the eBook “Ada Twist, Scientist” or “Rosie Revere, Engineer.”

Illustrators We Love: Vashti Harrison

Posted on Monday, March 16, 2020 by Megan

Hair Love book coverIf you’ve read our blog before, you know that we mostly focus on the authors of the books we love. However, today I’ve decided spotlight one of my favorite illustrators! (She’s actually a triple threat—illustrator, author and filmmaker.) So, without further ado, let me introduce Vashti Harrison!  Harrison is originally from Onley, Virginia, but her talents and dreams took her all the way to California, where she studied with the greats from Disney and Dreamworks.

Her children’s books vary from board books to chapter books, and she has collaborated on books with other authors as well as written her own. The book “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry and illustrated by Harrison was recently turned into an Oscar, winning animated short. Personally, I love her illustrations for “Cece Loves Science” by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes. In this work, Cece is a girl with a lot of questions and a natural curiosity about the world around her.

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History book coverI also adore her books about famous people. “Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History,” “Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History” (and the board book equivalent “Dream Big, Little One”) are all about prominent African Americans. “Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World” is a book of women creators from around the globe.

Each of these books pictures a lovely portrait of a renowned person and a brief bio of what made them great! All of the illustrations feature the famous person in the same pose—eyes cast down and just a hint of a grin. Harrison says that “a subtle smile is one of serenity.”

Harrison has been inspired by such classic children’s illustrators as Roger Hargreaves and Mary Blair, but her style is all her own. Harrison also portrays the people as children playing dress up so that kids can imagine themselves in the shoes of the person featured in the biography. You can even make your own little leader by downloading this coloring page.

Have fun reading ALL of Vashti Harrison’s books! You can find them at your favorite branch or on this list.