The weather is warmer and school is winding down, which can only mean one thing–Summer Reading is here! Start your summer off right with some out of this world entertainment! We are excited to bring children’s musician Justin Roberts to the Missouri Theater and storyteller Linda Gorham to all of our library buildings. Bonus: Attending one or both of these performances can count toward your completion of the Summer Reading program.
Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players
Saturday, June 1, 2019 › 11 a.m.-Noon
Missouri Theatre, 203 S. 9th St.
Rock out to the music of this award-winning band as we kick off Summer Reading. This former Montessori preschool teacher began writing and singing songs for his students. Soon, his career extended beyond the classroom, and he began recording his music professionally. Now a two-time Grammy nominee, he and his band sing about childhood experiences like “Recess” and “Jungle Gym.”
For ADA accommodations, call the Missouri Theatre at (573) 882-3781. For other concert questions, email kids@dbrl.org. This special Justin Roberts performance is partially funded by the Melissa Carr Literacy Through the Arts Fund established by the DBRL Foundation.
This show is for fans of all ages and abilities. Free tickets are available at www.dbrl.org/justinroberts.
Continue reading “Out of This World Performances”
It’s never too early to introduce your child to the wonder of reading. Nursery rhymes and songs are an engaging way to help your little one develop their early literary skills like phonological awareness, the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words. This skill will enable children to sound out the words in books when they begin reading on their own. Additionally, by reading with your child frequently, you are helping expand their vocabulary, letter knowledge and storytelling skills.
Board books are best for young readers because they teach children how to to handle books while withstanding the wear and tear of small hands (and teeth!). Try allowing your child to hold the book while you read the words aloud. Below are some suggested titles that compliment our Summer Reading theme, “A Universe of Stories.” We hope these titles provide plenty of inspiration for exploration and adventure.
Continue reading “Lift Off With Early Literacy Skills”
One of the hardest things to do after reading a great book is finding what to read next. I want a book that I know will be worth my time. When working with youth, finding the right book can help foster their love for reading. That’s where book lists come in!
DBRL Kids & Parents has many book lists, including our own Summer Reading book lists. But if you have already exhausted those, check out The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) books lists below. ALSC is a branch of the American Library Association that is dedicated solely to children, and their book lists are always superb.
I’ve adapted the book lists to display each book’s location at DBRL. Happy reading!
While summer is a time for swimming and playing outdoors, sometimes you just want to sit inside in the air conditioning! If you’re looking for a relaxing activity you can do inside with your kiddos, try weaving on an old CD. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a fun and relaxing way to spend some time. All you need is some yarn, a plastic darning needle and old or scratched CDs. Here’s the instructions — go forth and create! Continue reading “Weaving With CDs”
Need some travel tunes while you’re vacationing this summer? Or perhaps you want some kid-friendly commercial-free music to play for a celebration? Then check out Freegal, a free music service provided by DBRL. To get you started, Freegal has created two awesome playlists to go with our 2018 Summer Reading theme, “Libraries Rock.” Check out the playlist for kids or 
the playlist for pre-teens.
Freegal also has music for teens and adults, offering more than 9 million songs and music from over 28,000 labels. Download up to 5 songs a week and stream up to 5 hours of music a day with your library card.
Happy listening!
Most people have been influenced by music, whether it be classical, folk, pop, hip-hop or rock. Kids love to clap along and sing to their favorite tunes. So why not encourage them to participate in the music and learn how to play an instrument?
Learning how to play an instrument offers many benefits, and it can be super fun! Playing a musical instrument can–
- Help with expression.
- Enhance self-esteem and responsibility.
- Increase math and reading comprehension skills.
- Require the interpretation of symbols in order to play the correct notes at the right time. The developing brain craves this type of workout!
Your child could learn how to play the piano, trombone, cello, the didgeridoo or even a homemade instrument. If you are looking for a DIY instrument, “Music Makers & Toys” has instructions for creating tambourines, box guitars and a kazoo.
“My First Classical Music Book” by Genevieve Helsby teaches kids where music is heard, who writes it and what the instruments sound like. The book even comes with a CD that has classical songs from the Harry Potter films to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6.
For the younger kids, “Music Is…” by Brandon Stosuy is a beautifully illustrated board book that introduces the most simple concepts of music.
For more information on the amazing benefits of music you can visit the Peterson Family Foundation website. And be sure to look for all of the upcoming music-related DBRL events for our “Libraries Rock!” Summer Reading Program!
What’s the best part about summer? More time to read! For school-age children in particular, these lazy, hazy days are ideal for diving into books that they may not get a chance to read during the school year. Summer is also a great time to explore award-winning books. Be sure to check out DBRL’s many children’s book lists for inspiration. Equally important, summer reading helps keep reading skills sharp!
Of course, for parents and guardians, the beautiful weather and plethora of outdoor activities can make reading a hard sell this time of year. But don’t dismay! We’re here to help.
First and foremost, beginning May 30, visit one of our DBRL branches or stop by a bookmobile, and sign up for our free “Libraries Rock!” Summer Reading program! Kids and teens who complete their reading challenge receive a free book and will also be entered into our drawing for some awesome prizes.
Live in a rural area? Children and teens in grades K-12 who attend school in Auxvase, Hallsville, Harrisburg, Hatton, Holts Summit, Kingdom City, Mokane New Bloomfield, Sturgeon or Williamsburg can participate in Summer Reading through our “Books by Snail” program.
Continue reading “Summer Reading Rocks!”
One of my favorite aspects of DBRL’s Summer Reading program is that kids are asked to do special activities as well as reading. These activities are tied to the Summer Reading theme. With this year’s theme, “Build a Better World,” one of the suggested activities is to read a book about a different culture. Not only does this open kids up to books they might not otherwise read, but it also opens up an opportunity for discussion.
If you don’t know where to start, check out my book list for picture books and for chapter books about different cultures.
If you haven’t signed up for Summer Reading, don’t worry! Sign-up continues until July 22. Just stop by one of our branches or bookmobiles.
This summer we challenge readers of all ages to “Build a Better World.” Our Summer Reading theme motivates us to build, tinker and engineer, and it encourages us to help our community and our environment. To celebrate this theme, I’ve compiled a list of books to inspire you and your family to construct better reading skills and demolish the summer brain drain!
Registration for Summer Reading begins on June 1.
For Ages 0-5
Construction is hard work! After a long day of building and play, it’s time for the vehicles in Sherri Duskey Rinker’s “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site” to tuck in for the night. Have fun rhyming while helping Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Bulldozer and the other construction companions finish their work and settle into sleep.
Have you ever messed up when creating a work of art? Don’t despair! 
“Beautiful Oops!” by Barney Saltzberg will teach your how to turn your “oops!” into a “whoopee!” Did you rip your paper? Turn the tear into alligator chompers! Did you spill your paint? Make the blot a silly animal! Every mistake, if looked at positively, can create a beautiful new work of art. Continue reading “Literary Links: Build a Better World”
