Getting Ready for Day of the Dead

Preparing for programs in Children's Services can be sweet work. Seriously!

In preparation for our upcoming Day of the Dead Program, Children's Services staff created hundreds of sugar skulls. These will be available for families to decorate in memory of loved ones who have died. We hope you will join us for our Day of the Dead Open House on Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6 from 2:00 to 4:00.

Come learn about this joyful Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of the departed.In addition to decorating your own sugar skull to take home, you can add your memories to the community memory board, make marigolds & masks, taste bread of the dead and more!  We hope to see you!

Helping Your 1 to 2-Year-Old Get Ready to Read

Parents and caregivers -- you've heard you should read to your toddler, do you feel you have no idea where to start?  Are you wondering how you can get your active little person to sit down and read a book?  Come to the downtown library Monday night, and learn how simple and fun it is to get your child ready to read.   You'll learn more about the Five Practices:

• Talking
• Singing
• Reading
• Writing
• Playing

...and how they can teach your child about letters and language and sounds and books -- and get them ready to read!  All attendees will receive a free gift and certificate of completion, and door prizes will be given away.  At the end of the program, we'll do a brief tour of the Children's Department and the Early Learning Center. 

Ready to Read -- Toddlers!

Monday, October 10, 2011

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

(Next month, November 14, from 7-8:00 p.m., there will be a session for parents & caregivers of preschoolers, ages 3 to 5.  Feel free to come to both sessions!)

Read for the Record!

On Thursday, October 6, 2011, we'll be joining with millions of others around the country who will be reading Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.  Help us set a reading world record AND call for an end to America's early education achievement gap.

We'll all have fun -- and we'll be standing up for kids!  Join us for our special storytimes at any of the following locations this Thursday, October 6, as we participate in Jumpstart: Read for the Record.

• Children's Services, Main Library, 10:00 a.m.
• Aboite Branch, 10:30 a.m.
• Dupont Branch, 10:30 a.m.
• New Haven Branch, 10:30 a.m.
• Shawnee Branch, 11:00 a.m.
• Woodburn Branch, 1:00 p.m.
• Little Turtle Branch, 1:30 p.m.
• Grabill Branch, 7:00 p.m.
• Hessen Cassel Branch, 6:30 p.m.
• Waynedale Branch, 7:00 p.m.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read!

This week, September 24 through October 1, 2011, is Banned Books Week. Celebrate your freedom to read by reading a banned book.  Click here to see a list of books challenged or banned in 2010-2011.

Tumblebooks!

What's a Tumblebook, you ask?  Tumblebooks are animated, electronic books that can be accessed directly from the Children's Services website.  Simply look for the Tumblebooks icon, shown above, and click on it!

You can find early readers, such as Biscuit by Alyssa Capucilli...picture books, such as Doreen Cronin's Diary of a Fly...and classic titles like Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz.  Many books in the Tumblebooks Library include Lexile level and Accelerated Reader information, as well as reviews. 

Readers may choose to listen to the story being read to them, or read along.  Many titles include games and puzzles.  There is even a section of titles available in languages other than English.  

Happy Reading!

Have You Read To Your Child Today?

Reading aloud to your children -- at any age, from birth on up -- is one of the most important thing parents can do to help your children's reading development.  From sharing short, simple board books with your infant or toddler ... to sharing picture books with your preschooler...to reading snippets of chapter books with your school-age child ... reading aloud has been shown over and over again to be beneficial, in many, many ways.  Just a few minutes a day is all it takes, but you may find you're enjoying it so much, you'll be spending more time reading together!

Checkout Reading Rocket's Top Ten Resources on Reading Aloud for some great tips.

One of my all-time favorite resources on reading aloud with children is the The Read-aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.

Of course, you can always visit us at the library, where your friendly children's librarians will be happy to share their favorite read-alouds with you!  Happy Reading!

Alphabet Fun!

Children's Services is going Alpha-crazy this month with some special programs featuring letters of the alphabet!

Visit our Art Room and create some beautiful Alpha - Art!  We have all the materials you need to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

Participate in our ABCs of Downtown Quiz -- check out the letters on display throughout the Children's Department, and figure out what downtown building they came from -- don't worry, we have a list of buildings to choose from!  When you turn in your answer sheet, you will be entered in a drawing for a prize!!

Wednesday, September 14 is Letter A Playday! Preschoolers and their grown-ups can visit the Early Learning Center for special Letter A activities and attend storytime at 10:30 a.m. (We'll have a special storytime at 9:30 a.m. for daycare and preschool groups).

After all this alpha-fun, you may want to check out some alphabet books to take home with you.  We hope to see YOU soon at the library!