September 27, 2010

An Apple a Day

Want to know what we're doing in Preschool Storytime this week? Well, if it's Fall, then it's apple picking time! So this week, our stories and songs and fingerplays are all about APPLES.

If you've never had apple pie, you will want to taste it after you hear our stories: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman, An Apple Pie for Dinner, retold by Susan Van Hecke, and the popular The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall. Other selections this week's storytime theme, AN APPLE A DAY, might include Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple by A.H. Benjamin, Pepo and Lolo and the Red Apple by Ana Martin Larranaga, Apples Here! by Will Hubbard, and Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time by Jody Fickes. Aren't apple stories delicious?

Teachers and Librarians, if you'd like to know some of the other fingerplays and songs we used this week to plan your own Apple-themed storytime, please let me know. We would be happy to share ideas!

September 17, 2010

Squirrels and Chipmunks Invade Storytime at the Library this week!

What's happening at Preschool Storytime the week of September 20?
As we approach the begining of the season of Autumn this week, our "Squirrel Tales" storytime will include hilarious adventures of our little furry pals!
  • Mama Squirrel has knitted three very special red sweaters for her babies named Mack, Mick, and Molly in the story Hooray for Fall by Kazuo Iwamura.
  • Inspired by a really naughty squirrel she was observing, author Lois Ehlert wrote Nuts to You!
  • Claude Clement's book entitled Little Squirrel's Special Nest tells of a mama squirrel attempting to prepare her net as she discovers that the help of her friends is a wonderful gift!
  • Old Man Fookwire wanted the birds to stay for the winter, so he built birdfeeders and filled them with seeds and berries. Oh, no! The clever squirrels outsmart this fella, and the hilarity continues in Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin.
While many of the preschool storytime sessions are full, there are still openings for the 4 and 5 year olds (not yet in kindergarten) class on Thursday mornings. We are also accepting names on a waiting list for another session of PJ storytime on Monday evenings.

September 1, 2010

Sign up for Fall Story Times!

Preschoolers, are you ready to hear some great stories, sing and dance, and see your storytime friends again? Parents and caregivers, registration begins on Tuesday, September 7 at 10 am by calling the Children's Department at 330-832-5037. The Massillon Public Library's Story Times are for 2- to 5-year-olds (not yet in kindergarten) who are accompanied by an adult. Story Times include a variety of books, storytelling, rhymes, fingerplays, songs and movement activities.

Want to know what's happening the first week of September 13?
     We will all be "Comin' Down to Storytime" as we begin our fall sessions with Rob Reid's book. The delightful farm animals tell each other what to expect: funny stories, nursery rhymes, fingerplays, singing songs, making "quacking", "mooing", and other silly sounds, moving, take-home crafts, and best of all....checking out lots of books when we leave!
     Magically, the number three appears often in such books as Paul Galdone's The Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs, Three Little Kittens by Marilyn Janovitz, and The Three Wishes retold by Leslie Sims. Reading these favorites will help all of our little ones feel comfortable with these familiar tales.
   

Ramona and Beezus

I finally got a chance to take my 9 yr old daughter to see the new "Ramona and Beezus" movie, based on the series of books about Ramona by Beverly Cleary. As we left the theater, she said excitedly, "I sure hope they make a 'Ramona and Beezus 2' movie!" That's a sign of a good story when you're eager for more stories about those characters!

I had some good news for her and anyone else who enjoyed that movie---there is more! In the movie we were introduced to Ramona Quimby and her family and friends at school, including her big sister Beezus and Beezus's long-time friend, Henry Huggins. The movie shows a sweet story of siblings who one minute can't stand the other and the next minute are sticking up for each other. It also shows the beginnings of a nice romance between Beezus and Henry.

Here's some trivia from the movie's webpage on imdb.com: "Beezus and Ramona first appeared, as supporting characters, in a series of books focused on Henry Huggins. Beverly Cleary later wrote Beezus and Ramona, which actually focused on Beezus and her family. However, her younger sister Ramona became so popular that the remaining books focused on Ramona. Beezus is still an important character, and Henry Huggins still appears, but became a secondary character in the series he launched. The names are reversed in the title for this film because of the shift in focus to Ramona."

If you or your children liked the movie and want to know more about Ramona, Henry, Beezus, or the rest of the Quimbys, I encourage you to read Beverly Cleary's series of books:

Ramona Quimby Age 8, Ramona the Brave, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona the Pest, Beezus and Ramona, Ramona's Bad Day, Ramona's World, Henry Huggins, Henry and Beezus, Henry and the Paper Route, Henry and Ribsy, and Ramona Forever. You can look for these books in our catalog here: http://www.massillonlibrary.org/

There is so much more to learn and enjoy about Ramona!