Merry Christmas from the Children's Department at the Massillon Public Library!

Have you tried TumbleBooks yet on MPL's website? It's listed under the "Kid Stuff" tab on our homepage and it's a free service from the library. Our feature story right now is T'was the Night Before Christmas:

There are hundreds of other books on the TumbleBooks page that you and your child can read. Simply click on the title you want to see and choose "View Online". There are also puzzles, games, and videos on that page.

You can even use it with the Ipad now. Check out the first batch of iPad-compatible TumbleBooks by signing into TumbleBookLibrary on your iPad and going to the Story Books section. There are currently 44 iPad books to choose from!

Just below the "Story Books" heading, there is a link called "Click here for iPad-compatible titles". Click on this link, and the iPad books will be sorted for you. Next, simply click on the "iPad" button to launch the book of your choice. The book will appear in a small window at first. Click on the "full screen" button to expand it.

Hope you like it!

Happy Chanukah!

Here's a nice TumbleBook story about Chanukah, called A Light in the Darkness by Aaron Zevy, that you and your children can read online or you can email to another child free of charge through the Massillon Public Library website. Enjoy!

10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2011

The New York Times Book Review recently announced its annual list of the 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books in the November 13th issue. If we have the book in our library consortium, you can click on the book title to go directly to our book catalog.

The Book Review's 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books for 2011 are:

•Along a Long Road, written and illustrated by Frank Viva (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

•A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka (Schwartz & Wade)

•Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures, written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton (Chronicle Books)

•Grandpa Green, written and illustrated by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press)

•Ice, written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert (Enchanted Lion Books)

•I Want My Hat Back, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)

•Me … Jane, written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

•Migrant, written by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Groundwood Books)

•A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Dial)

•A New Year’s Reunion, written by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang (Candlewick Press)

The children's books editor for The New York Times Book Review is Pamela Paul. The judges this year were Jeanne Lamb, coordinator, Youth Collections at The New York Public Library; Lucy Calkins, Richard Robinson Professor of Children's Literature at Teachers College, Columbia University; and Sophie Blackall, an author and artist who has illustrated 24 books for children, including one of last year’s Best Illustrated winners, “Big Red Lollipop,” as well as, “Are You Awake?”  “The Crows of Pearblossom” and “Spinster Goose: Twisted Rhymes for Naughty Children,” all published this year.

The New York Times Best Illustrated awards will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year.

Family Christmas Program

There is still time for your family to come to the Massillon Public Library's Family Christmas program! This morning we performed for a crowd of preschoolers that were rolling with laughter during the puppet show. I hope you can make it to the library tonight or tomorrow night! Here are the details:

"The Children's Department invites you to attend the 25th annual Family Christmas program. Admission is free but registration is required. Call 330.832.5037 to register for one of the following performances: Monday, December 5 at 6:45 p.m. or Tuesday, December 6 at 6:45 p.m.

The program is a 45-minute-long variety show, including songs, skits, poems, and the family favorite: a 15-to-20 minute puppet show. All ages are invited to enjoy this year's selection, "Christmas with the Three Little Pigs (and the Big, Bad Wolf)," as well as many of your favorite Christmas songs and rhymes led by the familiar faces of our librarians! Join us for a heart-warming evening full of holiday spirit and laughter.

For more additional information, contact the Children’s Department at 330.832.5037."

PRESS HERE: an interactive book for the iPad generation

If your children like playing games on your iPad or iPhone, they'll probably enjoy this new interactive book. On the first page of Press Here, by Herve Tullet, the reader sees a simple yellow dot on a clean white background. The book invites you to "Press here and turn the page." How can you not be tempted to press the yellow dot and see what happens next?

With each page, the reader has to follow more directions, tapping and shaking the book. The setup is very similar to a game my children like to play on the iTouch called, "Do Not Press the Big Red Button." It's very addicting! Only this time, book readers are encouraged to keep press buttons and swiping dots just like on a screen. Rubbing a yellow dot just might make it change colors and blowing on the page will send the dots flying. It really encourages children to use the power of imagination to make the dots move around the page.

It's targeted at ages 4-8 years, but I think it would entertain any age of reader. I promise you'll have fun!

Check out this video to watch the Press Here book in action with two children. If you'd like to order it, you can find it in the Massillon Public Library's catalog here: Press Here by Herve Tullet.  

Even though there are only a few days left in September, I thought this was still relevant for our young patrons and families. September is World Alzheimer's Month, a time to raise awareness and research funds (through countrywide walk-a-thons) for this awful disease. According to The Alzheimer's Association, 5.4 million people is the U.S. are living with this disease that has no cure or prevention. What does that mean for our library children? Just imagine how many preschool/school-age children have parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors dealing with Alzheimer's. My father recently passed away after struggling for several years with Alzheimer's. My children and nieces and nephews are all preschool/school-age and were very confused by the change and loss of their beloved Papa.

Massillon Public Library has several books in our catalog to help explain Alzheimer's disease to young children. Here are a few recommended books:



Still My Grandma by Veronique Abeele. "A young girl describes her special relationship with her grandmother, both before and after Grandma contracts Alzheimer's Disease."

Singing with Momma Lou by Linda Jacobs Altman. "Nine-year-old Tamika uses photographs, school yearbooks, movie ticket stubs, and other mementos to try to restore the memory of her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's disease."

What's Happening to Grandpa? by Maria Shriver. "Kate has always adored her grandpa's storytelling - but lately he's been repeating the same stories again and again.One day he even forgets Kate's name. Her mother's patient explanations open Kate's eyes to what so many of the elderly must confront: Alzheimer's disease and other forms of memory loss. With special insight derived from her own father's struggle with Alzheimer's, Maria Shriver offers a touching and optimistic story that encourages awareness, acceptance, and dialogue among family and friends."

Grandpa's Music: a Story about Alzheimer's by Alison Acheson. "Although Alzheimer's disease makes it difficult for Callie's grandfather to remember things, his family keeps him occupied, and Callie's special task is to help him enjoy playing the piano and singing favorite songs."

Our Children's Department staff can help you find more books on this subject if you're interested.

Goodnight, Me

While I was working on a bedtime-themed storytime for our preschoolers, I came across this book that I just had to share. The book is called Goodnight, Me by Andrew Daddo. Plenty of active children have a little trouble just settling themselves down to get to sleep. Daddo's book says good night to each body part one-by-one before saying to a now-sleepy orangutan "Goodnight Me."

 I wish I had known about it when my son was younger. Actually, I think I'll take it home and try it on him tonight even though he's 12 now! He has always had trouble sleeping at night. When he was younger,  a doctor suggested that we create a relaxing atmosphere for him and say goodnight to each part of his body slowly. That worked really well for us for awhile. This book is a delightful companion to this idea of calming down your child's body, bit by bit. Combine that with the comfort of reading together and it makes for a nice bedtime book!

Curled Up With a Good Kid's Book offers a longer review on their blog (as well as a number of other book reviews): http://curledupkids.com/gdniteme.htm.

Read for the Record

I took the pledge to join people across the country all reading the same book on October 6 and setting a world record. I pledge to read "Llama Llama Red Pajama" to all the school children at our branch library, Pam Belloni Branch in Fairless Elementary, on that Tuesday (Oct. 4th, shhh, but I don't work there on the 6th!). Then I will use the same book for our "Bedtime" themed storytime in the Children's Department on October 17.

But YOU can read it in your home or your school to YOUR kids on October 6 and help set the world record. Their goal is to reach over 2 million children with this campaign!

Of course, we'd love it if you visited the Massillon Public Library to check out any of our "Llama Llama" series picture books, or any other books for that matter, but if I found it super easy to even read this online. Just follow this link to read "Llama Llama Red Pajama" online for free: wegivebooks.org/books/llama-llama-red-pajama-r4tr-english.

Want any more incentive? Jumpstart plans to donate 50,000 copies of this book to children in over 200 school districts that may not have many books of their own. Also, if you read it online, at the end of the story there is a "Give a Book" button to click to also donate more books to low-income children who don't have any of their own. You can even choose to which organization you would like them to send that book: "Now You're Thinking! for military families, "Tinga Tinga Tales" for children in Africa, "Read for Chicago Public Schools", and Jumpstart, who provides books to fill preschool classrooms in needed areas. A good story and a good thing to do for a child!

Here are all the details:

"What are you doing on October 6? How does breaking a world reading record while raising awareness about America’s achievement gap sound?

Join us as we participate in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® presented in partnership with Pearson Foundation. Its a national campaign that mobilizes adults and children to close the early education achievement gap by setting a reading world record.

This annual campaign allows Americans to demand that all children receive the quality early education they deserve. On October 6, 2011, more than 2 million voices will call for an end to America’s early education achievement gap by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney – setting a world record in the process!

Get involved at www.readfortherecord.org to help Jumpstart close the early education achievement gap:

1. Pledge to Read: Submit your official pledge and help us reach more than 2.1 MILLION children.

2. Spread the Word: Use our simple tools to educate your friends and family about America’s early education achievement gap and invite them to read.

For more information visit http://www.readfortherecord.org/."

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. We provide informational handouts to encourage parents and caregivers to continue Story Time activities at home. This helps to reinforce early literacy skills. Each week, a take-home craft further reinforces the ideas learned or discussed in Story Time and also provides fun and creativity. In order for us to prepare materials, we require that you pre-register for Story Times. We hold sessions that are approximately six weeks long, beginning in early January, late February, early September and late October.

Family Story Time (all ages) with Mrs. Brant is on Mondays from 7-7:30 pm.
Tots and Toddlers Story Time (2's and 3's) with Miss Green is on Wednesdays
from 10:15-10:45 AND 11:15-11:45 am.

Tyke Tales Story Time (0-23 months) with Mrs. Haney is on Thursdays from 10:15-10:35 am.
Preschool Story Time (4 & 5, not yet in K) with Mrs. Haney is on Thursdays from 11:15-11:45 am.  

Watch for other special events throughout the year!

Fall Storytimes

As we’re all gearing up for school and fall, the children’s librarians here at Massillon Public Library are beginning Fall Storytimes. Exciting changes are happening at the library as the construction project starts. While the Audio/Visual Department and Reference rooms are being remodeled, the Audio/Visual Department will be taking over the auditorium. Fall Storytimes will be moving out to the Children's Department by the fireplace. Despite the move, storytime preparation is well under way and we can’t wait to begin this week! Registration for our first session is currently open; call 330-832-5037 or sign your child up at the Children's desk. We encourage caregivers to bring their children and participate in storytimes with them. Reading aloud can be a great bonding experience for you and your child. We promote having one child to one adult, to strengthen the connection between child and adult.

We librarians are busy gathering books, songs, and rhymes to entertain and educate young ones. We incorporate and promote early literacy skills into our storytimes. These skills include teaching children to love books, to use books, to see letters, to tell a story, to make sounds, and to learn new words. Learning comes in all shapes and formats, from reading and sharing classics like Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, to singing "Wheels on the Bus," to dancing around to fun music, to having children match pictures on a big flannelboard. We can’t wait to see you all at our Fall Storytimes!

Kids cheer for private bookmobile party

At the end of our Summer Reading Club, we took all the winning prize slips from our drawings this summer and put them in a big box. Our Children Services manager and our Outreach manager (and keeper of the Bookmobile!) created a brand new grand prize for the SRC kids this summer: a Bookmobile Grand Prize party. The winners were chosen to host a party at their house or in a park---any place large enough to allow our bookmobile to stop---and we provided the books on the bookmobile, and a Children's librarian with stories, crafts, and a snack.

 

We had our first Bookmobile Grand Prize party a couple weeks ago, and it was a big success! There were 13 kids and 6 adults present and we gave out 5 new library cards. It was a terrific opportunity for some of the kids who had never been able to go onto a bookmobile, and for others we were able to give them their first library card. Now when they see the big blue Bookmobile in their area, hopefully they will want to come aboard and check out books and movies.

 

Prior to the bookmobile party, we worked with the parents on a guest list of the child's friends. Then we sent out invitations for the winner. On the day of the party, our Children's librarian arrived at the party ahead of the bookmobile. When all the kids were there, the bookmobile and its staff pulled right up to the winner's house. The kids got on the bus and sat on the benches inside for a story. Here's the order she chose for this party:

 

SONG: "Happy Unbirthday to You" (sung to the winner; tune "Happy Birthday")

BOOK: Wild About Books by Judy Sierra

Then the kids had time to choose their own books to check out. We asked them to bring their library cards on the invitations.

STORY: The Fox & the Crab: a folktale from China (which was in keeping with our Summer Reading Club theme: "One World, Many Stories"). This story was told with flannelboard pieces on our traveling hook and loop board.

Then the kids left the bookmobile and went over to a table provided by the winner's parents in a garage or shady area to do their crafts.

CRAFTS: Standup bookmobile (a cardboard cutout picture of our Bookmobile that can be assembled into a small bookmobile) and an origami fox (to match "The Fox and the Crab" story).

SNACK: Bookmobile-shaped cutout cookies that one of our Children's staff made, blue punch (our bookmobile is blue!)

EXTRA BOOK IF NEEDED: Bibiloburro by Jeanette Winter

I love this book. The illustrations are very vivid colors and detailed. It's the true story of a Colombian schoolteacher with a passion for reading who had so many books in his house that he decided to take them up high in the mountains to the children there who had no library. So every weekend, he loaded up his books on the back of two burros and made the mountainous trek to deliver them to families far away. He would hold storytimes under the trees for anyone who showed up at his stops. It is nice picture book for the elementary-age crowd.

The parties were a lot of fun and hopefully the beginning of many more grand prizes here!

The Independent, Massillon's local paper, gave us a write-up recently so you can read about that here:

Kids cheer for private bookmobile party.

But perhaps the biggest fan of the bookmobile parties was this large farm cat who wandered onto the bookmobile looking for some stories and some petting:

Happy 90th Birthday Winnie-the-Pooh!

This month Winnie-the-Pooh is turning 90 years old! The New York Public Library, which has been housing the original Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends on display in their library since 1987, is hosting a card shower for him. Winnie is hoping to get lots of birthday cards and pictures sent to him at the NYPL. You can either drop them off at their library, or if you're like me and can't get away to NYC (!), you can mail them to this address: Winnie-the-Pooh, c/o Children's Center at 42nd Street, The New York Public Library, 476 Fifith Avenue, Room 84, New York, NY 10018.

Or you can email Winnie a birthday wish via the NYPL website here: http://www.nypl.org/blog/2011/06/29/winnie-the-pooh-birthday

Winnie-the-Pooh, originally called Edward Bear, was a present to Christopher Milne from his parents on his first birthday on August 21, 1921. Then A. A. Milne wrote a series of stories about Christopher Robin and his bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, and the rest is history. Let's all draw a birthday picture or send him a birthday card for his big 9-0!

Got crayons and just need a picture to color for Pooh? Check out this one: http://www.coloring-crafts.com/coloring-pages/winnie-the-pooh/pooh-birthday-coloring-page.html!

The Wimpy Kid contest!

Are you a Wimpy Kid or do you know one? This looks like a fun contest for kids to enter! To promote the new "The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Youself Book", which just came out May 1st, Amulet Books and the School Library Journal are sponsoring a "Do-It-Yourself Comics Contest" where kids can win $500, a signed copy of the book by Jeff Kinney, and $1000 for the library of their choice. (May I suggest Massillon Public Library?)

The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book is like a journal that lets kids draw and write inside. It has questions for them to answer and places to create their own comic strips like Jeff Kinney. My 12 yr old son filled his book up within the first day of buying it, and he is a reluctant reader at times!

The contest is open to children ages 6-16. They just need to create an original comic on an 8 1/2 by 11" paper (see the Wimpy Kid books at our library for inspiration!). Then mail it to The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Comics Contest, c/o Amulet Books, 115 W. 18th Street, New York, NY 10011 by June 10, 2011. Winners will be announced on June 25, 2011. Here's what you need to do: Official contest website rules.

Good luck and have fun creating!

Massillon Ready to Read

Research has shown that children need to know six literacy skills before they can learn to read. Children who enter kindergarten with these skills learn to read more easily and are more successful throughout school. The Massillon Public Library is now offering free workshops to teach parents and caregivers how to incorporate these skills into early reading experiences.

Our next workshop will be offered on Saturday, May 21, from 9 am to 12 pm at First Baptist Church, 20 Sixth St. SE, right off of Lincoln Way. The info for that workshop can be found here: http://www.massillonlibrary.org/ReadytoRead.

At our last Massillon Ready to Read workshop on April 26, we were excited to host a small-but-mighty group of interested adults, including two moms, a grandma and grandpa and a preschool teacher. I never cease to be amazed that people from all walks of life are thrilled to learn some new facts as well as tips and techniques to use with the little ones in their lives. You might think that a degreed teacher would already know many of the things we discussed at the workshop, but it was so inspiring to see her enthusiasm for learning and also for educating preschool children. Through Massillon Ready to Read, the library is trying to reach everyone in our community, whether you have small children at this time or not. Even teenagers, as potential babysitters, older siblings, and future parents themselves, can learn how to help preschoolers learn the six skills that lead to reading! Grandparents, daycare providers, Sunday School teachers, Godparents, friends and parents ALL have important roles in the lives of the children of our community and can impact young lives in a very positive way that leads to education, literacy, and future job skills.

To sign up to attend one of the Massillon Ready to Read workshops, call the Children's Department at 330-832-5037.

You may have tangible wealth untold,

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be --

I had a mother who read to me.

--Strickland Gillilan, from the poem "The Reading Mother"

This lovely quotation is something my grandmother used to recite to me and, in fact, inscribed on the flyleaf of a big picture book of children's poetry she gave me when I was a preschooler. Only later did I realize that, although my grandmother believed in the idea behind it, her mother probably never actually read to her! Being from Poland, speaking very little English, and as a widowed mother of seven during the Great Depression, her mother did not have the time nor the ability to read to her children. My grandmother, however, became a great example of someone whose life was transformed by the ability to read. Although she never went to school past the eighth grade, my grandmother was a voracious reader throughout her childhood and after. She likes to tell the story of how her brothers would throw rocks at the door of the outhouse (the only place she could get any privacy and some quiet!) to get her out of there when she was taking too long, reading a book. "Get your nose out of that book!" was a phrase that, unfortunately, she heard all too often. Eventually, she had educated herself so thoroughly by reading that people would often assume she was a retired teacher, although she actually worked as a waitress and then on the Hoover factory assembly line until she was 70 years old.

So although it is sometimes easy to feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or unqualified to teach your own little ones reading or the skills that help lead to reading later, remember that YOU ARE your child's first teacher. You are the person he or she looks up to, and you are a role model. So if you read to your child, check out books from the library, and allow your child to see you reading, he or she will come to learn that reading is a valuable skill that is useful and important in all areas of life.

Tell me a story...

There are six early literacy skills that research has shown children need to know before they can learn to read. One of those is "Narrative Skills," or the ability to retell a story. Often with a young child, reading a favorite story over and over again and asking your child to repeat the story back to you is a good way to reinforce this skill. But it can be fun for older, school-age kids to practice this reading skill too.

Here's an idea for parents of school-age kids:
A fun activity that supports "Narrative Skills" or the ability to tell a story is for you and your child to write your own book or a few chapters of a book. When I was about 7, like many girls, I loved Nancy Drew mysteries. When I went to my grandmother's after school once a week, she would allow me to go into the bathroom off the kitchen and write a page or so of my own version of a Nancy Drew mystery. Ever interested in being mysterious, I would then slide the page under the door to her, and she would pause in her chores, write a continuation and slide it back under the door to me. Later on, we would read our story together. This is something that is so simple, yet so memorable to me, and that helped me with my reading and writing skills. It impresses me that my grandmother took the time to do this, after having worked day shift at the Hoover plant, and while trying to get supper on the table. It's something that doesn't take any money, not much time, and yet can help a child learn to value reading and writing and later help him or her in school.

If you'd like more ideas, leave a comment below and one of our librarians will help you come up with more games like this to help your child with their reading skills.
 
If you'd like to attend our next Massillon Ready to Read workshop on Saturday, May 21, call the Children's Department at (330) 832-5037 to sign up. All the details about that workshop are on our website: http://www.massillonlibrary.org/ReadytoRead.

World Read Aloud Day: March 9, 2011

This morning on the School Library Journal's facebook feed, I read that today, Wednesday, March 9, is World Read Aloud Day. What a great day to read to your children or come to a storytime at the library!

There's a good article at LitWorld's webpage explaining all the details and reasons behind a World Read Aloud Day: http://www.litworld.org/worldreadaloudday/ . Last year, in their first year doing this, they reached 40,000 participants in 35 countries! There is a form online where you can register your family as participants and get counted.

The benefits of reading out loud to young babies and children are numerous. Many pre-reading skills and a love of reading can be learned by simply reading to them.

If you don't have any children at home, try reading aloud to someone at a nursing home who cannot read for themselves anymore. Or if your children or grandchildren are far away, why not tape record yourself reading out loud a few bedtime stories and send it to them? If you would like to read aloud to them directly, try calling and reading a story or using Skype to show them the pictures at the same time. Grab a book and start reading out loud!