September 28, 2012

What I did this summer...

Here's a great story from our Children's Services manager about Massillon Public Library out in the community this summer:

Over the 13 weeks of vacation from school, your Library presented 28 sessions to 376 kids at the Massillon Boys & Girls Club! In order to provide a bit more structure for kids in grades 5-8, the Club had asked us to present programs for its members, so we took our show on the road to present hour-long programs on topics including origami, Crazy Concoctions (making flubber and sidewalk chalk),Titanic, art, make-your-own soap, countries, bugs, African-American Local Heroes & Heroines, poetry, duct tape crafts, Super Snacks, “It’s Disgusting & We Ate It!” and more. Thanks to presenters: the Cultural Diversity Committee (especially Pat Beane), staffers Diane Brant, Laura Klein and Angel Vaughn, and volunteers Kathy Jevec, Perry Ballinger and Marcie Waltz.

The Club has an average attendance of about 157 students a day (grades K-12) during summer, and they were not able to provide much structured programming for the children in grades 5-8. The children who attend the Club on a daily basis are not usually able to visit the library on their own or with family, so they are a great new audience for our presentations and to introduce to the library.

Many of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch and are in need of stimulating projects that will encourage them to read. The Club charges only $10 a year for kids to attend every day after school and all day during summer and includes a daily meal. The Boys & Girls Club is a worthy organization and its members greatly benefit from the library’s involvement. We were happy to partner with them in this service.

September 22, 2012

What's happening in Preschool Storytime the week of September 24?

Anyone who has lived or worked with preschoolers knows that they love to ask questions! This week at storytime we'll feature books and rhymes that ask questions too! There are a lot of stories with questions in the titles, but here are a few that we will share in storytime:

Guess What? by Guido Van Genechten is a cute and very short lift-the-flap book that lets the children look at a picture of yarn or a branch and try to guess what animal it looks like (under the flap). We'll see if we can use our imaginations to figure it out!

In Who Will Tuck Me in Tonight? by Carol Roth, poor Woolly the lamb is ready for bed, but his mother is nowhere to be found. As he worries who will tuck him in, each animal mama in the barnyard steps up to help give him what he needs: swaddling too tight, bedtime licks, messy, stinky piggy snacks? None of it is as good as mama's bedtime routine. Will she make it home in time?

In the chant story, Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass & Philemon Sturges, our storytime audience will get a chance to act out the story, wearing different animal hats. I won't give away the answer to "who took the cookies from the cookie jar?" except to say that it's someone you shouldn't invite to a picnic!

Looking for a fun rhyme to get kids moving? (See, there's another question for you!)

Knock, knock, who’s there?
(pretend to knock, shrug)

Two little feet that go tap, tap.
(hold up fingers and tap feet)

Knock knock, who’s there?

Two little knees that go slap, slap.

Knock, knock, who’s there?

Two little hips that go wiggle, wiggle.

Knock, knock, who’s there?

One little tummy that goes jiggle, jiggle.

Knock, knock, who’s there?

Two little arms that go flap, flap.

Knock, knock, who’s there?

Two little hands that go clap, clap.

Knock, knock, who’s there?

Two Little eyes that go blink, blink.

Knock, knock, who’s there?

One little head that goes think, think.

Knock, knock, who’s there?

Open the door and see (open door).

Knock, knock, who’s there?

It’s every part of me.
(wiggle whole body).

Will we see you in storytime this week??

What Happened in Preschool Storytimes the week of September 17?

What happened in storytime for the week of September 17?

Outside, the temperature is getting cooler. It's "good football weather" as I like to say, meaning here in Ohio we're getting out cozy sweatshirts, making bonfires, enjoying hayrides and picking out pumpkins, and watching football--especially here in Massillon!

This week in Storytime at MPL, we celebrated the beginning of autumn with the theme: "Fall Stories." Autumn continues to offer a special opportunity to read some very simple stories that emphasize the colors, sounds, and smells of the season. We read stories about fall leaves, apple picking, and scarecrows.

This week we read Leaves by David Ezra Stein, Sneeze Big Bear, Sneeze! by Maureen Wright, An Apple Pie for Dinner by Susan VanHecke, and The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown.

How about a fingerplay about apples?
Way up high in the apple tree (point up),
Two red apples smiled at me (smile).
So I shook that tree as hard as I could (shake).
Down came the apples,
And hmmm....were they good! (rub tummy)



Looking forward to seeing you all next week at storytime! Enjoy the fall season!

September 19, 2012

Read, Read, Read!

As I was looking for handouts for our storytime parents this week, I came across a letter to parents with some great suggestions on how you can help your child at home with prereading skills. The best way, of course, to help your child learn to read is to read, read, read with them!

Here are a few other suggestions:

  1. Let your child see you read by reading in front of them often. Not just books, but let them know you're reading street signs or signs in the grocery store. Read a recipe out loud as you're cooking together. Show them the importance of reading and how much fun it is for you too.
  2. Set aside a special time each day to read with your child(ren). Bedtime is nice, but what about when they first get up and are still sleepy? (That's when I like to read!) I used to read board books with my children when they were eating a snack in their high chair because I knew I had their attention for a little bit--as long as the Cheerios hold out!
  3. When you read to them, point your finger under words as you read them. It helps kids make the connection that the lines on the paper are the words you're saying.
  4. Ask questions about the story or what's on the page as you're reading a book. "What do you think will happen next?" "Who is this?" It can be done in a fun way!
  5. Set out a basket of books at home or give kids their own book shelf to fill with books to read. Or maybe a backpack with books that you can keep in the car to look at while you're driving.
  6. Here's my favorite: "Take your child to the library." Sign them up for a library card and let them pick out some favorites to take home and read with you!

September 10, 2012

What's Happening at Preschool Storytime this week?

Today begins our new Fall session of Children's Storytimes! We're looking forward to seeing all the children and their families singing and dancing in our auditorium!

Tonight we have Family Storytime from 7-7:30 pm with Mrs. Brant. This is open to all ages so that our families can enjoy some time together listening to stories and learning new songs. Then on Wednesday morning our 2 and 3 yr olds and their caregivers will join Ms. Adams for Tot and Toddlers from 10:15-10:45 am and 11:15-11:45 am.
On Thursday mornings, we have a storytime just right for the littlest babies (0-23 months) with Mrs. Haney in Tyke Tales from 10:15-10:45 am. And at 11:15-11:45 am Mrs. Haney will read stories to the 4 and 5 yr olds (not yet in Kindergarten).

There is still time to sign your child or family up for our Fall Storytime sessions by calling the Children's Department at 330-832-5037 or stopping in the library.

So what's happening in our Preschool Storytimes the week of September 10?

Even though it's gotten a little chillier, we're not quite ready to give up warm summer days at the beach. Our "At the Sea" storytime this week will include tales and songs about ocean animals, pirates, and having fun at the beach.

In Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway, Fidgety Fish's mom gets tired of his restless energy and sends him out in the ocean to swim until he's tired. He meets lots of other ocean animals until he runs into Big Fish and a lot of trouble!

"I Spy with my little eye"---lots of sea creatures in this interactive counting book. We'll read I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs and try to guess which animal is peeking through on the next page.

And in a twist on the classic "Three Little Pigs" story, we'll hear Ken Geist's The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark. In this story the three fish made their houses out of seaweed, sand, and a wooden ship. Guess which house held up against the Big Bad Shark?

Hope to see you at story time!