Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Callaway County Youth Poetry Contest! In April of this year, the Callaway County Public Library and the Auxvasse Creative Arts Program invited students between the ages of 5 and 18 who reside or attend school in Callaway County to enter a poetry contest. This year’s theme was “We all need connection.” The pandemic made social distancing necessary in our world this past year, but we all need connection. Students were encouraged to write a poem about being connected with their community — about their class, family, a team, neighborhood or town. Many students chose to write about their connection to nature. Winning poems were selected by judge and author Daren Dean.Continue reading “2021 Callaway County Youth Poetry Contest Winners”
Do you have an extra room in your heart (and house) for some teeny tiny creatures?
How could you not love a face as cute as this!
If the answer is yes, then it’s time to celebrate, because kitten season is here! Kitten season is when all of the “feral,” or wild, cats have lots and lots of kittens. Kittens born in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving to their first year, and then only half of those will make it to two years old. This is one of many reasons why I foster kittens for a local animal organization! Continue reading “Saving the World, One Kitten at a Time”
In the book “I’m Not Using the Potty” by author Laura Gelh, Peep is excited. “Today is the day!” Peep said. “Time to start using the potty!” But to Egg, the potty is too slippery to sit on, the toilet paper is too tangly and the flushing noise is too loud!
Encouraging a child to try something new is often challenging. But when it comes to potty training, there are also so many questions. Is my child ready? Am I ready? What’s the best method or approach? How long will this take? Additionally, there’s a plethora of advice from well-meaning family and friends, each with their own stories, proven techniques and absolute dos and don’ts.
One of my sons has a snake for a pet. (I’m not a fan of snakes!) Fortunately my son is all grown up, so he and his snake don’t live with me. My other son has raised ferrets and kittens. But personally, I’m a dog fan. My children grew up playing with and taking care of dogs, learning responsibility along the way. There are lots of animals that make good pets—you can explore some pet choices by checking out the resources and activities below. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Pets”
For this month’s favorites, we’ve got elephants and dogs and bears—oh my! I couldn’t resist all the animal books for our “Tails and Tales” Summer Reading theme this year, but I did throw in a few others as well. Enjoy!
Have you ever noticed that the word “underpants” is somehow funnier than “underwear”? Try saying it out loud to compare. Now get ready to say “underpants” approximately 34 more times, because this book has a lot of hilarious repetition! It is possible you’ll get tired of saying this word, but I assure you, your kids won’t get tired of listening to it. One morning Bear Cub wakes up and notices a pair of underpants hanging outside his cave. They’re not labelled, and Bear Cub is determined to find their owner, so no one will have to go underpants-less. As he asks each of his friends, they all show off their own undies and demonstrate why the tighty whities in question can’t be theirs. Of course the mystery is solved in the end! This is a perfect book for this year’s Summer Reading theme of “Tails and Tales,” as readers will get a delightful tour of the tail-ends of various forest animals. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: June Favorites 2021”
June is upon us, and Pride is on the horizon! To celebrate Pride Month, the Mid-Missouri LGBT Coalition Event will be celebrating again this year with Mid-Missouri PrideFest. They have decided to ring in Pride a little bit later, on August 28th and 29th. For us, we thought we’d kick off Pride in June with our new booklist, “LGBTQIA+ Educational Resources for All Ages.”
When teachers come to the library and ask LGBTQIA+ related questions, they usually have three very specific questions:
How can I introduce this material to my students?
How can I learn more about this community to understand better?
What can I recommend as resources for parents, family members, etc.?
It’s not quite here yet, but we’re only 17 days away from the summer solstice—the longest day of the year, and the first day of the most fun and lazy season of them all! Swimming pools, picnics, float trips, family vacations, long bike rides, campfire singalongs, afternoons spent with a good book, a welcome break from the daily grind of schoolwork—these are just some of the many pleasures of summer for kids and their parents. Here are some great books, songs, videos and a cool craft project to complement your summer activities or give you some new ideas for how to have fun in the coming months. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Summer”
It’s vacation season! You may or may not be doing much traveling right now, but a good story or song will have you imagining yourself on a train, a bus, an airplane or a boat. Get your mind moving with these resources, then get your body moving with the songs and activity ideas.Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Transportation”
Nothing says summer like fresh fruits and vegetables! So, why not start a family garden? A healthy, outdoor activity, gardening allows children to see something through from beginning to end, while also learning responsibility, cooperation and patience. And at harvest, their efforts are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Continue reading “Kids Dig Gardening!”
Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Callaway County Youth Poetry Contest! In April of this year, the Callaway County Public Library and the Auxvasse Creative Arts Program invited students between the ages of 5 and 18 who reside or attend school in Callaway County to enter a poetry contest. This year’s theme was “We all need connection.” The pandemic made social distancing necessary in our world this past year, but we all need connection. Students were encouraged to write a poem about being connected with their community — about their class, family, a team, neighborhood or town. Many students chose to write about their connection to nature. Winning poems were selected by judge and author Daren Dean. Continue reading “2021 Callaway County Youth Poetry Contest Winners”
June is upon us, and Pride is on the horizon! To celebrate Pride Month, the Mid-Missouri LGBT Coalition Event will be celebrating again this year with 
It’s not quite here yet, but we’re only 17 days away from the summer solstice—the longest day of the year, and the first day of the most fun and lazy season of them all! Swimming pools, picnics, float trips, family vacations, long bike rides, campfire singalongs, afternoons spent with a good book, a welcome break from the daily grind of schoolwork—these are just some of the many pleasures of summer for kids and their parents. Here are some great books, songs, videos and a cool craft project to complement your summer activities or give you some new ideas for how to have fun in the coming months. 
