2020 Missouri Building Block Award Winner

Posted on Monday, February 22, 2021 by Amy

Children across Missouri have voted, and the winner of the 2020 Missouri Building Block Award goes to “Dandy” written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Charles Santoso. About 8,700 preschoolers and kindergartners participated, choosing “Dandy” as their favorite.

Dandy

Dandy” is a laugh-out-loud story of a father desperate to destroy the dandelion marring his perfectly manicured lawn and his daughter’s fierce attempts to save it. When Daddy spots a solitary weed in his lawn, he’s appalled (along with all of his neighborhood friends). But his daughter Sweetie has fallen in love with the beautiful flower, even going so far as to name it Charlotte. Racing against time and the mockery of his friends, Daddy has to find a way to get rid of the errant dandelion without breaking his little girl’s heart.

Continue reading “2020 Missouri Building Block Award Winner”

Family Fun With Winter Birding!

Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2021 by Molly

Winter bird feeder
Here’s a picture of my bird feeder. It stays busy during these cold winter months.

Looking for a family-friendly activity to do from the comfort of your home this winter? Try bird watching! February is National Bird Feeding Month, so this is the perfect time to get started. More importantly, as you and your family enjoy watching the different birds that come to visit your bird feeder, you help your feathered friends stay warm and healthy.

Begin your bird watching hobby by first choosing an outside location that is clearly visible from inside your home. For example, our family chose our second-story deck, which is visible through sliding glass doors. Continue reading “Family Fun With Winter Birding!”

Recipes for Fun: Sensory Bags

Posted on Monday, February 15, 2021 by Megan

Text Recipes for Fun Sensory Bags on a blue and green watercolor background

Sensory bags can be a great tool to help children get started learning their letters and numbers—especially if they don’t yet have the fine motor control to use writing tools. Children can use their fingers to trace letters and numbers on the bag. If they need some assistance, write the letters or numbers on a piece of paper, and place the paper under the bag for them to trace. Once you’ve gathered your supplies, you can follow along with our YouTube video. Continue reading “Recipes for Fun: Sensory Bags”

Brianna’s Books: February Favorites 2021

Posted on Thursday, February 11, 2021 by Brianna

Brianna's Books Banner

Hello friends and happy February! This month will slip by, and before we know it March will be here! For my second-to-last blog post of the winter, I’ve got some great options for you. Happy reading!

Picture Books

Trouble” by Katherine Nicole Battersby

Squirrel is leading a quiet life in her apartment with her pet mouse, Chamomile…until a new neighbor moves in. Bear is large, with terrifying teeth and claws, and Squirrel is sure he is nothing but trouble. Yet the illustrations show a different story, as readers observe that Bear is clumsy but gentle, and loves baking cookies. Chamomile discovers this and spends time with Bear, much to Squirrel’s chagrin when she discovers them sharing a peaceful afternoon together. Not only will this book make a fantastic read aloud, it will be an excellent conversation starter about how to keep an open mind about others, free from misconceptions and prejudice. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: February Favorites 2021”

Virtual Activity Bundle: Colors

Posted on Monday, February 8, 2021 by Jerilyn

Virtual Activity Bundle: ColorsOne of the first things we teach children are the names of colors. Color words offer us a way to describe things in our world. Knowing colors is an important part of a child’s development. It helps children understand the objects around them and put words and concepts together. One of the best ways to introduce and reinforce this knowledge is through fun books and activities like the ones listed below.

Books

Fiction 

Pete the Cat: I Love My White ShoesPete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes” written by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean
Pete loves his white shoes, but during a walk he steps in things that change the shoes’ color. Does he cry? Goodness, no, he keeps walking along singing his song. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Colors”

Women of the Civil Rights Movement

Posted on Thursday, February 4, 2021 by Adam

In addition to its designation as Black History Month, February is also the birth-month of Rosa Parks (February 4th) and Nina Simone (February 21st)—two luminaries of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s. As a celebration of these remarkable women and their long-lasting contributions, here are some of the many books for kids about the lives of women who accessed their unique gifts to contribute to this important historic movement:

Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1913—a time when Jim Crow laws, which mandated racial segregation in public facilities and transportation, were being enforced mostly in the southern United States. Parks saw the dehumanizing effects of racism firsthand, and in 1955 she entered the national stage when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger and helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Both “A Girl Named Rosa,” by Denise Lewis Patrick, and Wil Mara’sRosa Parks” (which is part of the “Rookie Biographies” series), tell Rosa’s inspiring story for young readers—from daughter of a single mother in the Deep South to civil rights activist and icon. Continue reading “Women of the Civil Rights Movement”

Learning Online? We Can Help!

Posted on Monday, February 1, 2021 by Jessica S

Child Learning Online

Online Resources

Feeling stressed about online education and learning from home? You are not alone. We want to help.

These are guides available through DBRL that include resources, information, links and databases. If you would like to use a database, you have the ability as a resident of Boone or Callaway counties using your library card. The username is your library card number and the password is your PIN—usually your birth date (MMDDYYYY). Many databases request you set up an account and may ask you to make an original username after using your library card the first time. 

Education & Online Learning Guide

This guide can direct you to a variety of places for helpful resources. Here are a few of my favorite learning tools:

  • Brainfuse: HelpNow
    • This is a tutoring resource that comes with a variety of help options, including live tutors from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day, a writing lab tool, a question-and-answer style help tool, a language tool and other ways to meet and study virtually, whether alone or with a group
  • LOTE Online: Storytime, In Your Language
    • This is a newer DBRL resource we are trying out. This resource offers a variety of stories in different languages, including the English translation to help develop reading and listening skills. Some languages included are German, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish, Korean and Mandarin.
  • Universal Class
    • Universal Class offers classes taught by real teachers, but it is self-paced. There are hundreds of classes available for users to take, including a tab labeled “Homeschooling” that lists courses for science, writing and more!

The Homework Help Guide

Need help on a specific subject? This guide can be super useful in locating more information and resources.

Parenting Resources Guide

  • This guide provides local and library resources available for parents.

Continue reading “Learning Online? We Can Help!”

Stories for Kids in Languages Other Than English

Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2021 by Tess

LOTE BannerHere at DBRL we are so excited to be able to offer classic stories in languages other than English with LOTE Online! Finding Spanish or French books is difficult, but for speakers of languages like Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin and Urdu, it’s next to impossible. Now you and your family can access children’s picture books in 25 different languages, all from the comfort of your own home with your library card. You can choose to have the books “read aloud” or you can read the text yourself. The online library includes many classic tales: “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Little Red Hen” and “Puss in Boots.”

One of the areas of strategic focus for our library is to “foster a community-focused culture of innovation, leadership and access for all.” We believe that reading to children, no matter what language, is an important step in that direction. According to a recent study, reading to your child in your native language will help them learn how to read in other languages in the future. Reading with young children is a lot like putting a child in gymnastics. Even if they don’t go on to become the next Simone Biles, the flexibility, strength and muscle memories they develop will help them learn any other sport in the future. When you read to a child in their home language, the brain starts learning what reading is and will be able to apply the same “muscle memory” if they learn another language, such as English. Having access to stories in languages other than English helps bridge the literacy gap, enabling all children in our community to have access to stories they can share with their families.

Please share this great resource with any families in our community who speak a second language, and stay tuned for 10 more languages being added soon!

2021 Youth Media Award Winners

Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 by Kristy

Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media.

The following titles and contributors are some of the 2021 YMA winners!


Newbery

When You Trap a TigerThe John Newbery Medal is for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. The 2021 Winner is:

When You Trap a Tiger,” written by Tae Keller

When Lily, her sister Sam and their mother move in with her sick grandmother, Lily traps a tiger and makes a deal with him to heal Halmoni. Continue reading “2021 Youth Media Award Winners”

How to Hygge With Young Children

Posted on Monday, January 25, 2021 by Amy

 

I must admit that the idea for this blog started through my own personal exploration into the world of hygge, as a survival tactics for a long winter ahead at home with my 3 year old and 15 month old boys, Oliver and Porter. The library has WONDERFUL resources available if you would like to dive deeper into the hygge world. And a fellow blogger at DBRL recently wrote about this concept too, so make sure to check out her blog as well.

Quick history lesson: the word hygge (pronounced hoo-ga), originates from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being.”  Explaining exactly what hygge is, that’s the tricky part. Regarded as a defining characteristic in Danish culture, hygge has been described “coziness of the soul,” “cozy togetherness,” and my personal favorite, “cocoa by candlelight.” Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with people we love. A feeling of home. Hygge is the antidote to cold winter days and nights. Continue reading “How to Hygge With Young Children”