Did you know that August 8th is National Dollar Day? On this day, way back in 1786, the United States Congress established our country’s first monetary system. Despite this, conducting financial business was often surprisingly chaotic up until fairly recently in our history. A confusing variety of certificates, state-issued bank notes and gold, and silver coins were used all the way up until 1913, when Congress established the Federal Reserve, and the coins and bills we know today finally came into use.
For better or worse, the world today seems to revolve around money. It’s challenging enough for grown-ups to make sense of it all, and when it comes to raising a new generation of financially literate kids, parents, teachers and caregivers often feel woefully underprepared. With the right tools at your disposal, talking to kids about money doesn’t have to feel embarrassing or overwhelming. To that end, I’ve set out in search of our best fact and fun-filled money books for every kind of kid, from little coin collectors to future economists! Continue reading “Dollars and Sense: Books About Money for Kids”
As we enter the last full month of summer, many families are using these last few weeks before school starts to take a vacation or to plan next summer’s getaway. If you’re not sure where you want to go, the library has a boatload of books that can take you all over the world from the comfort of your own home. Here are just a few of the many books on world travel that we have to peruse:
We’ll start in America with “Destination: Rocky Mountains,” where you can join author Jonathan Grupper on a thrilling climb in the Rocky Mountains, exploring this magnificent ecosystem by raft, by four-wheel drive and on foot, equipped with ice ax. And in “National Parks of the U.S.A.,” by Kate Siber, you can take a tour of America’s great outdoors and discover the beauty and diversity of its most iconic and majestic national parks. Continue reading “Become a World Traveler”
Looking for a way to liven up snack time? Check out these cute little octopus oranges. They are quick to make, create little mess and are ocean-themed to go along with our Summer Reading program!
I was inspired by our summer reading theme “Oceans of Possibilities” to doodle some new kawaii creatures. You can make your own underwater landscape with just one basic shape. All you need is a simple circle (or half circle for the jellyfish) to populate your marine menagerie with cute little critters!Continue reading “Megan Doodles: Kawaii Sea Creatures”
How’s your Summer Reading going? My nine month old son finished his pretty quick, but I still need to catch up. If you need some exciting new books to round out your summer, take a look at these!
Picture Books
“Brush! Brush! Brush!” written by Douglas Florian and illustrated by Christiane Engel
I don’t usually highlight board books, but I wanted to bring this one to your attention! This book is perfect for toddlers that are learning how to brush their teeth. The illustrations are bright and exciting but simple enough that it’s easy to follow what’s happening. The text has a wonderful bouncy rhythm, repeating the end of each line. “Toothpaste on the / brush! brush! brush! / Take your time. / Don’t rush! rush! rush!” There’s excellent tooth-brushing advice for every step of the process, delivered with charm and verve. My little boy doesn’t have teeth yet, but we’ll definitely be checking this book out when the time comes! Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: July Favorites 2022”
This year’s summer reading theme “Oceans of Possibilities” has us dreaming of undersea adventures. Who among us hasn’t wished for gills and a tail after a long day of water play? Support creativity and imaginative summer play with this easy and endlessly customizable merperson necklace. Magical seashells are certainly hard to come by in landlocked central Missouri, so recycling an egg carton will save you a trip to the beach — and help keep some trash out of our waterways while you’re at it! Continue reading “Make a Merperson Necklace”
Born at the end of July, I’ve always held a soft spot in my heart for the blistering “dog days” of summer, whether I’m eating a homemade popsicle, hanging out at the pool with friends or going on a fun outdoor adventure like hiking or berry-picking. But sometimes it’s just 🔥too hot🔥 and even unsafe to enjoy those daytime activities, so I turn my attention instead to a both exciting and relaxing activity that is best experienced in the low-light hours when the blazing sun is gone or almost-gone from the horizon: stargazing.
You may have heard of some of the more common constellations and asterisms, or star patterns and star shapes, that we can see in the summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. To the north, there are: Ursa Major, the Great Bear; the Big Dipper, which is a part of Ursa Major; Ursa Minor, also called the Little Dipper; Draco, the Dragon; and Cassiopeia, the Queen.
This sky-map indicates the constellations and asterisms that will be visible from Columbia, Missouri, on the evening of July 5th. I’ve outlined some of the constellations/asterisms you can see when facing North, including Ursa Major in yellow; the Big Dipper in orange; Ursa Minor/the Little Dipper in orange; Draco in orange; and Cassiopeia in orange. You can visit skyandtelescope.org and put in a custom date and location to create your own interactive reference guide!
The ocean is a great place to visit in the summer. You can play on the beach, watch the waves roll up on the sand and swim in the water. The ocean is fascinating, full of interesting animals and plant life. If you can’t travel in person, dive into these online books, music, videos and activities instead.Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Visiting the Ocean”
If you’re like me, you don’t really think about the color blue that much (unless you are eating a grocery store cupcake and your mouth is dyed blue for hours). However, I just read a book that will make me never look at it the same way again. “Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky” by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and illustrated by Daniel Minter is about the complicated and sometimes brutal history of this color. The illustrations and words flow beautifully, walking readers through how the various hues came to be. Continue reading “Books We Love: Blue”
Ahoy, hearties! Do your kiddos love playing pirates as much as we do? (You’re never too old!) If they do, this is the perfect craft to get your enemies to walk the plank — a newspaper sword!
You can create your own sword at home with a few supplies you might already have on hand.
