Quirky books like “Guinness book of World Records: Biggest and Smaller!” “Strange But True” and “Ripleys Believe It or Not: Eye-popping Oddities” are titles that typically fly off the shelves in the children’s section of the library. But what is it about weird and fascinating facts that appeal to children?
Children see the the world through a wide lens—one without boundaries and limitations—where anything and everything is possible. When children are exposed to new things, this elicits a sense of wonder, or a feeling of awe. According to David Delgado, co-founder of the Museum of Awe, this feeling is “like magic, amazement, mystery, reverence. It’s the moment when we realize it’s a gift and privilege to be alive.”
Encourage this feeling of awe with your own children by urging them to ask questions, learn about unique things and seek out new experiences!
DBRL has a wide variety of books about weird and fascinating subjects that your children will love.
Nearly a year ago now, I posted a book list called “LGBT Picture Books for Kids (That Adults Also Enjoy).”
There were several reasons I created the list:
- MidMO PrideFest was coming up in Columbia
- The youth services team didn’t yet have a list that dealt with LGBT+ picture books
- June is when we remember the Stonewall Riots
- I fell in love with the “Red” book by Michael Hall
- So many reasons!
What I did not expect was the love that poured out from everywhere!
When I first started the LGBT picture book list, I had around 30 books. I asked some staff members, brought in a few of my favorites, read some reviews and did solid amount of research for my list. As of right now, that original list has tripled in size, and it is still growing as we add titles that we receive from our Facebook page, purchase requests, teacher requests and more! My inbox has been flooded with wonderful books recommended by community members. As I get them and read them, I have been adding to this list.
So, one year later, I want to send out a big thank you to everyone who built this list with me!
I also want to showcase some of the new titles I’ve received that I absolutely loved and hope will continue to entertain young readers in our community.
“Maiden & Princess” written by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Becca Human
The kingdom is holding a ball for the crown prince to find a bride. The villagers are thrilled and begin planning immediately. However, one maiden isn’t as excited. She sees the prince as her brother, someone she has fought alongside. The other villagers see this as her opportunity to become his bride. She goes to the ball, hoping to enjoy herself, but finds others pressuring her to dance with the prince. The young maiden escapes and finds herself being comforted by the kingdom’s princess. Continue reading “LBGT+ Picture Books for Kids”
Today is a very exciting day—it’s the first day of Summer Reading! This year’s Summer Reading theme is “Imagine Your Story.” It’s all about fantastic fantasy, fables and fairy tales. If your kids love magical tales, then we’ve got some amazing reading suggestions for them.
The more you read, the quicker you’ll finish Summer Reading and get your reward!
For more information on our Summer Reading program this year, check out our Summer Reading 2020 page.
Congratulations to the winners of our 2020 Summer Reading bookmark contest! These kids and teens drew, painted and colored designs to celebrate this year’s theme, “Imagine Your Story.” Their designs will be printed and distributed at our libraries this summer.
See their creative and inspiring bookmarks below!
Continue reading “Design a Bookmark Contest: 2020 Winners”
My grandkids love to build things—they’re young engineers in the making! I keep boxes, paper tubes and empty food containers (like oatmeal cartons and potato chip cans) in a big plastic tub. When they visit, my grandkids love to go through it and figure out something they can create. The most recent creation is a fairy town. (Scroll to the bottom of the page to see what they made!)
If you have a child who loves to imagine, build and create, then try out these fantastic resources on engineering! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Engineering”
Kawaii is one of my favorite types of art. What is kawaii, you ask? It’s the culture of cute in Japan! (Warning: the word “cute” will appear approximately a bajillion times in the blog.) When I think of kawaii, I think of cute things with cute wittle (cute way of saying little) faces. You can make anything kawaii—animals, vegetables, minerals, you name it! I especially like making food with cute faces. Below, I’ll show you how to make kawaii pizza, ice cream and a cupcake.
Supplies:
- Paper
- Pen (I used a black Sharpie pen, but you could use a regular ink pen.)
- Colored pencils (This is what I used, but you can use you crayons or markers as well.)
Here are the step by step instructions for the pizza:
Start with a triangle, making the top line wavy.
Continue reading “Megan Doodles: Kawaii”
Growing up, my family didn’t own gaming consoles. They were expensive, and, according to my parents, a waste of time. Thus, going into my teen years, I had a rather disdainful outlook toward the “gamers” of the world. I couldn’t understand the obsession with sitting in front of a TV for hours on end, mashing buttons.
But then I met my (now) husband. He was funny, an accomplished musician, an A student, active in his scout troop and yet he still played video games. After a few years of dating, he finally convinced me to play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. To say I was skeptical was an understatement; really I was just doing this for him as a birthday gift. I figured, elementary school kids can do it, how hard can it be? Oh boy, was my snooty little patootie about to learn just how much I’d been misjudging gamers. Continue reading “The Case for Video Games”
Food can be an extremely fun topic for preschoolers. Food can be delicious (chicky nuggies), divisive (peas: a food…or a projectile?) or it can be the perfect accessory to any outfit (why yes, this is a new ketchup stain, thanks for noticing).
Use the resources below to explore everything from how we grow food to making your own dinner. You and your kiddo may want to grab a snack before chowing down on these activities! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Food”
Want to write, draw or tell a story in your very own book? Look no further than the art of Japanese side sewn bookbinding! This project is great for older kids to do by themselves, but with a little bit of prep and adult supervision, even your preschooler can bind their own books.
You will need the following:
- Plastic cord or string (See my tips below for your string.)
- Hole punch
- Paper (Any size works, but the tutorial uses 8.5 x 11)
- Tape (optional)
Follow Creativebug’s short video tutorial for your directions and template. To access Creativebug, all you need is a library card!
In the video, they used a plastic cord (the kind often utilized in the creation of bracelets) but I used string, because it’s what I had!
After a couple of passes through the holes, my string began to fray, but nevertheless I persisted. I recommend wrapping some tape around the edge to prevent fraying and to create a little point to make it easier to lace.
Since I also had some googly eyes lying around, I decided to give my book a face!
I love this project because the possibilities are endless. You could make a journal. You could make a sketchbook. You could bind some old artwork together and make your own masterpiece!
Here’s the next round of digital goodies that I’ve purchased recently!
Picture Books
“The Button Book” written by Sally Nicholls, illustrated by Bethan Woollvin
I LOVE interactive books! In this book, the characters come across buttons that do different things. A button may cause them to clap, or sing, or bounce—actions that the readers and listeners can gleefully participate in. Not only does this book highlight fun actions, it also reinforces colors and shapes as each button is different.
“Boxitects” written and illustrated by Kim Smith
Cardboard boxes are serious business. Meg is a boxitect, someone who creates astounding things out of cardboard boxes. When a new boxitect arrives at her school, she learns important lessons about teamwork. If you have any spare boxes laying around your house, this STEAM book will be a great inspiration for some creative time away from screens.
“Tomorrow Most Likely” written by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Lane Smith
Here’s a bedtime book that focuses on tomorrow. A child and his mom imagine all the things they’ll see and do tomorrow, from ordinary things like admiring blue skies to outrageous things like riding whales and eating clouds. The multimedia illustrations are full of energy and humor, and the book celebrates living with anticipation and hope. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: Excellent eBooks (Part 3)”
