Did you know September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month? This celebration has been around since 1968 in honor of the great influence and contributions Hispanic Americans have made in the United States.
To celebrate, you can come to DBRL’s Spanish Story Time/Hora de cuentos en familia! Learn new words while listening to stories and songs in Spanish. This program is for native and non-native speakers alike and is for ages 2-5 with an adult. Registration is not required.
Our libraries also have books in Spanish that include board books, picture books and chapter books. A few of my favorites include “Fantasmas” by Raina Telgemeier, “Con cariño, Amalia” by Alma Flor Ada and “La granja de los siete establos” by Roberto Aliaga. You can check out the rest of our Spanish collection here.
Is your little one learning to coordinate their arms, legs and other body parts to accomplish goals (like walking independently or kicking a ball)? If so, PAL Kit 3: Gross Motor Development for children ages birth-2 will be perfect for them! We have just updated this kit with brand new toys, including a fun bowling set and activity scarves to encourage your child to move, dance and play.
PAL Kit 3 also includes several books, and each of them incorporate movements that you and your child can act out together. One my favorite books in the kit is “Silly Sally” by Audrey Wood. As you read “Silly Sally,” encourage your child to jump, dance and sleep along with Sally and the animals. For infants, act the story out on their bodies.
Interested in checking PAL Kit 3 out? If so, place a hold online to pick it up at your library or bookmobile.
Do your kiddos love moving and grooving? If so, try out these super simple DIY rainbow dancing wrist bands! We use these all the time at the library, and they’re an awesome and colorful way encourage dancing and self expression with your little ones.
What you need:
Shower curtain rings or adult-sized hair elastics
Colorful ribbon, cut into 12″–18″ lengths (You’ll want at least three, though having a rainbow of colors is pretty cool.)
Did you know the library offers tablets for children, called Launchpads? These educational, pre-loaded tablets playfully cover topics such as reading, science, math and much more. Each tablet has 10 learning apps chosen around a theme and checks out for one week.
Already a fan of the Launchpads? Then you will be excited to learn we have rolled out several new tablet themes for each age range! Check out the full lineup below.
Does your little one love to read before bed? Reading before bed can be a fun, healthy ritual to help you and your little ones wind down at night. However, as babies grow to toddlers, and toddlers to preschoolers, the evening stack of bedtime stories can begin to look like a small skyscraper on the nightstand. Does this sound familiar? If so, your child might be ready for chapter books.
But wait, aren’t chapter books for older kids? Well, technically, they’re for older kids who read independently, but that doesn’t mean that your three, four or five year old wouldn’t enjoy listening to you read them aloud. As a general rule, a child’s listening level is about three years above their independent reading level. Reading chapter books to children before bed helps build a rich vocabulary and strengthens focus–important skills for life!
Here are some tips to keep in mind when beginning the practice of reading multi-evening stories:
If you’ve read my other blogs, you know that I love to listen to audiobooks! I listen to kid’s books, teen books and every once in a while I get to listen to grownup books, too. But today I’m going to tell you about some podcasts that I’m obsessed with, because when I’m not listening to audiobooks, I enjoy listening to a good podcast. I wish I had more ears so I could listen to ALL THE THINGS!
There are so many kid’s podcasts, it can be hard to know where to start. Below, I have listed a few of my faves, but you can also check out this article from sayyes.com or this list of children’s book podcasts from readbrightly.com. All of the podcasts listed are about 30 minutes in length, so they’re perfect when doing little chores around the house or as entertainment for a long car ride. Happy listening!Continue reading “Podcasts We Love”
Everyone loves a good joke! So, it’s no surprise we have a full day devoted to telling them. According to the National Day Calendar™, August 16 is National Tell a Joke Day.
Participating in National Tell a Joke Day is easy cheesy. Just do at least one of the following: tell a joke, listen to a joke, laugh, celebrate, have fun and enjoy! You can also take it a step further and post jokes on Twitter by using the hashtag #NationalTellAJokeDay.
Then, after August 16, go ahead and keep “joking around.” Studies have shown that laughter is important to our mental health. According to a report in Psychology Today, “Humor and laughter are related to health and can release physical and emotional tension, improve immune functioning, stimulate circulation, elevate mood, enhance cognitive functioning and, not surprisingly, increase friendliness.” Continue reading “LOL! It’s National Tell a Joke Day!”
One of the great things about working at the library is that I get to find hidden gems in our collections of books. There are fun books all around the library, but I particularly love picture books for young readers that are in chapter book format.
When books arrive at the library, the librarians called catalogers determine what section to put them in. Picking a section is tricky because there are books written for every age range and reading level. Some books may fit into many categories, which is why there are chapter books in the picture book section. These books are great for young readers who want to read “big kid” books but may not be ready for an advanced chapter book. The tricky bit about these books is that they are not searchable by type. So to make your search more accessible, we have created a book list!
“The Infamous Ratsos” by Kara Lareau is my favorite from this list. Louie and Ralphie Ratso try to be bad just like their dad, but every time they try to do mischievous deeds, they are helpful. Louis and Ralphi start to wonder, is being helpful a bad thing? Find the Infamous Ratsos at your branch today!
Librarians love acronyms. ALA, YALSA, YSCI–if we can make it an acronym, we probably will! Though I’ve gotta say, one of my favorite acronyms is STEAM. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. We have all kinds of physical copies of STEAM books here at the library, but we also offer a plethora through Hoopla! And really, what could be better than reading a book about technology on a technological device?
In case you’ve never tried it, Hoopla is an online service that provides audiobooks, eBooks, movies and music. Since Hoopla offers so many things, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. If you’re trying to find something great and STEAM-related for your kid, there are a couple good ways to refine the search. If you’re on a mobile device, you can start by going to “Settings” on the app and selecting “Kids Mode.” This will show only materials appropriate for children, so it’s a great way to let your kid browse with you. Next, simply search for “STEAM.” Voilà, you and your kiddo now have plenty of STEAM options to choose from! Here’s a few that I found, and I can’t wait to read them. Continue reading “STEAM eBooks on Hoopla”
Do you smell that crisp scent of pencil shavings and fresh loose leaf paper in the air? Yep, it’s back to school time! Older children have picked out school supplies, are looking over class schedules and are getting reconnected with peers. However, many young children are starting kindergarten, preschool or daycare for the first time.
For those little ones who haven’t experienced big transitions before, this can be both a thrilling and scary time. Kids might be excited to get a new lunch box, new shoes or a fresh box of crayons. However, they might dread changes to their routine.
Want to help your young one adjust to the upcoming school year? Then check out this book list that’s full of our favorite back to school picture books. These books are great conversation starters, and they help show children that they are not alone in their fears. Encourage your kids to start new friendships and try new experiences even if they are scary. Good luck to everyone this fall!
Did you know September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month? This celebration has been around since 1968 in honor of the great influence and contributions Hispanic Americans have made in the United States.
Does your little one love to read before bed? R
If you’ve read my other blogs, you know that I love to listen to audiobooks! I listen to kid’s books, teen books and every once in a while I get to listen to grownup books, too. But today I’m going to tell you about some podcasts that I’m obsessed with, because when I’m not listening to audiobooks, I enjoy listening to a good podcast. I wish I had more ears so I could listen to ALL THE THINGS!
Everyone loves a good joke! So, it’s no surprise we have a full day devoted to telling them. According to the 
Do you smell that crisp scent of pencil shavings and fresh loose leaf paper in the air? Yep, it’s back to school time! Older children have picked out school supplies, are looking over class schedules and are getting reconnected with peers. However, many young children are starting kindergarten, preschool or daycare for the first time.