Holidays Are…Stressful!

Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2019 by Molly

Christmas baby photoFor many, this time of year signifies the beginning of the holiday season—a time for gathering with family and friends, sampling special foods and giving gifts. But for others, especially young children just learning to express themselves, the holidays can be anything but joyful. Excitement is on overdrive, while expectations are high that everyone will get along and be polite. Is it any wonder that the season of holiday cheer often goes hand-in-hand with an increase in stress and anxiety, for both children as well as their adults?

According to Daniel Pine, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health, “The main thing to know about anxiety is that it involves some level of perception about danger,” and it thrives on unpredictability. Certainly, for children, the holidays can be very unpredictable!

So, what can we do to help our children enjoy the holidays? Remember that children often need time to warm up to a new situation. This is particularly true of those who have shier dispositions. Allow them to enter a room or join a group of people at their own speed. Equally important, keep in mind that there is a lot of pressure on children at this time of year. So, even if your child is normally easy-going, don’t assume they will be easy-going in every situation. A child’s excitement is not always indicative of how they truly feel, and because young children have limited life experience, they cannot always overcome fears or uncomfortable feelings quickly.

You can also be proactive to avoid a meltdown or tantrum. As you are scheduling up get-togethers, pencil in break times. Then adhere to them, even if everything appears to be going well. Plan activities that your child or children enjoy, away from the noise and excitement of the festivities. This may be as simple as taking a walk, playing a quiet game or snuggling and reading a book together. Overall, a little forethought now lets your children know that you understand and support them during this time of year, which will go a long way towards ensuring everyone enjoys the holidays!

DBRL offers a wide assortment of books on helping your child work through stressful situations. Here are some to get you started.

2019 Newbery Contenders

Posted on Monday, November 18, 2019 by Megan

The John Newbery Medal is an award given annually for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This award is selected by a committee of librarians who pick the best of the best to be awarded the Newbery medal and several others to be named honorees. These librarians spend the year reading hundreds of books that were written within the last twelve months. Based on the reviews and recommendations of publishers and librarians, I created a list of books that might be on the short list for this prestigious achievement.

Read a few or all of them and then tune into the Youth Media Awards on Monday, January 27, 2020 (7 a.m. Central Time) to hear the official winner.

New Kid book coverNew Kid” by Jerry Craft

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon Lalani of the Distant Sea book coverfinds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one.

Lalani of the Distant Sea” by Erin Entrada Kelly

Erin Kelly, author of the 2018 Newbery Award winner “Hello Universe,” wrote another great book about twelve-year-old Lalani Sarita. Lalani takes on the impossible task of traveling to the legendary Mount Isa, towering on an island to the north. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest; how can a timid young girl in a The Undefeated book covertiny boat survive the epic tests of the archipelago?

The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander

This picture book in verse was originally performed for ESPN’s “The Undefeated.” The poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement and the grit, passion and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes.

Check Out Cubelets Robotic Blocks!

Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2019 by Kristy

Do you love robotics, electronics, engineering and coding? If so, check out the newest library STEAM Kit: Cubelets!

What are Cubelets?

Cubelets are robotic blocks that you can snap together to form different types of robots. They are simple enough that a four-year-old can play with them but complex enough that teens enjoy tinkering with them too. Making robots with the Cubelets blocks is easy, intuitive and a lot of fun! Every Cubelets robot needs a sense block (black), an action block (clear) and a battery block (dark blue). The battery block has an on-off switch; make sure it’s on before you start to play. Just snap these blocks together and you’ve built a robot!

Cubelets

Older kids can download the apps for even more fun!

Cubelets AppCubelets App (Beginner)
The Cubelets App is your portal to new ways of playing with Cubelets using a remote control or “personality swap.” Available for Android 4.4 (KitKat) or newer, including Fire OS versions and iOS 9 or newer.

Cubelets BlocklyCubelets Blockly (Advanced)
Use Cubelets Blockly to learn how to program your own robots. Create countless new robots and behaviors with the parallel programming. Available for Bluetooth-enabled Mac, PC (Windows 10) or iPad (iOS 9 or newer).

Inspired to give Cubelets a try? Check one out from your library or bookmobile!

Read-Alouds to Warm Your Heart

Posted on Monday, November 11, 2019 by Amanda

This weeks showcasing of Building Block contenders includes fabulous books with animal characters! Wrap up in a cozy blanket, snuggle your pets and kiddos close and get ready to learn about these great reads.
The Rabbit Listened, Hello Hello and Can I be Your Dog are three animal picture books that promise to please!

The Rabbit Listened” By Cori Doerrfeld

Taylor has built the best block tower ever, only to see it crash before his eyes. Different animals parade across the pages offering solutions to help Taylor feel better. Chicken wants to talk, Bear suggests shouting and getting angry, Elephant demands they fix the tower immediately! Taylor, sadly, does not feel like doing any of those things. Thankfully, an understanding Rabbit comes to Taylor’s aid and simply listens. Cori Doerrfeld shows the magical power of listening and empathy through this simple yet beautiful picture book. This is a must read for teaching children how to cope with their big emotions. The book also provides a powerful reminder for caregivers, sometimes simply sitting with and listening to your child is all they need.

Hello Hello” By Brendan Wenzel

Animals leap off the pages in bright colors and patterns in Hello Hello.

If your child loves the zoo, learning about animals or is a budding scientist, “Hello Hello” by author-illustrator Brendan Wenzel is sure to please! Bright colors and rich textures fill the pages as Wenzel introduces over 90 animals to young readers. Little ones say hello to the bare-necked umbrellabird, whale shark, rainbow agana and more! The back of the book contains a helpful index with the animal’s names in order of appearance⁠—a great learning aid that makes this book a timeless educational tool. Many animals featured are endangered, near threatened or part of vulnerable populations. Wenzel suggests that learning about these animals is the first step to helping them!

Can I Be Your Dog?” By Troy Cummings

Arfy wants a home to call his own, maybe he should write a letter!

I might be biased, but this book is my favorite on this years nominee list. Picture books with cute puppies are too adorable to pass up! Troy Cummings weaves together a heart-wrenching story featuring Arfy the homeless pup. Arfy is just a good ol’ dog in search of a home. To conduct his search, he sends letters to folks across town asking if he can be their dog. Letter after letter turns Arfy away. How can the fire department and junk yard not have any openings for such a good boy? Finally, Arfy receives a letter of his own⁠—a happy one! Who will Arfy belong to? Read to find out! This book is fabulous read aloud, as it is written in epistolary format. Each letter is typed in different fonts, lending the book to be read with a variety of voices and tones. Kids will be on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens to their favorite dog!

Once you have read at least five Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees, help your child vote for their favorite. Voting is open to children in kindergarten and younger and goes through December. The winner will be announced in February. Will your favorite book win?

Happy Reading!

The House With a Clock in Its Walls

Posted on Thursday, November 7, 2019 by Adam

"The House With a Clock in It's Walls" book coverHalloween may be over, but as temperatures continue to drop, it’s never a bad idea to stay inside and read something eerie, mysterious and magical. “The House with a Clock in Its Walls,” by John Bellairs is a great combination of all three. The book centers on Lewis Barnavelt, a young orphan who moves to the quaint town of New Zebedee, Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan, whom he’s never met. To Lewis’s surprise, Jonathan and his next-door neighbor and best friend, Mrs. Zimmermann, both turn out to be witches (though Jonathan prefers “warlock” and Mrs. Zimmermann prefers “enchantrix”). Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann only use their magic for good, but as Lewis begins to dabble in magic himself (mostly as a means of impressing his new friend, Tarby), he unwittingly resurrects the nefarious witch, Selenna Izard, former owner of Jonathan’s giant house and wife of the powerful black magician, Isaac Izard.

Soon, Lewis’s new makeshift family discovers that the ticking they’ve been hearing within the walls of the house is a magic clock made by Isaac, before he died,  that will eventually bring about the end of "The House With a Clock in It's Walls" moviehumankind. Now they must find the elusive clock before the undead Selenna does and find a way to destroy it and break Isaac’s spell. “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” also features beautiful illustrations by the legendary Edward Gorey.

If you’ve already read the book, or if movies are more your thing, check out the 2018 film version, starring Jack Black as Uncle Jonathan and Cate Blanchett as Mrs. Zimmermann. The film retains the same basic storyline, but adds more magic, scary moments and laughs—including Jack Black transforming into a tiny baby with an adult-sized head and two-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett head-butting a Jack-o’-lantern(!).

The film also boasts beautiful set design—especially Jonathan’s vast, magical mansion—and a creepy Kyle MacLachlan (from the eerie and mysterious “Twin Peaks”) as the evil Isaac Izard. And like the novel, it emphasizes to kids how important it is to embrace and own all of the things that make you “weird.” Your eccentricities can be a great source of power if you are true to them. To paraphrase Blanchett’s Mrs. Zimmerman: you have your own brand of magic, but it won’t be effective if you’re trying to use someone else’s voice.

Best Read-Alouds About…Monsters Eating Friends!

Posted on Monday, November 4, 2019 by Jessica S

Who doesn’t love a good story about monsters eating people? The 2019 Missouri Building Block nominees “Eat Pete,” “I Just Ate My Friend” and “Beware the Monster” are three hilarious books that cover this topic. Each one of these stories features a cute monster up to some mischief. Kids love these books because of their illustrations, funny storytelling and the creative monsters that are featured in each book.

Eat Pete! - Rex, Michael

Eat Pete” by Michael Rex

In “Eat Pete,” a monster climbs in through Pete’s window! Pete isn’t scared of this monster—he’s excited because he wants someone to play with him. The monster plays along for a bit, but he wants to eat Pete! Pete is unaware of the danger as they go on imaginary adventure after adventure, setting up parking lots, having races, becoming pirates looking for treasure and so many more! While the monster has a lot of fun, he eventually gobbles up Pete. As he continues to play, now alone, the monster feels regret. He spits Pete out and apologizes for eating him. The two make up and continue to be friends. It’s a cute book about treating people with respect and valuing friendship.

I Just Ate My Friend - McKinnon, Heidi

I Just Ate My Friend” by Heidi McKinnon

The book opens with a cute little orange monster feeling regret after eating his friend. He is terrified that he has eaten his only friend in the world. After going on a journey asking others to be his friend, our little orange monster finds a new friend: a little blue monster. The book continues on with them being friends, until, unfortunately, the blue monster gobbles up the new orange friend and the book restarts with the line, “I just ate my friend.” It’s a very short and sweet book that touches on valuing friendship and understanding what happens if you lose a friend.

Beware the Monster! - Escoffier, Michaël

Beware the Monster” by Michaël Escoffier

“Beware the Monster” by Michaël Escoffier and illustrated by Amandine Piu is a cute book with very colorful images. The setting is in a forest, and the pages rotate between a far away and close up perspective. The narrative follows a very hungry and very scary monster. First, the monster starts with eating the apples, then the trees, the cows, and lastly, he comes to eat the child reading the book. The child escapes because the monster has eaten too much and made himself sick, so he decides to take a nap instead. Escoffier makes the book interactive, with the narrator talking directly to the people holding the book.

If you’re looking for some fun songs to go along with your monsters-eating-people literature, I have a couple of favorites about monsters and friendship. The first one features lots of fun vocabulary words that your child will enjoy as you identify parts of the body as you sing. Continue reading “Best Read-Alouds About…Monsters Eating Friends!”

Book Battle! (Part 3)

Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2019 by Megan

Calling all kids in grades 4-8! Join us for round three of Book Battle. Your challenge is to pick one of the books below, and read it before our get-together on Wednesday, November 20 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Columbia Public Library. Each book will have a 10-15 minute discussion to help determine a winner.

November’s genre is Newbery Medal honorees. Each year the American Library Association selects an author to receive the Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. There is only one BIG winner, but the committee can choose several other books to receive an honor award, sort of like a runner up—and these honorees will be the books we will be reading! 

Book Battle Contenders

Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson was an honoree in 2015. Written in verse, this non-fiction book is about the author’s own childhood. Woodson was raised in both the North and the South, and she describes the experiences that inspired her to become a writer.

Roller Girl” by Victoria Jamieson was an honoree in 2016. This graphic novel is about two friends growing apart as one of them discovers roller derby. This is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier.

The Inquisitor’s Tale, or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog” by Adam Gidwitz was an honoree in 2017. This book has everything—resurrecting dogs, magical donkeys and farting dragons. This adventure tale is akin to “The Wizard of Oz” since it features children on a daring quest for wishes near to their hearts.

ROARingly Good Dinosaur Books!

Posted on Monday, October 28, 2019 by Amy

Roar! Stomp! Smash! That’s what dinosaurs normally do…right? Well, in the following two interactive Missouri Building Block Award nominees, the dinos take a different spin on life.

Cookiesaurus Rex book cover

Cookiesaurus Rex” by Amy Fellner Dominy and Nate Evans

Frosting, sprinkles, a dinosaur cookie in a tutu—this book has it all. Readers take part in this fun tale of a dinosaur who does not like his frosting attire. Cookiesaurus Rex won’t be satisfied until he made the king of all cookies! But oh, what a delicious ending readers have in Crunch the Shy Dinosaur book coverstore for them.

Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur” by Cirocco Dunlap

Crunch the Dinosaur will delight readers in this interactive story about making friends slowly but surely. Crunch might seem a little different at first, but he warms up as readers sing and say hello. This is a wonderful story that subtly reminds and teaches readers the importance of patience when making a new friend.

Once you have read at least five Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees, help your child vote for their favorite. Voting is open to children in kindergarten and younger and goes through December. The winner will be announced in February.

Have You Been Bitten by Creativebug?

Posted on Friday, October 25, 2019 by Tess

Have you heard the news? DBRL now offers free online arts and craft classes through Creativebug. (All you need is your library card!)

Creativebug offers online arts and crafts workshops and techniques for kids and adults⁠—all presented in video format. Unlike Pinterest, YouTube and other social media, Creativebug has no advertisements or commercials, and their downloadable recipes, templates and patterns are wonderfully simple. I love that the classes are split into chapters, so that it’s easy to skip parts that you already understand. The instructors will answer your questions in the comments, and they even tell you what materials you need at the beginning. The class instructors are all amazing, well-known artists who are on a mission to help others spark their creative spirit. 

There are classes for creative types of all kinds: sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, jewelry making, party planning, baking, cake decorating, sketching, painting, drawing, calligraphy, gift wrapping and much more!

Here are some of my favorite children’s projects that I’m excited to try!

Kid’s Embroidered Pillow

Take your kid’s unique doodles and drawings and turn them into a textured piece of art! These would make beautiful one of a kind gifts or bedroom decorations. 

 

Galaxy Slime

What’s more fun than making some messy slime? Making sparkly, swirly galaxy slime!

 

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

So you just found out that your kid was invited to a costume party…in 2 hours! Quick, to Creativebug! I love this simple giant beard idea.

 

Gifts From You for Kids

The holiday season is fast approaching, so what better time than to start on some projects for the little people in your life?

What toddler or preschooler wouldn’t love a set of handmade felt puppets? Puppet shows are just the cutest! 

 

Adorable Matching Outfits

There are beginner sewing lessons for children’s clothes where you can learn to make pants, dresses, shirts and leggings! 

Honestly, I could keep going, but you’ve just got to check it out for yourself! Just have your library card handy and head over to https://www.creativebug.com/lib/dbrl. Now go forth and create! 

 

All Photos are from Creativebug.com 

Best Bear Read-Aloud Books!

Posted on Monday, October 21, 2019 by Erin

For the next four weeks, we will write about about all ten of the awesome Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees for 2019. Selected annually by a group of children’s librarians from Missouri, these award nominees encourage reading aloud to children. The books nominated for this award make for exciting and engaging story times for any group of kids. These first two nominees are great books that focus on bears.

Where is Bear bookWhere Is Bear?” written and illustrated by Jonathan Bentley

Can you help a young boy find his bear before he goes to bed? This book is a great interactive book. Kids will think they have found the bear and start telling you the bear is on the page, when the reader is actually A Perfect Daylooking for a teddy bear! I love this book as a read aloud. Even adults get into it!

A Perfect Day” written and illustrated by Lane Smith

What does a perfect day mean to you? Cat, Bird, Dog and Squirrel are enjoying a beautiful day. But when Bear comes along, will he find the same things beautiful? Lane Smith has created gorgeous illustrations that’ll transport you into this beautiful world.

Once you have read at least five Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award Nominees, help your child vote for their favorite! Starting this Wednesday, October 23, you can vote online from the Kids & Parents web page. The winner will be announced in February.