Safe Kids Day

Posted on Monday, April 29, 2019 by Tess

Get wild about safety at Safe Kids Day 2019! This year’s safari-themed event will take place on Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. There will be free food, games, prizes and plenty of fun, educational activities! Climb aboard emergency vehicles, jump on inflatables and get your face painted. Then, learn about bike safety and get your car seat inspected. Be sure to stop by the library’s booth to get the inside scoop on Summer Reading!

Summer Reading 2018 Book Lists for Kids

Posted on Monday, July 9, 2018 by Erin

Books outdoors

One of the hardest things to do after reading a great book is finding what to read next. I want a book that I know will be worth my time. When working with youth, finding the right book can help foster their love for reading. That’s where book lists come in!

DBRL Kids & Parents has many book lists, including our own Summer Reading book lists. But if you have already exhausted those, check out The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) books lists below. ALSC is a branch of the American Library Association that is dedicated solely to children, and their book lists are always superb.

I’ve adapted the book lists to display each book’s location at DBRL. Happy reading!

Weaving With CDs

Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2018 by Brianna

While summer is a time for swimming and playing outdoors, sometimes you just want to sit inside in the air conditioning! If you’re looking for a relaxing activity you can do inside with your kiddos, try weaving on an old CD. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a fun and relaxing way to spend some time. All you need is some yarn, a plastic darning needle and old or scratched CDs. Here’s the instructions — go forth and create! Continue reading “Weaving With CDs”

Summer Songs for Kids

Posted on Monday, June 11, 2018 by Kristy

libraries rock playlist Need some travel tunes while you’re vacationing this summer? Or perhaps you want some kid-friendly commercial-free music to play for a celebration? Then check out Freegal, a free music service provided by DBRL. To get you started, Freegal has created two awesome playlists to go with our 2018 Summer Reading theme, “Libraries Rock.” Check out the playlist for kids or libraries rock playlist the playlist for pre-teens.

Freegal also has music for teens and adults, offering more than 9 million songs and music from over 28,000 labels. Download up to 5 songs a week and stream up to 5 hours of music a day with your library card.

Happy listening!

Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument

Posted on Thursday, June 7, 2018 by Lyndsey

Most people have been influenced by music, whether it be classical, folk, pop, hip-hop or rock. Kids love to clap along and sing to their favorite tunes. So why not encourage them to participate in the music and learn how to play an instrument?

Learning how to play an instrument offers many benefits, and it can be super fun! Playing a musical instrument can–

  • Help with expression.
  • Enhance self-esteem and responsibility.
  • Increase math and reading comprehension skills.
  • Require the interpretation of symbols in order to play the correct notes at the right time. The developing brain craves this type of workout!

Music Makers and Toys book coverYour child could learn how to play the piano, trombone, cello, the didgeridoo or even a homemade instrument. If you are looking for a DIY instrument, “Music Makers & Toys” has instructions for creating tambourines, box guitars and a kazoo.

My First Classical Music Book” by Genevieve Helsby teaches kids where music is heard, who writes it and what the instruments sound like. The book even comes with a CD that has classical songs from the Harry Potter films to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6.

Music Is... by Brandon Stosuy book cover

For the younger kids, “Music Is…” by Brandon Stosuy is a beautifully illustrated board book that introduces the most simple concepts of music.

For more information on the amazing benefits of music you can visit the Peterson Family Foundation website. And be sure to look for all of the upcoming music-related DBRL events for our “Libraries Rock!” Summer Reading Program!

Summer Reading Rocks!

Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2018 by Molly

Summer Reading 2018

What’s the best part about summer? More time to read! For school-age children in particular, these lazy, hazy days are ideal for diving into books that they may not get a chance to read during the school year. Summer is also a great time to explore award-winning books. Be sure to check out DBRL’s many children’s book lists for inspiration. Equally important, summer reading helps keep reading skills sharp!

Of course, for parents and guardians, the beautiful weather and plethora of outdoor activities can make reading a hard sell this time of year. But don’t dismay! We’re here to help.

First and foremost, beginning May 30, visit one of our DBRL branches or stop by a bookmobile, and sign up for our free “Libraries Rock!” Summer Reading program!  Kids and teens who complete their reading challenge receive a free book and will also be entered into our drawing for some awesome prizes.

Live in a rural area? Children and teens in grades K-12 who attend school in Auxvase, Hallsville, Harrisburg, Hatton, Holts Summit, Kingdom City, Mokane New Bloomfield, Sturgeon or Williamsburg can participate in Summer Reading through our “Books by Snail” program.

Continue reading “Summer Reading Rocks!”

Cultural Diversity Book Lists

Posted on Monday, June 12, 2017 by Erin

Ada's Violin book coverOne of my favorite aspects of DBRL’s Summer Reading program is that kids are asked to do special activities as well as reading. These activities are tied to the Summer Reading theme. With this year’s theme, “Build a Better World,” one of the suggested activities is to read a book about a different culture. Not only does this open kids up to books they might not otherwise read, but it also opens up an opportunity for discussion.

If you don’t know where to start, check out my book list for picture books and for chapter books about different cultures.

If you haven’t signed up for Summer Reading, don’t worry! Sign-up continues until July 22. Just stop by one of our branches or bookmobiles.

Literary Links: Build a Better World

Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2017 by DBRL Kids

This summer we challenge readers of all ages to “Build a Better World.” Our Summer Reading theme motivates us to build, tinker and engineer, and it encourages us to help our community and our environment. To celebrate this theme, I’ve compiled a list of books to inspire you and your family to construct better reading skills and demolish the summer brain drain!

Registration for Summer Reading begins on June 1.

For Ages 0-5
Good Night book coverConstruction is hard work! After a long day of building and play, it’s time for the vehicles in Sherri Duskey Rinker’sGoodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site” to tuck in for the night. Have fun rhyming while helping Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Bulldozer and the other construction companions finish their work and settle into sleep.

Have you ever messed up when creating a work of art? Don’t despair! Beautiful Oops book coverBeautiful Oops!” by Barney Saltzberg will teach your how to turn your “oops!” into a “whoopee!” Did you rip your paper? Turn the tear into alligator chompers! Did you spill your paint? Make the blot a silly animal! Every mistake, if looked at positively, can create a beautiful new work of art. Continue reading “Literary Links: Build a Better World”

Rest, Relax and Read!

Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2017 by Molly

Photograph of laughing child with a bookHooray! Summer is almost here! Whether you and your family plan to spend the next few months traveling to exotic places, basking on a tropical beach or simply enjoying the occasional backyard BBQ, summer is the best time to rest, relax and read. For this reason, books are as essential as sunscreen.

But with so many books to choose from, selecting something to read can be challenging, especially for children. When this happens, some adult guidance can go a long way. One fun way parents can help is by suggesting a theme. Pick out books with your kids on topics such as animals, sports, nature, camping or travel. Be creative!

“Opposites” is a theme that I particularly like to use. In this case, have your children look for two books, each with opposite words in the titles. Some examples you might consider are–up and down, in and out, north and south or rich and poor. To get you started, here’s a list of books I came up with using the opposites hot and cold. Continue reading “Rest, Relax and Read!”

Literary Links: Summer Reading 2016

Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 by Kristy

Kristy Toplikar, Public Services Librarian

Summer is the perfect time to challenge your body with physical activities like sports and games. It’s also a great time to challenge your mind with some awesome summer reads. This year, we get to celebrate the combination of these two seemingly opposite things with the Summer Reading theme “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!” Let’s kick off the summer with suggested reads that will help us become rabid readers and knock out the summer brain drain. Registration for all ages begins on June 1. Now, on your mark, get set, READ!

For Ages 0-5

It's a Tiger

From rowing boats to piecing puzzles, the peas in “1-2-3 Peas” by Keith Baker (Beach Lane Books, 2012) are bursting with activity. Not only do these peas inspire some great summer activities, they also help kids count all the way to 100. Continue reading “Literary Links: Summer Reading 2016”