Go Undercover!

It’s that time again! We’re almost ready to kick off our annual Summer Reading Club. If you’re not familiar with our club, it’s easy and fun! Registration begins Tuesday, May 30th, and can be done in person at either library or online. Children entering Preschool – Grade 5 can join our children’s club, where they get game cards to track their reading, either by hours or by numbers of books read - it’s their choice. Along the way, there are opportunities to win great prizes!

For babies and toddlers, we have game cards that are filled with fun early literacy activities for you and your little ones to do together, and each child who completes either the baby/toddler or children’s club will win a book to take home!

During SRC, we’ll also have a long list of great programs for the whole family to enjoy. Check out our program schedule here. In addition, each week we’ll have a different theme for our craft centers located in the children’s room at the Centerville Library. You and your kids can stop by anytime we’re open to make cool crafts and complete our coloring sheets.

Finally, I know that many of you are eager for storytimes to start up again. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait too much longer, since they will begin the week of June 5th. Check out the new summer storytime schedule here. Registration is not necessary for any summer storytimes, so feel free to join us whenever you can!

We’re looking forward to seeing lots of excited readers this summer who are ready and willing to “go undercover” with a good book!

Guest post by Bridget W. 

Read, Explore, Create!

It’s that time again! We’re just about ready to kick off our annual Summer Reading Club. If you’re not familiar with how our club works, it’s really easy and REALLY FUN! Registration begins Monday, June 1st and can be done in person at either library (Centerville or Woodbourne) or online. Kids entering preschool - 5th grade can join our children’s club, where they get “gamecards” to track their reading (by hours or by number of books read—it’s their choice). Along the way, there are tons of coupons for free stuff and prizes to win, and each child who completes the children’s club will earn a book! For babies and toddlers, we have activity sheets that are filled with fun early literacy activities for you and your little one to do together. Along the way, you earn rhyme cards to use with your child, and each baby or toddler to finish the club earns a board book to keep!

During the summer, we’ll also have tons of great programs for the whole family to enjoy. Some of these programs include: Life-Size Candy Land, where we’ll have a life-size version of the popular board game; Fun with Mike Hemmelgarn, where the whole family will be entertained by a fun magic show; Look, Up in the Sky!, during which kids can make airplanes and kites to test in a wind tunnel provided by the Armstrong Air & Space Museum; a Library Bake-Off, where kids can show off their culinary skills; and Animal Avengers, during which you’ll have a chance to get up close and personal with animals like a kangaroo and a boa constrictor! Check out all of our programs here.

In addition, this year’s theme is “Read, Explore, Create,” and each week we’ll have a different theme for our craft centers located in the children’s room at both the Centerville Library and the Woodbourne Library. You and your kids can stop by anytime we’re open to make cool crafts and color our coloring sheets.

Finally, I know that many of you, like me, are anxious for storytimes to start up again. Luckily for us, we don’t have to wait too much longer, as storytimes will resume the week of June 8th! Check out the new summer storytime schedule here. Registration is not necessary for any summer storytimes. Feel free to come whenever you can!

We’re looking forward to seeing lots of excited readers at the library this summer!

Hands & Hearts

A mother-daughter pair making memories at the beach is the subject of Donna Jo Napoli’s new book, Hands & Hearts. The soft, beautiful, watercolor illustrations depict this twosome enjoying a gorgeous summer’s day at the ocean. From dancing on the sand, to splashing in the waves, to building sandcastles, the little girl and her mother take us along on their day-long journey. If you’ve been to the beach, this book is sure to stir up some of your own memories. It’s also a perfect one to share with your child before (to prepare) or after (to reminisce) a vacation to the beach.

My favorite part of this book is that it also includes fifteen different words in American Sign Language (ASL). Each two-page spread includes a highlighted word that is displayed on the side of the page in ASL. Dance, roll, water, and sun are just a few of those ASL words that are shown. What a fun way for you and your little one to learn some words together in a new language!

Duck & Goose Go to the Beach

Reading Tad Hills’ latest book in his Duck & Goose series, Duck & Goose Go to the Beach, is the perfect way to celebrate the start of summer vacation. In this most recent adventure, the adorable, feathered friends decided to take a trip, much to Goose’s chagrin: “A TRIP? A trip sounds far away. I like close…A hike? That sounds like a fine way to twist your ankle.” Though he clearly was not too interested in partaking in this adventure, being the good friend that he is, Goose acquiesced. So, off they went, “across fields and up and down hills,” before reaching the top of the highest hill. There, they spotted something they’d never seen before: “'Could it be the beach?’ Goose honked. Duck’s tail twitched with excitement. ‘I’m pretty sure I love the beach!’”

Once at the beach, however, the friends’ roles reversed. The formerly enthusiastic Duck wasn’t so sure of the beach after all, while the once-downcast Goose was having a ball. “[The sand’s] getting in my feathers, and it’s too hot on my feet," said Duck, before suggesting that they go. "Go swimming? Good idea, Duck!" said Goose, racing to the water’s edge. The afternoon continued, with Goose enjoying all things beach-related and Duck likely wishing he had never brought up the idea of taking a trip in the first place.

When their time at the beach was through, the two pals trekked back to their beloved meadow. “They both agreed that it was nice to be home. ‘Duck, where should we go next?’ Goose asked. Duck closed his eyes. ‘How about to sleep?’”

If you like the other Duck & Goose books, you’ll love this new addition. If you’ve never read any of these charming books, it’s certainly not too late to start enjoying them!

Adding Books to Your Adventures!

 

Over the summer I live vicariously through you and your children. It’s true; while I’m here at the library, I get to listen to stories about all of your amazing summer adventures. From vacations, to camps, to trips to the zoo and amusement parks--you all certainly sound like you’ve been busy having fun!

One thing that you can do to enrich your summer adventures is to read about them. It’s an easy thing to do and can make a huge impact on your child’s learning. For instance, if you’re going on a trip to the zoo, read a few zoo books--The Zoo, Out and About at the Zoo, or Zoo Ah-choo--before you go. This will allow you to prepare your little one for what he’s going to see there. When you’re there, he’s likely to be extra excited about seeing animals that he’s just read about in the books. Then, after your trip, these books will take on a whole new meaning and will be fun to reread, pointing out familiar things from your own experience as you read. If he had a favorite animal at the zoo, he may even want to get more books, specifically on that animal.

Reading picture books about your adventure is great, but it’s important to read some non-fiction ones, too. Since reading non-fiction books is a great way to build vocabulary and gain background knowledge, it’s incredibly important for your child to read them often. Starting with non-fiction books at a young age is important, too, because it will prepare your child for all of the non-fiction he’ll read when he gets to school (there's a big focus on that these days).

So, whether you’re taking a day trip to the zoo, going on vacation to another state or country, or just hanging out at a local park, reading about where you’re going or what you’re doing will make your child's experience so much richer! And, don’t forget to come back and tell me all about it. Yep, I’ll still be here working…