Ages 5-11
Blog Post
PreK Bits - Tea for "2"
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel held a "T for 2" party in Preschool Storytime.
In TWO OF EVERYTHING ... there was a magic pot that made a copy of everything that went into it.
Banjo Betsy sang and played "Two For Tea", the Jim Gill version on Jim Gill Presents MUSIC PLAY ... while Ms. Rachel and the kids sang and made the motions.
We marched, hopped, rocked, wiggled to "I'm In The Mood For Dancing" recorded by Raffi on RISE And SHINE.
Bear showed his special things in his suitcase and discovered sharing is JUST RIGHT For TWO.
For more easy counting try these titles:
1,2 BUCKLE MY SHOE by Anna Grossnickle Hines ... for beginning counters and rhymers.
THAT’S (not) MINE by Anna Kang ... about finding and sharing.
BUNNY MONEY by Rosemary Wells ...about two siblings saving and spending.
TWO LITTLE MONKEYS by Mem Fox.
TWO STICKS by Orel Protopopescu.
SUN And MOON by Lindsey Yankey .. can you have both at once?
Blog Post
Beyond the Birds and Bees
by evelyn
Do you know kids who are ready to learn about the facts of life, from preschoolers who want to know where their new baby sibling came from, to adolescents dealing with puberty and sex? We have two perfect books for you, both written by sex educator Cory Silverberg and beautifully illustrated by Fiona Smyth! With bright, cheerful illustrations, straightforward text, and true diversity, these books blow other sex and puberty books away.
What Makes a Baby is for younger children who are just learning about where babies come from. The book explains that sperm and an egg are needed to make a baby. What Makes a Baby uses precise language but leaves it up to the reader to explain where their little one came from. This leaves the book open for use by any kind of family- a refreshing change for families that are usually relegated to a footnote. The illustrations boast a wealth of different kinds of families and the book emphasizes the joy that a new baby brings.
When your kids start to wonder about puberty and sex, check out Sex is a Funny Word, which is as bright and cheerful as What Makes a Baby, but longer and more advanced. This book describes sex in completely inclusive language that relates to all orientations, genders, and gender identities. It also pulls in concepts like respect, trust, joy, and justice to explain how sex fits into a bigger picture of the world. Sex is a Funny Word explores puberty, body parts, safe and unsafe touch, crushes, and so much more! The text is completely nonjudgmental and incredibly diverse.
Simply put, these books are spectacular! Go check them out!
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "1" Stands Alone
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel told stories about the number one in storytime.
PAPA PLEASE, GET The MOON For ME ... there was one little girl, one person she called "Papa", one thing she wanted ... the moon.
Banjo Betsy and Ms. Rachel led the action song "Faster, Faster, Faster, Faster" by Jim Gill.
There was a birthday story about ... “One Lonely Candle”. An original story created by StoryLaura.
Please enjoy more singular stories as follows:
ONE DUCK STUCK by Phyllis Root.
ONE BIG BUILDING: a counting book about construction by Michael Dahl.
ONE COOL FRIEND by Tony Buzzeo.
ONE MORE HUG For MADISON by Caroline Church.
ONE TOO MANY: a seek & find counting book by Gianna Marino.
ONE DROWSY DRAGON by Ethan Long.
ANOTHER BROTHER matthew Cordell.
ONE PUP’S UP by Marsha Wilson Chall.
ONE DOG CANOE by Mary Casanova.
ONE LIGHTHOUSE ONE MOON by anita Lobel.
"1" stands alone ... among many more.
Blog Post
Aaahh!!! Real Spiders!
by krayla
The story is so often the same: you descend into the basement to get a blanket on a cold winter night, lift it up, and BOOM! There's a spider. You could scream, dance, wiggle, flail, or... you could read this amazing new book by Bethany Barton called I'm Trying to Love Spiders: (It Isn't Easy)! Maybe it won't completely cure your fear of spiders, a.k.a. arachnophobia, but it will give you a new appreciation for all the great things spiders do in our world. Chock full of cool facts, this book informs readers that spiders really aren't that dangerous, and actually help us get rid of annoying insects. It might even make readers laugh with cartoonish drawings that let readers "squish" a spider if they're not convinced.
Coming from a reader who cringes at the mere image of a spider, I found this book both approachable and humorous. Anyone who wants to handle spider sightings with a little more bravery could benefit from reading this friendly book.
Want to learn even more about creepy crawlies of the world? Check out these great materials on Insects and Invertebrates!
Blog Post
PreK BITS - "Thank You"
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel is Thankful for Malletts Creek Branch Library and Storytime audiences.
We had stories and songs of thanks.
THANKFUL by Eileen Spinelli ... "If you're a Waitress you are thankful for soft shoes."
We sang “My Favorite Things” and "May There Always Be Sunshine" with Ms. Betsy and her banjo.
We celebrated grandmother coming to visit with HERE COMES GRANDMA.
We know how to take good care of those we love in “Taking Care Of Bear”.
For more books to be thankful for, try the following:
The MOST THANKFUL THING … looking at photos together.
BIRTHDAY PRESENTS … a family remembers what they gave their daughter for each birthday.
The THANKFUL BOOK by Todd Parr.
The THANKSGIVING BOWL.
YOU’RE ALL MY FAVORITES … says Papa Bear to all three of his children. How can that be?
ALL The LOST THINGS … may be thankful when they come back around.
A GIFT For MAMA … a circular tale.
">BEFORE WE EAT … thankful for those who raise and bring the food.
GRACIAS ... and in Spanish language GRACIAS by Pat Mora.
I am thankful ! I hope you are too !!
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "Z" is for ZOOLOGICAL PARK
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel presented Zoo Stories in Storytime.
First Banjo Betsy led the song "Zippity DooDah".
BABY BEEBEE BIRD is new to the zoo ... and disturbs the other animals' sleep rhythms.
Banjo Betsy led “Mama’s Taking Us To the Zoo Tomorrow” by Tom Paxton ... which you can find on the CD LET’S GO TO The ZOO and the CD PETER, PAUL And MOMMY.
We helped the animals get dressed in BLUE HAT GREEN HAT by Sandra Boynton.
We looked at a few of the cutie patootey photos in ABC ZOOBORNS by Andrew Bleiman ... and everyone said, "AAawwwww!" with the pictures.
Here are more zoo stories to enjoy at home or in the library:
STOP SNORING BERNARD! by Zacchariah Ohora … with illustrations of the cutest otters you ever saw, sleeping in the zoo.
LET’S GO TO The ZOO by Tom Paxton, the creator of “Going To The Zoo” song. You can sing the words in this book.
POO IN The ZOO by Steven Smallman … for folks who like to say “poo” out loud.
FIELD TRIP FIASCO by Julie Danneburg … “be prepared” when the class goes to the zoo.
A SICK DAY For AMOS McGEE by Philip and Erin Stead.
GOODNIGHT GORILLA by Peggy Rathman.
And TANGO MAKES THREE by Justin Richardson … true story of two daddy penguins hatching an egg and raising a chick at the New York City Zoo.
ONE COOL FRIEND by Tony Buzzeo.
Blog Post
New Picture Books to Celebrate Friendship
by evelyn
Two new adorable picture books about friendship have showed up in Youth, and I can’t stop talking about them! Buddy and Earl, written by Maureen Fergus and illustrated by Carey Sookocheff, is a slight and simple story about the friendship between a dog and a hedgehog. When Earl the hedgehog shows up in Buddy’s life, Buddy doesn’t know what to make of him. Earl tells Buddy that he is a race car, a hairbrush and a giraffe, among other things. Buddy is wonderfully naive and sweet, and Earl is clever and loyal. Fergus’ text is witty and unexpected, and Sookocheff’s illustrations capture their unusual friendship beautifully.
Written by Lisa Mantchev and lavishly illustrated by Taeeun Yoo, Strictly No Elephants is about a little boy who is devastated to find that his tiny elephant is not allowed at the local Pet Club. Rather than wallowing, he teams up with a girl and her pet skunk to start a new club that welcomes everyone. The variety of animals that come to this new club is astonishing, and each one is drawn with beautiful care. Throughout the book, readers are reminded of the kind things that friends do. Never didactic, this book is absolutely adorable and highly recommended!
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "Y" is for YUMMY!
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel brought YUMMY stories to Preschool Storytime.
Bear woke up one day with a hankerin’ for yummy, yummy UGLY PIE.
Banjo Betsy led the action for “Stir It Up” from the CD FOR THOSE ABOUT TO HOP.
There were "5 Plum Buns In A Bakery Shoppe" ... a rhythmic interlude with "sugar on the top".
And Wolf needed to plump up Ms. Chicken for his chicken stew with plenty of yummy baked goods in WOLF’S CHICKEN STEW. Wolf got a surprise!
If you want more yummy literature for your hungry reading palette try the following:
FROM APPLE TREES TO CIDER PLEASE.
BETTY BUNNY LOVES CHOCOLATE CAKE.
DRAGONS LOVE TACOS.
DONUT CHEF.
BEE BIM BOP.
MAX'S CHOCOLATE CHICKEN.
COW LOVES COOKIES.
HUNGRY ROSCOE.
TALIA And The VERY YUM KIPPUR.
Blog Post
“X” is for Extinct … X’d out
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel brought cave boys, a baby dodo, and dinosaur bones to PreK Storytime.
First we found dinosaur bones and fit them together ... inspired by the book DINOSAUR BONES … a first book of non-fiction for PreK.
Ms. Sara sang “Dinosaurs At Play” by Tom Paxton.
We read IF THE DINOSAURS COME BACK in big book format.
we followed Caveboy to find a new playmate in ME WANT PET .
If you are fans of dinosaurs, here are more things to read and sing:
MEET DIZZY DINOSAUR
DINO BITES … food chain … until a BU-u-rp !
EDWINA: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct
IF I HAD A TRICERATOPS
SUPPOSE YOU MEET A DINOSAUR:a First Book Of Manners
IF DINOSAURS LIVED IN MY TOWN
Try these CDs for sing-along dino-songs:
DINOSAURS: 16 All-Time Great Dino-Songs
The BEST Of The LAURIE BERKNER BAND
DINOSTORY: The Ultimate DinosaurRock Opera
SHA-DOO-BE-DOOP
MOST AMAZING DINOSAUR SONGS
OR …
CHOOSE your own Dino from this list.
Blog Post
"W" is for Wiseguys and Whiskers
by ryanikoglu
Ms Rachel brought “Wise Guys and Whiskers” tales to Storytime.
Can you tell who the “Wise Guys” are?
In FLOSSIE And The FOX ... Flossie has to get her basket of eggs safely to Ms. Viola’s house.
Flossie doesn’t know what a fox looks like but she figures it out.
We went on a “Fox Hunt” together … looking for the cute fox with the bushy tail, pointy ears, fur coat and whiskers.
Finally .... we sang along with the GINGERBREAD GIRL … as she planned a more successful ending to the classic story of the GINGERBREAD BOY.
If you had fun on "The FOX HUNT" ... Here are more versions of this classic action story:
WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT ... same book written in Arabic and written in Tamil.
WE’RE GOING ON A LION HUNT.
WE'RE GOING ON A GHOST HUNT.
LOOKING FOR A MOOSE.
Especially for Halloween ... "Looking For Dracula" is one of my favorite versions!
It is found on the CD 10 CARROT DIAMOND by Charlotte Diamond.