Where The Child Things Are
New to Nonfiction? Recommendations for Young Readers
By: Kate Easley, Youth Librarian My second grader recently brought home his reading log from school. This year the students in his class are tasked with finding books from different genres, and the first three assigned were fantasy, realistic fiction, and nonfiction. My son loves fantasy, and almost everything he reads includes a talking toilet, lifelike robot, or complaining crayons.
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Veterans Day: Making it Meaningful for Kids
By: Kelli Rolston, Youth Associate Every year, on November 11, we honor veterans, living and deceased, who have served our country. It is difficult for many children to imagine the ways service members risked their lives and the hardships they endured to protect our freedom. How can you help your child show veterans their appreciation and gratitude? 1. Display your
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Celebremos! Celebrate Hispanic Heritage and El Día De Los Muertos
By: Cristina Bueno, Youth Associate National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 through October 15, honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of people from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. El Día De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a multi-day holiday celebrated October 31 through November 2. It originated in central and
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Congratulations Summer Readers!
By: Melissa Hilt, Youth Department Assistant Director GEPL Reads for SCARCE officially ended on Sunday, September 2, and I am happy to announce that we surpassed our goals! The Youth Department exceeded our reading goal of 70,000 hours with 71,532 hours read – well done! The Adult Department also exceeded their goal of 4,000 books, reading 4,151 books. As the result of
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School-Year Rituals Can Keep Families Connected
By: Amy Waters, School Liaison Whether it’s a daily bedtime routine, a weekly pizza and a movie night, or annual holiday or birthday traditions, many of us can point to a ritual we have in our families. In her book, The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Every Day, Meg Cox highlights the
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Can’t Sit Still? Tips to Make Reading Together More Enjoyable
By: Katy Almendinger, Early Literacy Librarian Not every child can sit still long enough to listen to a story, and that’s OK! It’s natural to have concerns about how to raise a reader when your child can’t sit still. I have some tips to help make reading together a more enjoyable experience. Interactive and Dynamic Stories Some of my favorite stories
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Growing Your Child’s Interest In Gardening
By: Heather McCammond-Watts, Youth Department Director If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Cicero Libraries and gardens are natural cousins — they both depend on collective effort; they are bedrocks of our communities; they bring people together; and they require a lot of weeding! A community garden can connect neighbors with each other through
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It’s Back to School Time Once Again!
By: Christina Keasler, Youth Technology Librarian Back to school – it’s a bittersweet time! Parents breathe a silent sigh of relief as they get back into a school routine, and teachers take a breath of empowerment to get energized for the next nine months. Families and teachers alike start their routines. For some families, like mine, it’s a new experience. My
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Raising a Reader
By: Heather McCammond-Watts, Youth Department Director Sometimes reading looks a lot like chewing. Children prepare to read long before they enter school. Early literacy is a baby who chews on a book to discover what it’s like, a toddler who begs for a favorite book to be read aloud over and over, and a preschooler who “reads” the story to you
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Musicals Adapted from Kids Books
By: Kate Easley, Youth Librarian “This is the greatest show!” Have you seen The Greatest Showman yet? If you haven’t you are in for a treat! You will want to sing along with all the actors during this movie musical about P.T. Barnum and his circus. I had heard lots of good things about the movie, but it took me
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