Blog Post
At the Art Table: Shapescapes!
by manz
At the art table in the downtown youth department we're featuring playable art! This time it's Shapescapes. Shapescapes are amazing, colorful and sturdy shapes that are interlocking. They can be put together in a myriad of ways to form a variety of neat sculptures! Children will enjoy putting them together, taking them apart, and creating something all new with the same pieces. Check it out and start shapescaping!
Blog Post
Telephone, by Mac Barnett
by manz
You know the hilarious game where you sit in a circle and whisper something to the person next to you, then they whisper it to the person next to them, and so on? And once the message gets passed to the the original person it is quite unlike the original message? It’s called telephone. You probably played it at a slumber party as a kid. The wonderful new picture book, Telephone, by superstar author Mac Barnett features something similar.
Several birds are sitting on a very long telephone wire. Momma bird says, “Tell Peter: Fly home for dinner.” The message gets passed from bird to bird until it finally reaches Peter at the other end of the wire. You wouldn’t believe the silly message the birds keep incorrectly passing along the wire.
With beautiful illustrations by Jen Corace, this picture book is a winner and will put a smile on your face.
Blog Post
Parent’s Corner: Reading
by manz
The Parent Shelf is located in the downtown youth area, and on this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from homework to potty training to time-outs to bullying. These books are available for checkout and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf.”
There are some great books in the collection that focus on books and reading, including choosing what to read and how to help encourage children to read. To get you going, check out these titles:
Reading in the wild: The book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Llifelong Reading Habits
Diversity in Youth Literature: Opening Doors Through Reading
Book love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers
For additional resources on kids and reading , check out this longer list of parent shelf titles.
Blog Post
At the Art Table: Dinosaurs!
by manz
Roar! The next time you’re in the youth department downtown visit the art table and see what we’re making. This time around we have out dinosaur stencils and primary colors! Test those fine motor skills by outlining dinosaurs. Make a blue T-Rex. Make a yellow stegosaurus.
For more inspiration, check out some books on how to draw dinosaurs.
Public Event
Sensation Stations
Thursday September 10, 2015: 10:30am to
11:30am
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Babies 10 Months–2 Years Old.
Public Event
Sensation Stations
Thursday August 13, 2015: 10:30am to
11:30am
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Ages 18 Months-3 Years
Public Event
Sensation Stations
Thursday July 9, 2015: 10:30am to
11:30am
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room
Ages 18 Months-3 Years
Public Event
Sensation Stations
Wednesday June 10, 2015: 10:30am to
11:30am
Traverwood Branch: Program Room
Ages 18 Months-3 Years
Blog Post
Troll Swap
by manz
Have you ever wanted to trade places with a troll? Here’s one way to do it:
In Troll Swap, a funny picture book, we have Timothy the troll who is very neat and polite and tidy – much the opposite of all the other messy trolls.
Somewhere else we have a young girl named Tabitha who is very loud and loopy and messy – which upsets her neat parents half the time.
Tabitha and Timothy were both having a hard time getting along with others, until one day they bumped into each other and decided to trade places! That might solve all their problems! Maybe Tabitha’s parents would prefer a well-mannered troll who is polite and tidy? And maybe the trolls would enjoy Tabitha who is loud and loopy and messy like them?
Troll Swap is a silly book with wonderfully silly illustrations, and of course a happy ending. It's a cute book about just being yourself.
Blog Post
Parent’s Corner: Top Picks
by manz
The Parent Shelf is located in the downtown youth area, and on this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from homework to potty training to time-outs to bullying. These books are available for checkout and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf.” Here are a few stand-out titles worth a peek:
Making grateful kids: The science of building character
How to be the parent you always wanted to be
For additional parent resources check out the long list of titles in the catalog and located on the Parent Shelf!