Well, obviously I am a bit partial to this one :) Here are some of my favorite...
Books
978-1536217872
Bear does not want to go to the library. He is quite sure he already has all the books he will ever need. Yet the relentlessly cheery Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, thinks different. When Bear reluctantly agrees to go with his friend to the big library, neither rocket ships nor wooden canoes are enough for Bear’s picky tastes. How will Mouse ever find the perfect book for Bear?
Talk about library rules, and why being relatively quiet is important. Of course, if you have been to our library, you know the children's room is not exactly a shushing place! Are there areas of your library that are more conducive to study than others? What are the rules about food and drink? Using computers?
978-1665910545
Oh, look, there's me! No, really. I even have the t-shirt to prove it:
Penelope is perfect for the job of student-librarian. Friendly? Check. Helpful? Check. Book lover? Check. There’s just one snag. Penelope is...LOUD. Bookcases may topple and the ground may quake at the sound of her voice, but Penelope is determined to prove she’s perfect for the job and stay true to herself. Can a little librarian with a big voice find a place where she belongs?
I LOVE when grown-ups tell me their kids were playing story time at home with their younger siblings or stuffies. Encourage your kids to pick out a book they know well and, if they are not reading yet, tell it to their audience of choice. (P.S. Retelling stories and using picture clues are great prereading skills!)
978-1585367962
At Seabreezy Library, things were just right. / Booklovers were cozy. The sky was blue-bright / when--Shiver me timbers!--through Seabreezy's door / stormed big Pirate Pete and his parrot, Igor! Argh!!
Things are looking--and smelling!!--a little fishy at Seabreezy Library. When the big X on Pirate Pete's treasure map leads him and his parrot-sidekick Igor to believe buried treasure is hidden at the library, the patrons are quaking in their shoes. But never fear! Library Lou, Seabreezy's librarian-extraordinaire, is as cool as a cucumber and knows how to handle an irate pirate or two. She knows exactly where the treasure is buried. But first she needs to help Pirate Pete and Igor get a handle on their hygiene, brush up on library etiquette, and then tackle learning their letters. And that will lead them to the treasure that can always be found at the library.
What is it with librarians and bad boys?
978-0803716988
A formidable librarian makes readers not only out of the once resistant residents of her small town, but out of a tough-talking, television-watching motorcycle gang as well.
Have your kids ever experienced a power outage? Reading is a great way to pass the time. Brainstorm some other ways you can prepare for and have fun through an outage.
978-1623541118
When Executive Order 9066 is enacted after the attack at Pearl Harbor, children's librarian Clara Breed's young Japanese American patrons are to be sent to prison camp. Before they are moved, Breed asks the children to write her letters and gives them books to take with them. Through the three years of their internment, the children correspond with Miss Breed, sharing their stories, providing feedback on books, and creating a record of their experiences. Using excerpts from children's letters held at the Japanese American National Museum, author Cynthia Grady presents a difficult subject with honesty and hope.
978-0547471051
Once upon a time, American children couldn’t borrow library books. Reading wasn’t all that important for children, many thought. Luckily Miss Anne Carroll Moore thought otherwise! This is the true story of how Miss Moore created the first children’s room at the New York Public Library, a bright, warm room filled with artwork, window seats, and most important of all, borrowing privileges to the world’s best children’s books in many different languages.
In a switch from Miss Moore's time, many children have ONLY visited the children's room of their library. Go on a tour of the rest of the building and find out what treasures there are! (If you are local, ask Miss Ami to show you her favorite book in the whole building - autographed and dedicated to the library before any of us were even born!)
Writing
Thank goodness none of us are locked away where we can't visit our friends. We may be too far away to see some of them, though. Write a letter to someone you love who doesn't live nearby. Practice addressing envelopes and mail it off!
Write a note to someone who IS nearby, letting them know what an impact they have had on your life, and deliver it in person.
Social Studies
Wait, the United Sates put children into prison camps? Visit this web site as a starting point to discuss with your children one of the more shameful parts of our national history.
Community
Of course we need to visit our local library! Get together with a few other families and ask for a tour. What goes on behind the scenes? How does a book make it into the library and onto the shelves? Do librarians really sit around and read all day? What special programs and collections does your library have?
Libraries have certainly been in the news lately. Find out what you can about book challenges in your state, and what you can do to help support your school and public libraries!
Math
Some topics to explore using numbers:
- How many items are in your public library? How many/what percentage are for kids, teens, or adults? What percentage are not books? How many items are in each collection?
- What is the average cost of a paperback book? A hardcover? If you have a budget of $2,000 a month, how many paperbacks could you buy? How many hardcovers? What advantages does one type have over the other?
- Measure the width of some of your books and calculate the square footage of shelving you need for all of them.
Art
Design a floor plan for a new library with all the amenities you would like to see and plenty of room for books, other collections, seating, etc. Make it to scale!
Web Sites to Explore
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