Read More-- Your New Year's Resolution?

Top of your new year's resolutions list is to read more, right?

Maybe you want to read more as a family, or to encourage your child to read "out of the box."

We've set up a Winter Book Bingo that can refresh your child's stale reading list or provide a starting place for a reluctant reader.

Bingo Display in the Children's Room

In the back of the children's room we have printed several of these sheets so that you can play at home. You may also download a copy: Choose one for your child's age group, or for what you feel is appropriate for his/her reading level.

• 0 - 3 Year Old BINGO Card
• 4 - 7 Year Old BINGO Card
• 8 - 12 Year Old BINGO Card

Offer incentives as your child accomplishes each BINGO and perhaps offer a mega prize if they get a blackout (that means they read one book for every square!)

Our ideas for incentives:

• Get of out of daily chores coupon; 
• Stay up 30 minutes late; 
• Have a sleepover; 
• Get to choose dinner. 

Be creative with incentives. You don't have to spend money to give these rewards. Have fun!

Have you done something like this before?
Are you excited about the possibilities for your family?
Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Winter Children's Programs

Thursday Dec 26- Sunday Jan 5 Find the Snowman Game In the Children's room, ask the librarian to play. FREE










Friday Dec. 27 2pm Movie in Carnegie Room- In Demigods We Trust, a Percy Jackson film FREE








Thursday Jan. 2 2pm  Science Mania- Dissecting Owl Pellets
You must pay a $2 registration fee in order to sign up.(503) 435-5559 if you have any questions.














Friday Jan. 3 2 pm Movie in Carnegie Room Despicable Me 2 FREE




 





Saturday January 4 2pm First Saturday Program - The Alphabetiticans in Carnegie Room Upbeat music for the whole family! FREE

Find the Hiding Snowmen Game

Just during the school winter break,  play our Find the Snowman game in the library. Ask a librarian at the children's desk how to play. Good luck and have fun!

Here are some snowman books you can check out.

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright


Snowman Magic by Katherine Tegan

Snow Dude by Daniel Kirk

Holiday Hours

                    December 24                                    Library closes at 3pm

                    December 25                                    City holiday, Library closed

                    December 31                                    Library closes at 5pm

                    January 1                                           City holiday, Library closed

Graphic Novel Section

You asked for it and now we have it!
All of our graphic novels are in one section.

Baby Mouse, Lunch Lady, Fangbone and so many more!

 Now you'll be able to easily jump from one graphic novel to another! No more scanning books just for the neon green "GN" logo.

Adults will even enjoy seeing GN versions of The Hobbit and A Wrinkle in Time.

Libros Nuevos

 ¡Hay libros en español!

 Libros de cuentos ilustrados, libros de cartón 

 para los bebes y no-ficción.

 ¡Echarle un vistazo previo!

We have new books in Spanish!

Picture books, board books 

for babies an non-fiction books.

Here's just a preview!

Holiday Story Times

We've been on a long Story Time break, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you all during December. Please joins us this Wednesday or Thursday in the Carnegie Room of the library!

Toddler/ Pre-School Story Time:
    Wednesday December 18th 10 am Featuring puppets

Babytime Story Time:
    Thursday, December 19th 10 am With songs and finger plays

If you can't make it, here is a winter song and a finger play:

 Snowflakes Dance Around
(tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; with actions)

Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around.
Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground.
Snowflakes, snowflakes in the air.
Snowflakes, snowflakes twirl around.
Snowflakes, snowflakes everywhere.
Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around.
Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground.

Five Little Snowmen
Five little snowmen (hold up five fingers)
Standing in a row,
Each with a hat (touch your head/hat)
and a big red bow! (tie a bow at your neck)
Out came the sun (arms in a circle)
And it stayed all day!
And one little snowman
Melted away. (bend one finger down.)
Four little snowmen....
Three little snowmen...
Two little snowmen...
One little snowman... And the last little snowman melted away.

Children's Craft Fair

The Craft Fair is TONIGHT!

In the Carnegie Room and all the way upstairs in the Quiet Room! We don't expect it to stay silent tonight~

Read-Aloud

The days are getting darker earlier and earlier as winter approaches. But while it's dark outside, I bet the kids aren’t ready to go to bed yet.

Why not start a bedtime reading routine if you don’t have one set up already?

Bedtime stories do not have to be limited to picture books.  In fact, we encourage it for everyone!

Are you unsure of when to start reading to your child? Newborns can be read to right away. If your child is growing out of picture books, pick out some early chapter books to read together.

By creating a regular routine of reading together, children get the feeling that “reading is fun!” Technically, we call this print motivation: an interest and enjoyment of books and reading. The more a child likes reading, the more likely he is to learn how to read, to continue reading and to enjoy coming into the library! We love that! (Might we add that there are so many more reasons to read aloud with your kids. We'll get to that in another post.)

Here's our quick guide to Reading Aloud with Children.

If all of this is new to you and you would like more guidance, our library has books just on this topic!
The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. Originally released in 1982, this book has been through several reprints that we feel proves what a stand-alone resource it is. The book explains why reading aloud is important and also recommends books in categories such as Picture Books, Short Novels and Poetry. Trelease includes synopses so you can choose those that are most interesting to you and your family.

Check out this brochure that he has created, too.
Ten Things Parents Should Know by Jim Trelease

100 Best Books for Children by Anita Silvey 
Divided into six sections from board books to older readers (ages 11 – 12) this book provides great background information to the author and the history of the stories. Did you know that Maurice Sendak had originally begun a story called “Where The Wild Horses Are”? but finding that he could draw horses, changed his track?

 "Reading books to and with children is the single most important thing a parent, grandparent, or significant adult can do." ~Anita Silvey

Reading Magic: Why reading aloud to our children will change their lives forever by Mem Fox

Author of popular picture books, Fox speaks as a mother turned educator. She casually details the whys and hows of reading aloud. There are no lists of books to read, but she offers scenarios with specific books, showing how to create magic while reading. Check out her TenRead Aloud Commandments

What experiences have you had with reading to your kids? Comment below or shoot us an email 

Happy reading!. 

Food For Fines

You can get up to $20 off your fines!

Publisher's Weekly Top 50 Kid's Books

Publisher’s Weekly announced recently their picks for top 50 Children’s Books published in 2013.   

Many of these are in circulation at our library. Here are just a handful that we hope will intrigue you.

Picture Books:

Bluebird by Bob Staake This wordless story, written in comic strip style, shows the touching tale of a boy who befriends a bird.

TheDark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen Laszlo is afraid of the dark, who lives in the basement. But happens when it creeps into his room? Will Laszlo quit being afraid of the dark?

Chapter Books:

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo Told with comic strip ensembles, illustrations and full-on "chapter book" text, this funny book tells the story of a cynical girl and a squirrel who narrowly escapes death. Get in line and put your hold on this book.

TheThing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata Set in Kansas, this book tells the story of Summer who feels like her family has absolutely no "kouun " which means "good luck" in Japanese. Left in the care of her retired grandparents, Obaachan and Jiichan, Summer feels that she's created her own bad luck mess and the only way out of it, may be to further disappoint her grandmother.

P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia Sequel to her book, One Crazy Summer, we meet up with Delphine  and gain insight to her family situation and growing up with responsibilities and worries of a twelve year old girl.

Non-Fiction:

Stardines Swim High Across the Sky: and other poems by Jack Prelutsky Here is a beautiful collection of silly poems based on animals. Full of rhyme and word play. Adults, you just may enjoy this more than your kids.