Bookspring / Reading is Fundamental Time!

Hello Lucy Readers,

We are just wrapping up another successful book distribution for Bookspring Reading is Fundamental program. Our theme for the giveaway was the Great Outdoors and we talked about all of the fun things you can do outside when you go camping!  

And the winner is...

Hello Lucy Readers,
Let's talk about the Caldecott Award!  The winner this year is This is not my Hat by Jon Klassen.  We'll enjoy the new winner and talk about other books that have won that honor.

And of course, we'll check out some great books!

Let's Take Care of Our Library Books!

Welcome Back Penguins and Happy New Year!
I can't wait to see you in the library for a reading of Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett.  This book has been around since 1970 and it never get's old.  The author's deadpan observations and illustrator Ron Barrett's hilarious and honest drawings are the perfect combination. It's just plain funny!

We'll talk about other things animals should definitely not do, namely borrow books from the library. Our little penguins will discuss how much easier it is for people versus animals to take care of books.
There is a neat idea for creating a class book based on the story at The Children Learning Institute website.

Ready to Learn Media Center

Hello Lucy Readers,

Make sure you come by and enjoy the PBS learning media center visiting our library.  Carmen Alvarez, our Early Childhood Project Specialist, was able to bring the center to our district EC libraries after attending a Ready to Learn seminar this year.  The center includes an iPad loaded with PBS educational apps, a Kindle tablet, and two iTouches.  The seminar emphasized "Leveraging Literacy & Math Resources for Community Impact." It's really cool!

Let it snow! Let it snow!

It's almost time for our winter break and we'll be getting in the spirit with a viewing of The Snowman!

In its original book version, Raymond Briggs tells a beautiful story of a boy and his snowman entirely without text.  The story is full of magic, wonder, and imagination.  It also has a healthy presentation of sadness and disappointment.  The movie tweaks the story a bit, but tries very hard to preserve the beauty and power of the illustrations. The result is a bit more playful, but just as effective.

There are a ton of enrichment activities for the story at The Preschool Toolbox Blog, some more rigorous than others. They look like a lot of fun, but my favorite thing to do with this book is to just show the children the illustrations and let them build the story.

So Thankful!

I am so thankful for children's books.  I'm thankful for libraries and common spaces where people might sit together and enjoy sharing information in any of its forms.  
I hope everyone has the opportunity to read a good book over the Thanksgiving Break.  

See you next week!

Turkey Time!

     Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we'll get in the spirit with Wendy Silvano's Turkey Trouble. The turkey in this story will do anything to avoid being the holiday meal, and kids will really enjoy his problem solving attempts.  It's a funny story, but the main character invites sympathy with a dilemma that students can really understand.  Silvano's writing is accessible to a large age base, but the nice balance of dialogue and predictability make it a great read for the Pre-K bunch. Students will find the surprise ending both comforting and funny. 

Check out a fun enrichment activity for the story at the Dresses n' Messes blog.