Jump Again! Jump Roping Workshop

Calling all jump roping enthusiasts in Kindergarten through fifth grade!!!  You are invited to join a local jump roping enthusiast and instructor, Shaylene Haswarey,  who will teach you even more jump rope tricks, how to play games, and learn a fun dance.  Every one who REGISTERS will receive a jump rope to use during the workshop and take home to keep.  Please call the Children's desk at 503-718-2656 to register for a 2-3 p.m. time slot or at 3:30-4:30 p.m. time slot on Tuesday July 19th.  The event will take place in the Burgess Community Room.

Register for our July Jump Roping Workshop!

On Tuesday July 19th, Local jump roping enthusiast Shaylene Haswarey will teach a one hour workshop where attendees will learn jump rope tricks, games, and even a fun dance.  Everyone who registers to attend will receive a jump rope to use at the event and to take home to keep. 

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and is open to children going into Kindergarten through fifth grade (K-5).  So call the children's desk TODAY at 503-718-2656 to get your child signed up for one session.  Sessions will be held at 2-3 p.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m.

April is National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month.  This year it is celebrating its 20th anniversary!  National Poetry Month has evolved into the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry's vital place in our culture.  I will be the first to admit that I got really bored with poetry when I was in school...all that breaking down of lines and figuring out meaning...it just didn't capture my interest.  But as an adult, I have learned to enjoy children's poetry books as they are colorful and so much more easier to read and understand!

Here's a list of children's poetry books that I have been published within the past couple of years that I have enjoyed.  I hope you and your child will be charmed by their beauty too!

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night 
by Joyce Sidman
A collection of poems that celebrates the wonder, mystery, and danger of the night and describes the many things that hide in the dark.  This beautifully illustrated book won a 2011 Newbery Honor.







Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings
by Douglas Florian
Here's a fun illustrated collection of poems and collages about dinosaurs.  And of course its perfect for dinosaur fans.  They'll really devour this one!

Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems
Selected by Paul B. Janeczko
A selection of short American poems dealing with the four seasons and the different weather events and animal patterns that can occur within each.  Also, I'm a big fan of Melissa Sweet's artwork too.

Flutter and Hum: Animal Poems = Aleteo y Zumbido: Poemas de Animales 
by Julie Paschkis
All sorts of animals flutter and hum, dance and stretch, and slither and leap their way through this joyful collection of poems in English and Spanish. Julie Paschkis's words and art sing in both languages, bringing out the beauty and playfulness of the animal world.





Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse 
by Marilyn Singer
Here's a collection of short poems called "reversos" which, when reversed, provide new perspectives on the fairy tale characters they feature.  So you can read it forwards and backwards and still read the same poem!  This is such a fun and creative way to read poetry!

Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue 
by Jon Agee
Have you ever gotten tripped up trying to say a silly succession of similar syllables? Try out these hilarious tongue twisters for yourself for lots of silly fun!






Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole 
by Bob Raczka
25 haiku give readers a fresh, humorous perspective on Santa's December preparations. And rich illustrations pull readers into every wintry scene.  Read now, or save to read later during the winter holidays.

Stardines Swim High Across the Sky And Other Poems 
by Jack Prelutsky
Here's a collection of 16 humorous poems about imaginary strange creatures such as the stardine, slobster, and magpipe.  Plus, the illustrations really make those make-believe critters seem awfully real too!

Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold 
by Joyce Sidman
When winter comes, how will the animals brave the long and cold season of the north?  Read poems of the Tundra Swan, the Big Brown Moose, and the Beaver, among other animals.  There's also poems about snowflakes and ice.  Each poem is accompanied by facts and background matter related to the subject at hand.  I just love the linoleum block art illustrations in this book.

World Rat Day: Poems About Real Holidays You've Never Heard Of by Patrick J. Lewis
Here's a collection of wild and wacky holidays that should be worth celebrating such as: Dragon Appreciation Day, Frog Jumping Day, Ohio Sheep Day, Worm Day, and National Sloth Day.  Don't let these days go by without a small celebration of your own!  Plus, this book is perfect for transitional readers to read on their very own thanks to the large font size and easier vocabulary.

Summer Reading Suggestions

The Association for Library Service to Children has created their annual Summer Reading List.  Grade levels available are Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6-8.  We've made sure that we have multiple copies of these suggested books in the library collection for check out.  If there's something on the list that your reader would love to read and a copy is not available for checking out, please don't hesitate to place a hold on the title.  These lists contain a lot of great books not to be missed!  If you choose not to print out the list at home, we will have copies available for your use in the children's room.

Lego® Construction Zone

One plus one is two. Two plus two is four. Four plus four is eight. Sound familiar? It all adds up to fun with Lego® bricks! Join us February 22 in the Puett Room from 1:30-3:00. We supply the bricks, you bring the skills.

Lego® Construction Zone

Bricks can make blocks and blocks can make worlds. Join us in the Puett Room Sunday, January 25 from 1:30-3:00 for a world of fun! Use your creativity to build a place of your own with kids like you who love to play with Lego® bricks.

Lego® Construction Zone

Maybe you're a future engineer. Maybe you're a kid who likes to build. Or maybe, you're just looking for something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon! Drop by the Puett Room December 28 and build amazing creations. We’ll supply the blocks, you bring imagination. The fun begins at 1:30 and lasts until 3:00.

I Spy Pete the Cat

What is blue, has two pointy ears and says, “It’s all good”? Pete the Cat of course!  He’ll be moving along and singing his song in a new spot every day beginning December 21, 2014 through Sunday January 4, 2015. Your skills of observation will earn you a small prize!

What Fun Washi Tape

Looking for some fun that will stick? Join us December 7 from 1:30-2:30 for What Fun Washi Tape! We’ll make bookmark people, garlands, decorate journal covers and much more! This program is best for ages 5 and up.

STEAM Saturday (a little late)

There is just something about computer games that kids (and adults) love. Don't you wish there were computer games that helped your child practice her math skills while enjoying a computer game?

Wait no more, I found this website that has all kids of fun games to play that require your child to use the math skills he has learned.

http://www.mathplayground.com/

There are some annoying advertisements at the top and to the right on the website, that  look like games too, but if you stick to the Math Playground games area, your child will have lots of fun with math.

Summer Reading Book Lists

Now that school is out, you may be asking yourself, "What books would be good for my child to read during the summer.  Well, look no further!  The library has exactly what you need.  The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has updated and released three Summer Reading lists. The lists are full of book titles that will definitely keep children engaged in reading throughout the summer.

Lists are available for K-8 students. Each is available to download for free in color and black and white.  The lists are available at: http://www.ala.org/alsc/2014-summer-reading-list.  Feel free to download them, or come visit the library and we'll have copies of the lists available.

"Summer reading helps prevent the summer slide that affects many children each year," said Starr LaTronica, ALSC president. "By encouraging children to stay engaged in reading throughout the summer at home and at their library they will be more prepared for the next school year."

The Summer Reading List was compiled and annotated by ALSC's Quicklists Consulting Committee and School-Age Programs and Services Committee through a 2013 Carnegie Whitney Grant funded by the American Library Association Publishing Committee. The 2014 list was updated by ALSC's Quicklists Consulting Committee.

Dogs & Tales

Could your child use a helping paw with reading? Reading aloud to a dog creates a relaxed, non-judgmental environment to help children develop their reading skills and build confidence. Our volunteer dog-and-owner teams are all certified in pet-assisted therapy.

In order to make sessions accessible to more readers, kids may sign up to read with a dog team ONCE EVERY OTHER WEEK. On the alternate week, they may sign up for the waiting list. If there is room on the day of the program, we will fill slots using the waiting list.

You may call the Children's Desk at 503-718-2656 to register your child. Beginning readers through 5th grade are welcome.

Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award Voting

It's time again for children reading at a 2nd and 3rd grade reading level to vote for their favorite book for the 2013 Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award!  Voting is now open and ends on April 10th.  The winner is usually announced on April 12th, which is Beverly Cleary's Birthday!  The books that are eligible for being voted for are:

Sophie Simon Solves Them All by Lisa Graff
Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Takes Off by Jacqueline Jules
The Pup Who Cried Wolf by Chris Kurtz
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst
Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000 by Eric Wight

Elementary School aged children are eligible to vote for their favorite.  However, they need to have read atleast two (2) titles from the list in order to vote.  A voting station will be located in the children's room March 15-April 10.