Library Surprise

I usually go to the library on Saturdays.  I love to pick out new books for story time at the day care.  This past Saturday I went to the library, as usual, and ran into a big surprise.  I returned my previously checked out books and picked up my books that were on the hold shelf.  When I turned around to head to the children's area I saw a room full of books and people in the glass conference room.  I know my eyes got as big as dinner plates and I asked the fellow behind the desk if it was a book sale.  He said yes and that it was the last day for it.  In fact, it was in the midst of it's last hour!  I went inside and the lady working handed me a grocery sack and said "all the books it will hold will be four dollars."  Yippee!  I made my way to the children's section first and began looking and stuffing!  I wound up with a nice stack of books for story time.  Some of the books are vintage and some look newer.  Some of them I remember from being a kid and one of them especially.  It came from the library in the elementary school next to the library where I attended school.  I immediately opened the book and gave it a sniff and it smelled just as I remembered the books in that library smelled.  Flashback!  I also picked up a few books for me from the juvenile reader's section and fiction and non-fiction.  I had a blast.  Here's a look at our new stash.

I love this last book, Once Upon A Rhyme."  I read some of it out loud at the bus stop the other morning.  If it was checked out it would have a high rating.

Book of the Week

Our book for this week is:

 

under GROUND

 

By: Denise Fleming

 

 

I really enjoyed this book as well as the kids.  The illustrations are done by the author and are created by pulp painting, a paper making technique.  I read through this book once, with interested eyes on it, and wound up laying the book on the floor for the children to get a really good look at the pages.  There was more to look at than read.  It showed things that are under ground and that was everything from moles to keys.  Made me want to go outside and dig!

 

Checked Out Rating: 9

 



Book of the Week

Our book of the week for this week is...

 

 

When Dinosaurs Go to School

 

By: Linda Martin

 

 

This is another book that the children have asked for multiple times during story time.  It is about a normal day of getting ready and going to school for your average dinosaur.  The pages are very colorful and full of action and illustrations of what is going on with each page read.  I could just see the kid's eyes dancing around the pages trying to take everything in before the page was turned. 

We have even gone back through the pages and I would ask them if they could find certain things like a clock, a flag or even spot the teacher.  It is funny that even at two and three year olds can spot the teacher in an instant.  It is a super cute book that these kids really enjoyed.

 

 

Again, Again Rating:  10

 

 

 



Story Time Guidelines

When I was a child, and in elementary school, I strongly remember sitting on the floor in the library as the librarian read books to us.  I'm not sure how often this actually happened in reality but in my mind it was a lot.  The librarian had a little spill that she would recite to us each time we sat down during story time to make sure she had our attention.  To this day I remember my friend Annemarie and I teasing to each other about the way she pronounced watching as wartching.  We giggled and giggled about that. 

 

Now, during story time each day, I find myself using the very same spill with the children.  It really does work.  It is like a little agreement when they first sit down that all eyes are on what is going on right in front of them.   The magic spill goes like this...

Are your hands in your lap?

Are your eyes watching?

Are your ears listening?

Are your mouths silent? (in a whisper)

 

And then the book can begin.  Little bodies are still.  Little pairs of eyes are focused on the book and the colorful pages unfolding as they listen to the story.  And most of all they are quiet so that everyone can listen to the story. 

 

I also add motion to the spill, pointing to my eyes, hand behind my ear, fingers move across my mouth in a zippy motion.  They actually love this part of story time and I catch them saying this to each other when one of them decides they are going to read to the others.  It is fantastic.

 



Book of the Week

This week, our book of the week is:

 

Little Quack

 

By: Lauren Thompson

 

This book of the week this week is one of the cutest books I think I have ever read to these kids.  It is about a Mama duck deciding that it's time for her ducklings to take to water and as she speaks so sweetly and encouragingly to her babies as they respond with fear then bravery.  I was really able to change my voice from the Mama voice to the duckling voice pretty easily so it made for an easy and fun book for me too. 

The kids have asked for this one for a couple of days in a row now which gives it a boost for the rating.

 

Again, Again Rating: 10