SEPTEMBER

POND LIFE

All our Story Time programs in September were about pond life.  Each week we read a book and then had an activity/craft to go along with our story.

WEEK ONE

Denise Fleming's book gives young readers a frog's-eye view of life in a pond throughout the seasons.

 

In the Small, Small Pond is a 1994 Caldecott Honor Book. (from publisher)

 WEEK TWO

It’s Little Frog’s first autumn, and she doesn’t like it one bit. It is not the green world she loves so much, but something scarier and ominous, filled with red and gold and yellow. And noise! WHIRRRRR. CHIRRRR. BAROOOOOOM. But encouraged by her Mama, who reminds her that "Most things that are scary are just new," Little Frog bravely sets out into this world. When her courage waivers, she starts to run and soon is lost, miserably lost. She finds her way to Papa Frog and he shows her what Mama Frog means. (from publisher)

In a warm and satisfying ending:

At last, arm in arm,
Little Frog and Papa Frog
happily hopped and danced
all the way home to The Pond
where Mama Frog had made
a fresh shoo-fly pie for dinner,
something all three of them knew well.

 

 

 WEEK THREE

The third week in September we took the children outside to our courtyard and told the story The Ugly Duckling using a flannel board and felt pictures like the ones above.

 WEEK FOUR

Two best friends, a minnow and a tadpole, are practically inseparable until the tadpole grows legs and decides to explore the world beyond the pond. When the tadpole, now a frog, returns to tell his friend of the extraordinary things he’s seen, the minnow, now a fish, tries to follow in his footsteps, but quickly finds that land is not what he expected. Friendship truly saves the day in this imaginative tale of a fish out of water. (from publisher)

 

Playing with rubber ducks in the courtyard water tables after listening to The Ugly Duckling.

Story Time is every Wednesday and Friday morning at 10:30 a.m.  (Choose Wednesday or Friday).  Our Story Time programs are meant for children ages six and under.  Every week we sing songs, read a story, read a poem, have snack, and either play a game or make a craft.  We would love to have you!  Please call 256-386-9212 or email ksherron@muscleshoals.lib.al.us for more information.

AUGUST

BUGS & INSECTS

All our Story Time programs in August were about bugs and insects.  Each week we read a book and then had an activity/craft to go along with our story.

WEEK ONE

Open your ears to the wonderful concert happening every warm day and night in our yards, fields, and woods nearby. Who are making those sounds? Can you sing along? (from publisher)

WEEK TWO

They crawl up walls, they hide in cracks, they flip, they fly, and sometimes . . . crrrash. Beetles come in all shapes and sizes, and they are everywhere in this thoroughly buggy, beautifully designed book.

There are striped beetles, spotted beetles, all-over-dotted beetles--and don't forget the noisily gnawing beetles! Whether you love bugs or whether the sight of them makes you itch, you'll adore this infested offering from the beloved Denise Fleming. (from publisher)

 WEEK THREE

Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a perennial favorite with children and adults alike. Its imaginative illustration and clever cut-out detail charts the progress of a very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through the week. (from publisher)

 

 WEEK FOUR

Get the buzz on bugs in this picture book from Angela DiTerlizzi!

Grab your magnifying glass!
Find your field guide!
And come hop, hide, swim, and glide
through this buggy backyard world!

Featuring insects including butterflies and moths, crickets and cicadas, bumblebees and beetles, this zippy rhyming exploration of backyard-bug behavior is sure to have insect enthusiasts of all ages bugging out with excitement! (from publisher)

Releasing the butterflies we raised.

 Story Time is every Wednesday and Friday morning at 10:30 a.m.  (Choose Wednesday or Friday).  Our Story Time programs are meant for children ages six and under.  Every week we sing songs, read a story, read a poem, have snack, and either play a game or make a craft.  We would love to have you!  Please call 256-386-9212 or email ksherron@muscleshoals.lib.al.us for more information.

S.T.E.A.M.

Things That Go

06/13/17 and 06/15/17

Science
Technology
Engineering
Arts
Mathmatics

The theme of our first S.T.E.A.M. program was Things That Go.  We read the book Ada Twist, Scientist as a whole group.  Afterwards, the children split into groups and visited different stations.  In these stations they got to explore the science behind boats, cars, planes and more!

 

Scientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. What would you do with a problem like this? Not afraid of failure, Ada embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble!

 Boat Building Challenge

Children crafted boats using different items found around the library such as popsicle sticks, straws, and bottle caps.  Using only these items, they had to work together to build a boat that was able to float on its own.  The children discussed buoyancy and what causes something to float or sink.

 Paper Airplane Building/Flying

Children got to build their own paper airplanes and then fly them through the library.  We discussed how different things can affect the planes' flight such as thrust, drag, weight and mass.

Measuring Car Distance With Ramps

Children selected different types of cars and different sized ramps to send their cars down.  They investigated which cars were faster and which cars went the farthest.  They also worked on their math skills while measuring the distance of the cars.  After each experiment, the children recorded their findings so that they could decide which experiments were most successful and which were least successful.  During this activity we talked about force, friction, measurement and speed.

Coding With Ozobots

Ozobots are tiny robots used to teach coding!  Learn more about these at www.ozobot.com

We would like to thank every child and caregiver who attended our first S.T.E.A.M. program!  To see when the next S.T.E.A.M. program will be, please see our upcoming events to the right of this page or call us at 256-386-9212.

2017 Reading Recommendation Lists

 

SUMMER READING IS ALMOST HERE!

The theme of the 2017 Summer Reading program is Build a Better World.  Sign up day will be Friday, June 2nd.  Tickles the Clown will be face painting at the library from 10 until 12.  We hope to see you there!  Below is a calendar of the programs we will be having this summer.  This calendar covers both children and teens.  If you have any questions regarding our summer programs please call us at 256-386-9212.