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.

CAT STORY TIME

This week we went with a cat theme for all three of our story time programs.

PEEK-A-BOO BABY TIME

How does a dinosaur care for its kitty, you ask?

Cat lovers are everywhere! Now, with the same humor and warmth of their previous bestselling dinosaur books, Jane Yolen and Mark Teague show us how young dinosaurs know how to care for their kitties. From playing with cat toys to cleaning the litter box, children will love the silliness of "bad" pet-owner behavior as they learn what's involved in keeping your cat happy and loved. Also an introduction for children who may be getting a pet soon, cat lovers big and small are sure to embrace this book as a purrr-enial favorite!

 We love Jane Yolen!  Like so many of her other books, How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Cats is filled with fun rhyming and great illustrations.  There are several books in Jane Yolen's dinosaur series available to check out at the library.

READ, MAKE AND TAKE STORY TIME

 

The nationally bestselling picture book about a kitten, the moon, and a bowl of milk, written by the celebrated author and illustrator Kevin Henkes, was awarded a Caldecott Medal.

From one of the most celebrated and beloved picture book creators working in the field today comes a memorable new character and a suspenseful adventure just right for reading and sharing at home and in the classroom. It is Kitten's first full moon, and when she sees it she thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. And she wants it. Does she get it? Well, no . . . and yes. What a night!

A brief text, large type, and luminescent pictures play second fiddle to the star of this classic picture book—brave, sweet and lucky Kitten! "Henkes's text, reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's work in the elemental words, rhythms, and appealing sounds, tells a warm, humorous story that's beautifully extended in his shimmering, gray-toned artwork."—ALA Booklist

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, an ALA Notable Book, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, and winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award

After our story we made a kitten craft that resembles the one in the book.

MOVE AND GROOVE TODDLER TIME

The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . .

In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?

There is a page towards the end of They All Saw a Cat where the cat is decorated many different colors and patterns.  All the toddlers helped decorate the cat shown above and then we displayed it in the library.

Peek-a-Boo Baby Time is on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.
  Ages birth to 24 months.

Read, Make and Take is on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
  Ages 3 years to 6 years.

Move and Groove Toddler Time is on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
  Ages 18 months to 36 months.

You may sign up for any of these events at any time or by calling 256-386-9212.

Halloween Activities

 The last week of October was filled with lots of Halloween fun here at the library!

Halloween Story Time Book Selections

Peek-a-Boo Baby Time

Itsy Bitsy Spider is a beautiful, padded board book that babies and toddlers will love to share. The charming, rhyming text, loosely based on "Itsy Bitsy Spider," is a book to read again and again.

It may
be round like
a pumpkin and even orange
like a pumpkin, but this is NOT
a pumpkin! If it's not a pumpkin,
then what is it? Preschoolers and
toddlers will love knowing the
answer and enjoy the fun,
"unexpected" ending!

While reading This is NOT a Pumpkin we used a real pumpkin to illustrate.  This is by far my favorite Halloween book for little ones!

This is the jack-o-lantern we used for This is NOT a Pumpkin.  We also read and acted out this story at Move and Groove Toddler Time and at the Halloween festival.

Read, Make and Take Story Time

On the far side of town in a big dark house lives a brave little witch. She has heard lots and lots about that very human holiday Halloween, and even though she thinks she knows what humans are like, she has never, ever seen Halloween for herself.

A Very Brave Witch has gorgeous illustrations and teaches children that all people are different from one another and that isn't a bad thing.  The way this story is written prompts children to answer questions and keeps them interested until the very end.

Move and Groove Toddler Time

Five little ghosts at the end of the day are on the lookout for somewhere to play!  These little ghosts are looking for something fun to do but keep running into mischief!

Halloween Fall Festival

The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand!  Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom.  But is there room on the broom for so many friends?  And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

 Room on the Broom is one of my favorite children's books.  If you and your child have not had the pleasure of reading a story by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler you are missing out!  Some of their others are Super Worm, The Snail and the Whale and The Gruffalo.  These two never disappoint!

Games

This adorable Pumpkin Chunkin' game was made by Miss Erin.  The children took the pumpkins (tissue paper wrapped toilet paper) and chunked it into the basket.  This one is always a favorite for all ages!

Jack-o-lantern beanbag toss.

 Other Halloween games:

Witch Hat Ring Toss

We used pool rings to ring the witch's hats made out of construction paper.

Balloon Tennis

This one is super simple.  A tennis or badminton racket and a balloon and they'll be entertained for hours.  If you have more than one child playing another option is a fly swat or a paper plate taped to a craft stick to avoid accidents.

Go Fishing

A blue sheet and a pretend fishing rod and you're good to go!  Have someone sit behind the sheet and attach to catch the fishing line and attach a goodie to the end of the rod.

 

Crafts and More

This cute little candy corn craft let the children at Move and Groove Toddler Time practice color sorting.

At the Halloween Fall Festival we made paper witch hats similar to the sombreros we made at the Dragons Love Tacos Tween Party. 

We also had a face painting station and a witch's house tour.
Miss Kay and Miss Christina did an excellent job with our witch's house!

We had a great turn out for the Halloween Fall Festival!  This picture was taken before everyone had arrived.  We had about one hundred children plus their caregivers.

Miss Andrea's Halloween spider hair!

Miss Andrea and I dressed up as the Cat in the Hat and a pirate for the Halloween Fall Festival.

Our next children's program outside of our normal story time programs is
Library Movie Night. 
For the title please call the library or visit the library website that is linked below.

I would like to thank everyone who attended any of our
Halloween programs at the library.
  We all had lots of fun and hope you and your child did too!