F is for...

Yeah, another letter with lots of great words!!  Farm, fish, family, frog, feet, finger, firefighter, flowers!  Even words that begin with an "f blend" still have a distinct /f/ sound.

Books

A Frog Thing  Written by: Eric Drachman (2005)

This book is filled with lots of great words that start with the letter f.  Frog, Frank, fly, fall, fish, flapped, flopped, flew.  This books lends itself nicely to talking with children about what frogs can and cannot do...as well as what other animals can and cannot do.

Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek  Written by: Marianne Berkes (2012)

One of our "newer" books at the library this story is based on the song "Over in the Meadow" except with forest creatures.  Children enjoy naming the animals and counting the babies.  I encouraged parents to take time while reading with their child to look closely at the pictures.

Flannel Board/Songs/Fingerplays

Five Black Flies

Five black flies, buzzing through a hive,

One snuck some honey, then took a dive!

Four black flies, buzzing by the door,

One flew in and there was no more.

Three black flies, buzzing in a tree,

One landed on a horse's knee.

Two black flies, buzzing through a shoe,

One held his nose and said, "P-U!"

One black fly, landed on a bun,

"Splat!" goes the fly swatter--

Then there were none!

Two Feet

I can walk with two feet, with two feet, with two feet.
I can walk with two feet all day long.

I can tap with two feet, with two feet, with two feet

I can tap with two feet all day long.

I can jump with two feet, with two feet, with two feet.
I can jump with two feet all day long.

I can stomp with two feet, with two feet, with two feet.
I can stomp with two feet all day long.

I can march with two feet, with two feet, with two feet.
I can march with two feet all day long.

I can run with two feet, with two feet, with two feet.
I can run with two feet all day long.

I can spin on two feet, on two feet, on two feet.

I can spin on two feet all day long.

I can hop on one foot, on one foot, on one foot

I can hop on one foot all day long.

Hey, Diddle, Diddle

Hey diddle, diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon!

Enrichment Activities

• Counting Farm Animals worksheet from TLSBooks.com
• Five Flowers--have children draw five stems, then glue crumpled up pieces of tissue paper on for flowers.

 

• Go fishing--paper fish with paper clip on mouth.  Fish with magnet attached to string and small pole.

 

• Sort magnetic animals by if they live on a farm or in the zoo
• Farm File Folder Game

Pat Kelly Award

Bellevue Library's Youth Programs and Services wins Pat Kelly Award

Pat Kelly Award Handed Out at the Annual Drug Free Breakfast

Author: phil.davidson

 

The Mayor's Commission on Drug Education and Prevention is pleased to announce that the Bellevue Public Library Youth Programs and Services is this year’s winner of the Pat Kelly Award. This annual award was handed out at the annual Drug Free Breakfast hosted by the Drug Commission last Friday at the Bellevue Public Schools Lied Activity Center. Children’s Librarian’s Alice Boeckman, Tammy Henry and Teen Librarian Gordon Wyeth joined Library Director Lupe Mier in accepting the award. The Pat Kelly Award has been given out every year at this breakfast since 1990 to honor an organization or individual who has been instrumental in helping the youth of the Bellevue Community promote a drug free lifestyle or offering positive alternatives for our young people.

 

 

The Bellevue Public Library is widely known for its services to youth, especially because all are free of charge and participation doesn’t require a library card. This is a great service to all youth of the community. Some events for young readers included: baby through preschool weekly reading times, a volunteer program for young adults to help out at the library, puppet shows, pajama reading times and more. Alice Boeckman and Tammy Henry are also always willing to participate in community events that involve young children and reading. They often give away books or other prizes and work evenings and weekends. Their summer reading program sometimes has more than 6 events per week, involves family, community partners and hundreds of local youth. Tammy Henry successfully petitioned for a special grant last year to incorporate a new Legos at the Library program which involves both books and creativity for young builders. Creative projects are displayed at the library and online. Young adult programs include gamefests, activities, a teen advisory board to provide teens with more input and leadership opportunities, craft days and special celebrations for older youth including battles of the bands, dances and social events. These events are all drug and alcohol free and give youth a safe place to learn and grow outside of school and home. More than other places, the Bellevue Public Library has embraced technology, youth and online activities to enter the 21^st century in regards to offering information to the public.

 

Thousands of youth in the City of Bellevue have benefited from the Youth Programs and Service which are provided at the Bellevue Library and they have been a longtime friend of the Mayor’s Drug Commission. As part of the library’s service to the community, all the artwork from the Mayor's Commission on Drug Education and Prevention art contest is displayed at the library for the following month for members of the community to enjoy.

Alice Boeckman, Lupe Meir (library director), Tammy Henry, Mayor Rita Sanders, Gordon Wyant, Eulish Moore (Drug Commission Representative)

HalloTween

Gordon (the Young Adult librarian) and I host a special program called JST4U every other month especially for "tweens"--kids in grades 5th-8th.  This month we celebrated Halloween with them!!

We watch episodes of Edgar and Ellen

Caramel Apple Bar!  Apple slices, hot caramel, candy corn, and sprinkles!! Yummy!!

Spooky Finger Pen

The hit of the day was SLIME!!!

 Mix together 1 cup water and 1 cup glue.  Add several drops of food coloring (we also tried glow in the dark paint).

In a separate bowl mix together 1 1/3 cups warm water with 4 teaspoons of Borax laundry booster.  Stir until the Borax is mostly dissolved.

 SLOWLY pour the glue mixture INTO the Borax solution.  DO NOT stir!  Instead slowly swirl the bowl around several times.

 Now comes the best part!  Lift the slime out of the Borax solution and set it on a piece of wax paper.

 Knead the slime for several minutes.  Then have fun playing with the slime! 

Store in a Ziploc bag.

We also had fun adding different colors into the already made slime.

There will be another JST4U program in December...we're thinking "Ick Factor"???  Or maybe Gingerbread Houses (with lots of candy!)  What do you think?

Halloween Party!

On Friday night the library hosted a family Halloween party!  We had a great turn out of families and also many Jr. Friends volunteers to help.  This was an "after hours" party, so we had access to the whole building. 

We had simple games and activities set up in the children's area:  tic-tac-toe, Halloween dominoes, matching, activity and coloring sheets, and "Witch Sticks" (a child stands and tries to drop the witch stick into a bucket).


The circulation area became the refreshments table and scavenger hunt headquarters.

The adult area had two games: ghost bowling and Bingo; and three crafts: 3-D pumpkins, candy corn owls, and paper bag scarecrows.

The young adult area had three crafts:  floating ghosts, spider webs, and mummy cups.

The large meeting room had three games: Pin the mouth on the pumpkin, cake walk, and eyeball relay.

We ended the evening with a costume parade around the the library!

Some more fun pictures from the party!

E is for...

Another vowel--tricky to talk about with preschool age children.  Once more I choose to focus on the short "e" sound, since that is the sound they will use for most beginning words they will sound out such as "peg".  Our books were about an elephant and eggs.  We sang about eggs and elves.

Books

Where's Tumpty?  by: Polly Dunbar

Eggs 1, 2, 3:  Who will the babies be?  by: Janet Halfmann

Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays

E-I-E-I-O

Chickens lay eggs,
This we know,
E-I-E-I-O
And from those eggs
Chickens grow
E-I-E-I-O

There's a chicken egg here
And a chicken egg there.
Here an egg, there an egg
Everywhere a chicken egg.

Chickens lay eggs,
This we know,
E-I-E-I-O!

There's an Elf on the Floor

There's an elf on the floor, on the floor
There's an elf on the floor, on the floor.
Who could ask for any more
Than an elf on the floor?
There's an elf on the floor, on the floor.

There's an elf on my leg, on my leg
There's an elf on my leg, on my leg.
Oh, he isn't very big,
This elf on my leg
There's an elf on my leg, on my leg.

There's an elf on my tummy, on my tummy
There's an elf on my tummy, on my tummy.
Oh it's really very funny,
There's an elf on my tummy
There's an elf on my tummy, on my tummy.

There's an elf on my arm, on my arm
There's an elf on my arm, on my arm.
He doens't mean any harm,
There's an elf on my arm
There's an elf on my arm, on my arm.

There's an elf on my face, on my face
There's an elf on my face, on my face.
Oh, what a big disgrace,
There's an elf on my face
There's an elf on my face, on my face.

There's an elf on my head, on my head
There's an elf on my head, on my head.
Did you hear what I just said?
There's an elf on my head!
There's an elf on my head, on my head.

There's an elf on the floor, on the floor
There's an elf on the floor, on the floor.
Who could ask for any more
Than an elf on the floor?
There's an elf on the floor, on the floor.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

As we did our animal good-byes I had the children tell me whether the animal came from an egg.  They thought I was teasing when I told them dinosaurs came from eggs!


Enrichment Activities

• Humpty Dumpty Puzzle (from Literacy Centers & Activities for Nursery Rhymes, Volume 1, p. 48)
• Egg sort (sounds)  I filled twelve plastic eggs with six different small objects.  Children shake the eggs and find the ones that sound the same.
• Practice writing the letter E (Four straight lines)
• Lacing Cards

"Puss in Boots" Puppet Show

Several times a year we have Brian Henning, from Urban Prairie Puppet Company come to put on a puppet show in lieu of regular storytimes.  Since last week was the state library convention we thought that would be a good week to have the show.

We had a great turn out for the puppet show...children and parents from all of our storytimes (Baby & Me, Toddler, and Preschool) plus families who aren't able to come to regular storytimes.  The children were very excited for the show and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it!

Brian presented the story of "Puss in Boots" using smaller rod/string puppets.  It made for a nice, intimate show!  He announced that he will be performing "Rapunzel" in the spring!

Happy Birthday Ed Emberley!

Today is author and illustrator, Ed Emberley's birthday!  I was first introduced to Emberley when my daughter attended a baby and parent storytime (my daughter was about 18 months at the time).  The book the librarian read was Go Away, Big Green Monster!

A different part of the monster face is added as you read the story and turn the die-cut pages.  When the whole monster is put together you yell at the monster, "But you don't scare me!"  Then the reader tells each part of the monster's face to "Go Away!"

The librarian encouraged the children to "blow the monster away".  So when the story read, "Go away long bluish-greenish nose" we would all blow, then the librarian would turn the page.  My daughter absolutely loved it!  When we couldn't get it at the library because it was checked out we went to the bookstore and bought ourselves a copy (which we still own...16 years later!)

And it's not just me who recommends this book!  School Library Journal placed Go Away, Big Green Monster! on its top 100 Picture Books List!

Mr. Emberley has written about 80 other books--20 of them are still in print.  He has 13 drawing books many of which are named after the color of the cover (and the things he shows you how to draw that come in that color).  For example,  Ed Emberley's Big Orange Drawing Book shows children how to draw things that are orange, such as a tiger and a jack 'o lantern.

Emberley often collaborates with his family in the publication of the picture books.  He won the Caldecott Medal in 1968 for his illustrations in the book Drummer Hoff, which was written by his wife, Barbara.

More recently he has been working with his daughter, Rebecca, on such books as If You're a Monster and You Know It.

If you haven't had the chance to see his books for youself stop by the library!  We have 13 of his titles!  Maybe you and your child will want to "blow away" the Big Green Monster!

F is for Fall

This week I visited Kindercare and shared with them some books, rhymes and songs about fall and Halloween.  This storytime will be repeated as I visit Welcome School later in the month and when Noah's Ark Preschool visits the library for a storytime.

Books:

When Autumn Falls by: Kelli Nidey

Sneeze, Big Bear, Sneeze  by: Maureen Wright

The Little Old Lady Who was Not Afraid of Anything  by: Linda Williams

Songs and Fingerplays

A-C-O-R-N

(tune: Bingo)

There is a nut that squirrels like

And acorn is it's name-o

A-C-O-R-N

A-C-O-R-N
A-C-O-R-N
And acorn is it's name-o.

There is a nut that squirrels like
And acron is it's name-o
A-C-O-R-(clap/crunch)

A-C-O-R-(clap/crunch)
A-C-O-R-(clap/crunch)

And acorn is it's name-o.

Continue sining the song taking one letter away from the end time and replacing it with a clap/crunch.  Do this until all the letters of acron are gone.

Scarecrow, Scarecrow

Scarecrow, scarecrow turn around

 Scarecrow, scarecrow touch the ground

Scarecrow, scarecrow reach up high

Scarecrow, scarecrow touch the sky

Scarecrow, scarecrow bend down low

Scarecrow, scarecrow touch your toe.

Autumn Leaves
(tune: Did you ever see a lassie?)

Autumn leaves are hanging, are hanging, are hanging

Autumn leaves are hanging , hanging today.

Autumn leaves turn colors, turn colors, turn colors

Autumn leaves turn colors, turn colors today.

Autumn leaves are falling, are falling, are falling

Autumn leaves are falling, are falling today.

Autumn leaves are dancing, are dancing, are dancing

Autumn leaves are dancing, dancing today.

Autumn leaves are raked up, are raked up, are raked up

Autumn leaves are raked up, raked up today.

Autumn leaves get jumped in, jumped in, jumped in

Autumn leaves get jumped in, jumped in today!

Fall Riddles (from Totline)

Beneath your feet you hear us crunch,
Then we get raked into a bunch.
What are we?  Leaves

I drop off trees, and their I lie,
Til someone bakes me in a pie.
What am I?  An Apple

I stand in the field and scare a bird,
But I don't say a single word.
What am I?  A scarecrow

I'm cold in autumn, if I blow,
I swirl the leaves and make a show.
What am I?  The wind

Of all the flowers, I am the queen,
With yellow petals and seeds between.
What am I?  A sunflower

I'm big and oragne and quite a catch,
When you pick me from the patch.
What am I?  A pumpkin

D is for...

Another week of lots of great words that start with the "letter of the day"!  We discovered today that there are quite a few animals that start with D:  dog, dinosaur, duck, dolphin, deer, dragon! 

Books

I want a dog by: Helga Bansch

What child doesn't want a dog?!  This story describes a girl who has to become creative in order to make her wish for a dog come true...and still live in a small apartment with her parents!  The book's illustrations allow children to talk about what is happening in the story.

Who wants a dragon?  by: James Mayhew

One of my favorite books!  By the end of the story children want the dragon themselves, so he's not all alone!  A reassuring ending make this a perfect read aloud!

Songs/Fingerplays/Rhymes

D-O-N-U-T
(sung to Bingo)
I made a large paper donut and wrote the letters around it, then cut it apart.  This way I am able to point to each letter as we sing the song to reinforce letter recognition.  I also always do my "Bingo" type songs backwards from the traditional way.  I have found that it is much easier for children to clap the correct number of times when we sing the letters then clap.  This also gives children the chance to see and hear the letter of the day more often.

There is a treat I like to eat
And donut is its name-o
D-O-N-U-T
D-O-N-U-T
D-O-N-U-T
Save a bite for me!  Munch!

There is a treat I like to eat
And donut is its name-o
D-O-N-U-(clap)
D-O-N-U-(clap)
D-O-N-U-(clap)
Save a bite for me!  Munch!

There is a treat I like to eat
And donut is its name-o
D-O-N-(clap, clap)
D-O-N-(clap, clap)
D-O-N-(clap, clap)
Save a bite for me!  Munch!

There is a treat I like to eat
And donut is its name-o
D-O-(clap, clap, clap)
D-O-(clap, clap, clap)
D-O-(clap, clap, clap)
Save a bite for me! Munch!

There is a treat I like to eat
And donut is its name-o
D-(clap, clap, clap, clap)
D-(clap, clap, clap, clap)
D-(clap, clap, clap, clap)
Save a bite for me! Munch!

There is a treat I like to eat
And donut is its name-o
(clap-clap-clap-clap-clap)
(clap-clap-clap-clap-clap)
(clap-clap-clap-clap-clap)
There's no bites left for me!

Five Little Ducks

5 little ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
When the mother duck said,
"Quack, quack, quack, quack"
4 little ducks came waddling back.

4 little ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
When the mother duck said,
"Quack, quack, quack, quack"
3 little ducks came waddling back.

3 little ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
When the mother duck said,
"Quack, quack, quack, quack"
2 little ducks came waddling back.

2 little ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
When the mother duck said,
"Quack, quack, quack, quack"
1 little duck came waddling back.

1 little duck went out to play
Over the hills and far away
When the mother duck said,
"Quack, quack, quack, quack"
No little ducks came waddling back.

But when the daddy duck said,
"QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!"
5 little ducks came waddling back!

Hickory, Dickory, Dock

Hickory, dickory, dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down.
Hickory, dickory, dock

We had a little extra time both days so we said the rhyme several times using different creatures besides a mouse:  bug, duck, frog, and spider

Enrichment Activities

Dot-to-dot (letter D)
Dominoes
Dog Matching Game
Plastic Dinosaurs
Glue dots on a dinosaur

Reading at the Ranch

Monday night I was invited to visit the Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Ranch to be a guest reader.  Wake Robin Elementary school PTA sponsored "Reading at the Ranch" for their students.  Along with myself, Mrs. B, a classroom teacher, the principal, and two UNO student athletes read Halloween and fall books.  Following the reading they got to roast hot dogs and marshmallows.  Because of the set up some students didn't stay for the books, but went to the play area instead.  But it was a fun evening!  I love going out into the community to share some of my favorite books!

I'm not afraid of this haunted house by: Laurie Friedman

The Little Old Lady who was not afraid of anything by: Linda Williams