Greenwood Public Library Blogs

What’s New in Storytime?

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Recently I began a new phonological awareness program with the kids in Smart Start Story Time. This program is from the curriculum adopted by Greenwood Schools by Michael Heggerty, PhD and is the pre-kindergarten component. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. This is one of the most important skills that predict reading ability. So, if you hear the familiar refrain of, “It’s rhyming time, it’s rhyming time, it’s rhyming time, OH YEAH!!!!” That’s one of our new warm up exercises in story time. We will be doing, “Take 2 words and put them together” for compound words and lots of work on the first and last sound you hear in a word. Research has shown that playing with words in this way helps develop their expertise in isolating sounds. According to the website, Reading Rockets, here are some things you can do at home:

  • Help your child think of a number of words that start with the /m/ or /ch/ sound, or other beginning sounds.
  • Make up silly sentences with words that begin with the same sound, such as “Nobody was nice to Nancy’s neighbor”.
  • Play simple rhyming or blending games with your child, such as taking turns coming up with words that rhyme (go – no) or blending simple words (/d/, /o/, /g/ = dog).
  • Read books with rhymes. Teach your child rhymes, short poems, and songs.
  • Practice the alphabet by pointing out letters wherever you see them and by reading alphabet books.
  • Consider using computer software that focuses on developing phonological and phonemic awareness skills. Many of these programs use colorful graphics and animation that keep young children engaged and motivated.
  • Follow this link for more information on phonological and phonemic awareness: https://tinyurl.com/39jekm3

Below is a wonderful video on a classroom that uses this method:

 

 

Review: Anatomy of a Miracle

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Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathon Miles
5 stars

When confronted by a seeming miracle, how do we, in modern society, react? This is the construct upon which this novel is built. When Cameron Harris, a paralyzed veteran of the war in Afghanistan, rises up out of his wheelchair in the parking lot of the Biz-E-Bee convenience store, we see how various people respond to this other-worldly event.

Is it a miracle, or hoax? His doctor views it scientifically, delving into medical records from the time the old Soviet bomb exploded and severed Cameron’s spinal cord. Was he hiding his ability to walk for four years to avoid being called back to serve?

Many people become involved, including an investigator from Rome, arriving to research claims of this “miracle” for the Catholic church.

Theories and suspicions grow in the community and online, as Cameron, himself struggles to understand what happened to him and why. To complicate matters, a reality TV show based on Cameron is being filmed, with the Biz-E-Bee becoming a pilgrimage spot for those seeking miracles. A circus ensues…

The underlying story of what happened in Afghanistan is slowly brought into focus, with the true miracle happening at the end of the book, one in which love heals and Cameron may at last find peace.

 

Read-alikes

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Review: The Kiss of the Spindle

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The Kiss of the Spindle: A Steampunk Sleeping Beauty
by Nancy Campbell Allen
4 stars

In The Kiss of the Spindle Nancy Campbell Allen gives the reader a delightful Sleeping Beauty tale with a steampunk twist. Our heroine, Dr. Isla Cooper, has been cursed by a powerful witch so that she goes into a deep, nearly dead, sleep at the stroke of midnight each evening and cannot wake for six hours. The curse will end after a year…with her never waking up at all. As the year mark draws near, Isla’s on a quest to track down the witch, who is the only one who can reverse the curse, to a Caribbean island. To gain transportation from England, she blackmails shipping magnet Daniel Pickett to take her along on his airship (yes, this is steampunk!) to the island. Unbeknownst to her, Pickett is secretly transporting illegal shapeshifters who can be free in the Caribbean. And Nigel Crowe, a government official who wants to eradicate shapeshifters, forces himself along for the ride, too. Isla, who is an empath for shapeshifters, and Daniel join forces to protect the shapeshifters from Crowe. And Daniel pledges to help Isla on her quest for survival. Packed in between all that drama, a sweet romance (read: no explicit scenes) emerges between Isla and Daniel. I’m not a huge steampunk fan, but Nancy Campbell Allen’s world is wonderfully developed, and she has a knack for developing the relationships amongst her characters. A fun, quick read!

Read-alikes:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

 

 

 

Native American Heritage Month

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November is Native American Heritage Month here in the United States. First officially designated in 1990 by President Bush, the month is designed to give space for Native people in the United States to share and celebrate their culture. Finding books with honest portrayals of Native people (especially those written by Native authors) is not an easy task. With the help of Debbie Reese’s blog, American Indians in Children’s Literature, here’s a list of our favorites.

 

The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales  by James Bruchac
An anthology of Native American folk tales from across the country. Bruchac includes important historical and cultural context for each tale, and tales are kept short ensuring that they can be read in one sitting. Beautiful oil-on-wood illustrations can be found throughout.  Recommended for ages 8+

 

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom  by Tim Tingle
In the early 1800s, the Bok Chitto river separated the sovereign Choctaw nation from Mississippi plantations. Enslaved people who were able to cross the river were free, and according to legend the Choctaw people has built a path of stones just underneath the water to help them escape. This picture book tells the story of a Choctaw boy who helps save his enslaved friend. Heart-warming, exciting, and beautifully illustrated. Recommended for ages 7+

 

Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky: Poetry and Prose by Lakota Youth at Red Cloud Indian School
This collection of poems was written by middle schoolers at Red Cloud Indian School and assembled by their teachers. It gives their personal accounts of their experiences and identities as Lakota people. Recommended for ages  11+

 

Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina  by Maria Tallchief
Maria Tallchief was America’s first major Prima Ballerina, and the first Native American to hold the rank. Her parents worked with her to help her become the best dancer she could be. In this picture book, she tells her story of how she came to dance and the success she found in her career. Recommended for ages 7+

 

 

The Birchbark House  by Louise Erdrich
Erdrich is Ojibwe, as are her characters in the Birchbark House series. The Birchbard House is the first book, and it follows Omakayas and her family as they live on an island in Lake Superior around 1847. We learn about their stories, traditions, and ways of life. Great for fans of the Little House series who want an accurate representation of some Native American lives during pioneer times. Recommended for ages 9+

 

Sweetest Kulu  by Celina Kalluk
Kalluk writes a sweet, lulling bedtime story about an Inuit mother singing her baby to sleep. Readers learn about Inuit values, with people and animals coexisting together. Written by acclaimed Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk, this is a beautiful #OwnVoices pick, perfect for young children and new parents. Recommended for all ages.