Tag Archives: Katherine R.

Exploration Stations: A New Adventure at GPL

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Hello, Miss Katherine here! I lead our Jump Start program aimed at babies and toddlers, and Miss Anne leads our Smart Start program aimed at preschoolers. This summer, we are launching Exploration Stations.

One of the most common pieces of feedback we get is that people want more programming. We each lead 7 storytimes a week, and have been trying to find a way to meet that need while also keeping up the same quality and reliability. Starting in June, we will offer drop-in, caregiver-led rooms full of our favorite activities. All of the items are curated to support your child’s physical and mental development, with a focus on early literacy, STEAM concepts, sensory exploration, and play.

Miss Anne’s preschoolers already have a wonderful activity room – this will be very similar, but will be open longer and also available on Fridays.

For our two-year-olds, this will also be a familiar concept – it will be similar to the activity room we already have. Our Terrific Twos storytime program will now be separate and unique from the Baby/Toddler, a development that I am so excited about. And we’re packing the activity room full of toys and materials suitable for a wider age range, from babies through two-year-olds. Rather than just being offered to Terrific Two’s participants, the space will be open to everyone under three. It will be open during and after storytime, perfect if you want the opportunity to extend storytime.

We’re so excited, and we hope you join us in June to experience the fun!

 

Jump Start Exploration Stations will be open Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30-1 and Friday, 11:30-3

Smart Start Exploration Stations will be open Wednesday – Friday, 11:30-3

 

Review: Out of School and Into Nature

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Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story
by Suzanne Slade
5 stars

Anna Comstock loved nature from a young age, and grew up watching the world around her. She married an entomologist she met at Cornell, who piqued her interest in drawing bugs. Her illustrations were both beautiful and accurate representations of the specimens she studied. Comstock became the first female professor at Cornell, and one of the first instructors to bring students out into nature to study, helping popularize nature study throughout the country.

Suzanne Slade’s book is beautifully illustrated, and focuses entirely on Comstock. With sweet, lilting quotes that convey her passion for nature, Comstock is wonderfully portrayed in this biography.

 

Read-alikes

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez

Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark by Heather Lang

Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre and His World of Insects by Matthew Clark Smith

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Review: What Do They Do with All That Poo?

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What Do They Do with All That Poo?
by Jane Kurtz
5 stars

Have you ever wondered what happens with all the animal poo at zoos? I have to admit, I took it for granted. Kurtz takes you through what various animal poos look like, from shape to consistency. It’s more than you may want to know, but for kids who are obsessed with all things gross this is a perfect book.

 

Read-alikes

Worms for Breakfast: How to Feed a Zoo! by Helaine Becker

Flies Eat Poop! By Miriam Coleman

Poop Detectives: Working Dogs in the Field by Ginger Wadsworth

Review: How to Code a Sandcastle

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How to Code a Sandcastle
by Josh Funk
5 stars

We’re living in the age of STEM education, with a conscious effort to encourage scientific skills in young minds. At the library, this means weekly Full Steam Ahead programs for our school-age kids. And for publishing, this means more engaging nonfiction books, and a growing variety of STEM-themed picture books.

How to Code a Sandcastle is a fun, simple introduction to the ideas and principles behind coding. It focuses on Pearl and her robot, Pascal, who are enjoying a day at the beach. Pearl wants to make a sandcastle. She decides to get help from Pascal, but discovers that the directions she gives must be precise. Pascal gets into all sorts of trouble with her faulty code – at one point continuously piling up sand because Pearl did not know to close the loop. For kids who want to learn more about coding, this is a fun introduction to basic tools like if/then and loops.

 

Read-alikes

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

Charlotte the Scientist is Squished by Camille Andros

Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming