Tag Archives: kids

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

Let the Kids Play!

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As a nation we are known for competition and achievement. I’ve been told that when the great French child development specialist, Jean Piaget, unveiled his research on the four stages of cognitive development (https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html ) that it was only the Americans who inquired how they could get children to go through the stages faster.

Especially with the onset of full day kindergarten our preschools have been pressured to restructure their curriculum to focus more and more on academics. Now teachers and therapists are noticing an alarming trend: Children are not emotionally or physically prepared for school! Children are falling out of their chairs, they don’t know how to share, and they are exhibiting anxiety and sensory issues. The cause for these maladies the experts say is that children are not allowed to simply play anymore. With the emphasis on academics we have misguidedly neglected the skills that children naturally developed when allowed to have unrestricted play.

Articles of interest on this topic:

If you notice GPL’s new play area you will see that the designers have provided a plethora of opportunities for your child to experience exciting and imaginative play. There are games that will teach your child how to wait their turn, costumes and play spaces that will help your child engage in cooperative play with new friends, and building toys that will help with fine motor coordination. So come and enjoy! Let the children PLAY!

 

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

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1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a early literacy program that can help foster the love of reading in young children. This free, self-paced reading program for infants through preschoolers allows parents and caregivers an opportunity to share books daily with their child. The goal is 1000 books before they start Kindergarten and, yes, they can read the same book more than once. Libraries across the United States have joined in, providing incentives and promotion for this fun challenge.

Here at the Greenwood Public Library we’ve been eager to finally start, and have been kicking around the idea for the past couple of years. It’s all come together. We have the cutest little fox friend as our mascot, along with tons of awesome prizes for children and their grown-ups as they read.

We have special logs to help you keep track. Keep progress with stamps on the back for every 10 books you read, and earn two big stickers (one for the log and one for you) for every log of 100 books you complete. After the first 100 books, you’ll earn a 1000 Books tote bag. At 300, 500, 800, and 1000 you’ll earn a free book, and at 1000 books when you finish the program, you’ll join our ranks of finishers.

Research shows that children who are read to daily in the years prior to kindergarten not only have an increased vocabulary but are better prepared to learn to read and succeed in school. Also, creating a special time to read together shows your child the value and enjoyment of reading from a young age. If you want to join us on this adventure, stop by the library to sign up and pick up your first log!

Review: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

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Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
by Jessica Townsend
5 stars

Anyone who loves Harry Potter should give this new series a try!

This delightful story centers on poor Morrigan Crowe – a cursed child born on Eventide who is doomed to die midnight on her 11th birthday. In her city Morrigan is the scapegoat for any and everyone’s misfortune. Her cold indifferent family seems to even look forward to her demise. On the evening of her impending death an unlikely man shows up to save her and spirits her away to a secret and magical city where she is entered into a series of quests to join the Wundrous Society. Listen to the audio book – IT’S AMAZING!

 

Read-alikes

Miss Ellicott’s School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Review: Restart

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Restart
by Gordon Korman
5 stars

Chase is a junior high athlete who falls off a roof one day and wakes up with total amnesia. He doesn’t even recognize his own mother. As he learns to navigate his “new” circumstances he gradually finds out that he is a bully and a jerk. He sees the terror in the eyes of his 4 yr. old sister and in the faces of his classmates.

This book has universal appeal! I had a 5th grade boy come up to the desk when I was talking about it to give his enthusiastic recommendation! I couldn’t put it down!

 

Read-alikes

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson

Fast Break by Mike Lupica