Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

        I am happy to report that I have just finished reading Diana Gabaldon’s eighth title in the Outlander Series: “ Written in my own Heart’s Blood.” This title takes place directly after book seven and features more of the characters, adventures, joys, and sorrows dedicated readers of this series love. But for those who aren’t interested in this series, or haven’t yet caught the reading bug for these stories; I would like to introduce you to something a little bit different.
         “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” (also available as an ebook) was published back in 2011 by Ransom Riggs (this being his first novel) and is considered to be a children’s chapter book. I read this title last year and was thoroughly impressed with the storyline, themes, and characters. I see that Tim Burton is working on a movie version of this story set to be released sometime next year…and that a sequel to this story was published this past January.
         The main character, Jacob Portman, witnesses his tall-tale-telling grandfather’s death at the hands of a hideous monster that apparently only Jacob can see. Shortly after, Jacob travels with his father to a small island near Wales which is near the orphanage that his grandfather had lived in for a time when he was a child. Jacob sets out to explore the remains of the old orphanage but instead encounters far more than he could ever have imagined. (The plot is rather twisty and complex so I won’t explain it all and ruin the magic for you!)
         If you like adventure stories with a bit of “spooky” this would be a great choice. I would recommend this title to adults, young adults, and kids alike (though some younger kids might find the book a bit disturbing…but with some parental discussion they should manage just fine!) If you want to beat the rush that will likely happen when trailers for the movie start coming out; pick up a copy today! The library or a good bookstore should be able to provide you with a copy of this amazing story.


Book Review by Diana McCarthy, Community Librarian in Falkland

The Importance of Early Literacy

Storytimes resume in September, so this seems like a good time to talk about the importance of early literacy.

Early literacy is defined as the pre-reading skills children acquire from ages 0-5, which help them prepare for and succeed in school.

Children are born with 100 billion brain cells, the same number as adults, and 85% of those cells are developed before kindergarten.  Brain researchers liken brain development to building a house, and the first three years are vital to building a strong foundation and framework. The bonds a child forms in his early years are crucial to future learning and success. Parents are children’s first teachers, so at the Library we work to educate parents on the importance of shared reading and learning experiences. The Library’s programs and collections emphasize the five early literacy practices, as outlined in the American Library Association’s “Every Child Ready to Read” program: Sing, Talk, Read, Write and Play.

Singing (which includes nursery rhymes) increases children’s awareness of and sensitivity to the sounds of words. It doesn’t matter if you are a “good singer” – children will respond to your voice before all others. Have fun with silly songs and bounces, or soothe children with lullabies and gentle swings. The Library has a great collection of children’s music CDs and nursery rhyme books.

Talking with children helps them build their vocabulary and learn oral language. Self-expression and narrative skills are crucial to communication and developing interpersonal relationships. Talk to your child about your day together, ask them questions, and narrate your activities (e.g.: “Now we are putting on our shoes, so we can go and play at the park”). The Library is a great place for your child to interact with others his or her own age!

Reading together, or shared reading, remains the single most effective way to help children become proficient readers. Expose children to a variety of books and authors – your library card allows you to borrow up to 100 items for 3 weeks at a time, so borrow away! Our board book collection is intended for our youngest readers – the thick cardboard, laminated pages stand up to exploring hands (and teeth!). Let your child practice turning the pages, point out pictures together…let your child have fun with books. It’s also great to be a reader role model – if your child sees you enjoying books and newspapers, they will learn that reading is an enjoyable pastime.

Writing, scribbling and colouring all help children learn fine motor skills and learn that written words stand for spoken language. Pick up your weekly colouring sheet at the Library and help your child practice writing his or her name. Point to words when you read together. Use alphabet magnets to put together sounds and words on the fridge.

Playing helps children put thoughts into words and think symbolically, so they understand that spoken and written words represent real objects and experiences. Play develops their imagination, creativity and social skills. Children will often mimic real life situations (grocery store shopping or “playing library”), helping them make sense of their world.

Storytimes for babies through to preschoolers are held at branches across the region!

Details about these programs, and others, can be found on our website: http://www.orl.bc.ca.

 

Have fun visiting the Library and exploring these early literacy practices with your child.

 

Written by Elena Doebele, Head Librarian for Westbank Branch

Get Ready for Back to School!

     With summer vacation coming to an end, it’s time to get ready for school!
     To prepare preschool children for Kindergarten, we recommend two great picture books:  Pete The Cat: The Wheels on the Bus by James Dean; and The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School by Deborah Diesen in which Mr. Fish tells about his challenging , but fun first day of school.
     If you love playing video games, you should login to The Nerdy Dozen by Jeff Miller. Neil Andertol and his video game buddies are recruited by the Air Force, after hacking into a classified military training program.
     Unexpected and dire consequences result when best friends Matt and Craz’s cartoons become real on a weird web site at Kilgore Junior High!  Draw your own conclusions in The Awesome, Almost 100% True Adventures of Matt & Craz written by Alan Silberberg.
     Once homework starts, you will be checking out the library, so read The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand by Jan Swann Downey.  Accidentally opening a portal to Petrarch’s Library, Dorrie and her brother Marcus uncover warrior librarians, who travel in time, protecting the world’s great thinkers from torture and death for sharing knowledge and ideas.
     A graduation day of another type awaits teen readers in Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau, in which the United Commonwealth wants to stop the rebel alliance fighting to destroy The Testing for Good.  Find out if Cia is ready to lead the chase, with her classmates following her into battle. 
     Every teen needs school spirit, but when fifteen-year old Izzy, whose ancestors were monster hunters, investigates hauntings in his new high school, he gets an icy reception!  Ghosts wreak havoc in School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins.
    School stories of all sorts are available at your local library.  Check out our website at www.orl.bc.ca  or ask a librarian for books, programs and more!

Written by Linda Youmans, Youth Collections/System Librarian, Okanagan Regional Library

Random Acts of Libraryness by James Laitinen at Salmon Arm Branch

As the great Austin Powers once said, “Allow myself to introduce myself”.  I am the new Branch

James & Roswitha at Roswitha's
Retirement Party

Head Librarian at the Salmon Arm Library.   Having grown up in Salmon Arm, it’s great to be back.  Thanks again to Roswitha Klawitter for her 18 exuberant years as Branch Head, and we wish her all the best in her new adventures.  We also bid a fond farewell to Colleen Smith, who worked 16 years at the Circulation Desk.

Random Acts of Libraryness

Maybe I’m being lazy with my first column, but I thought I would start off by highlighting some of the many services offered at the library:
• We’re more than just books (although we have a lot of those).  We have movies, TV series on DVD, audiobooks on CD, free Wi-Fi, workstations with internet access and Microsoft Office.  And people to help answer your questions (because Google and Siri just haven’t mastered the personal touch).
• Looking for something to read, but the library is closed?  You can download hundreds of magazines for free from our Zinio magazine collection.  Just a small sample of available titles:  Car and Driver, Rolling Stone, Knitters Magazine, Harvard Business Review, The Walrus, Shape, Us Weekly, Wood Magazine and many, many more.  Click on the ‘Zinio for Libraries’ icon on our homepage (www.orl.bc.ca), and start your own personal collection.
• If you’re having problems downloading eBooks or audiobooks to your eReader or tablet, you can make an appointment with myself or Alice, and we can show you the process from start to finish.  Just phone the library at 250-832-6161 or email us at salmonarm@orl.bc.ca
• Many of you audiobook-philes have probably discovered our collection of OverDrive downloadable audiobooks, but don’t forget our OneClick collection, which includes a number of Canadian titles
• Are you looking after kids yet in August, but have run out of reading ideas for them?  If you’re looking for advice, just head to the ‘Custom Booklist’ link on our website.  One of our librarians will create a booklist of 5 children or young adult titles
• Do you need to scan and email a document?  Our photocopier can scan and email a PDF copy of any document you need to send
• Did you know that we have books in other languages?  Our collection includes books in French, Chinese, Dutch, German, Japanese, Punjabi and Spanish.  We just got a brand new batch of books in Spanish.

Roots and Blues

If you’re going to Roots and Blues, and want to preview some of the performers, dig into our deep CD collection.  We have a wide range of titles, from headliners such as The Sheepdogs and Ian Tyson to emerging talents like Shad and MonkeyJunk.

Staff Picks

Ardie, our Youth Services Librarian, recommends Glimpse: The Dean Curse Chronicles by Steven Whibley, a Canadian author whose style is reminiscent of Gordon Korman and Sigmund Brouwer.    This is a thriller for ages 9-12 about, as the author describes “24 hours to save a life”.

And In Other Library News

• Saturday Afternoon Book Club:  Join Alice on Saturday, August 23 to discuss The Golden Spruce:  A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed by John Vaillant, which won the 2005 Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction.  Check out our branch webpage for upcoming book club titles (http://www.orl.bc.ca/branches/salmon-arm)
• We will be launching a new version of our catalogue and website in early October.  If you have been using the Enhanced Catalogue, the new catalogue will be quite similar in look and feel. 

Column by James Laitinen, new Head Librarian for the Salmon Arm Branch
This column was first published in the FRIDAY AM Paper

Beware of Summer Brain Drain!

Assistant Community Librarian Raphael Desjarlais.

     Raphael not only works at the Westbank and Mission branches of the Okanagan Regional Library, but she is also the School Librarian at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School in West Kelowna; consequently, Raphael is a great person to ask about book recommendations for school-age kids!
     Raphael and her family have lived in the Lakeview area of West Kelowna for the past 17 years.

Beware, Summer Brain Drain!
     A disturbing but well documented fact is that children’s academic performance declines by approximately one month during the summer. This loss, called Summer Slide, or Summer Learning Loss, or Brain Drain, is cumulative over time. Children who do not read during the summer can have their reading skills slip entire grade levels during the course of their elementary years.
     Children often stop learning in the summer and instead focus on indoor activities that are sedentary and involve electronic devices like video games, television and social media sites. Research shows that if they participate in summer reading programs they can actually make academic gains over the summer. In order to stem academic decline children need to be exposed to high-quality summer learning opportunities. The catch is, where to find these opportunities?
     One easy, free method is to simply visit the library. We offer a variety of programs, materials and electronic resources that expose children to learning and cultural experiences. The Westbank Library‘s Summer Reading Club offers weekly reading activities and cultural programs including a magic show, clown, drawing class, puppet show and balloon art. There are also weekly contests with prizes.
     Every study recommends taking children to the library to stem reading loss, so please visit the Westbank branch either in person or online this summer!

Series Recommendations for Summer Reading:

Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko
This series is an early chapter book for children who have just become independent readers. Low vocabulary but high interest content with illustrations on every page.

Bad Kitty by Nick Burel
Again a high interest, low vocabulary book with lots of illustrations. Appealing to both boys and girls this book is for emergent readers that can decode information from illustrations and contextual clues.

Nancy Clancy by Jane O’Connor
Transitioning from picture books to chapter books, the Fancy Nancy character with her excellent vocabulary now includes educational themes in her story lines.

Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer
Aimed at pre-teens and written by “Glee” actor Chris Colfer this series is an entertaining and imaginative story of kids in a fairy tale world. Even though some of the books reviews have been critical of Colfer’s writing, I have not found a child who did not enjoy the book.

Did You Know?
The Okanagan Regional Library’s website features educational databases as well as an online catalogue where children can browse for library material. One recommended database is TumbleBook Library for Kids. TumbleBooks is an online, multilingual tool that allows children to read electronically. The site offers story books, chapter books, math stories, puzzles, educational games and a library of animated books that is an excellent tool for emergent or beginner readers. Access this database free with your Library card!


Elena Dobel is the Branch Head for the Westbank Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. Her columns run monthly in the Westside Weekly newspaper.

Summer Reading Club Kicks Off With a Lot of Funny Business!

Branches throughout the Okanagan Regional Library district are now taking registration for the 2014 Summer Reading Club!

No need for kids to be bored this summer. There will be a lot of funny business going on this summer for kids aged 5 to 12. Best of all – it’s free!

Registration in the ORL Summer Reading Club includes an awesome reading log, chances to win great prizes, lots of special events including magician Leif David, and great programs in the library to help your kids enjoy the world of reading. The theme for this year’s Summer Reading Club is “Funny Business” and our librarians have developed a summer full of opportunities for your kids to laugh out loud. Find out more information about Summer Reading Club here, and discover the details in your area here.

Travelling around a bit this summer? Kids are welcome to drop in at any branch of the ORL to take out books, get stickers on their reading logs and participate in the special events. Please note that some events require preregistration because of space restraints. Please call the branch to preregister your child

Some branches are also offering teen reading clubs and preschool storytimes – check out your branch page for more information.

We hope your kids have a lot of fun at the library this summer!

 

2014 Summer Reading Club Community Story Award Winner

All Summer by Beverley Rintoul from Rossland Public Library

"All summer we had a delightful 8 year-old boy attend the Summer  Reading Club. He came every time, took part in everything, helped  with clean-up and almost cried when told our student was going back  to university.

However, he struggled to read. We spent time finding books that were interesting but not difficult to read. And still he struggled.

Last week I ran into his mum and we talked about what fun he'd had. She said she was frustrated by the lack of improvement in his  reading until the day before, when suddenly, out of a clear blue sky, he read recipe instructions to his dad without stumbling or stopping to sound out words.

She believes it was because we spent the time, making him believe that there were books out there for him."

 

What's your Summer Reading Club story? Has your child or someone you know been positively impacted by the program? Let us know in the comments section!

 

For more information about the Summer Reading Club and fun programs happening through the Okanagan Regional Library system please click here.

 

National Aboriginal Day Book Recommendations

Saturday, June 21 is National Aboriginal Day, so this month I thought I would recommend some great local First Nations authors that I’ve enjoyed reading recently:

I See Me by Margaret Manuel

This baby book is filled with images of baby eating, sleeping and playing. Little ones love to see pictures of other babies! A PDF file of all the words in Okanagan (Sylix) is also available for download at Theytus Books (www.theytus.com). Margaret Manuel was born in Kamloops, raised in Merritt, and is of Okanagan and Shuswap heritage.

Dancing with the Cranes by Jeannette Armstrong

This is a gentle story for families about love, loss and the circle of life. Chi’s momma is expecting a baby, but Chi is having a hard time being happy about it. Chi misses Temma (her grandma), who has passed away. Chi’s momma and daddy help Chi understand life and death as part of nature. Armstrong’s language evokes beautiful imagery and, as a nature lover myself, I loved the descriptions of the cranes’ migration. Jeannette Armstrong is from the Okanagan Nation and was born and raised on the Penticton Reserve. We have many of her books at the Library, including Slash, which is recognized as an important work of literature and studied in high schools, colleges and universities. Illustrator Ron Hall is an Aboriginal artist of Okanagan and Thompson ancestry and is a member of the Osoyoos Band.

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

I loved this novel, a Canada Reads selection in 2013. Saul Indian Horse is dying in a hospice. He looks back on his life as a northern Ojibway, when as a young boy he was taken forcibly from the land and his family and sent to a residential school. Salvation comes for a while through his incredible gifts as a hockey player. But in the harsh realities of 1960s Canada, he battles obdurate racism and the spirit-destroying effects of cultural alienation and displacement. Although from the Ojibway Wabasseemoong First Nation in northwestern Ontario, Wagamese now lives, writes and teaches in Kamloops. His newest book, Medicine Walk, was just released in April 2014 and you can find copies of it on the Library’s Quick Reads (7 day loan) shelf! 

Nature Power: In the Spirit of an Okanagan Storyteller by Harry Robinson; compiled & edited by Wendy Wickwire

This second edition features stories of the shoo-MISH, or “nature helpers" that assist humans and sometimes provide them with special powers. The concept of nature power is central to most Native cultures and is based on the understanding that a form of spiritual energy animates all things in the natural world. Robinson’s short stories capture the oral storytelling tradition. One of my favourite stories, “You Can’t See Me, But Just Listen,” tells of a man who goes hunting and hears a voice predicting future development. Robinson was a highly respected Okanagan elder who spent his life in the Similkameen Valley. He was one of the Okanagan people’s greatest storytellers.

Stories from Westbank First Nation Women and More Stories from Westbank First Nation Women
These DVDs, produced by Rick Sagayadan in cooperation with BC Museums Association, look at the role of Aboriginal women, whose voices are often under-represented. The first DVD includes a tribute to the late elder, Lala San Pierre, for her contributions to the preservation of cultural and traditional practices, especially through oral storytelling.

Part two celebrates the strength and fortitude of four generations of First Nation women, many of whom have faced the challenges of raising families while trying to make a living under extreme circumstances. Both films emphasize the vital role indigenous women play in maintaining cultural and traditional practices within their communities.

Be sure to ask at the Library for other recommended reads by local First Nations authors!
Check out these booklists on the ORL Catalogue for more recommendations:
        ORL Reads - Okanagan First Nation history, stories & legends
        ORL Reads - Kids - First Nations Books

  ORL Reads – ResidentialSchools

  ORL Reads – First Nations of Canada

  Theytus Books – Celebrating 30 Years

 

Learn more about National Aboriginal Day here.


Recommendations by Elena Doebelle, Librarian at Westbank Branch

Go Buggy for Books at the Okanagan Regional Library!

Spring into action by reading some great nature books! 

Captain Bob keeps a watchful eye on bugs everywhere in “Bug Patrol” by Denise Dowling Mortensen.  To find out if butterflies taste with their feet – just read “How Does a Caterpillar Become aButterfly? And other Questions about – Butterflies” by Melissa Stewart.  Reciting a romantic insect poem, such as “Lovebug Alone” to your favorite bug buddy is possible if you check out “BugOff! Creepy, Crawly Poems” by Jane Yolen. An early reader Spring series has “Animals in Spring” by Martha E.H. Rustad as one of its titles!

Of course, with spring comes frogs and baseball!  Join the frog family when they wake up in the spring and decide to get the other hibernating animals up too in “999 Frogs Wake Up” by Ken Kimura. Tiny tike sports fans will enjoy “Goodnight Baseball” by Michael Dael for the perfect bedtime book! Beginning readers will love the illustrations in “Springtime inBugland!” by David A. Carter where all the Bugland critters celebrate spring. 

Perhaps you are going away for Spring Break. Books to bring would be:   “Lulu and theDog From the Sea” by Hilary McKay, a chapter book;  “Paper Crafts” by Gini Holland which features gift wrap origami paper lanterns; and “The Ultimate Book of Family Card Games” by Oliver Ho.

For older creepy crawly fans, read “The Worm Whisperer” by Betty Hicks.  You can cheer on Ellison Ellis Coffey, a fifth grader, who discovers that he has a special gift of talking to bugs, and decides to use his new-found skills to enter in the town’s annual Woolly Worm Race!  Many teens will enjoy Meg Cabot’s “The Princess Present”, while others will race to read “The ForbiddenStone” by Tony Abbott. So enjoy spring and go buggy over books!

 

by Linda Youmans, Youth Collections/System Librarian

Wintery Books for Inside and Out!

Winter is a wonderful time to share books with your family. Below are some great book suggestions for the wintery months ahead. Snuggle up with a mug of cocoa and stay warm inside reading or put your mittens on and get outside for some wintery fun!

Heartwarming winter picture books:

 

• Old Bear and His Cub by Olivier Dunrea
• Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
• Duck at the Door by Jackie Urbanovic
• Snow Dog, Go Dog by Deborah Heiligman
• Pip & Squeak by Ian Schoenherr
• Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
• Rabbit’s Gift: A Fable from China by George Shannon
• Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean Pendziwol

Get outside! Winter activity books:

 

• Snow Play: How to Make Forts & Slides & Campfires by Birgitta Ralston
• The Wild Weather Book: Loads of Things to Do Outdoors in Rain, Wind and Snow by Fiona Danks
• Snow Amazing: Cool Facts and Warm Tales by Jane Drake
• Building Snow Forts by Dana Meachen Rau
• Let’s Look at Winter by Sarah L. Schuette
• Explore Winter! By Maxine Anderson
• Snowy Science: 25 Cool Experiments by Shar Levine

Suggestions by Ashley Machum,Youth Services Librarian
Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Regional Library

Okanagan Reads for Kids

Read … right out of the gate! Join the Okanagan Regional Library as we kick-off our annual Okanagan Reads Book Club.

Saturday, January 11^th from 11 am to 1 pm

K & S Elite Equestrian Centre, 3830 Casorso Rd, Kelowna

Meet this year’s author, Julie White. See some young riders in action and enjoy a free hotdog and hot chocolate as well as a pony ride. Fun for all ages!

Okanagan Reads for Kids is focused on kids aged 8 to 15. One Okanagan – one author: enjoy any one of Julie White’s four books about horses, friendship and adventure. Take part in some of the great activities in your local library branches, and win some great prizes, including iPad Minis as well as family packs for Caravan Farm Theatre and the Armstrong IPE, when you enter our bookmark, story-telling and book trailer contests! All details are available at www.okanaganreads.ca.

Julie White, a Canadian Children’s author from Armstrong, has written 4 books in a series.  Her first book, The Secret Pony, has won the “Our Choice Award” and was nominated for the “Chocolate Lily Award”!  In addition to writing, Julie is also a Pony Club Examiner, riding instructor and course designer. She lives on a horse farm in Armstrong with her husband, Robert, a former jockey, where they raise thoroughbreds for racing and jumping.

 

“The Secret Pony”:  When Kristy finds out that her neighbor’s pony, Lancelot, whom she has been taking care of and riding, is going to be sold, she secretly buys him. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get the chance to tell her busy mother and has to hide him at a friend’s stable. After the secret is discovered, and Lancelot shows an act of bravery, Kristy finds the support she needs coming from a most unexpected source.

“High Fences”:  In order to stop their farm from going into foreclosure, Faye allows her grandmother to sell her fantastic pony, Robin.  The new owner, Nicole, a spoiled rich girl, learns the “secret” of how to handle him from Faye. In the end, Faye helps Nicole and Robin in a very important competition and all three share a secret together!

“Riding Through Fire”:  Twelve-year-old Kristy and her pony, Lancelot, are asked to help in their first cattle round-up, but she ends up being partnered with a 14 year-old boy, Jesse, who treats her badly.  When Jesse and his horse get lost in a raging fire nearby, the amazing Lancelot saves all of their lives.

“Under The Wire”: Reid, a 16 year-old boy, holds down the fort when his jockey mother ends up in the hospital after a serious fall during a race.  However, when she recovers she announces that she is getting out of the jockey business and wants Reid out, too!  But Reid wants a future as a jockey and will try to prove to everyone that he’s got what it takes to get in first under the wire.

 

As librarians, we know the difference that reading makes in children’s lives – helping improve their school marks, teaching them empathy, preparing them for a successful future - all while having fun! We hope you will encourage your children to participate in Okanagan Reads for Kids!

 

Digital Books and More to Enjoy over the Holidays!

The library may be closed over the holidays, but you can always visit our online collections!

Stay cozy and warm inside while delighting in free music, magazines, eBooks, eAudiobooks, and more – all available through your library website with your library membership.

There are hundreds of popular fiction and non-fiction downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks available from the ORL eBooks collection.

Hungering for more eAudiobooks? Check out OneClickdigital, our newest collection featuring thousands of popular eAudiobooks.  It is a great way to find books to listen to while you are travelling to see family.

Catch up with the latest in politics, business, entertainment and wit your favourite hobbies by checking out the digital magazines available from Zinio for Libraries.

These collections may require the creation of an account to use the service or an initial software set-up. Learn how to get started with these collections on the eResources Help page of the ORL website.

But that is not all! There is more!

If you would like to enjoy books with your kids, check out the TumbleBook collections. There are no waitlists and the books play right in the browser of your computer. TumbleBookCloud is great for tweens and teens. There are even quite a few books for high school Language Arts curriculums -- just in case you have a teen who wants get a head-start on their school work over the break. The TumbleBook Library for Kids features animated, talking picture books as well as puzzles and games, based on books in the collection. The TumbleBook Library for Kids collection can even be enjoyed on tablets and mobile devices. 

Ready to explore the online collections? You can find quick links to access some of these collections right on the ORL homepage. You can also discover these and all the other online collections the ORL has to offer by clicking on the “View all Digital Resources” button on the library homepage, www.orl.bc.ca .

Enjoy your holidays – we can’t wait to see you when the library system re-opens on January 2nd!

Christmas is for Kids, and Kids love Books!

 Snowy days and Christmas cheer await families this year!  In “When It Snows” by Richard Collingridge, you will discover the magic of snow by following a boy and his teddy bear on a wondrous snowy adventure to a surprising place. “Santa Is Coming to Canada” details his cross-country visit! In the fractured fairytale, “Santa Claus and the Three Bears” by Maria Modugno, Santa plays the role of Goldilocks with hilarious results!  Join young Zoomer in “Zoomer’s Out-of-This –World Christmas” by Ned Young as he celebrates the festivities with a goofy space family.  If your preschoolers are doing a Christmas show at school, you may wish to read “The Perfect Christmas Pageant” by Joyce Meyer. In this book, Hayley, the Hippo, when asked to direct the annual Christmas pageant for Everyday Zoo, has one challenge after another. Christmas carols are lots of fun to sing!  Try the junior kit “Frosty the Snowman” by Steve Nelson in which children can sing along to a CD, while looking at the beautiful illustrations in the picture book. Great for road trips!  If your kids like to make their own Christmas gifts and cards, have them get into the Christmas spirit by using  “The Duct Tape Book:  25 Projects to Make with Duct Tape” by Jolie Dobson and “A Christmas Drawing Wonderland” by Jennifer M. Besel.
    
      Snow and penguins unite in “The Chilly Little Penguin” by Russell Punter where Perry the Penguin, who lives at the South Pole, tries to get warm! Perfect for beginning readers, while chapter book readers will enjoy “The Life of Ty: Penguin Problems” by Lauren Myracle, which follows mischievous Ty, a second-grader, as he becomes a big brother! For older children, a new Transformer book called “Switching Gears” by Ryder Windham will have them loving robots! Teens will enjoy “Winter White” a Belles novel by Jen Calonita where Izzie enjoys the magnificent Cotillion Ball in Emerald Cove. So get warmed up with a good wintery book!

Recommendations by Linda Youmans, Youth Collections and Systems Librarian for the ORL

Fall Programs at the Library Enrich Your Children's Lives!

Now that your older children are back to school, preschoolers want to learn too!  Libraries have wonderful FREE programs for babies to five year -olds which have significant benefits.  Storytime attendance can assist children with becoming successful readers and learners.  In addition, helping their ability to listen, sit still and be independent from their parents is an asset.  Colours, letters, shapes, and a larger vocabulary through hearing stories in books, singing songs and doing fingerplays, will all strengthen crucial skills that they need to succeed in school! Fingerplays and stretching songs build strength and coordination in kids. The socializing aspect of storytimes is great for both the children and their parents. It prepares the children for entering school by significantly decreasing social and separation anxiety.  Another positive result, for the family, especially fathers, is that these library programs are one of the few occasions where they can meet other parents and chat afterwards. Many long-term friendships have blossomed from these programs! 

So, why don’t you check out some of the wonderful programs for children at your local library? Series of programs will be starting in September. If you have a beautiful bundle of joy between a newborn to eighteen months, Babytime is the program for you! Featuring songs and fingerplays, Babytimes can be found in Kelowna, Mission, Peachland, Rutland and Westbank branches. For slightly older children between eighteen months to 3 years, we offer Toddlertime, with stories, flannelboards, puppets and lots more at Kelowna, Mission and Rutland Branches.  Preschoolers (ages 3-5) will love our thirty minute storytimes incorporating all of these elements, at Kelowna, Lake Country, Mission, Oyama, Peachland, Rutland and Westbank. Our largest library, Kelowna Branch also has a successful school-aged program called Lego Builder beginning on September 26 with registration required.

Check the ORL website at:  www.orl.bc.ca for specific days and times at the branch nearest you!

Help prepare your preschoolers for school by joining us and enriching their lives!

 

by Linda Youmans, Youth Collections / System Librarian for Okanagan Regional Library

Back to School Books for Kids!

Fall brings cooler weather and exciting times reuniting with school friends! Packed with colourful pictures, preschoolers will be excited to learn their 1,2,3’s in “My First 100 Numbers” by Tick Tock books.  In “September Sneakers”, a Calendar Mystery by Ron Roy, panic strikes four grade one students when, on their first day back, Goldi, the school hamster they have been taking care of,  goes missing! For beginning readers, in “Listen Up, Larry” by Karen Poth, Detectives Bob and Larry investigate the reason why Junior isn’t getting good grades.  Chapter book graphic novel fans can join the Lunch Lady, a secret crime fighter, on a class trip to an art museum in the hilarious book called  “Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco” by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

Public libraries and school kids go hand-in-hand.  When twelve-year-old student, Kyle, wins  a contest to stay overnight in the new town library, which was designed by his hero, a famous game maker, Kyle has to solve an amazing mystery! Check out his adventures in “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” by Chris Grabenstein. Avid young history fans will be mesmerized by the facts in “A History of Just About Everything” by Canadian authors, Elizabeth MacLeod and Frieda Wishinsky. Kids of all ages will learn how to solve word problems by answering question in “Bedtime Math:  A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late” by Laura Overdeck. A great way to learn Math!  James Patterson gets an A+ for writing “Middle School:  How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli and Snake Hill”!  While reading his book, young adults will chuckle at the hijinks during summer camp!  Another middle school survival book, part of a non-fiction series, is “Cultivating Positive Peer Groups and Friendships” by Adam Furgang. Staying positive in school and having great friends is really important. This book will help!

Don’t forget about Fall storytimes,  for babies to age five, starting in September in all 29 branches!  Fun school-aged programs can be found at many branches too. Check our website:  www.orl.bc.ca for more details.

By Linda Youmans, Youth Collections/System Librarian