Playing Around with Words

One of the best things you can do to encourage your child as a reader is to show them that language can be playful. Word play, including rhymes, made-up words, idioms and all kinds of silliness, builds awareness of the ways that words are composed of distinct sounds. Here are some great picture books that will help build skills, but just as importantly, will make you laugh!

Double Trouble in Walla Walla by Andrew Clements  Word Play by Ivan Brunetti

Even More Parts by Tedd Arnold  How do You Wokka-Wokka by Elizabeth Bluemle

Word Wizard by Cathryn Falwell  Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier  Eight Ate by Marvin Terban

Here are some great ideas from the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read Program:

  • Read a book with lots of made-up words. Try How do You Wokka-Wokka by Elizabeth Bluemle or a book by Dr. Seuss. Trying making up more words to go with the story.
  • Silly poems are fun and can teach new vocabulary.
  • Kids love riddles and jokes, which often use a “play on words”. Laugh along as you talk about the answer to the riddle or joke.
  • Having fun with words helps your child become more conscious of words and eager to learn more.

 

Lesser Known Dr. Seuss Books

March 2nd is National Read Across America Day in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday! What better way to celebrate Dr. Seuss than by curling up with one of his many books. Here’s a list of some of his lesser-known stories that you can check out right here at APLD!

 

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street

In this delightful tale, young Marco allows his imagination to run riot as he travels home from school one day, to the extent that a horse and cart is soon transformedinto a chaotic carnival of colourful creatures.

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins

What a lot of hats Bartholomew has in this imaginative and clever tale! Find out what happens when the king asks him to remove them…one by one.

The King’s Stilts

When the King’s stilts are stolen and hidden, and he can no longer enjoy his play hour, the whole kingdom is threatened with destruction until a page boy bravely saves the day.

McElligot’s Pool

This entertaining tale tells of a puddle full of promise, where Marco’s beautiful, imaginary fish come to life. Who knows what fantastic creatures might swim in McElligot’s Pool!

Thidwick: The Big-Hearted Moose

Poor Thidwick’s generosity proves the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, and soon everyone, from a tiny Bingle Bug to a huge bear, is taking advantage of our antlered hero.

Scrambled Eggs Super!

When it comes to scrambling eggs, Peter T. Hooper needs something super special for his super-dee-dooper dish! And only the most interesting and exciting eggs from around the world will do…

On Beyond Zebra

Packed with all the essential ingredients that have made Dr. Seuss so well-loved over the last 50 years – riotous rhyme, bizarre creatures, zany artwork, off-the-wall humour – On Beyond Zebra is vintage Seuss at its very best.


 

Unicorns, Unicorns, and More Unicorns

Unicorns….what’s not to love about unicorns? Children everywhere are falling in love with them, and many children’s authors and illustrators are picking up on the trend. More and more books are coming out with a unicorn character. Why? Because this gives the author and illustrator a more creative outlet. Unicorns can be anything you want them to be. They can be any color, have any power, do anything you want them to do. That’s why they’re so magical!

The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns  Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima

Unicorn Thinks He's Really Great by Bob Shea   Unicorns 101 by Cale Atkinson

Uni's First Sleepover by Amy Krouse Rosenthal  The Midnight Unicorn by Neil Reed

Twelve Dancing Unicorns by Alissa Heyman  Unicorn Day by Diana Murray

How the Crayons Saved the Unicorn by Monica Sweeney  Stories of Unicorns by Rosie Dickins

See a book that caught your eye? Click on the picture and put the book on hold today!

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

The Aurora Public Library is a proud sponsor of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails high quality books for FREE to children from the time they are born until they turn 5, no matter the family’s income. Each month a newly selected book will be mailed to your child directly to your home and is FREE.

The only requirements are:

  1. Being a legal resident of Dearborn County.
  2. Submitting an official registration form that is completely filled out by a parent or a guardian. (The form must be approved and on file with Hoosier Hills Literacy League) THIS FORM CAN BE FOUND AT ANY OF THE BRANCHES OF AURORA PUBLIC LIBRARY
  3. Notify Hoosier Hills Literacy League any time your address changes. The books will be mailed to the address listed on the official registration form. If the child’s address changes, you must contact Hoosier Hills Literacy League at the address on this card in order to continue receiving books.
  4. Read with your child.

 

Once you have filled out your registration form and sent it to the Hoosier Hills Literacy League, within two months books will begin arriving at your home and will continue until your child turns five or you leave Dearborn County.

 

For more information on Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, click the link below:

https://imaginationlibrary.com/

 

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Families are invited to join the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program at the Aurora Public Library District. The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is a nationwide challenge that encourages parents and caregivers to regularly read aloud to their children. By reading just one book a night, families can reach the 1,000-book goal in three years and provide their children with essential early literacy skills. 

Research shows that the most reliable predictor of school success is being read to during early childhood. Reading to children from an early age can help close the vocabulary gap and prepare children to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed. Most importantly, sharing books with children promotes a lifelong love of books and reading.

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is available to all families with children between the ages of birth and five years and is totally free! Registration is open. For more information, call the library at 812-926-0646 or visit our website at https://eapld.org/programs/ When you register, you’ll receive a free book bag and a Reading Log. Each time you read 100 books, bring your reading record to the library to get a reward! We’ll celebrate with you as your child takes these first steps toward literacy.

One thousand books may seem like a lot, but if you read just one book a night, you’ll meet your goal in less than 3 years. If you read three books a night, you could reach your goal in just one year! Ask our friendly staff for suggestions—we’re here to help you on your journey to 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!

 

Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award

The Firefly Award winner has been announced! Every year in the state of Indiana, five books are nominated by a committee made up of Indiana caregivers, librarians, project coordinators, and other professionals. These books are chosen for their ability to encourage parents and children to use the Every Child Ready to Read practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing together. These five books are then voted on by children ages 0-5 years old. This year, over 5,000 children voted on the five nominated books collected at public libraries and daycares across the state.

And the winner is:

The other nominees include:

     

      

Click on each book to reserve your copy today! Happy Reading!

 

Look At What’s New!

We have a truly awesome selection of new pictures books in our collection. Where can you find them? Just look on the long wall outside the children’s room at the Aurora Public Library. The new picture books will have a pink label on the front cover. At the Dillsboro Public Library, Patty has the new books in a display on top of the children’s early literacy computer. At the end of this post, I’ll let you know how to find the “new stuff” in the online catalog.

These first highlighted books are like a stroll through the Hall of Fame of Children’s Literature. They were written and illustrated by some of the best in the business. They are by authors I watch for on the lists of “coming releases’, because I know the books will be entertaining and high quality.

Life by Cynthia Rylant   A Perfect Day by Lane Smith

Morris Mole by Dan Yaccarino   Round by Joyce Sidman

Jack and the Beanstalk and the French Fries by Mark Teague   The Only Fish in the Sea by Philip Stead

The rest of these titles are great in their own right, although the authors and illustrators may not be as widely known. As I select books for our collections, I read many, many professional book reviews. I follow book blogs by other librarians and work hard to select books that will appeal to all of our kids, keeping in mind special topics that are needed at our library. I love to get suggestions from the community, so please feel free to suggest books at the circulation desk or email me at peggy@eapld.org. If you haven’t figured it out yet, you can click on any of these book covers to learn more about the book.

The African Orchestra by Wendy Hartmann   Secrets I Know by Kallie George

Race! by Sue Fliess    Imagine That! by Yasmeen Ismail

I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang    Goodnight World by Debi Gliori

Found Dogs by Erica Sirotich   The Forever Garden by Laurel Snyder

Firefighter Duckies! by Frank W. Dormer   The Children's Garden by Carole Lexa Schaefer

A Cat is Better by Linda Joy Singleton  Blue Corn Soup by Caroline Stutson

Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari   The Artist and Me by Shane Peacock

To find our new titles in the on-line catalog, just follow the steps below. In a book is shown as being “In Processing”, that just means the book is not quite ready to be checked out. However, you can place a hold for these books by logging into your library account or by calling the library.

  1. Go to the website at www.eapld.org
  2. In the search frame, select the Online Catalog.
  3. Leave the search box blank and click “Go”.
  4. New titles will be shown on the carousel.

If you want to go further back in time for “new” books, try using the Classic Catalog.

  1. In the search frame on our home page, click “Looking for the Classic Catalog.”
  2. Under Classic Catalog, leave the Search box blank and click Submit.
  3. On the next page, click the Search icon.
  4. Clicking the orange “New Items” tab will allow you to select a time period as well as allowing you to search only for books in a specific category like “Easy Books” or “Adult Fiction”.

Occasionally, you will see a book that has an extended due date. It might be that I am planning to use that book in a program or it might be checked out to a teacher. Just put your name on the waiting list and we’ll call you when the title is available.

Storytime is Coming to the Library!

I’ve missed all my young friends and will be happy to see them again when the Library District kicks off the Fall session of Storytime! There has been a change in the time for two of our Storytime programs. The Dillsboro Storytime will still take place on Tuesdays, but will now begin at 10:30 AM. The Aurora Storytimes will be on Wednesdays with sessions at 10:30 AM or 1 PM. Each week’s program will be filled with stories, poems, songs, and a craft or activity. This program is for ages 3-6 and we do ask that you register your child in advance, so I know approximately how many crafts to prepare.

Storytimes are a great chance for your child to get comfortable listening to stories in a group and to interact with other kids. I plan the programs using the principles of the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read Program which emphasizes the following activities: Reading, Writing, Singing, Talking, and Playing. These programs also provide a time for you to connect with other parents of young children.

We’ll be getting started on September 5th and 6th with a PIG theme!

Piggy and Dad Go Fishing by David Martin

Rrralph by Lois Ehlert

Other September themes will include books by Lois Ehlert, Boats, and Apples. Storytimes will run through the middle of December.

Toy Boat by Randall de Seve   The apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

You can register your child for Storytime at any circulation desk, by calling us at 812-926-0646, or online at https://eapld.org/programs/

See you in September!

Summer Storyhours

Children reading a book

Mole Music by David McPhail    Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis

Everyone likes a great story, right? All ages are welcome at our Storyhours during the months of June and July.  Bring your whole family and share in the fun as you listen to stories selected around the theme “Build a Better World.” Each week will feature a different twist as we explore how we can bring positive change to our world through Art, through Music, through Service, and other activities. The Storyhour will include lots of movement and music as well as great books, so the younger kids will have ways to get their wiggles out.

Storyhour will be at the Dillsboro Public Library on Tuesday afternoons at 1 PM. Please note this new time, since we have offered morning programs at Dillsboro in the past. On Wednesdays, the program will be repeated at the Aurora Public Library at 1 PM. Advance registration will not be needed during the summer, so come as often as you can fit it into your family schedule!

Each Storyhour will end in time for your family to check out books and still make it to our Construction Zone events (2 PM at the same locations).

Franklin's Big Dreams by David Teague     Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy

We’re Popping Up With Books!

Peggy reading outdoors    

This summer, the Aurora Public Library District is going to be out in our community in many ways. Keep your eyes open for our “Pop-Up With Books” events. On four days during June and July, we will be at local parks for informal, drop-by story-times. We want everyone in the Library District to have an opportunity to share in some great stories! Limited seating will be available on area rugs, but you can also bring your own lawn chairs. If you have a favorite picture book you’d like me to include, email me at peggy@eapld.org and let me know when you’ll be attending. The times and locations are listed below. We hope to see you around the community as we work together to “Build a Better World.”

“Pop-Up With Books” Events: All events are from 10 AM until 12 noon.

Friday, June 2nd at Mary Stratton Park in Aurora

Friday, June 9th at Heritage Pointe in Dillsboro

Monday, July 10th at the Aurora City Park, across from the pool

Friday, July 14th at Heritage Pointe in Dillsboro