Story Time @ The Clinton District Library: March 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009

April Showers Bring May Flowers: Rain

Join us April 1st for our wet and wild April kick off! We all know that April Showers Bring May Flowers, so for this story time, we'll focus on rain. What do you like to do on rainy days? Do you get your rain boots and your umbrella and splash in the puddles? Do you stay inside and watch raindrops make pictures on the windows?

I like to stay cozy with a cup of tea, a good book, and my cat, Matilda!

Here are some great books about rain:

And Then It Rained by Crecent Dragonwagon

Priscilla and the Splish-Splash Surprise by Nathaniel Hobbie

Come On, Rain by Karen Hesse

In the Rain with Baby Duck by Amy Hest

Heat Wave at Mud Flat by James Stevenson

Bumpa Rumpus and the Rainy Day by Joanne Reay

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

I Love the Rain by Margaret Park Bridges

Wednesday, April 1 @ 10:15am

Clinton District Public Library

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Upcoming Events @ the MPL

We have some very special events happening this spring at the Morgantown Public Library*

March 28: Fun and Games with Dr. Seuss

Come play games with the Cat in the Hat, make Seuss crafts such as oobleck, and enjoy a brunch of green eggs and ham at 11 a.m. on March 28! This event is made possible by the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation.

April 4: Making Stories

At 11 a.m. on April 4, storyteller Andy Fraenkel will share stories from around the world, and - with the audience's help - create a couple of new folk tales and fables on the spot. Fraenkel is a gifted storyteller and is sure to enchant young and old alike. This is a great event for grandparents to bring the grand-kids to!

April 5: Easter Egg Hunt

At 5 p.m. on April 5th, the library will host its annual indoor Easter Egg Hunt for children (ages 2-10). There will be three separate age appropriate hunts, but participants need to be registered in advance to participate and we ask for a $1 donation per child. (304) 291-7425.

April 13: The Tale of Despereaux

At 1 p.m. on April 13, the library will host a screening of The Tale of Despereaux on our huge-screen TV!

*All events are located at the Downtown Morgantown Branch (373 Spruce St)

March 25 Theme: If March Comes in Like a Lion, It Goes Out Like a Lamb

It's officially spring time, and that means baby animals! Join us for the second part of our story time tribute to the month of March, "If March Comes in Like a Lion, It Goes Out Like a Lamb."

We will read books about lambs and sheep. Here are some great ones to browse:

Mary Had a Little Lamb by Sara Josepha Hale

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw

The Lamb Who Came for Dinner by Steve Smallman

The Lamb and the Butterfly by Arnold Sundgaard

We will make a fun, messy lamb craft. Join us.

Wednesday, March 25
10:15am
Clinton District Public Library

Friday, March 20, 2009

Photo Recaps of Recent Story Times

A big THANK YOU to moms for sharing your photos with me! I always try to remember to take some during story time, but it is one of those things that gets kicked to the wayside once we're in action.

Kids hold up their lion masks at our "March comes in like a lion" day.

We had fun making tiger puppets during our "Big Cats, Continued" story time.

Everyone loved the naked mole rat theme!

I am so happy that it was a success...I know it was an odd topic, but the kids really loved it. And my attempt at making play dough was well worth it! Whoohoo! All of our sculptures turned out lovely and very uniquely different, which confirms one of my personal goals with story time, and that is allowing kids the freedom of creativity and imagination.

Also: we've been blogged about! Check out one mom's shout out here.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Kid's Menu @ WVDELI

Did you know that we have a kid's menu on our free downloadable audiobooks site, WVDELI? We have hundreds of titles for children of all ages to choose from. Download Where The Wild Things Are and pop it in for a car ride. Maybe your teen would like to listen to a Stephenie Meyer book while ignoring you (don't worry, it's just a phase). Or maybe you'd like to hear Madeleine L'Engle herself narrate the Wrinkle in Time books you grew up reading.

I cannot tell you how rewarding it is to spend a Saturday afternoon together, quietly listening to something everyone can enjoy. It teaches your children patience while exercising their imaginations, allows family bonds to grow, and gets children thinking about books. These are just a few of the many, many benefits we're providing with this service. So, turn off the tv and get your family to tune in to a book.

We know you're a busy parent. Let WVDELI do the reading for you.

Monday, March 16, 2009

March 18 theme: Naked Mole Rats and Other Uglies!

The first title for this theme was "So Ugly They're Cute,"

but I'm not so sure.

What's this, you ask? Why, it's a Naked Mole Rat, of course! And don't worry, they're not immodest streakers of the animal world: they just don't have too much fur.

Ms. Ruth here at the Morgantown Branch introduced me to a lovely, funny book about a naked mole rat, and I just had to share.

Also, I am cooking up an extra-special craft this week involving our very own NMR sculpture pets to take home.

Here are some books we'll look at and some books you should check out:

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen ; retold by Stephen Mitchell

I Want a Hug by John Rowe

Beauty and the Beast retold by Max Eilenberg

Shrek! by William Steig

This is a story time I think kids will have fun with. Join us!

Wednesday, March 18 @ 10:15am

Clinton District Public Library

Monday, March 9, 2009

March 11 theme: Big Cats!

Sharpen your claws and comb your whiskers, because this Wednesday, our growing story time group will continue where the lion theme left off and learn about other big cats. This includes tigers, leopards, cheetahs, along with some North American big cats like lynx, mountain lions, and bobcats. Meow!

We will take a look at these books:

Big Cats by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent