Library Notes / April 30, 2012 / Dara L. Cain
Books for Babies
As a mother (and a Children’s Librarian) I have enjoyed reading to my daughter since the day she was born. She’s eighteen months old now and has developed a love for books that I hope will continue throughout her life. It is amazing to see that if you give her a choice between a book and a toy nine times out of ten she chooses the book to look at the pictures. Each night before bed we read a story together and she loves to turn the pages and name some of the pictures in the story that she knows.
Why do I read aloud to my baby? Reading provides a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with my daughter and to open her mind to the exploration of the world around her. This shared activity teaches her about communication and introduces her to concepts such as stories, letters, numbers, shapes, and colors in an entertaining way. Reading aloud also helps build her listening, memory, and vocabulary skills. It’s never too early to start educating your child.
Do you want to know a great thing about reading aloud? It doesn’t take any special skills or tools. All that is needed is your time, your little one, and a great selection of books to choose from. I would love to share with you some fun books that my daughter has enjoyed listening to that you might like to share with your child before bed or anytime during the day.
I have enjoyed reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle to my daughter since she was born. This is a great story with simple repetitive text and clear pictures on solid white background. Babies are drawn to these types of illustrated books with bold and starkly contrasting colors. Some other great titles are I Like Black and White by Barbara Jean Hicks, Who Are They? By Tana Hoban, and I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy.
Karen Katz is the author of some amazing board books for children including Where Is Baby’s Bellybutton?, Ten Tiny Babies, Counting Kisses, and Baby Loves Spring. My daughter loves these board books because all of the stories are about babies which she seems to be fascinated with. When your child begins to respond to what’s inside of books select board books such as the ones by Karen Katz with pictures of babies or familiar objects that they can relate to. Board books are great when your child starts to use his hands to grab because they are sturdier than pictures books and are easier for a child to hold when they are learning to turn the pages.
When your child starts to become independent and can do things like sit up in the bathtub and eat finger foods, find simple stories about daily routines. My daughter loves the book Tubby about a baby who loves playing in the bathtub by Leslie Patricelli and Bubbles, Bubbles a Sesame Street Workshop board book with a lot of repetition. “Bubbles bubbles on my nose. Bubbles bubbles on my toes, Bubbles bubbles in my hair. Bubbles Bubbles everywhere!” Books that invite babies to repeat simple words and phrases is great for when you child starts to talk.
Books with different textures (soft, scratchy, crinkly) and mirrors are also wonderful for this age group. The author Fiona Watt does some fun board books that are touch and feel that my daughter loves to get her hands on. That’s Not My Pony… It’s Mane Is Too Fluffy, That’s Not My Fairy…Her Dress Is Too Shiny, and That’s Not My Train…It’s Wheels Are Too Squishy are just a few of the tiles that she has written. Fold-out books or books with flaps that open for a surprise are also engaging and exciting for a child. My daughter loves Eric Hill’s Spot series. Her favorite is Where’s Spot. A mother dog in search of her lost puppy searches around the house and finds eight other animals hiding behind the concealed flaps until finally she finds her puppy.
Once your child gets a little bit older read whatever stories your child asks for. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same book every night for weeks and weeks because you want your child to listen to stories that they are interested in whether it be ducks, puppies, trains, or trucks. My daughter loves Duck and Goose by Tad Hills and What Puppies Do Best by Laura Numeroff and I can’t tell you how many times I have read those stories. I continue to read them to her because she loves them and I want her to one day love to read.
One of the best ways to encourage your child to grow up to be a reader is to have books around your house. I have several bins of books in my daughter’s room that she likes to pull out and look through. I also keep some of her books mixed in with her toys. In addition to the books you own, take advantage of those you can borrow from the library. Rowan Public Library has storytime just for babies, too which is a fun way for your child to enjoy stories with other babies their age.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Library Notes, Pam Everhardt Bloom, April 23, 2012
In Lieu of “The Hunger Games”
I must admit; I’ve yet to read the “Hunger Games.” I will read it, if for no other reason than I promised a child and also because friends from 10 to 70 tell me they love it. Naturally I’ve heard fabulous reviews; however, one reviewer’s comment that I can’t forget was on NPR and ended with the announcer’s confession that he just wanted to read a Jane Austen after reading books from this dystopian genre. To be perfectly honest, his voice sounded like he needed a Jane Austen novel – desperately. His review led me to the young adult section at the library. His lament brought me to choices, while not purely utopian, were definitely not dystopian and highly appropriate for many of us who still enjoy a bit of mystery and magic, with a good dose of hope and moral purpose woven into the story.
My first stop was at author Madeleine L’Engle, perhaps best known for “A Wrinkle in Time.” L’Engle was a prolific writer, publishing over 60 books. In the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Marygail G. Parker writes of “a peculiar splendor” describing this author’s body of work. Many of her books are found within the young adult section of the library. Do not let that designation deter those of you beyond those young adult years. As L’Engle once said, “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
In “The Arm of the Starfish” and “Dragon in the Water”, characters Meg Murray and Calvin O’Keefe from a “Wrinkle in Time” are now married with equally interesting children. “The Arm of the Starfish” combines the science and science fiction possibilities of the regenerative properties of starfish with mystery, politics, and intrigue and introduces the reader to lovable and sometimes realistically flawed characters. Book two, “Dragons in the Water” takes the O’Keefe family to Venezuela where they quickly become involved in stolen art and murder, along with native healers and the ecology of village life. Both books offer more than mere mysteries. Her characters learn lessons from life, lessons about themselves and others. For her characters, introspection is as important as any of the action in moving the story to its conclusion.
I chose a third book for no reason other than the title, “The Lost Songs” and its categorization as a Junior Library Guild selection. Caroline Cooney, award winning author of more than 90 books, tells the story of a southern community and the lost songs of teenager Lutie Painter’s ancestors. She intertwines these songs in surprising ways into the lives of Lutie and her friends and acquaintances, Doria, Kelvin, and Train. Like L’Engle, Cooney’s characters delve into an examination of life that leads to sometimes unsettled conclusions and I reread the last chapters for pure pleasure and because I didn’t want the story to end.
I find that L’Engle and Cooney weave a theme of hope and moral purpose throughout their stories without being preachy. Perhaps, that is also what the NPR reviewer needed from Jane Austen’s books. I “hope” to find the same magic in “The Hunger Games.” It’s the next book on my reading list.
In Lieu of “The Hunger Games”
I must admit; I’ve yet to read the “Hunger Games.” I will read it, if for no other reason than I promised a child and also because friends from 10 to 70 tell me they love it. Naturally I’ve heard fabulous reviews; however, one reviewer’s comment that I can’t forget was on NPR and ended with the announcer’s confession that he just wanted to read a Jane Austen after reading books from this dystopian genre. To be perfectly honest, his voice sounded like he needed a Jane Austen novel – desperately. His review led me to the young adult section at the library. His lament brought me to choices, while not purely utopian, were definitely not dystopian and highly appropriate for many of us who still enjoy a bit of mystery and magic, with a good dose of hope and moral purpose woven into the story.
My first stop was at author Madeleine L’Engle, perhaps best known for “A Wrinkle in Time.” L’Engle was a prolific writer, publishing over 60 books. In the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Marygail G. Parker writes of “a peculiar splendor” describing this author’s body of work. Many of her books are found within the young adult section of the library. Do not let that designation deter those of you beyond those young adult years. As L’Engle once said, “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
In “The Arm of the Starfish” and “Dragon in the Water”, characters Meg Murray and Calvin O’Keefe from a “Wrinkle in Time” are now married with equally interesting children. “The Arm of the Starfish” combines the science and science fiction possibilities of the regenerative properties of starfish with mystery, politics, and intrigue and introduces the reader to lovable and sometimes realistically flawed characters. Book two, “Dragons in the Water” takes the O’Keefe family to Venezuela where they quickly become involved in stolen art and murder, along with native healers and the ecology of village life. Both books offer more than mere mysteries. Her characters learn lessons from life, lessons about themselves and others. For her characters, introspection is as important as any of the action in moving the story to its conclusion.
I chose a third book for no reason other than the title, “The Lost Songs” and its categorization as a Junior Library Guild selection. Caroline Cooney, award winning author of more than 90 books, tells the story of a southern community and the lost songs of teenager Lutie Painter’s ancestors. She intertwines these songs in surprising ways into the lives of Lutie and her friends and acquaintances, Doria, Kelvin, and Train. Like L’Engle, Cooney’s characters delve into an examination of life that leads to sometimes unsettled conclusions and I reread the last chapters for pure pleasure and because I didn’t want the story to end.
I find that L’Engle and Cooney weave a theme of hope and moral purpose throughout their stories without being preachy. Perhaps, that is also what the NPR reviewer needed from Jane Austen’s books. I “hope” to find the same magic in “The Hunger Games.” It’s the next book on my reading list.
Monday, April 16, 2012
LIBRARY NOTES
APRIL 2, 2012
Lynn Denison
Isn’t it refreshing to know that the word “civility” is still a word found in our dictionaries and is still practiced? The word is defined as a noun which means “respectful and considerate behavior that enables us to live and work together—locally and globally—embracing our shared humanity and interpersonal connections.”
Our newest book at Rowan Public Library on the subject is Saving Civility: 52 Ways to Tame Rude, Crude & Attitude for a Polite Planet by Sara Hacala. Ms. Hacala is a certified etiquette and protocol consultant. Her premise is that we are all part of the problem of some of the rude and crude behavior we frequently see in today’s world and we all need to be part of the solution. The book is an easy read but a very challenging one. Some of the chapter titles are “Mind Your Cyber Manners,” “Celebrate Diversity,” “Just be Nice,” “Work at Workplace Civility,” “See Yourself as Others See You,” and “Respect the Boundaries of Others.” In our day-to-day lives we see hostile and polarizing political interactions, bullying, tasteless and tactless comments delivered without discretion, disrespect for older adults, and the list goes on. Although Ms. Hacala bemoans our often modern boorishness, this is not a book of manners per se but rather one filled with practical ways for us as individuals to strive to make the world a more enriching, pleasant place to live. I felt the book was made even more meaningful by the thought provoking quotations that are liberally sprinkled throughout.
The Meaning of Nice: How Compassion and Civility Can Change Your Life (and the World) by Joan Duncan Oliver is another new book that, although light and easy to read, explores deep questions about the nature of human virtues such as honesty, kindness, empathy, loyalty, and just plain being nice. The author has been an editor for The New York Times Magazine and editor in chief of New Age Journal. She was the founding editor of People, US Weekly, and Self magazines.
Dr. P. M. Forni is an award-wining professor at Johns Hopkins University who teaches courses on the theory and history of manners. His book, The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude, is prefaced by this quote from James Katz: “If anything characterizes the twenty-first century, it’s our inability to restrain ourselves for the benefit of other people.”
For a really fun, witty read try Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door, by Lynne Truss. Ms. Truss first tackled the subject of poor grammar in her multi-million-copies-sold book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. In this next book she takes on the serious subject of civility in a way that will have you laughing as you applaud her ability to defend the importance of maintaining such virtues as politeness, courtesy, respect for others and self control.
If you are interested in relaxing, yet enlightening reading, select one or all of the above books on your next visit to a branch of the Rowan Public Library.
APRIL 2, 2012
Lynn Denison
Isn’t it refreshing to know that the word “civility” is still a word found in our dictionaries and is still practiced? The word is defined as a noun which means “respectful and considerate behavior that enables us to live and work together—locally and globally—embracing our shared humanity and interpersonal connections.”
Our newest book at Rowan Public Library on the subject is Saving Civility: 52 Ways to Tame Rude, Crude & Attitude for a Polite Planet by Sara Hacala. Ms. Hacala is a certified etiquette and protocol consultant. Her premise is that we are all part of the problem of some of the rude and crude behavior we frequently see in today’s world and we all need to be part of the solution. The book is an easy read but a very challenging one. Some of the chapter titles are “Mind Your Cyber Manners,” “Celebrate Diversity,” “Just be Nice,” “Work at Workplace Civility,” “See Yourself as Others See You,” and “Respect the Boundaries of Others.” In our day-to-day lives we see hostile and polarizing political interactions, bullying, tasteless and tactless comments delivered without discretion, disrespect for older adults, and the list goes on. Although Ms. Hacala bemoans our often modern boorishness, this is not a book of manners per se but rather one filled with practical ways for us as individuals to strive to make the world a more enriching, pleasant place to live. I felt the book was made even more meaningful by the thought provoking quotations that are liberally sprinkled throughout.
The Meaning of Nice: How Compassion and Civility Can Change Your Life (and the World) by Joan Duncan Oliver is another new book that, although light and easy to read, explores deep questions about the nature of human virtues such as honesty, kindness, empathy, loyalty, and just plain being nice. The author has been an editor for The New York Times Magazine and editor in chief of New Age Journal. She was the founding editor of People, US Weekly, and Self magazines.
Dr. P. M. Forni is an award-wining professor at Johns Hopkins University who teaches courses on the theory and history of manners. His book, The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude, is prefaced by this quote from James Katz: “If anything characterizes the twenty-first century, it’s our inability to restrain ourselves for the benefit of other people.”
For a really fun, witty read try Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door, by Lynne Truss. Ms. Truss first tackled the subject of poor grammar in her multi-million-copies-sold book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. In this next book she takes on the serious subject of civility in a way that will have you laughing as you applaud her ability to defend the importance of maintaining such virtues as politeness, courtesy, respect for others and self control.
If you are interested in relaxing, yet enlightening reading, select one or all of the above books on your next visit to a branch of the Rowan Public Library.
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