Take Your Child to the Library Day

Celebrate 

Take Your Child to the Library Day! 

Saturday, Feb. 1
10 AM - 2:30 PM 

Drop-in crafts, Lego building, games, a Scavenger Hunt and refreshments. We'll also be raffling off 5 subscriptions to Bookboard (a subscription service for children's eBooks). Find more info about Bookboard at http://bookboard.com/.

All ages! No registration is required.

AWE Early Literacy Stations are here!

We're so excited to announce the arrival of our AWE Early Literacy Stations! These self-contained, educational touch screen computer stations are loaded with programs for children ages 2-8. They contain over 60 top-rated, educational games which support early literacy and school readiness skills while making learning exciting and engaging. These machines are funded through donations from our Membership Drive. We hope you'll stop by the Children's Department and try them out!

The programs include these titles and more:
                                                                            
Getting Ready for School
World of Goo
Bailey's Book House
SpongeBob SquarePants Typing
Diego's Safari Rescue Giggles My Musical World
Sammy's Science House
My Amazing Human Body
USA Explorer

The Very Ready Reading Program: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

The Very Ready Reading Program: 1,000 Books before Kindergarten is a new library program that encourages parents and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their children before they enter kindergarten  – a goal experts say children need to help them learn to read for themselves.

Research shows that the more children ages 0-5 hear and view books read to them, the more prepared they will be to learn to read upon reaching kindergarten. Exposing children to 1,000 books before kindergarten not only builds reading readiness, but it provides 1,000 interactions to build supportive relationships with parents and caregivers.

How Does the Program Work? 

• Sign up online at  http://ct.evanced.info/coventrypl/sr/homepage.asp  or in the library. Visit the Children's Department to receive your Reading Journal and bag of goodies, including a bookmark, a sharing guide, and tips to help make reading aloud one of the most enjoyable and beneficial activities you will ever share with a child.
• Each time you read 100 books, bring your Reading Journal to the Children's Department to receive a prize,  a sticker and the next set of pages for your journal. A staff member (with your permission) will take a picture of your child to display on our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten wall.
• Don’t be daunted! Just 3 books a day amounts to 1,000 books in 1 year, and this program is designed to give you  time over a few years to meet your goal.
• After finishing 1,000 books, your child will receive a special prize and an invitation to a “graduation” party. During the party the children who have completed the program during the previous year will be honored with a special story time, snack and a group photo.

Play & Learn Early Literacy Playgroup

New! Our Play & Learn Early Literacy Playgroup is an opportunity for children to make new friends as their adults network with each other. Developmentally appropriate toys, crafts, sensory materials, books, musical instruments and activities provide a literacy rich environment that will help with future reading success! Information about child development and reading readiness will be available. For ages birth to 5. Older siblings are welcome. No registration is required.

Time:  10:30 – 11:30 AM    

Dates: October 2, 9, 16 & 23

             November 6, 13 & 20

August 9 is the last day to earn prizes for the Dig Into Reading Summer Reading Programs!

Today, Friday, August 9 is the last day to log your progress to

earn prizes from the library! 

Prizes earned can be picked up in the Children's Room through Saturday, August 17.

The Grand Prize Raffles will be drawn on Monday, August 12.

Children attending school in the Coventry School system can continue to use the online program to log their progress for school through Sept. 3. The information will then be passed on to the Coventry Schools.

Questions? Contact the Children's Dept. at (860)742-7606.

BubbleMania: Comedy...with a Drip!

TUESDAY, JUNE 26 @ 2 PM

Our Summer Reading Program Kick-Off!

Bubblemania: Comedy with a Drip! is an eye-popping, belly-laughing, fun-filled bubble extravaganza! This unique program is loaded with visual comedy, quick wit, big band swing music and the untamed, often unbelievable qualities and beauty of bubbles! For ages 5 and up. Registration is required. Register online or call 742-7606.

Check out Casey Carle's website at http://www.bubblemania.com/ for videos, bubble solutions, and more.

TumbleBooks for iPad/iPhone 4!

TumbleBooks are available for the iPad and the iPhone 4!

Tumblebooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books by well-known authors and illustrators. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing books and adding sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which children can read, or have read to them! 

You can check out the iPad-compatible TumbleBooks by visiting the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library's mobile website at http://m.coventrypl.org/ on your iPad or iPhone and scrolling down to the bottom, where it says TumbleBooks! Once in TumbleBooks, click on the red STORYBOOKS icon. At the top of the next page, click on the green IPAD BOOKS icon (on the far right).

Now, simply click on the "iPad" button to launch the book of your choice! The book will appear in a small window at first, but to expand, simply click on the "full screen" button.

The books can also be accessed at home by going to the Children’s Room section of the library website (www.CoventryPL.org) and clicking on the Tumblebooks icon.

LEGO CLUB SURVEY

The Booth & Dimock Memorial Library's Children's Room would like to start a LEGO Club at the library this summer, and we need your input! Please fill out this brief survey to help us plan our club. Surveys will also be available in the Children's Room. Thank you!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SVXZP2G

Donations of LEGOs are still needed! Starter sets are especially welcome. Please contact the Children's Room at 742-7606 if you would like to donate!

Early Literacy Tip

Did you know that writing letters and words can help your child become a better reader? Reading and writing go together.  Both are ways to represent spoken words and communicate information. Children develop a better knowledge of the purpose of meaning of reading through the act of writing. One fun way to encourage children to practice reading and writing skills is to play post office.  Most young children love to give and receive mail. You can make a simple mailbox with an empty tissue box or a shoebox, or try making the paper bag mailbox below. If your child cannot write on their own yet, have them dictate a message to you and write it down for them.

Materials:

Small paper bags

Marking pens

Scissors

Strong tape

Instructions:

Cut the sides and front of the bag down about three inches from the top, but leave the back side of the bag at full height. Write the child's name on the front of the bag and decorate the bag with markers, stickers, or crayons. Use strong tape to hang the mailbox to the child's bedroom door, or make a loop with yarn and hang the mailbox over the doorknob.  Make a mailbox for everyone in your family so that you can exchange messages with each other.

Children with Disabilities Survey

Please help the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library plan and provide materials, technology and programming for children with disabilities and their families by completing this brief survey. Caregivers and educators who work with children with disabilities are also encouraged to complete this survey. Disabilities include, but are not limited to, developmental delays, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and traumatic brain injuries.

Your responses are completely anonymous and voluntary. Thank you for taking a few minutes of your time to complete this survey! If you have any questions, please call 742-7606. Hard copies of the survey are also available at the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library.

You can access the survey at this link: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GGT79H9

Nutmeg Book Award 2012 Winners Announced!

Nutmeg Book Award Winners 2012 Announced!

Intermediate Level Winner: Stolen Children by Peg Kehret
Teen Level Winner: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Great Early Elementary Reads

Check out this booklist from the American Library Association - it's also available in the Children's Room. We own almost all of the titles, so take some home today!

The ALSC 2011-2012 School-Age Programs and Services Committee recommends these titles for children who are just learning to read and beginning to read on their own. The books included were published between 2009 and 2011. However, many are part of a larger series that young readers also will enjoy

ALA Youth Media Awards 2012

 

The American Library Association Youth Media Awards have been announced! Find them at this link, then check them out of the library!

Take Your Child to the Library Day

Take Your Child to the Library Day is Saturday, February 4th. Please join us and the Board of Trustees for crafts, stories and more from 11:00am - 2:00pm!

Babygarten & Terrific Tuesdays Story Times!

Don't forget!  Babygarten (ages 0 through 2) @ 10:15 AM and Terrific Tuesdays (ages 3-5) @ 11:30 AM story times start again tomorrow morning, Jan. 10! Visit http://www.coventrypl.org/childrens-services for complete info. No registration is required!

LEGO Donations Needed!

We'd like to start our first LEGO club - but we need, well, LEGOS! It's a great time of year to clean out your closets...


We're looking for donations of new and used LEGOS to get us started. Starter sets are especially welcome. Any donations made are tax-deductible and a receipt will be provided upon request. We appreciate your help!

Read a book. Give a book.

We Give Books is a free website that enables anyone with access to the internet to put books in the hands of children who don't have them, simply by reading online. Share the power and pleasure of reading and teach your child about helping others at the same time. Simply choose the charity you want to read for and then select the books you want to read. For each book you read online, We Give Books donates a book to a leading literacy group on your behalf. The more you read, the more they give.

Visit http://www.wegivebooks.org to read and give!

DECEMBER VACATION MOVIE MATINEES

DECEMBER VACATION MOVIE MATINEES
Tuesday, Dec. 27 & Wednesday, Dec. 28 @ 2 PM

Avoid cabin fever by coming to a movie at the library! We'll provide some munchies (but you can bring your own, if you wish). All ages. No registration is required.

Tuesday, Dec. 27: Mr. Popper's Penguins (Rated PG)
Wednesday, Dec. 28: The Smurfs (Rated PG)

CURIOUS? READ! The Curious George Reading Program

CURIOUS? READ! 

The Curious George Reading Program 

Curious George is set to help your child make the first step to reading success! The world’s most beloved (and curious) monkey will take you and your child on a fun-filled adventure at the library where you’ll explore the wonderful world of books. The reading program incorporates reading and sharing books together with fun-filled activities you can do with your child to support early literacy development. The single most important activity for raising a successful reader is reading aloud with your child!

Stop by the Children's Room to pick up your Curious George Reading Program bag to get started (while supplies last). Each bag contains a free gameboard, sticker and bookmark. Each week the library will have a new craft and early literacy tip to share with participating families. There are incentives for adults and children alike.

The program is both a Read With Me program for children who do not yet read on their own, and an Early Reader program for beginning readers. Being ready to read starts with babies – no child is too young to sign up! 

For more information, visit www.CoventryPL.org (where you can register online and download a gameboard and activity sheets) or call the Children’s Room at (860) 742-7606. The Curious? READ! Reading Program is sponsored by the American Library Association and Houghton Mifflin Company.

We're on Twitter!

The Booth & Dimock Memorial Library Children's Room is on Twitter! 

Follow us @DreyfusDragon!