I love trying new things during storytimes. I’ve never before made a “lesson” out of my storytimes – the only group that would really work for would be my preschoolers, so I figured that I might as well try, especially if I could manage it without hitting them over the head with an idea.
So I brought in a flip paper board and asked the kids, “Where are we?” and was prepared for answers including the town, to “a building,” to “the storytime room,” and would whittle them down till I got “a library,” but every single child said, “a library” immediately.
Talk about hitting the nail on the head on the first try, hey? So I asked about the kinds of things people could do at the library, and it took a little coaxing, but I managed to get some good answers out of them:
(I did have one consistent hand-raiser and answer-shouter, who reminded me of me at that age, particularly because I used the “Can I hear some new voices?” question to see if I could get anyone else to answer, which teachers did on me.)
Then we read some books about libraries, all of which were winners:
They really loved The Midnight Library. I really liked the storytime, and maybe I’ll try it, revamped, with my toddler group, or the next time I do a kindergarten outreach.
On Thursday, I had my lovely little ones, and it was a HUGE group! Why so many, I wonder? But we had a great time, as always, with some old favorites.
No child ever shrinks from yelling “No!” throughout Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, and the parents always have a good laugh.
Here are some links now.
In the top spot: Sister A and I both have a thing for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, both the book and the movie. (It’s my fault; I read it first, so I got her into it, and the rest is history.) The movie, of course, isn’t as good as the book – what is? – but the movie will still make you bawl.
This is a little dirty. Read at your own risk.
Library Friend D gave me #10 on a shirt. It’s the best.
I haven’t watched Saturday Night Live in years, but this hit the nail on the head.
Spot on, I think.
If this is based on Marla Frazee’s book, it’ll be hilarious.
The Holmes flats! Hanukkah’s coming up…
I can’t wait to get this. (When I sent it to Mama Bear, she responded, “If he follows you home, can we keep him?”
One of my favorite chapter books ever ever ever, through the eyes of an adult.
From Coworker W: Keeping it real from Pooh Bear.
From Friend L: In an email titled: “IT’S GONNA BE A TRILOGY!”
From Mama Bear: What do we really know about our favorite detective? (No, not Encyclopedia Brown…)
I didn’t read this until I was in library school, and I wish I’d read it earlier. Sadly, I think it’s really dated, but still valuable as the book that started it all…
A few weeks ago, Gilmore Girls became available for streaming on Netflix. Sister A is a huge fan, but I’d never watched it, and I finally started. I really like it, and now it’s something else for us sisters to obsess over! It also means that I understand this.
Great nominees for the National Book Awards (Jacqueline Woodson!)
Of course they still apply. They always will.
Good choice for my home state.
Man Booker war Australian yawn.
Claudia FTW, obviously.
In What’s Annabelle Reading, sometimes a good book is like comfort food. I have comfort books – as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before – and one of my favorites, in my top five, easily, was shockingly NOT written by someone with a British accent or named Austen or Bronte. I know. Calm yourself. But The House of Mirth has always struck a chord with me. I read it in college in an English course about outsiders. I read it in my first round of grad school, twice, I think. And I have loved it since the first reading. (The 2001 movie was surprisingly well done – worth a watch.)
The title, by the way?
Oh, and I also read The Fever. I’d been really excited to read that AND Conversion, and found, after reading both, I liked the latter much better. Maybe it was the YA writing, the dual points of view (from both a teenager and a teen present at the Salem witch trials)… either way, Conversion won Annabelle’s mysterious-illness-among-teenage-girls head-to-head challenge.
I also read Deborah Feldman’s Exodus, and I liked her first memoir better.
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