(Click on the image for the full-sized version)
Friday, December 18, 2009
Cure for Twilight poster (teen)
I read a delightful post on the YALSA blog about different books to cure the various ills/annoyances of the resurging Twilight mania and turned it into a poster with book covers for the teen area:
(Click on the image for the full-sized version)
(Click on the image for the full-sized version)
Underdog Theme (K-5)
In honor of Underdog Day on December 21st. In preparing for this theme I realized that Helen Lester is the secret champion of all underdogs--I love her!
Books:
Score One for the Sloths by Helen Lester - I read this first because the slow 'sloth' voice requires a certain amount of patience and attention-span, but the silliness of the sloth behavior, and the ridiculousness of the school administrator who was testing them, totally kept the kids engaged. Way too long to read with littler kids though!
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester - I did a funny surfer-dude voice for Tacky that had the kids absolutely howling. They loved the contrast between the perfect penguins and loud, awkward, oddball Tacky too. And, of course, the underdog is the one who saves the day!
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell - these illustrations are stunning! And the story is delightful: it's all about a quirky little girl whose Grandma taught her to value the things that make her weird/unique and she eventually charms all the kids at her new school.
Other books that I considered for the theme, but passed over because I have read them in storytime pretty recently: Nonsense by Sally Kahler Phillips and Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester. Both are some of my all-time favorite storytime books.
Movies:
Little Toot (film reel) - one of my favorite Disney shorts featuring a wonderful song by the Andrews Sisters.
Craft:
Reindeer masks - in honor of both the holiday season and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, one of the most famous underdogs of all time! This mask template comes from a di-cut. Color and add string for a child-sized reindeer mask.
Books:
Score One for the Sloths by Helen Lester - I read this first because the slow 'sloth' voice requires a certain amount of patience and attention-span, but the silliness of the sloth behavior, and the ridiculousness of the school administrator who was testing them, totally kept the kids engaged. Way too long to read with littler kids though!
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester - I did a funny surfer-dude voice for Tacky that had the kids absolutely howling. They loved the contrast between the perfect penguins and loud, awkward, oddball Tacky too. And, of course, the underdog is the one who saves the day!
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell - these illustrations are stunning! And the story is delightful: it's all about a quirky little girl whose Grandma taught her to value the things that make her weird/unique and she eventually charms all the kids at her new school.
Other books that I considered for the theme, but passed over because I have read them in storytime pretty recently: Nonsense by Sally Kahler Phillips and Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester. Both are some of my all-time favorite storytime books.
Movies:
Little Toot (film reel) - one of my favorite Disney shorts featuring a wonderful song by the Andrews Sisters.
Craft:
Reindeer masks - in honor of both the holiday season and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, one of the most famous underdogs of all time! This mask template comes from a di-cut. Color and add string for a child-sized reindeer mask.
Library Pets Theme (K-5)
In celebration of Melvil Dewey's birth anniversary on December 10th.
Books:
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies - Gorgeous illustrations and an engaging rhyme in the text for this fun story about those rare nights when the windows are left open and bats can come visit the library. The interpretations of bats in classic children's lit are particularly delightful!
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen - A little long for a read-aloud but so good! The kids love getting to roar like the lion at the end!
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra - The zoo animals love books so much they have to start their own library! A fun one for read-alouds because of the lively illustrations and the silly rhymes about animals reading.
Movie:
Lambert the Sheepish Lion (film reel) - The wolf is a bit scary for the little little guys but the physical humor and music in this short film are hilarious! I had all the kids singing the Lambert theme song over and over during the craft.
Craft:
Lion hats - oval shaped contruction paper that the kids shred along the edges to resemble a mane. Add whiskers and a headband to create a lion's mane!
Books:
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies - Gorgeous illustrations and an engaging rhyme in the text for this fun story about those rare nights when the windows are left open and bats can come visit the library. The interpretations of bats in classic children's lit are particularly delightful!
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen - A little long for a read-aloud but so good! The kids love getting to roar like the lion at the end!
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra - The zoo animals love books so much they have to start their own library! A fun one for read-alouds because of the lively illustrations and the silly rhymes about animals reading.
Movie:
Lambert the Sheepish Lion (film reel) - The wolf is a bit scary for the little little guys but the physical humor and music in this short film are hilarious! I had all the kids singing the Lambert theme song over and over during the craft.
Craft:
Lion hats - oval shaped contruction paper that the kids shred along the edges to resemble a mane. Add whiskers and a headband to create a lion's mane!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Native American Myth Theme (K-5)
In celebration of National American Indian Heritage Month!
Books:
The girl who loved wild horses by Paul Goble - Rather long for a storytime read-aloud but this is a lovely story and has gorgeous artwork that the kids all appreciated.
Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story by Robert D. San Souci - I didn't read the subtitle aloud before starting the story, so it was fun to see when the kids starting recognizing the classic Cinderella story themes in this version.
Frog Girl by Paul Owen Lewis - Gorgeous artwork and excellent use of mythological tropes in this story of a girl who saves both her village and the local frog population.
American Lore & Legend: Rabbit by D.L. Birchfield - Funny rabbit-as-trickster stories from several different tribes.
and Thank You Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson - Not a Native American myth, but a hilarious story about how Thanksgiving became a national holiday after many years of campaigning and hard work by Sarah Hale.
Movie:
Disney’s Little Hiawatha (film reel) - Very funny but definitely racist. I hadn't watched this one since I was a kid, and while I laughed a lot at the silly animals and the boy's trouser-dropping antics, I also cringed at all the offensive stereotyping/mockery of this character.
Craft:
Native American dance fans - Very easy to make and the kids had lots of creative interpretations for fan designs. There were feathers everywhere afterward :)
Books:
The girl who loved wild horses by Paul Goble - Rather long for a storytime read-aloud but this is a lovely story and has gorgeous artwork that the kids all appreciated.
Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story by Robert D. San Souci - I didn't read the subtitle aloud before starting the story, so it was fun to see when the kids starting recognizing the classic Cinderella story themes in this version.
Frog Girl by Paul Owen Lewis - Gorgeous artwork and excellent use of mythological tropes in this story of a girl who saves both her village and the local frog population.
American Lore & Legend: Rabbit by D.L. Birchfield - Funny rabbit-as-trickster stories from several different tribes.
and Thank You Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson - Not a Native American myth, but a hilarious story about how Thanksgiving became a national holiday after many years of campaigning and hard work by Sarah Hale.
Movie:
Disney’s Little Hiawatha (film reel) - Very funny but definitely racist. I hadn't watched this one since I was a kid, and while I laughed a lot at the silly animals and the boy's trouser-dropping antics, I also cringed at all the offensive stereotyping/mockery of this character.
Craft:
Native American dance fans - Very easy to make and the kids had lots of creative interpretations for fan designs. There were feathers everywhere afterward :)
Friday, November 6, 2009
Dragon-themed Storytime (K-5)
Books
Elvira by Margaret Shannon - A very funny story about a dragon who'd rather wear dresses and make daisy chains than chase princesses.
The Egg by M.P.Robertson - Gorgeous fantasy-style dragon artwork and a sweet story about family and belonging.
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch - I adore this story of the feisty princess who outsmarts the dragon and decides to go solo rather than marry a snobby prince.
The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie De Paola - There are several textless panels in this book, but the visual humor is clear. It took minimal ad-libbing to convey the idea of both the dragon and the knight not being very good at fighting each other and deciding to open a BBQ together instead.
Movie
Teacher From the Black Lagoon (DVD) - We didn't have any medieval dragon films, so I chose a "Black Lagoon" series film where the evil teacher strongly resembles a dragon and breathes fire. They loved it!
Craft
Handprint Dragon - This craft was really fun and not terribly messy. Some of the five and six year olds had a hard time cutting out the handprints, but otherwise no problems. Lots of cute kids making their craft dragons roar at each other towards the end.
Elvira by Margaret Shannon - A very funny story about a dragon who'd rather wear dresses and make daisy chains than chase princesses.
The Egg by M.P.Robertson - Gorgeous fantasy-style dragon artwork and a sweet story about family and belonging.
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch - I adore this story of the feisty princess who outsmarts the dragon and decides to go solo rather than marry a snobby prince.
The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie De Paola - There are several textless panels in this book, but the visual humor is clear. It took minimal ad-libbing to convey the idea of both the dragon and the knight not being very good at fighting each other and deciding to open a BBQ together instead.
Movie
Teacher From the Black Lagoon (DVD) - We didn't have any medieval dragon films, so I chose a "Black Lagoon" series film where the evil teacher strongly resembles a dragon and breathes fire. They loved it!
Craft
Handprint Dragon - This craft was really fun and not terribly messy. Some of the five and six year olds had a hard time cutting out the handprints, but otherwise no problems. Lots of cute kids making their craft dragons roar at each other towards the end.
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