Report Reveals Reading Bad for Kids Before Age Five
April Fools!
Of course!
A little early, but hey, what good are websites and book titles if you don't see the ideas before you need them? You have six days to get ready, now go have a little fun of your own:
- Infoplease Almanac: April Fool's Day Origin and History
- Spoonful: April Fool's Day
- Parenting: 15 April Fool's Day Pranks (Librarian's choice: safety pin all of their undies together side by side. When one is pulled out, they all come out. You'll get a serious laugh for that one. Underwear always does it. Try Froggy Gets Dressed or Bear in Underwear or Aliens Love Underpants or Dirty Joe, the Pirate: a True Story. You'll see.)
- Food.com: Top April Fools' Day Prank Recipes
And just so we're clear:
Reading is GREAT for kids before age five. The BEST.
Plenty of reports show it, like these:
- Reach Out and Read: Importance of Reading Aloud
- Reading is Fundamental (RIF): Facts About Reading Aloud
- Reading Rockets: Reading Aloud (Scroll down for Research Reports)
Books:
Books Recommended by: Janet Spaulding, Selection Services
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Easter
This year, Easter is on March 31, 2013. On this Sunday families will gather to attend church, eat, hunt for Easter Eggs and many other family traditions. Here in the Indianapolis area there are several Easter activities for families including a trip to the library for your favorite Easter stories. Or, try a new one - there are a lot this year!
Favorite Books for Easter:
Websites
- Martha Stewart: Easter Crafts & Activities
- Martha Stewart: Decorating Easter Eggs
- PAAD Easter Egg Decorating Tips
- Official Website: Peeps
- White House Easter Egg Roll
Indianapolis Area Easter Egg Hunts:
Springtime in Indianapolis is a really beautiful time. This year, Easter is a little early so the weather could go either way. But cold weather or not, your kids are going to want to participate in an Easter egg hunt or two. Many local churches, parks and non-profit organizations host Easter egg hunts. If you aren't sure where to take the kids, this list may come in handy.
- IndyWithKids: List of Area Easter Egg Hunts
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kids Club Easter Event
- Indianapolis Propylaeum Easter Egg Hunt
- Post Road Christian Church Eggstravaganza Giant Indoor Easter Egg Hunt
- City of Greenwood Easter Egg Hunt
- Forest Park, Noblesville Annual Easter Egg Hunt
- Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation Spring Fever Easter Egg Hunt
- The Times of Noblesville: Hamilton County Easter Egg Hunts
- Beech Grove Easter Egg Hunt
- Asa Bales Park Easter Egg Hunt
- Brownsburg Easter Egg Hunt Arbuckle Park
- Plainfield Community Easter Egg Hunt - Followed by an UNDERWATER hunt at the Aquatic Park!
- Northminster Presbyterian Annual Easter Egg Hunt
- Avon Optimist Club Easter Egg Hunt
- Fishers Station Kiwanis Club 31st Annual Easter Egg Hunt
- North Central Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt
- Danville Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt
- Easter at Conner Prairie
- Zionsville EGGnormous Event
New Easter Books for 2013:
Easter eBooks:
- 10 Easter Egg Hunters
- Duck & Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny
- Easter Mice
- An Easter Prayer
- God Gave Us Easter
- Happy Easter, Curious George
- Happy Easter, Gus!
- Ollie’s Easter Egg
- The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
- Easter in Harwick
- The Berenstain Bears and the Real Easter Eggs
- The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Magic
- An Egg-cellent Easter
- My Easter Bible Storybook
- Emma’s Easter
- The Easter Story
- The Story of Easter
- All New Crafts for Easter
- Easter
Easter Downloadable Audio:
Books Recommended by: Janet Spaulding, Selection Services
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Passover
Passover this year is from March 25 - April 2, 2013. During Passover Jewish people remember how their ancestors left slavery behind them when they were led out of Egypt by Moses. The Passover celebration lasts for seven or eight days, depending on where you live.
On the night before Passover starts, there is a special meal called a Seder. Families read the story of how the Israelites fled from Egypt from a book called the Haggadah. An extra cup is on the table and the door is left open for Elijah. Jews believe that the prophet Elijah will reappear to announce the coming of the Messiah.
The books and websites on this page can be enjoyed by families celebrating Passover themselves or by families who would like to learn about the Passover traditions of their friends and neighbors.
Websites:
- Chabad.org: Passover
- Sesame Street: Shalom Sesame
- BBC: Passover
Favorite Passover Books:
New Passover Books:
Passover eBooks:
- Dinosaur on Passover
- Grover and Big Bird’s Passover Celebration
- Sammy Spider’s First Passover
- Only Nine Chairs
- Too Many Cooks
Book Recommendations By Janet Spaulding, Selection Services
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And Then It’s Spring!
And then it IS Spring! Finally! TODAY, March 20th, the vernal equinox. This is the day that the sun moves from south of the equator to north of the equator. Spring is in our hemisphere! The days, which have been getting longer since the winter solstice on December 21st, are now the same length as the nights. Equinox is latin for "equal nights."
When small children think of Spring, they think of lambs, chicks, ducklings, flowers and playing outside. There are a lot of books at the library to celebrate Spring: stories about baby animals and planting gardens getting outside again. Pulling a wagon to the library and filling it up with books is a great way to spend a pretty day!
You know what else is a sign of spring? Caterpillars. That means butterflies and moths are coming! Who better to usher in Spring than Eric Carle himself reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar for today, March 20th, the First Day of Spring as well as The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day, 2013!
Websites
- National Geographic Kids: Tiny Frogs Ring in Spring
- Martha Stewart: Kids Spring Crafts
- The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Egg Balancing Myths and the Vernal Equinox
- TO DO: Indianapolis Zoo/Hilbert Conservatory: Butterfly Kaleidoscope Opens March 22, 2013! See over 40 species of butterflies!
- TO DO: White River State Park: Flight of the Butterflies 3D Downtown Indy IMAX movie follows the year-long annual migration cycle of monarch butterflies. Hundreds of millions of monarchs flying their migratory routes from Canada, across the U.S. and into Mexico.
- TO DO: Holliday Park, Indianapolis April and May 2013 Calendar of Events
Favorite Books about Spring
New Spring Stories for 2013
New Spring Non-Fiction for 2013
Book Recommendations By: Janet Spaulding, Selection Services
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St. Patrick’s Day
- Indy St. Patrick's Day Celebration
- Spoonful: Crafts & Activities for St. Patrick's Day
- Pinterest Board: St. Patrick's Day Crafts & Decor
New Books:
eBooks:
And I should have included the e-books:
St. Patrick's Day Favorites
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Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year starts February 10. Here are some books and websites to help you explore this holiday together.
- The Chinese Calendar
- JackieChanKids: The Chinese New Year
Stories about Chinese New Year:
Learn about Chinese New Year:
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Valentine’s Day
It's Valentine's Day - the perfect time to tell someone special "I Love You". We have books to learn about Valentine's Day or make crafts or read stories about love. We even have Valentine's Day eBooks about love. That's right. LOVE. What's not to like?
- IndyPL Kids Ready to Read Pinterest Board: Valentine's Day
- Parents.com: Valentine's Day Crafts
- FamilyFun: Valentine's Day
- PBSKids: Valentine's Day
- Martha Stewart: Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids
- Jan Brett: Valentine Selections
Valentine's Day Favorites:
Valentine's Day eBooks:
- Valentine Mice!
- 10 Valentine Friends
- Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine
- Happy Valentine’s Day Gus!
- Louanne Pig in the Mysterious Valentine
- Ruby Valentine Saves the Day
- Valentine’s Day in Vicarstown Dora Loves Boots
- Franklin’s Valentine
- The Berenstain Bear’s Funny Valentine
One Zillion Valentines - It Happens in the Month of February
All New Crafts for Valentine’s Day - Let’s Celebrate Valentine’s Day
- Valentine’s Day
Learn About Valentine's Day:
New Valentine's Day Books:
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 21, 2013 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here at the Library we're closed, but there are a lot of Indianapolis attractions that are open with FREE activities. Take a look at the choices: Indianapolis Downtown Inc. Calendar of Events for Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2013.
You can learn a lot together about Martin Luther King. Jr. in some favorite and new books listed below, or by looking at these websites. You can also make a craft to honor and remember Martin Luther King Jr.'s work - find one on the Ready to Read Pinterest Board: Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Websites:
- Fact Monster: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- The King Center: The King Holiday
- National Geographic Kids: Martin Luther King Jr. in Pictures
- Library of Congress America's Story: Martin Luther King Jr.
- BrainPop Movie: Martin Luther King Jr.
- Scholastic: Martin Luther King Jr. The Legacy of a Leader
- Seattle Times: Martin Luther King Jr. & the Civil Rights Movement
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
- Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
- IndyPL Kids Blog: Homework Help - Black History Month
Favorite Books:
Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963:
New Books:
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Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa – Classics & New
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December is a great time to share favorite stories; there are just so many old holiday favorites to choose from to get your family into the holiday spirit. On this page you will find Chistmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa classics as well as brand new 2012s that just might be classics in the making.
Favorite Christmas Stories:
Favorite Hanukkah Stories:
NoTimeForFlashcards Blog: Picture Books About Hanukkah
Favorite Kwanzaa Stories:
New Christmas Books:
New Hanukkah Books:
New Kwanzaa Books
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Thanksgiving
Even the smallest of us know that it is a good thing to always remember to say "thank you!"
Thanksgiving stories are a great way to remember together the many things we can be thankful for...for one thing...we can be glad SOMEBODY REMEMBERED TO MAKE DINNER. (See: Thanksgiving at the Tappletons')
Listed below are some new Thanksgiving titles for 2012 and some favorites that qualify for "read it again!" Librarian's favorite? Balloons Over Broadway. Who can resist learning about those big balloons?
Websites
- IndyPL Ready to Read Pinterest Board: Thanksgiving
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Scholastic: Voyage on the Mayflower
- Scholastic: The First Thanksgiving - Daily Life
- Scholastic: The Thanksgiving Feast
- Virtual Video Field Trips: Plimoth Plantation Pilgrim Village, Wampanoag Homesite & Tour the Plimoth Plantation
- Turkey FAQ - Because what are giblets anyway?
- Fact Monster: How to Say Thank You in 26 Languages
- Talk Like a Pilgrim
Books
NEW Thanksgiving Books for 2012:
Don't Miss These Thanksgiving Favorites:
Books recommended by: Janet Spaulding, Selection Services
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