Kids
April is National Poetry Month
"Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and, of course, poets, marking poetry's important place in our lives.
Celebrate National Poetry Month by checking out some children's poetry books today! Here are just a few of the books available at your local library:
Holi is the Hindu Festival of Colors. According to The Times of India, Holi is celebrated to mark the beginning of Spring, and involves the entire community coming out and smearing each other with beautiful colored powders.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with these children’s titles that can be found in our Buffalo & Erie County Public Libraries!
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the group responsible for creating a celebration of Black History in 1926, has called for a focus on the Black Family for this year's celebration of Black History Month. What better way to celebrate than by reading books about black families in the past, the present and beyond? Here are some children's books you might like to read with your family:
Picture Books about Black Children and Families set in the Past:
Need a few easy craft ideas this winter? Ms. Susan shows us how to make easy yarn stars and frosted candle holders. Perfect gifts for this festive season, or something to brighten up your space!
Children's Services Librarians have developed a new way to view our library services for kids with this bitmoji library! Click on the images to sign up for a library ecard or access our ebook catalog, participate in our winter reading contest (starting Jan. 1st), or watch video storytimes all from one place! Have fun exploring all the resources the library has available for you online!
Are you a member of the American Indian community and want your children to see themselves reflected in the books they read? Do you want to learn more about the American Indian experience with your kids, but don't know where to find books that are reliable and culturally appropriate? The American Indian Library Association has developed the American Indian Youth Literature Awards to "identif[y] and honor.. the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity." (from the AILA website). What better way to celebrate Indigenous People's Day than by reading books created by people from the vastly diverse and beautiful communities of indigenous people in this county:
Banned Books Week is September 27th through October 3rd, 2020. This library stands by your right to read without censorship!
What is Banned Books Week, you ask?
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
What books are being banned in the United States?
Ahoy matey! Shiver me timbers! September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day! Let’s have some fun with some stories of the sea, fun new words to use and a fun buccaneer science activity. We will batten down the hatches and try to build a sailing vessel and keep it from Davey Jones’ locker while filling it with booty and doubloons! Another great way to keep the pirate fun going is to make a treasure map and have a scavenger hunt!
Do you feel it? We feel it; everything is hard right now. Normal life has been disrupted for so long and this new reality of ours doesn't seem to be getting any easier. You may or may not be working, you may not know when or how your child will be going back to school, and the possibility of the virus resurfacing is a constant.
Kids are most likely experiencing the same feelings of anxiety and uncertainty despite our best efforts at maintaining a positive environment. We as adults may not have all the answers, but we can be there to provide our children with a sense of hope and stability. And If you don't always know what to say --that's ok! Sometimes reading a book together can help you reconnect with your child, or start a conversation about his or her feelings. And it just might make you feel better, too. Here's some book ideas that may help: