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by Brijin Boddy & Cathy Michaud
photos by Mike Culpepper
Finding books and activities for children and ‘tweens can be a challenge, especially today, when everything is expensive and technology and television have taken over. However, there is still a place where you can check out books, movies and music at no cost, attend great programs and surf the web—your local public library. In these hard economic times, it is wonderful to know that your library is still working for you.
We hear over and over again that parents are children’s first and most important teachers, and when it comes to learning language, we are the most influential people in their lives. Too often, mainly because of time constraints, families turn to television and video games for family time. We are not bad parents. It is just difficult to compete with the overwhelming influence of the digital age.
Reading together as a family is so important since it teaches critical
skills such as sharing, listening and taking turns, and allows for
bonding with parents and siblings. So how can we introduce reading
into the lives of our children? Here are some ways you can engage
your child’s imagination through reading at least 20 minutes every
day.
• Take books with you to read while waiting: to see the pediatrician,
for food at a restaurant or in line at the store.
• Make tapes of yourself and other family members reading stories
to play in the car on the way to school or daycare. (A wonderful
way to include out-of-town family.) Although less personal, books
on tape and CDs are available at the library.
• Make reading materials available throughout your home by placing
books and magazines in every room.
• Mix board books with your children’s toys.
• Introduce a bath book into the bathtub.
• Read aloud in the morning before school and at bedtime.
Have fun reading! You and your children will be delighted at all of
the adventures you will be introduced to as you flip through the
pages! Here are some books that are sure to interest parents and children
alike.
Babies to 2-Year-Olds
Alphabet by Matthew Van Fleet
Over 100 creatures and plants in a multi-sensory book full of
pull tabs, scratch and sniff and foils. Hours of fun!
Let’s Dance, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton
When Pookie’s mother asks Pookie to dance, she is not interested
in trying something new, but soon realizes that she can hop, march,
shimmy and sing.
Yes Yes! A Box of Board Books by Leslie Patricelli
A 3-book set introducing children to the world of opposites.
Where is Baby’s Birthday Cake? by Karen Katz
Children will love lifting the flaps in an attempt to find baby’s
birthday cake. Under the flaps are shiny, foil objects. Each flap is
an adventure.
Faces by Begin Smart Books
Babies and parents will enjoy this cloth book containing a multitude
of faces and emotions, like happy, sad and sleepy. A rattle is
attached to the top for baby.
What Does Baby Say? A Lift the Flap Book by Karen Katz
A delightful book that uncovers the language of a happy baby,
hungry baby, cuddly baby and more.
2- to 4-Year-Olds
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems
In the fourth book in the Pigeon series, Pigeon wants a puppy to
play tennis with. Children will be excited to learn whether Pigeon
gets his puppy.
Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure by Doreen Cronin
As the animals busily ready for the corn maze festival, duck has
a plan that will surely surprise all of the animals and farmer Brown.
God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton
Abrams and Leuyen Pham
Archbishop Desmond Tutu shares his vision of God’s dream,
which includes teaching forgiveness, equality and sharing.
Bear Feels Scared by Carma Wilson
Readers follow Bear through a scary adventure in the dark and
stormy woods. Bear gets lost and begins to cry. Not to fear, a search
party sets out to find Bear, who is overjoyed to be rescued. A wonderful
book for introducing children to common emotions.
Goodnight Goon: A Parody by Michael Rex
In this spin-off of the children’s classic Goodnight Moon, little
werewolf settles down for some sleep. In comes Goon, who is determined
to stop Werewolf from getting any sleep. Children will enjoy
hearing this humorous book over and over again.
Time For School, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
Part of the If You Give series. Mouse is getting ready for school!
Join him as he attempts to find his homework.
5- to 7-Year-Olds
Since We’re Friends: An Autism
Picture Book by Celeste Shally
In this touching and educational book,
two boys become friends, and Matt, a boy
with autism, learns how friendship works.
An important book for all parents to read
with their children.
Big Words for Little People by Jamie
Lee Curtis
A heart-warming, hilarious book that
teaches children the importance of communication.
Children will learn new vocabulary
words and values as they read along with
Mom or Dad.
The Daddy Book and The Mommy
Book by Todd Parr
A complete book about daddies and one
about mommies that explain how no two
daddies or mommies are alike. Wonderful
books for children to share with their parents.
Magically Mysterious Adventures of
Noelle the Bulldog by Gloria Estefan
While Noelle is thrilled that a sweet little
girl has adopted her, she is very worried that
she will not fit in with her new family.
Includes a CD of Gloria Estefan’s new song.
The Big Blueberry Barf-Off! (Rotten
School series #1) by R.L. Stine
Bernie Bridges is trouble! Watch out for
Bernie as the world’s nastiest pie eating contest
takes place at Rotten School. Bernie Bridges never loses!
8- to 11-Year-Olds
Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
#3) by Jeff Kinney
Greg Heffley has always been a wimp.
Greg’s father doesn’t understand and thinks
that he can make his son tough. Greg has no
intentions of changing until he discovers his
dad plans to send him to a military academy.
Eve of the Emperor Penguin (Magic
Treehouse series #40) by Mary Pope
Osborne
Jack and Annie search for the secrets of
happiness in order to save Merlin. Their
quest sends them on an adventure to
Antarctica.
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl desperately attempts to
save his mother’s life when she is diagnosed
with a life-threatening illness, but the cure
lies in the brain fluid of the extinct silky
sifaka lemur. Artemis travels back in time,
but many challenges lie in his path.
Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick
Chronicles series #2)
by Toni DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Nick and Laurie are off on adventures to
stop the coming onslaught of giants destroying
the whole of the state of Florida with
fire, a daunting task for two kids and a blind
old man named Noseeum Jack.
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street
Girls by Elise Primavera
Ivy, who has suffered bad luck for the
past seven years, is now being forced to live
in a creepy old house on Gumm Street with
her mother. Fortunately, a pair of ruby red
slippers take Ivy on an funny and frightening
adventure with her neighbors.
Charlie Bone and the Shadow (Children of the Red King series #7) by
Jenny Nimmo
Charlie Bone’s family is sought out by
the mean Count Harken. Charlie anxiously
attempts to save his relative, who has beenkidnapped and placed in jail in the dark land of Badlock.
Young Teens
Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
Jake rescues a baby dragon and becomes its mother. How do you
train a dragon to be a dragon when you can’t fly or breathe fire and
you must keep it all a secret? An imaginative tale of dragons, growing
up and love.
Into the Dark by Peter Abrahams
The third installment of the Echo Falls Mystery Series is another
wild ride, complete with dead bodies, false accusations and secrets.
Ingrid is called on yet again to solve the mystery, but this time the
secrets she uncovers may be her last.
The Seems, The Glitch In Sleep by John Hulme and Michael
Wexler
The Seems, the world that keeps our world working right, starts to
break, creating chaos in the world. Becker Drane must figure out what
is going wrong and fix it before it is too late.
You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah! and We Are So
Crashing Your Bar Mitzvah! by Fiona Rosenbloom
These books chronicle the life of Stacy Friedman—a normal 13-year-old who worries about fashion, friends and boys—as she tries to
gain popularity without losing herself.
Visit a Library
Near You |
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| Columbus Public Library 3000 Macon Road, Columbus 706.243.2669 www.thecolumbuslibrary.org Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sun.: 1:30 - 6 p.m. |
Phenix City-Russell County Library 1501 17th Avenue, Phenix City 334.297.1139 www.phenixcitylibrary.com Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun.1 p.m.-5 p.m. |
| North Columbus Branch Library 5689 Armour Road, Columbus 706.748.2855 www.thecolumbuslibrary.org Mon., Wed., Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. |
Harris County Public Library 128 N. College Street, Hamilton 706.628.4685 harrisco@thclibrary.net www.thclibrary.net/hamilton.html Mon., Wed., and Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. 2 p.m.-6 p.m. |
| Mildred L. Terry Branch Library 640 Veterans Parkway, Columbus 706.748.2851 www.thecolumbuslibrary.org Mon.- Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. |
Williams Memorial Library |
| South Columbus Branch Library 2034 South Lumpkin Road, Columbus 706.683.8805 www.thecolumbuslibrary.org Mon., Wed., Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. |
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