Tag Archive for: families

Jerissa

Favorite Books of 2023

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As 2023 draws to a close (Can you believe it?!), Youth Services staff has been reflecting on some of the most exciting contributions to children and teen literature this year. We have compiled our absolute favorites to share with you. We trust there will be titles on this list that will become (or maybe already are) favorites for you and your family as well! The list features a mixture of books that are funny, poignant, creative, mind-bending, and more from our various collections in Youth Services (board books and picture books as well as juvenile and teen graphic novels, fiction, and nonfiction).

➜ Without further ado, here is the list of Youth Services’ Favorite Books of 2023.

What were your favorites this year? Let us know! Want more suggestions for great books for babies, children, and teens? Check out our collection of book lists here and here, or chat with us at the Youth Services desk during your next library visit.

Here’s to another great year of reading!

Kelly K

Lovevery @ the Library!

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When I first heard about the toy-based subscription service, Lovevery, I was dubious. My children had piles of toys, many of which were collecting dust. We do not need more toys! When does “so many toys” become “too many toys”?

It all changed for me when my brother started regularly receiving the developmentally appropriate Lovevery kits of toys for their growing family. As their children grew the kits were regifted to my children, allowing us to experience the toy-based subscription service first hand. The kits quickly became favorites for my little ones, giving me the freedom to donate unused toys in favor of a less cluttered house filled with developmentally appropriate play.

What is Lovevery?

Lovevery, a toy-based subscription service, was founded using research on the neurodevelopment of babies and intended to help foster development through play and experiences. These stage-based kits were designed to support brain development using toys, books and a play guide for parents.

Lovevery at the Library

Interested in experiencing these kits first hand with your child? Check out one of the six new Library of Things Play Kits featuring Lovevery! Click the links below to learn more, check availability, or place a hold today!

The Helper Play Kit ➜

Activities for children ages 25-27 months.  Your child may be eager for independence and to step into the world of “big kids.” This Play Kit responds to your two-year-old’s natural curiosity with Montessori-practical life activities and tools to develop security in their routines.

The Investigator Play Kit ➜

Activities for children ages 31-33 months.  Your toddler is working on their emerging executive function skills, which are important for everything from controlling one’s behavior to planning a future task, and even creativity. This Play Kit will support their natural curiosity.  Practice jumping, balancing, and tossing.  Build concentration, language, and memory skills.  Strengthen gross motor skills.  Learn lessons in liquid conservation.

The Free Spirit Play Kit ➜

Activities for children ages 34-36 months.  Your child is almost three years-old! Age three is sometimes called “the magic year,” a time when language blossoms, independence and curiosity grow, and social-emotional skills start to sharpen. Embark on this special stage together with play essentials to support their growing skillset.  Fit shapes and contrasting colors together.  Early exposure to numeracy.  Practice problem-solving and balancing skills.  Engage in imaginative play.  Build real-life skills.

The Observer Play Kit ➜

Activities for children ages 37-39 months.  Welcome your new three-year-old to the “Year of the Self” as they take ownership of their routines, build emotional intelligence, and make sense of their world through open-ended play.  Explore routines with pretend play.  Practice nesting with early exposure to architecture concepts.  Set expectations by planning their day. Encourage independence and self care.

The Analyst Play Kit ➜

Activities for children ages 46-48 months.  Challenge your (almost) four-year-old to use precise fine motor skills, solve new sensory and STEM puzzles, and cook with fractions—all with fun, hands-on play.  Practice matching objects through sensory play.  Build descriptive language skills.  Solve a color puzzle using different shades.  Put fine motor skills to practical use.  Translate 2D pictures into 3D objects.  Visualize parts of a whole.

The Connector Play Kit ➜

Activities for children ages 49-51 months.  Support flexible thinking with playthings that help your child think differently and make new connections as they learn to investigate, solve problems, and adapt to change.  Practice flexible thinking.  Investigate objects from different perspectives.  Build independence and routines.  Strengthen precise fine motor skills.  Create, adapt, and act out new stories.

Library of Things kits can be checked out for 21 days using your library card. Kits must be checked out and returned to the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library Customer Services desk. Library of Things kits accrue fines of $1 a day if returned after the checkout period.

Jill

Spooky Stories for the Season

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As soon as I learned to read, I discovered a love of spooky stories. To this day, my favorite scary stories are still the ones from my youth. With that in mind, I wanted to share a few of my favorites, as well as a whole list of scary stories to explore at the library.

Picture Books

The Dark by Lemony Snicket

Laszlo is afraid of the dark which lives in the same big, creaky house as him, until one night the dark pays him a visit. | Check it out!

I Don’t like Koala by Sean Ferrell

A little boy receives a new stuffed koala as a gift, but does not like his stuffed koala because of its terrible eyes, terrible face, and terrible paws. But each time he tries to get rid of it, Koala comes back. This is a fairly creepy picture book with a comforting twist at the end. | Check it out!

Early Readers

Bears in the Night by Stan Berenstain

My earliest memory of a family member reading to me was this book, and I loved how my aunt built suspense, then read super fast at the end. This one is an only “slightly scary” bedtime story winner! | Check it out!

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz

I remember reading this all by myself and feeling very accomplished. Heads up that there are some quite scary stories in here, including the story “The Green Ribbon” which I still think about to this day! | Check it out!

Chapter Books

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn (both chapter book and graphic novel)

This may be my all-time favorite ghost story, and for good reason. A new little step sister, a new house with a graveyard in the back, and a mysterious headstone all add up to a fantastic ghost story for chapter book readers! | Check it out!

Took by Mary Downing Hahn

Mary Downing Hahn is my very favorite spooky author, and well over 30 years after her first book, she still continues to write today. This is my favorite of her newer titles, and if you are in the mood for a scary story about a witch, this is the book for you. I’d recommend this for older elementary readers, and those that can handle a good scare! | Check it out!

The library is also offering scary book displays for all levels of readers now until the end of October, and we have an online booklist here for even more fun scary stories. Enjoy!!

Julia

Sing Along with Storytime Shorts

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What songs were important to you when you were growing up? Do you have any favorite songs to sing with the little ones in your life? One special toddler in my life loves the Choo-Choo Song, which is a part of our welcome routine at Bouncing Babies and Little Movers storytimes on Mondays and Tuesdays. Like many young children, this toddler loves singing about taking the “choo choo” train to Nana’s house, Mama’s house, Auntie’s house, and all of the other important people in his life.

You can listen to Jill sing the Choo Choo song in our Storytime Videos collection. Here you’ll find many of our favorite fingerplays, stories, and, of course, songs. This collection is a great way to learn new songs and sing along with all of your storytime favorites.

YouTube player
Jill

Calling all families with babies!

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Do you have a baby in your life? We have a storytime just for you!

What

The library offers Bouncing Babies and Little Movers Storytimes. Both storytimes feature songs, rhymes, lap bounces, a unison read book, bubbles, and other activities such as parachute or dancing with your baby. After both storytimes we bring out baby-appropriate toys and invite families to stay for a baby play group and social time for adult caregivers.

When

Bouncing Babies is on Mondays, and Little Movers is on Tuesdays. Both start at 10 a.m. and are about 20 minutes long. No registration is required, so feel free to pop in whenever your schedule allows! See our full storytime schedule for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and the whole family.

Who

Bouncing Babies is intended for pre-walkers, approximately 0-12 months. Little Movers is intended for babies on the move, approximately 12-24 months. Bouncing Babies is a relaxed gathering with a lot of face to face interaction between baby and caregiver, while Little Movers is an active storytime with built in music and movement activities. No matter your baby’s developmental stage or activity level, you are sure to find a good fit for them at one of our storytimes. Still not sure which baby storytime to pick? Feel free to try both and see which storytime is better for your family.

Questions?

We hope that you and your baby come and try out a baby storytime very soon! If you have questions, our staff is always here to help. Please call 715-839-5007 or email ysstaff@eauclaire.lib.wi.us. If you know someone with a baby who may like to join us, please help us spread the word!

Jerissa

How Did We Do?

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As the Summer Library Program draws to a close, we want to thank all the children, teens, and families who participated in our summer events and summer reading program! THANK YOU! We hope your children discovered great books and that your family was able to enjoy one or more storytime, Dabble Box Open Lab, Thursday Performance, teen event, etc.

Please help us continue to improve the Summer Library Program by completing this quick survey. Whether or not you participated in our program, your responses will inform what we offer during future summers. We appreciate your feedback!

 

Here’s a link to that feedback survey one more time.

Jerissa

Elephant and Piggie PARTY!

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Calling all Elephant and Piggie fans for an Elephant and Piggie PARTY!!

FUN FACT: The last Elephant and Piggie book (The Thank You Book) was published more than seven years ago. Still, the 25 titles in this series are consistently among the most popular and loved books at the library.

Join us as we celebrate these favorite characters during our Elephant and Piggie Party on Friday, July 28, from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Riverview Room on the library’s third floor. We’ll enjoy storytime at 10 a.m., followed by self-paced games, crafts, and snacks. Get your cameras ready, as Elephant and Piggie will be making an appearance live and in-person!

Have you read all the books in the series? Find them here!

Have you read them all 10 times and need something different? Check out these playful and just-as-loveable Elephant and Piggie read-alikes.

While Elephant and Piggie and Pigeon may be his most popular characters, Mo Willems has other books that your child is sure to enjoy. Check them out!

Happy reading, and see you on the 28th!

Jill

Summer Decorations are back!

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We always strive to make the Youth Services room colorful and magical each summer, so that families look forward to seeing our summer theme come alive in the library. This is my eighteenth year planning decorations for the Youth Services room for the summer, and my first year decorating our newly renovated space. I have an amazing team every spring that helps me create the decorations, and we try to put them up as close to June 1 as possible so it’s like Dorothy coming out of the house into beautiful, colorful Oz. Laaa…. It’s the beautiful summer decorations!

This summer’s theme is Garden of Stories, and we went all-out with flowers this year. We hope that the decorations will bring a smile to your face on your next visit! I’ve included a peek of some of this summer’s decorations as well as a few throwback photos as well. See you soon at the library!

Andria

Summer Reading Is in Full Swing

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The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library’s annual Summer Library Program is going strong!

Nurture your child’s interest in reading by signing them up for the Summer Library Program. Reading during the summer months helps prevent summer slide, a decline in reading ability and academic skills. Research shows that participation in summer reading programs can increase reading skills, motivation, confidence, and enjoyment. Find out how to get started below!

Summer Reading Program

Youth ages 0 to 18 can earn a free book this summer by participating in the Summer Library Program.

  • Sign up anytime, June 1–August 15.
  • Set a reading goal and start reading. Track your progress on the reading record.
  • Complete 5 activities from the activity list on the reading record.
  • Claim your free book (!) by bringing your reading record to the Youth Services desk by August 15.

How to Start…

Want to know more? Check out our Summer Library Program page to sign-up, download our event flyer, and so much more.

Questions? Call 715-839-5007 or email ysstaff@eauclaire.lib.wi.us

Katie H

Playing is Learning

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Does your family visit the library to play?

Play and Learn is a library play space designed for early childhood literacy and learning. It’s inspired by Every Child Ready to Read practices: talk, sing, read, write and play. Engaging with your child in these activities helps them develop the skills they need to learn to read!

The Play and Learn theme this summer is On the Farm and In the Garden. We have tons of fun farm and garden toys, puzzles, games, and activities including a raised garden bed, a chicken coop, and even a toddler gym with a slide!  Also featured this summer are songs and rhymes to sing together, a barn puppet theater, and a stage and costume area to put on a show. Stop by the library this summer and learn through play!