Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Children's Update: West Columbia

Twenty-five people enjoyed preschool storytime in October. We learned about fire prevention, going to the fair, spiders and pumpkins. We made a fire house, a barn, paper plate pumpkins and painted a spider web with a marble.

Thirteen people participated in the pumpkin decorating contest. We also visited with about 140 children during the Trick or Treat in the Park on Halloween.

I went to the Varner-Hogg Harvest Festival and read stories about cotton farming. More than 200 people were in attendance at that event.

We have a Family Reading Night scheduled for November 16. This event will also feature a Pajama Storytime. A Thanksgiving Craft Day is set for November 21.

Melissa, branch manager

Children's Update: Pearland

Preschool storytime saw more than 200 people in October. We started off the month by celebrating Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. We read stories and did an apple craft. The next week we recognized National Cookie Month by playing with Play-doh and plastic cookie cutters and had children make their own Play-doh cookies. On week three, the children listened to stories about autumn. Each child decorated his or her own leaf with fall colors. Week four was jack-o-lanterns and harvest time. The craft was pumpkin collage art. Orange, green, yellow and brown strips of paper were used by each child to make a collage. The last week of the month was Halloween. We read funny stories about Halloween and the children made their own Halloween masks.

The toddlers also enjoyed the month of October with about 40 people coming to Toddler Time. We chose to celebrate fall themes. Week one, we celebrated apples. Week two we read about leaves and the changes in the weather. On week three the children enjoyed stories about squirrels. Our final week of the month we read about pumpkins and Halloween. We always allow the toddlers to play with toys for a brief play time after stories. They really enjoy it.

The Tween Book Club was held on October 9. They read “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle.

Halloween Stories & Crafts was held in the evening with 30 people in attendance. We started the program with some Halloween stories. The first six children who arrived got real mini-pumpkins to take home. Our crafts were set up on five different tables. The crafts were:
  • make you own face mask
  • 3-D tissue pumpkin craft
  • pumpkin collage craft
  • toilet paper roll monster/spider craft
  • color your pumpkin paper lunch bag puppet
We listened to Halloween music, and Laura brought out a box of dress-up props that the children used for a brief play time. We handed out treat bags with pencils, rings and stencils as well as popcorn balls to all the participants before they left.

We are planning a Library Trivia Game on November 18. Our patrons are pretty smart so we'll have to come up with some really creative questions. Our movie night with clerk Charon is scheduled for November 9. There will be plenty of snacks and fun to go around! The next Tween Book Club will be on November 13. November programming will wrap up with our Fall Craft.

We are very pleased with our new A/V shelving. We have welcomed 3 new shelvers to our branch within the last month and a half. They are catching on pretty quickly, and we are so happy to have them.

Laura, children's specialist

Children's Update: Manvel

Preschool storytime is busting at the seams as more than 130 people attended in October. We learned about outer space, fire safety, dinosaurs and Halloween. For crafts we made a mobile with stars, the moon and planets. We also made a dinosaur scene with die-cuts. The fire safety storytime included a visit from the Manvel Fire Department. The children were able to sit in the truck and see the lights and hear the siren. For Halloween, we made jack-o-lanterns and had a costume contest.

Teen Read saw two people attending the first session. We had a good discussion on current books and movies. The second meeting of Teen Read had three people including a new member. He brought a new perspective to the group, and we discussed current books and old favorites like the Lemony Snicket books and “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen.

We only had two teen show up for our library mystery “The Body in the Bookdrop.” They had to follow the clues to see which staff member killed Mr. Banner O. da Books. The clues were hidden in books relevant to their subject, such as the fingerprint clue in a book on fingerprinting. The teens had a good time and solved the case.

We’re still having some difficulties getting people to attend our Pajama Night Storytime. We’re working on some new marketing ideas.

Four children came to the Kids’ Craft Time. We made a spooky Halloween picture. The children wrapped tissue paper squares around the end of a pencil, put a drop of glue on it, and stuck it to the tree limbs on the paper to make leaves. They got very creative. One boy tried to add as many spooky things as he could. One girl came up with the idea of crumpling tissue paper squares and gluing them at the base of the tree to make leaves that had fallen.

In November, we're making a turkey table decoration stuffed with rice that can be cooked later. The teens are having a board game afternoon, and our Pajama Night Storytime is going to be about teddy bears.

We lost one of our staff members this month. Jessica, our part-time clerk, left to get married and move with her husband to San Antonio. We wish her all the best. Our shelver, Jean, has moved into the part-time clerk position.

Geri, children's librarian

Children's Update: Lake Jackson

In October we went a little wild with the letters W-I-L-D at preschool storytime. We read about wild things, itchy things, falling leaves and animals that start with D. We had our annual Trick or Treat ’rade on city hall and added “Dark, Dark Night” to our letter D program. For crafts children made their own “wild things” and decorated a die cut tree with punched out leaves. Each child is also creating his or her own alphabet book with a weekly handout, an activity page, and a page on which they glue the letter of the week along with a picture. For November, our themes are Quack Quack, Honk Honk, Pop Pop and Gobble Gobble.

Three teens showed up for the October Wii program. Twenty people showed up for a Henna Tattoo program which was generously presented by Farah Habib. Teens are invited to an upcoming Twilight Party from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on November 18 to play trivia, win some prizes and enjoy some snacks. Teens are also invited to come play games of all kinds on National Gaming Day.

Registration for both book clubs has increased greatly. Though not everyone attended, 17 children registered for the Readers Circle and 15 for the Bookaneers.

Eight children in the Bookaneers Book Club for Grades 4-6 discussed the book “Found” by Margaret Peterson Haddix and enjoyed pizza from Domino’s. The group will be discussing “The Cricket in Times Square” by George Selden in November.

Thirteen children in the Readers Circle for Grades 1-3 discussed “One Potato, Two Potato” by Cynthia DeFelice and also enjoyed some pizza. In November, we will be discussing “Joseph Had a Little Overcoat” by Simms Taback.

Sara, the children’s coordinator, and I attended Open House at the Lake Jackson Intermediate School. We presented information on the library, our services and upcoming events to almost 50 people.

The 24th Annual Book Swap begins in November. Children can bring their gently-used books to the library and receive “book bucks” in exchange. Those “book bucks” can be redeemed December 5 for other books. Details are available at the library.

A bi-monthly Readers Club for Grades 6-8 will begin in January. Registration will be in December. Interested readers please contact the children’s librarian for more information.

Susan, children's librarian

Children's Update: Freeport

The Freeport children are having the pleasure of different storytellers each week during preschool storytime. Dawn did one storytime six people. That was her last storytime as she has accepted a teaching position. The staff and the children will miss her.

Sherry presented a pumpkin theme. She had six people in attendance. She cut open a pumpkin for all to see and feel, and then each child decorated a mini-pumpkin to take home.

Yolanda had a storytime dealing with leaves. The children identified leaves and trees. She also brought real leaves for a craft. She had 11 people attending two storytimes.

Marge had a fun-type Halloween theme featuring songs, stories and guessing games. It ended with the puppet play “A Caring Sharing Halloween.” Yolanda helped present the show. Everyone seemed to have a good time. More than 20 people came to this program. We performed it in the children’s area because of early voting.

Marge went to Memorial Day Care as a judge for their fall wall decoration contest. It was a difficult job but fun!

Until a replacement is found for Dawn, we will be taking turns doing preschool storytimes. Another puppet play is scheduled for November. The children really enjoy the puppet plays.

There was a cauldron of goodies that were passed out to children who came to the library on Halloween.

Marge, branch manager

Children's Update: Clute

Preschool storytimes were full of activity in October. We had a fire truck come for fire safety week. We continued with our stories and activities with the letters D and E. We had a Real & Pretend storytime that included some light Halloween references. Our crafts continue to use the die-cuts. Children and adults enjoy them and they work well with even the youngest children.

Our teen program for this month was a beginners knitting class on Columbus Day when school was out. Attendance was small but enjoyed by all.

We also had a craft program for children on Columbus Day. They created spiders out of black yarn (pompoms), black pipe cleaners and google eyes.

More than 40 pre-kindergarteners came for a special storytime from Ogg Elementary. I also went to Griffith Elementary as a “Celebrity Reader” for more than 90 kindergarteners.

National Game and Puzzle week starts Nov. 22. We will put out crossword puzzles and board games for school-age children and teens on the days we are open.

I enjoyed seeing the artwork at the joint children’s meeting for the summer reading club posters. That always helps with the planning.

We are looking forward to having a new part-time clerk start in November.

Carolyn, branch manager

Children's Update: Brazoria

More than 80 people came to preschool storytime in October. The first week we read about farm animals and made a little barn to fill with farm critters. We learned about firemen and fire safety the following week. Ghosts were our next theme. We made ghost lacing cards for our craft. The final week we had a fun Halloween party with cake, cookies, orange punch and, of course, treat bags. One of the mothers took a group picture of all our little trick-or-treaters and had it published in The Facts.

I am taking some online classes that will help me better serve our patrons.

Jo, children's specialist

Children's Update: Angleton

Our new teen Wii program has found initial success and will continue as a regular monthly Saturday program.

Saturday Family Movie attendance has continued to be high even though school has started. Even some of our adult patrons are making it in for the movie. Kidz Kraft is also maintaining its attendance, despite being an evening program for youngsters.

ECC has resumed their monthly visits and their October visit was hugely enjoyed by Miss Emmy.

Emma Lou attended the joint children’s meeting in Angleton and found the event to be very informative and enjoyable. Halloween holiday books are on display this month and are getting good circulation.

Emma Lou, children's specialist

Children's Update: Alvin

Nearly 80 people attended preschool storytime in October. We learned about trees, fire safety, spiders and Halloween. We made balloon spiders, lollipop ghosts and popcorn hands.

Teen Gamers Guild has regular attendance.

Twenty-six people participated in the Fall Extravaganza. Mini Wolverine won the costume contest.

Cub Scouts will be coming to visit us in November for a tour.

We have movie night, crafts and a pajama storytime scheduled for November.

Carol, children's specialist