Children's Update: Freeport

Preschool storytime continues to be fun for all who attend. We read books with the themes of Deck the Halls, Snowmen, Reindeer, Santa Claus and Happy New Year. We decorated ice cream cone trees, made snowman ornaments and Santa puppets, and had a new year celebration with homemade party hats and instruments.

Yolanda and I represented the library at Holiday on the Brazos. More than 200 children made an ornament to take home. Craft Day with Mrs. Claus was another success. More than 100 children registered. The children visited the different centers throughout the library. All 108 children received a very nice hardback book thanks to our grant from Walmart. This is such a great community event. Children do all kinds of activities. I staff the center where they decorate cookies with globs of icing, sprinkles, etc. Children come from all the surrounding communities.

Sherry is a grandmother for the first time. She went to visit her granddaughter, Claudia Marie, during her vacation.

Marge, branch manager

Children's Update: Clute

December's preschool storytime themes covered decorations, snow, the holidays, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the new year. We decorated Christmas trees, made snowmen and created door hangers. Thirty-eight children and 20 adults enjoyed the programs. We will continue our alphabet theme in January.

We held a teen game day on December 29.

For our craft day on December 12, we made door hangers.

We will show a movie and make a craft on January 16 for Appreciate a Dragon Day.

Carolyn, branch manager

Children's Update: West Columbia

For preschool storytime, we had 12 children and six adults visit us. We read stories about gingerbread, reindeer, trees, Santa Claus and the new year. We made gingerbread paper bag houses, tree puzzles and calendars.

Puzzle Day was December 5 and each child got to make his or her own puzzle and make a puzzle piece to display. Also, each one was able to make a menorah for Hanukkah. On December 19, we hosted Winter Holidays Around the World. Each child made a craft for Kwanzaa, St. Nicholas Day and Las Posadas.

January 9 is Elvis Day at the library. We are having a hula hoop contest and making guitars.

During the month of December, we passed out candy cane scented bookmarks.

Melissa, branch manager

Children's Update: Brazoria

The children’s area has been busy with Christmas activities. Each week we made an ornament according to our theme including a reindeer, a Christmas tree, and a Santa Claus. The final week we read Clement Clarke Moore's "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and had a party. The children decorated cookies, sorted colored marshmallows and ate lots of cookies and punch. Each child received a snowman ornament to take home and put on his or her own tree. Carmen did preschool storytime on December 30, and she read about New Year’s. The children colored New Year’s pictures.

We had Bedtime Stories this month and six children attended. We read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and several other Christmas books. The evening was topped off with milk and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Carmen and I went to Parent’s Night at the Brazoria Head Start Center. We gave an overview of the library system and the services we provide to children and adults.

I am planning winter events at this time including Valentines for Vets, which I will take to the Veteran’s Hospital in Houston. Also in the works are plans for Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras and a Valentine’s Day party.

We are happy to be “un-decorating” for Christmas and reorganizing for next year. All of us are planning for an exciting winter, spring and summer. Lots of good ideas have been expressed.

Jo, children's specialist

Children's Update: Manvel

This month 82 children and 57 adults attended our preschool storytime programs. We started the month with stories from Mother Goose, then we spent the rest of the month celebrating the holidays. We read stories and sang songs about reindeer, Santa Claus, and Christmas, and we finished out the month, and the year, with New Year's stories. For crafts we made the Three Little Kittens' lost mittens, Rudolph the Red-Puff-Ball-Nosed Reindeer, a Santa Claus puppet, Christmas trees, and a great New Year's party hat.

At Teen Read we discussed new books that have been released, as well as new movies we'd seen. Everyone had seen "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and was really excited to talk about it. Attendance was down due to the holidays, but we hope that it will rise again in January. For our teen activity this month, we played Name That Holiday Tune. We only had two teens come. They enjoyed snacks and had a great time trying to guess the holiday songs. Both did very well, but we could only have one winner, and he got a candy cane full of Hershey's Kisses.

This month for Pajama Night Storytime, we had three children and two adults come listen to several different versions of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The program concluded with the original story by Clement Clarke Moore. Afterward, we enjoyed cookies and apple juice.

Our Kids' Craft Time this month was attended by seven children and two adults. We made star ornaments out of craft sticks, rhinestones and glitter glue. While the glue was drying, we put together bags of "Magic Reindeer Food" to sprinkle on their lawns Christmas Eve so Santa's reindeer could find their houses. Everyone had a great time.

In January, we will be hosting our (hopefully) First Annual Paper Football Tournament for teens. We'll also be having our regular Teen Read programs. We'll be making snow globes during our Kids' Craft Time, and Pajama Night Storytime will be "Midnight Snack Attack!"

We welcome our new shelver, Clare, to the branch. Clare started December 14 and is doing a wonderful job.

Geri, children's librarian

Children's Update: Pearland

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa! December started off in a festive way. During the first week of December, we enjoyed a few of our favorite winter stories with songs and finger plays, then the children made a winter craft. Happy Hanukkah was the theme for week two. Ms. Laura read stories about Hanukkah with songs and finger plays. The children made their own Hanukkah toys and menorahs and played Hanukkah games. Weeks three and four were both themed Merry Christmas to You. Our stories varied from classics to modern. The children made their own Christmas crafts such as Christmas tree ornaments, poinsettias and Christmas cards. We also sang songs with finger plays and served cookies and cocoa with marshmallows. Our last preschool storytime for the month was Happy Kwanzaa. We read stories about Kwanzaa and had songs and finger plays. Our craft was to design a kinara, make a toilet paper candle or make a placemat using traditional Kwanzaa colors.

Tween Book Club was hosted on December 11. Our tweens were encourage to read any of the American Girl Christmas stories or a Christmas story of their own liking. We served hot cocoa with marshmallows and cookies.

We had two special programs this month starting off with Winter Holiday Crafts on December 16. Ms. Laura read holiday stories and sang songs. Members of the Pearland High School band came by and played Christmas music in the lobby which was enjoyed by all. Our crafts were set up on six different tables. Each table offered a variety of crafts from creating Christmas ornaments to making their own Kwanzaa placemats. We served cocoa, cookies, candy and lemonade. The second special program was on December 22. There were Christmas stories, six different craft stations, Christmas music, and cookies and cocoa. Some of the children then placed their ornaments on our library Christmas tree. Lastly, the children played “Toss the Teddy.” A fun time was had by all.

We are excited about our next event coming up in January. We will celebrate New Year and winter.

This year the children’s department was decorated beautifully. There are lights, Christmas trees, a menorah and fake snow. We also put some Kwanzaa items in the big bulletin display. We’ve placed some of our preschool storytime and special event crafts out for viewing. Many of the library patrons were happy that there were so many diverse activities for their children to participate in. Kudos goes out to the PHS band for playing the Christmas music at the library. This was the first time the library had live music! We had several students here, and they got some snacks and cocoa too! Thank you to them for providing us with such festive music.

Laura, children's specialist

Children's Update: Lake Jackson

At preschool storytime in December attendance was light as we read stories about a jolly old elf, getting nothing for Christmas, and the New Year. In January we will be reading stories about eXtra special gifts received, rubber duckies, toys and snow.

Boys Read, the new bi-monthly book club for grades 6-8 started in December, but no one signed up for it. Hopefully with some more promotion we will have some boys participating in the February meeting.

Girls Read for grades 6-8 will meet January 26 to discuss "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld.

In December eight children attended the Readers Circle Book Club for Grades 1-3 to discuss the book "One Snowy Night" by M. Christina Butler. In January we will be reading "Vulture's View" by April Pulley Sayre.

Only four children in the Bookaneers Book Club for Grades 4-5 read and discussed Barbara Robinson's "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" in December. In January we are reading "Mudshark" by Gary Paulsen and discussing what makes a person “cool.”

As part of the 24th Annual Children’s Book Swap, children who received book bucks in November returned to spend them in December. On December 5, we had 34 children and 17 adults attend the program and spend $1,536 in book bucks on gently used books at the library. We had purchased $1,121 worth of books from eight families in November. Additional books were saved from donations to the Friends to provide a good selection of titles. Each child attending a program in November earned additional bucks, and each child entering the library on December 5 received $5 in book bucks and was invited to shop. Families with leftover bucks may use them during the year to buy books from the Friends ongoing book sale at the Lake Jackson branch.

During the Christmas break, we offered several programs including movies and crafts. The daily drop-in crafts averaged about 10 children per day.

The dragon book display is drawing a lot of interest and may stay up through “Appreciate A Dragon Day” on January 16.

I read a selection of stories to a group of 24 children and 5 adults at Head Start in Lake Jackson on December 16. In appreciation, the library received a book character doll for the library. Thank you, Head Start!

I continue to email my calendar of events to school librarians and some teachers who have requested it.

February 13, for Valentine’s Day, we are planning several things including making your own valentines; a repeat of last year’s Love Your Library Group Hug and “Why You Love Your Library” contest; as well as a program featuring chocolate tasting and crafts. Details will be announced.

March 20 has been set as the tentative date for this year’s Fancy Nancy Fashion Show.

The new book, hanging bag and DVD display shelving the city purchased has arrived and been set up. Looks great – especially the table-top displays for the easy books. I am using them to feature popular series and authors along with the corresponding character dolls when I have them.


Susan, children's librarian

Children's Update: Angleton

Christmas, pets, trains and trees were our themes for preschool storytime. New visitors came for the first time. The children had great fun and were very attentive for the readings. The train mesmerized all, very entertaining. In January, we are discussing time, cold weather clothes and snow.

LIFE/HCS attended a movie on December 16. Sixteen adults were provided popcorn and drinks. Lots of compliments for providing entertainment for the group.

Vickie was welcomed back with staff support. Clarissa had a wonderful time in Hawaii.

Emma Lou, children's specialist

Children's Update: Sweeny

We had things that are cold during preschool storytime. We made penguin photo frames and had a marshmallow snowball fight. The toddlers looked for winter clothing hidden around the library.

Teen book club had four attendees, and we discussed "What I Saw and How I Lied" by Judy Blundell over cookies and milk.

We made Christmas cards for Sweeny House this month.

We are going to celebrate National Puzzle Day at the end of the month.

Our stats were up for the month off December and for 2009. Kudos to the staff.

Leslie, branch manager

Children's Update: Danbury

Miss Ruby brought the BIG tortoise. We had to get a lift truck (actually just Nick) to bring it in. Too much fun.

Wii is good on Thursdays. During the holidays, we played a little extra when there were lots of children here.

Craft day was making holiday plaques. May have to move craft day from Fridays; it is just not working for our families.

January is looking good so far, despite the cold weather. Craft day is on January 15. We are doing bookmarks with really happening tassels on them.

Set up the children’s computer in the meeting room. Parents are signing up to do it with their children. Showed it to the Friends Group and one of the senior members said he thought this might be just his speed, except the keys needed to be bigger. I agreed the keys being bigger might be better for both him and children but noted how cute the shrunken mouse was!

Kandy, branch manager

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

Children's Update: West Columbia

More than seventy people came to preschool storytimes in September. We heard stories about libraries, grandparents, fiesta, autumn and apples.

We held a special Grandparent-Grandchild movie day in September to celebrate Grandparent’s Day.

We’ll have a teen movie on October 24 and a Halloween pumpkin contest on October 28.

Melissa, branch manager