Introducing the Readers Guild

A lot of people spend a lot of time worrying about our children’s reading and writing skills.  These worries usually begin with elementary school test scores and end with college freshmen who are unprepared for the demands of their coursework.  

I don’t believe in oversimplifying problems that dedicated educators are devoting considerable time and effort to solve, but I do believe this: Good readers are successful students.  Good readers are better test takers.  Good readers are good writers.  I also believe that the Tunkhannock Public Library can help more children to become good readers.

The Tunkhannock Public Library is pleased to announce the Readers Guild, a new  program for young readers designed to encourage the habit of independent lifelong reading.  The Readers Guild is based on the Royal Order of Castle Van Tassel, a long-standing and successful reading program at the Bloomsburg Public Library.  Membership in the Readers Guild is open to readers between the ages of 6 and 15 (members must be able to read on their own and must have a library card).  Members will record the books that they read and a point value will be assigned to each book.  As members accumulate points, they will move up through a series of levels, beginning as Seekers and ending as Master Readers.  To keep our Readers Guild members motivated, we plan to host a special reception in the spring to publicly recognize them for the books that they have read and to acknowledge readers who have moved up a level.  The names of Master Readers and the year that they achieved Master status will be listed permanently on the library webpage in honor of this accomplishment.  

To become a Master Reader, a member will have to have read enough books to have received at least 750 points.  It will take a long time to become a Master Reader, and it won’t be easy.  By the time a Readers Guild member becomes a Master Reader, however, he or she will have become something else: a lifelong reader.    

Dr. Seuss and yogurt

We all have a health food that we know that we should be eating but that we just can't bring ourselves to ingest. If someone says they love all healthy foods, he or she is lying.  In the spirit of honesty, I am going to share my healthy food that I never eat if I can avoid it: yogurt.

I know that yogurt is full of wonderful bacteria that make digestive tracts happy.  I have tried many types of yogurt in an effort to make my own digestive tract happier.  I have tried plain yogurt, yogurt with chunks of fruit in it, yogurt from Greece, and chocolate mousse-flavored yogurt.  I find the last variety particularly annoying because, no matter what words you print on a container label, chocolate mousse is definitely.not.yogurt.  Period.

So what does yogurt have to do with children's books you ask?  To me, Dr. Seuss is like yogurt.

I know that Dr. Seuss was a brilliant genius whose writing style changed children's literature forever.  I know that his characters are immortal.  I know that his books can make children AND adults think about some pretty serious subjects.  Still, to me, Dr. Seuss is like yogurt.  When I was a child, I thought they were too silly and that the Cat in the Hat was scary.  As an adult, I find them difficult to read aloud.

I know A LOT of people (including my cousin Jennifer who is really, really smart - brilliant actually) who love Dr. Seuss.  For them, Dr. Seuss is chocolate mousse.  Some of us love some books, some of us hate the exact same books.  The passionate reactions that books can pull out of us are a major part of what makes reading such a wonderful activity.  If your child doesn't like a particular book or author, talk about the reasons behind his or her opinion.  Then share your opinion about the book or author with them.  Talking about books is almost as important to the process of becoming a lifelong reader as the actual reading itself.

Oh, and don't try to make me eat yogurt.    

Story Hour is back - yeah!

Today was our first preschool story hour of the 2011-2012 school year.  After some late summer madness featuring earthquakes, hurricanes and floods it was a welcome relief to get back into a fall routine with story hour.

I didn't pick any particular theme for this story hour - I just decided to read two wonderful picture books new to the Tunkhannock Public Library collection: The Loud Book! by Deborah Underwood and The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires.  The Loud Book! is perfect for reading aloud because kids and grown-ups can take turns making the REALLY LOUD noises described in the book.  Of course if you'd rather your kids practice making quiet noises, you could check out The Quiet Book by the same author.  The Gingerbread Cowboy is a spicy desert Southwest retelling of the children's classic The Gingerbread Man.  Holly Berry's bright and whimsical illustration (Javelinas! Long-horned cattle! Cacti!) make the book as much of a joy to look at as to read.

I found a fun fall craft, Plastic Cup Crows, at Crafts by Amanda.  Crafts by Amanda is one of my all-time favorite craft websites for its original AND simple projects.

Join us every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. for preschool story hour in the Community Room.  No pre-registration is required.

Greek mythology website

For kids who can't get enough Greek mythology, I highly recommend the website Winged Sandals.  Winged Sandals was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and featured facts, games, and mini-animated movies about Greek gods, heroes and monsters (with Australian accents)!

If there is enough interest, I may offer a Roman mythology to chase away the mid-winter blahs in early 2012.

Super-nifty craft website!

As part of my research to find the best make and take crafts for Make and Take Mondays at TPL this summer, I stumbled across a fabulous craft website: www.makeandtakes.com.  The crafts are fun, fresh, and best of all, simple, a positive for the craft-challenged like myself.

Stop by the library every Monday from June 20 through July 25 to pick up a fun craft project to work on at home.  Crafts will be distributed on  a first-come, first-served basis, so stop by early.  Some crafts may contain small parts and are best suited for kids age three and older.

Interesting blog post on early literacy

I wanted to share this blog post on the importance of early literacy, specifically, the connection between reading proficiency by third grade and the likelihood of graduating from high school.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2011/04/the_disquieting_side_effect_of.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

You Are What You Read!

Scholastic has added a super cool feature to its website - Book Print.  Book Print allows readers to share five of  the books that have mattered the most in their lives with other readers around the world.  Just visit www.youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com to pick your top five and write about what each book means to you.  You can also browse the Book Prints of celebrities, friends, and family.  Search for my Book Print under Tracey Pratt!