Kids Newsletter
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Story Time, Toddler Time & Baby Time |
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Each branch library of the Harris County Public Library system offers a weekly Story Time. Story Time is recommended for children 3-5 years old. It features stories, songs, fingerplays and an occasional craft.
Many of our branch libraries offer a Toddler Time. Toddler Time is recommended for children 18 months to 2 1/2 years old. It features books, songs, fingerplays, music and movement.
Many of our branch libraries offer a Baby Time, also called Book Babies, Lapsit, Bookworm Babies, Infant Storytime, Babies Book Time, Mother Goose Time or Baby Bounce. Baby Time is recommended for infants 0-12 months or 0-18 months depending on the library. It features nursery rhymes, finger plays, simple songs, playtime and sometimes books. Some libraries require registration for their Baby Time.
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Author/Illustrator Birthdays
8/2 James Howe
8/6 Barbara Cooney
8/7 Betsy Byars
8/9 Patricia McKissack
8/11 Don Freeman
8/12 Walter Dean Myers
8/18 Paula Danziger
8/28 Allen Say
8/30 Donald Crews
9/4 Syd Hoff
9/8 Jon Scieszka
9/11 Anthony Browne
9/13 Roald Dahl
9/14 John Steptoe
9/15 Tomie DePaola
9/16 H. A. Rey
9/27 Bernard Waber
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Pictured Above: Miss Melody presents Story Time at the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library.
Pictured Below: Baby Time at the LaPorte Branch Library. |
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Meet the HCPL Children's Staff
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Harris County Public Library has 26 branch libraries across the county. We have over 60 staff members dedicated to serving children in our community. Let's meet a couple of them! |
Miss Lynn
Miss Lynn is the Assistant Branch Librarian for Children's Services at Tomball College and Community Library. She has a Master's Degree from the University of North Texas and has been working in libraries for 11 years. Some children call her "The Library Lady" and on several occasions, little girls have gone home to play story time after attending her story time.
What do you like to read?
As an adult reader, my passion is mystery books. When reading children's books, I enjoy picture books, folktales and chapter books like Because of Winn Dixie and the Harry Potter series.
What was your favorite book when your were a kid?
As a preschool child, I loved listening to my mother read The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Little Red Hen. In fact, I loved these stories so much that I memorized them and became quite a storyteller in our neighborhood--even before I had learned to read. As a school age child, one of my favorite books was Charlotte's Web.
What are your hobbies?
My hobbies include reading, singing and basketball. In addition, I collect angels and storybook characters.
Do you have any pets?
Currently our family schedule is very busy, so our only pets are some beautiful tropical fish swimming happily in our aquarium. Two pets I adored when I was a child where a beagle named Watchy and a turtle named Rosie. I plan to add a dog to our family in the future.
What do you like best about your job?
The best part of my job is being able to work with children of all ages. I love bringing stories to life for children and inspiring them to want to read or listen to more books. I enjoy planning special programs that can put a smile on a child's face and/or teach them something awesome. It makes my day when I can help a child by answering a question, locating a great website or using library resources to succeed with a shcool assignment.
Anything else you want to share about yourself?
I have been married for 22 years and have one teenage daughter. I have two adult step-daughters, who have five children ranging in ages from 7 to 16 years old. I have been blessed with a very loving and supportive family. I became a librarian to share my love of reading with chidlren and to ensure that the library has a welcoming atmosphere to encourage children to return again and again. The children at our library have made my dreams come true. They really do hate to leave Tomball College and Community Library--even to the point of crying when it is time to go home. We may just replace McDonald's as the more fun place to go.
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Mr. Victor
Mr. Victor is the Assistant Branch Librarian/Children's Librarian at the Fairbanks Branch Library. He has worked for Harris County Public Library system for 20 years.
What do you like to read?
My reading interests are fairly broad for fiction and nonfiction, but I tend to read more fiction than nonfiction as a whole. I enjoy mysteries and suspense stories, science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction, and realistic fiction. Except for biographies, I read nonfiction titles that have a subject that catches my interest. Not only do I like to read, but I watch quite a few movies, and I especially like older films.
What was your favorite book when you were a kid?
I don't remember liking one particular book, but I have fond memories of reading all the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew titles in the public and school libraries in the small town in which I grew up. That's probably why I like mysteries and suspense so much! I wanted to have my own roadster to drive around, too.
What are your hobbies?
Reading and movies, of course, but I like to listen to music, mainly classical, especially opera, and jazz. I enjoy gardening, and one of my favorite hobbies is to participate in storytelling activities. I like to read folktales from around the world and learn them for telling.
Do you have any pets?
Not at this time, but dogs are my favorite pets, especially cocker spaniels. I did have a brief try having an aquarium some years ago.
What do you like best about your job?
Sharing stories and books with children and young adults, especially telling stories and pesenting puppet plays--I like playing the part of a wolf or a frog. Helping young people develop and keep a love of reading and learning is one of the most important services that librarians provide and I get great satisfaction knowing I am helping with that.
Anything else you want to share about yourself?
I don't dye my hair or beard--the gray is real!
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David Shannon. Good Boy, Fergus!
Except for his bath, Fergus experiences the perfect doggy day, from chasing cats and motorcycles to being scratched on his favorite tickle spot.
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Cynthia Rylant. Mr. Putter & Tabby Spin the Yarn
Trying to be neighborly, Mr. Putter decides to serve tea to Mrs. Teaberry's knitting club but chaos ensues when Tabby the cat and Zeke the dog find the party irresistible.
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Kevin Lewis. Dinosaur Dinosaur
A rhyming story about a busy day in the life of a young dinosaur.
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Bob Mcleod. Superhero ABC
Humorous SuperHeroes such as Goo Girl and The Volcano represent the letters of the alphabet from A to Z.
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Julia Durango. Cha Cha Chimps
Counting and dancing go hand in hand at Mambo Jamba's, the place where hippos hokey-pokey and meerkats macarena and ten little chimps do the cha-cha-cha, until Mama Chip says, "Time for bed!"
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Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Giddy Up, Cowgirl
While running errands with her mother, a young girl who likes to dress as a cowgirl tries to be helpful but her efforts always seem to backfire.
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Lauren Thompson. Little Quack's New Friend
When a frog invites five ducklings to play, four refuse because he is too little and green, but Little Quack has so much fun with his new friend that the other ducklings soon join in.
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Dianna Aston. Mama's Wild Child; Papa's Wild Child
Read about some mamas of the animal worldB -- then flip the book over and meet some papas. Seal mamas cuddle their pups, swan papas piggyback their cygnets, and mama and papa ostriches take turns babysitting. Little wild ones will delight in discovering that human families and animal ones are not so different after all.
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Pierdomenico Baccalario. The Door to Time
After moving from London to an old mansion on the English coast, eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia discover that their new home has twisting tunnels, strange artifacts from around the world, and a mysterious, locked door.
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Barbara Park. Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!
Excitable Junie B. Jones manages to find trouble both before and during a trip to Hawaii and records each incident in a photo journal given to her by her teacher.
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Nancy Springer. The Case of the Missing Marquess
Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.
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Dan Gutman. The Homework Machine
Four fifth-grade students--a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker--as well as their teacher and mothers, each relate events surrounding a computer programmed to complete homework assignments.
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Laurence Yep. The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco
Earthquake of 1906 Eight-year-old Henry and nine-year-old Chin love to read about heroes in popular "penny dreadful" novels, until they both witness real courage while trying to survive the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
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James Proimos & Andy Rheingold. When Guinea Pigs Fly
Three guinea pigs lost in a big city try to make their way back home to the pet store, with help from some very unlikely characters.
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New Children's Nonfiction
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Jinny Johnson. Dino Wars
An illustrated introduction to the strengths and weaknesses of dinosaurs, including each animal's diet, skills, habitat, and the physical characteristics that would have enabled each dinosaur to defend itself. |
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Ann M. Martin. Kristy's Great Idea: a Graphic Novel
Follows the adventures of Kristy and the other members of the Baby-sitters Club as they deal with crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who do not always tell the truth. A graphic novel based on the 1988 book by the same name.
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Cindy Blobaum. Insectigations
From butterflies and beetles to crickets and katydids, these experiments, art projects, and games will bring out the entomologist in every kid. Activities include collecting and sketching insects, making a terrarium for observation, raising mealworms, using math to measure bug strength, gardening to attract butterflies and other insects, and making an insect amplifier.
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Art Baltazar. Gorilla Gorilla
Graphic novel. Gorilla morphs into superhero Gorilla Gorilla to deal with Lizard Lizard.
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Beah E. Richards. Keep Climbing, Girls
The only way to make a bid for a girl's equality is to climb right up to the toppermost bough of the very tallest tree. The dynamic ode to girl power was written by noted Afro-American actor, poet, and playwright Beah E. Richards. First published in 1951, her poem is given new life in this edition that includes an introduction by LisaGay Hamilton and stunning illustrations by R. Gregory Christie. With its inspirational messsage, this book will empower children with the realization that "the path of life goes up and up/not down!"
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