Happy Hour Friday @ 4:30, June 14

We had a Super Happy Hour last Friday. We read What if You Had Animal Teeth, like fangs or tusks, and then we rolled the dice to see what we would do next:

Roll a 1: Mad Science experiment

Roll a 2: Game

Roll a 3: Craft

Roll a 4: You pick a book

Roll a 5: Ms. T picks a book

Roll a 6: Storytelling

We rolled a 4 for You Pick a Book and the kids chose Pigeon Wants a Puppy. 

I wonder what we'll roll next Friday?

Summer Reading Adventures at Gulf Beaches Library

Summer Reading Adventures

at 

Gulf Beaches Library!!! We had a great time with Pirates!
Now we're tackling---

Mad Science

Tuesday at 2:00 pm

June 18 @ 2:00 pm: Mad Science

An all new show from those mad scientists, revealing the Scientific Secrets of the Magicians. Don't bring any magicians, they may get mad!

June 25 @ 2:00 pm:  Star Wars Stormtrooper Visit

Yes, a stormtrooper is coming to Madeira Beach, Florida. I hope they don't tow away the Death Star if he parks it in the Winn Dixie parking lot. Bring your own light saber or make one here, and get ready for the Talk Like Yoda contest.

July 2 @ 2:00 pm: Sensing Nature

Want to find out what kind of coyotes, foxes, bats, bears, frogs, and snakes live in your backyard? Jeanne Murphy will tell you what to look for.

July 9 @ 2:00 pm: Dinosaurs

Herbivores vs. Predators in a good game of Dinotag in the Library, as well as some Dino Relay races and fossilized snacks.

July 16 @ 2:00 pm: Plants

Dig it at Gulf Beaches, with a professional landscaper as your tour guide in the mud.

July 23 @ 2:00 pm: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party

Compete in the Shame Game, the Cheese Game, and Wimpy Kid Trivia for great prizes like whoopie cushions and splat eggs.

July 30 @ 2:00 pm: Dragons and Hobbits

What are you, hobbit, dwarf...or orc? Hobbits like to have a good time, so get ready for some Middle Earth games and snacks.

August 6: Art from Below

We're going to be making some cute little rock dudes and experimenting with metal art too.

August 13: End of Summer Party

We'll find out who's won the Kindle!  This year we're giving one away for teens AND one for tweens, according to how many book reports are turned in.

Our Summer Reading Program starts on the Last Day of School, June 5

Come to our End of School Open House on June 5!

Whenever!

• Have a cupcake & a glass of butterbeer.
• Sign up on www.reading-rewards.com to log your books, win prizes, and see what other people are reading.
• Read a book to our adorable pet therapy dogs, Bella and Rico! 
• And most importantly, check out some great books!

Free book bugs bags to our first thirty families. We'll put in some goodies -- you put in the books!

Rico and Bella, our pet therapy dogs, May 3rd from 4:00 to 5:30

Come see us tomorrow so you can:

1. ***Read to Bella and Rico!
2. Kick off Children's Book Week early by having your picture taken in our Go Dogs Go mobile.
3. Put together some Legos (May the 4th be with you!) or a take-home castle.
4. Check out some of my new & wonderful books:

May the 4th Be With You...er, I mean the 3rd.

We'll be fooling around with Star Wars Legos and Yoda origami, in honor of May the Fourth Be With You Day and as a preview for our scheduled SUMMER VISIT FROM A STORMTROOPER!  So come in, pick out a book, and get ready to read to our cute book buddy dogs!

Loose the DOGS at Gulf Beaches Library, Friday, April 5 @ 4:00 !

We love the dogged determination of this canine pair! They're poking their noses into our library again this Friday, and we can't wait to pick out a good book to share with them. Come read a book to our pet therapy Book Buddies, and join in the general fun of a calm Friday afternoon at the Beaches.

Rabbits rabbits rabbits at Gulf Beaches Library tomorrow!

OF COURSE it's bunny rabbits at Gulf Beaches tomorrow -- starring that biggest of all rabbits herself, Ms. Travis in her white plush! We'll be reading some bunny tails  tales, and instead of a craft, we're going to have the 1st Gulf Beaches Library Egg hunt!

At 2:00 pm, a REAL white rabbit is going to come for a visit, so you can take your pick!

Big Dog Party on Firday, March 1 at 4:00

PLUS: We're making Oobleck in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday. And I know how much you all just loooove oobleck.

Call 391-2828 x 2 for an appointment. Or just come.

It's a Big -- well, really little, Dog Party!!!

These unbelievably cute pooches will be waiting at Gulf Beaches Library at 4:00 pm on Friday, March 1 for you to read them a story. Maybe you remember Rico, dressed like Senior Snow Man there on the right. His new compadre is the lovely Chinese crested powderpuff Bella. 

Technically, Bella really is a powderpuff. She had two options at birth; she could have been hairless, like the famous Chinese crested dog,  Sam. He was the winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.

Who you callin' ugly?

You've seen Chinese cresteds in movies and TV shows like these:

• Peek from Cats & Dogs and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
• Fluffy from 102 Dalmatians
• Romeo from Hotel for Dogs
• Giuseppe from Marmaduke
• Halston from Ugly Betty
• Lackey from Good Boy!

New Books at the Beaches

Looking for something to read out loud with the kids on these long winter nights? Look no further. The 13 Clocks, written by New Yorker humorist James Thurber, is a bit like The Princess Bride. Villains, heroes in disguise, odd helpers, and magic spells, and all very funny.

Printable Lunchbox Riddles

Go to All The Boys for some printable lunchbox riddles. (Jokes = literacy!)

Dog Party, Friday, January 4

We had a great time at our party this Friday. Thanks to everyone for coming -- esp. Rico and Bella. They were a little late because the parking lot was full.  Everyone was inside waiting for them!

It's a Big -- well, really little, Dog Party!!!

These unbelievably cute pooches will be waiting at Gulf Beaches Library at 4:00 pm on Friday, January 4 for you to read them a story. Maybe you remember Rico, dressed like Senior Snow Man there on the right. His new compadre is the lovely Chinese crested powderpuff Bella. Bella was rescued only a few months ago but is now quite the social butterfly. 

Technically, Bella really is a powderpuff. She had two options at birth; she could have been hairless, like the famous Chinese crested dog,  Sam. He was the winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.

Who you callin' ugly?

You've seen Chinese cresteds in movies and TV shows like these:

• Peek from Cats & Dogs and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
• Fluffy from 102 Dalmatians
• Romeo from Hotel for Dogs
• Giuseppe from Marmaduke
• Halston from Ugly Betty
• Lackey from Good Boy!

PLUS: Snowman crafts and some tasty treats 

(but not doggie treats) too.

Great Apps and Websites

Get a new thingamajig for Christmas? The head wizards at ALA recommend these top 25 websites, all free.

ALA Top 25 Websites

 Common Sense media lists cool apps here: 

Common Sense Media best apps for ages 2-17

Nonfiction vs Fiction? My Personal Common Core

I love it when the Sunday paper publishes an article about children and books (Tampa Bay Times, Sunday, December 9, 2012, Perspective 6P, "What Should Children Read?") It makes me so happy to know that someone CARES, that someone is PAYING ATTENTION. And more importantly, that someone is agreeing with me!

For years I've thought that there was a prejudice in the use of nonfiction materials to teach reading. They weren't included on reading lists, and when kids picked them out to read for reports, teachers would sometimes refuse to allow them. 

"You're just looking at the pictures," teachers complain. The answer? Find a book on the subject at the child's level, that he can read. He wants to look at pictures of snakes? Find a book about snakes he can read. With pictures. When he's finished, ask him what he's learned about snakes.

I've got a lot of books about snakes. And horses. 

New Books & Best Books at Gulf Beaches

New Series Favorites: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.  Just as the Percy Jackson books were based on Greek mythology, Fablehaven gains its storytelling power from fabulous creatures like trolls, dragons, pixies and unicorns. All these creatures are still alive, it seems, but they're carefully kept hidden from the world on places much like game preserves. Only...someone's trying to meddle with the order of things. And that's where the fun begins for our young hero and heroine.

And yes, that's the ugliest cover art ever! So open it up and look inside -- try the first five pages!

Bad Kitty. On the spinners.  If you're a cat lover, these are pretty darn funny books. And if you just like cartoons and silliness in general, these are pretty darn funny books. A great chapter book for second and third graders. 

Perfectly Princess by Alyssa Crowne, on the spinners. Whoa! What can I say! Another gorgeous pastel book series along the lines of the fairy books, only they're about plucky modern day princesses! What a great reason to learn to read!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Taking a car trip? Think about checking out an audiobook to take with you! Click here for a little info about children's audiobooks. (Oh, and when the site says "buy" think "check out of the library." I already bought them for you!

I won't be in on Monday, but if you have time off and are looking for a special craft to do on Tuesday or Wednesday, be sure to stop by. There's LOTS to do around here.

Tip:  Looking for the next book in your series?  Go to wikipedia, enter your author's name, and look at the bibliography on the left hand side. Easy! Then request the next title you need from us, at Catalog!

First Friday THIS November 2

Yes! Our adorable Book Buddy pooch will be here this Friday, November 2, so come in, see if he's as soft and cuddly as you remember, and read him a book. 

I just got in a big stash of gorgeous origami papers. Sound tempting?

I've just discovered a great website: Growing Like a Read  It outlines different activities -- well, not activities so much as ways of talking and being with your very young children, babies to age four, that encourage pre-literacy and just general braininess.  Come in. I'd love to talk with you about them, or download them yourself from the website.

Book Character Costumes

Click here for lots of Book Character Costume ideas

We had a great Halloween party this year! Thanks to everyone who came and made ghosts, played Mummy and Don't Say It with us.

When I'm not at my desk...

Hi, wonderful parents!

Over the years I've been asked by a lot of parents to help find books for their children. For children who are eager readers and not so eager readers, children who want a certain thing or just have to read 20 minutes a day. I can't always be there for you, so I've created this website, with lots of tips and links, to help you with this important job.

Secrets to Finding Books for Kids

Good luck!
Ms. Travis

Giant Halloween Party, Friday, October 26 @ 4:00

Time for me to dust off my witch's toes recipes and start fermenting my swamp brew. 

Wear your Halloween costume to the Gulf Beaches Library and mingle with all the other superheroes, princesses and pirates. 

Get ready to play unwrap the mummy and make some crafts with us. Know any ghost stories? 

I do.

October 5, First Friday Party

October 5

First Friday Party

& boo to you if you can’t come

4:00

We’ll be playing Halloween bingo and eating spooky snacks

The craft will be skull bracelets,

But don’t expect me to help you!

I’m afraid of them!

Rico, Our Book Buddy Labradoodle, will be coming IN COSTUME!!!

We'll be making bracelets like this:

For directions, see: http://www.squidoo.com/day-of-the-dead-bracelet

Name our library fish!

What’s my name?

Pick out a cool name for me, the new library fish! 

Put your entry in this slot. We’ll have a drawing for the winning name

at the

October 5 First Friday party.

$10 prize to the winner

(I'm a guy fish, and my mother's name is Sarah)

I'm BAAAaaaack!

I had a fabulously great time in England.  Check out my photo album on line:

Click here to join me in English Storyland

My hotel.  I think it's the same house the Banks children lived in when Mary Poppins was their nanny.

Two VERY Important Announcements

First:  we have a new member of the library, and it's a completely different species! It's a fish -- like the angry fish in The Cat in the Hat. We don't know much about this fish yet, because we just got it yesterday from Sarah M., who bred it in her own laboratory. We're going to have a Name the Fish contest when I get back from 

Vacation

YES!

I'm on my way to England and Paris. I'll get into the same train station, St. Pancras, where Harry Potter caught the Hogwarts Express. I'll be a twenty minute walk away from the British Museum, where Carter Kane's dad blows up the Rosetta Stone in The Red Pyramid. The Great Ormand Street Hospital that still receives all the money from the Peter Pan books is down the street, and the Charles Dickens museum is around the corner. 

And that's all just within walking distance...

Later I'll be going to Paris, and I'll be staying in an "Old house all covered with vines."

See you!

Good Luck this Year!

I officially declare this

A Fabulous Summer

Lots of people came to lots of fun programs

Dogs heard books

A baby possum, a balloon artist, a magician and a mad scientist paid a call.

And THOUSANDS of books were checked out!

I've given the Animal Shelter a nice big check, so

see you!

And have a great year!

We'll start with the 

4 o'clock First Fridays on October 5   

Book Buddy dogs, Legos, games and more books books books

Invasion by alien balloons! 

Have a Great Year Party! Tuesday, August 17 @ 2:00

Party

Stan's teaching a disappearing coin trick

I'll be doing lava lamps from Juggling with Kids

We'll read and sing

Cupcakes, of course.

And hopefully we'll have a nice check to give to the Animal Shelter. So keep logging your hours at www.reading-rewards.com!

Looking for some good books to ready your student for the first day of school? Check out my list at Preschool Readiness

ABCs in your shopping cart

ABCs in your shopping cart

I've had a lot of people ask me where I got my alphabet stamps and alphabet ducks. I used to get them from Oriental Trading, but I've found them even cheaper at Amazon. I've been doing some end-of-the-fiscal year shopping, and here's my resource round-up: abc-for-kids You'll be seeing the puzzles soon at the library for check out, but if you choose to purchase stuff for yourself -- knock yourself out! I'll get a % from Amazon if you order through abc-for-kids.

While we're on a totally different subject, I want to tell you wonderful parents about this new book I just read. 

Paul Tough has been looking at some psychology studies and reports back to us. In the first part of the book, he talks about rat specialist Michael Meaney. He did a little experiment on hundreds of rats that went like this: the baby rats were taken out of their cages, handled, which they hated, and then put back in. Either their mothers rushed over to them and licked and groomed them to reassure them, or their mothers kind of ignored them.  

Baby rats who were licked and groomed were OK.  The ignored baby rats, rather than develop strength of character, became nervous wrecks and developed a host of problems in later rat life; rat juvenile delinquency, alcoholism, early teen pregnancy. They were little rat failures.

From behind my desk, I watch you parents licking and grooming your little ones every time you come in. You really are a wonderful set of parents, and you're raising a bunch of successful rats by what you're doing.

Just wanted to let you know. Any baby rat would be happy to have you as a parent.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 7 -- Scavenger Hunt

Ms. Travis just finished making up the clues for our scavenger hunt tomorrow. Here's why you should come:

• The treasure box is stuffed with prizes (warning: lots of ducks) so come on down and bring your brain with you. 
• I'll give you a walk through, then we'll pair up. 
• There will be one set of scavenger hunts for people who are still working on their reading skills and another set for those of you who think you know everything  more mature kids. 

And I got lucky! I have two teen volunteers!

So see you tomorrow!

Puppets this Tuesday

This little guys are AMAAAAAZING!  As soon as you stick those little google eyes on their little styrofoam heads, they become little alien bug buddies you feel you've known all your life! So see you on Tuesday, when we'll be partaking of mass quantities of styrofoam balls, google eyes and pipe cleaners.


Of course, it won't be enough just to create this little monsters. During our Tuesday session, we're going to also give them names, decide how old they are, what their favorite cookies are, and what superpowers they have. If they speak another language, that will also be important to find out.


Ideas for names?  Got any more to add?  I need some! Send them to me in Comments, please!


Amelia, Alvin
Coraline
Geronimo
Horton
Lola
Minnie, Marvin
Pippi
Spongebob


PLUS!!!! Have I mentioned that the Gulf Beaches Players are also staging for you a Mystery Fairy Tale Puppet Show starring all your favorite dinosaurs!


Well we are!

Cesar Domico

Magician

Cesar Domico

We had QUITE the time with Maestro Domico this year!  

These little balls -- they pop up everywhere!

Out of pockets, fingers, and ears!

Here's the Maestro's magic wand -- the way it's SUPPOSED to be -- stick-like.

His assistant has let his magic wand go all soggy! How careless of her!

Now the Maestro is pulling a scarf out of an ear! How does he do it!