November Story Hours

Theme: Gingerbread
Books: Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Ernst and The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup
Craft: Gingerbread ornaments from Oriental Trading CompanyTheme: Thanksgiving
Books: Fall, Leaves, Fall by Zoe Hall, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson, Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano, Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
Craft: Scratch leaf ornaments from Oriental Trading Company

Theme: Dinosaurs
Books: When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach, If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most, Dino Pets by Lynn Plourde, and How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You by Jane Yolen.
Craft: Paper plate dinosaurs similar to this one:

Theme: Wolves
Books: The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza, My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza, and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugenios Trivizas.
Flannelboard: The Three Little Pigs
Craft: Make houses for the three little pigs similar to this picture:

Catching up on past storytimes!

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting these storytime plans, we've had a busy fall! Between September and October, the library held 195 programs with over 5658 attendees of all ages.

Chickens Storytime:
Books: Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
First the Egg by Laura Seeger
Hurry, Hurry by Eve Bunting
Craft: Chick kit from Oriental Trading CompanyHorse Storytime:
Books: Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash
Clip Clop by Nicola Smee
Activity: Dress up like a cowboy, sit in a saddle, and ride stick horses
Craft: Cowboy bandannas from Oriental Trading CompanyVehicle Storytime:
Books: Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord
The Scrubbly Bubbly Car Wash by Irene O'Garden
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Activity: Crawl through a cardboard box "car wash" (original idea by Susan M. Dailey)
Craft: Racecar stamp pictures
Bug Storytime:
Books: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth
Itsy Bitsy the Smart Spider by Cherise Mericle Harper
Craft: Egg carton spiders
Monster Storytime:
Books: Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley
Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty
If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Craft: Monster masks
Halloween Storytime:
Books: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Snappy Sounds Boo! by Beth Harwood
Frankie Stein by Lola Schaefer
We improvised a bit for this storytime since we had to go in the basement for a tornado warning!
Craft: Pumpkin bags
Snake Storytime:
Books: Mouse Count by Ellen Walsh
Hide and Snake by Keith Baker
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Noble
Craft: Bradley the Snake
Wolf Storytime:
Books: My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugenios Trivizas
Storytelling: The Three Little Pigs
Craft: Build the pigs' houses

For more information on any of these storytimes, feel free to contact megan@meadereads.org for detailed plans.

Cats and Dogs Storytime

Bow Wow, Woof, Meow!
Cats and Dogs Storytime

Books we shared:
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Bark, George by Jules Pfeffer

Songs and Rhymes to Share:
Bingo
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap, clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap, clap)-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap, clap)-G-O!
(Clap, clap, clap)-G-O!
(Clap, clap, clap)-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap, clap, clap)-O!
(Clap, clap, clap, clap)-O!
(Clap, clap, clap, clap)-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
And Bingo was his name-o!
Craft Ideas:
Paper bag puppy puppet
Cat crafts
Puppy chow recipes
Other books you may enjoy:
Please, Puppy, Please by Spike and Tonya Lee E LEE
The Dog from Arf! Arf! to Zzzzz E DOG
Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont E BEA
Dogerella by Maribeth Boeltz E BC BOE
Clifford the Small Red Puppy by Norman Bridwell E BRI
Wet Dog! by Elise Broach E BC BROA
Biscuit and the Little Pup by Alyssa Capucilli E CAP
Dogku by Andrew Clements E CLE
Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman E HIM
Have You Seen My Cat? By Eric Carle E CAR
A Kitten’s Year by Nancy Day E BC DAY
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming E FLEM
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag E GAG
Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton E SCOT
Chester by Melanie Watt E WAT
Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library by Vicki Myron J636.809 MYR

Chickens Storytime

Bawk Bawk Bawk and Books!
Chickens Storytime

Books we shared:
Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
First the Egg by Laura Seeger

Songs and Rhymes to Share:
If You’re a Chicken and You Know It
(to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you're a chicken and you know it, say "cluck cluck."
If you're a chicken and you know it, say "cluck cluck."
If you're a chicken and you know it, then you really ought to show it.
If you're a chicken and you know it, say "cluck cluck."
(Repeat with pig, say "oink oink," cow, say "moo moo," etc.

Hickety Pickety
Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen.
Sometimes nine,
Sometimes ten,
Hickety, pickety, my black hen.

The Unhatched Egg
Make a noise like a rooster. (Crow)
Make a noise like a hen. (Cluck)
Make a noise like a chick. (Peep)
Make a noise like an unhatched egg. (Silence)

Craft Ideas:
Chick craft kit from Oriental Trading
Pom pom chick
Hatching chick directions with templates

Other Books You May Enjoy:
The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane Auch E AUC
Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox E FOX
Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski E HEL
Little Chick by Amy Hest E HES
The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza E KAS
This Little Chick by John Lawrence E LAW
Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds E REYN
Tippy-Toe Chick Go! By George Shannon E SHA
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Stoeke E STOE
The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato E AMA
Little Chick’s Big Day by Mary Kwitz E KWIT
New Socks by Bob Shea E SHE
The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturgis J398.2 STU

A Very Berry Storytime

Books we shared: Jamberry by Bruce Degen and Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood.

Rhyme: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
Slap thighs to the beat
Refrain: Goin on a bear hunt
We’re gonna catch a big one
I'm not afraid, are you? NO!

Oh look! It's some tall grass!
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to go through it (repeat... Make motions with arms like you are clearing a way thru grass)

Repeat Refrain

Oh look! It's a tall tree.
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to climb up it (Repeat and pretend to climb up the tree)

Repeat Refrain

Oh look! It’s a wide river.
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to swim across it. (Repeat and pretend to swim.)

Repeat Refrain

Oh look! A deep, dark cave.
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to go in it. (repeat, close eyes as you pretend to enter the cave)
Oh,oh! It's dark in here. (repeat)
I feel something (repeat)
It has lots of hair! (repeat)
It has sharp teeth! (repeat)
It's a bear!! (scream!!!)
Repeat rhyme in reverse, patting thighs quicker and quicker.

Craft: make berry "pies" with dot stickers and an outline of a pie slice. Sample below is from Small Fox's Story Hours.

Other yummy books you may enjoy:

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson E WIL

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey E MCL

Each Peach, Pear, Plum by Allen Ahlberg E AHL

Lousy Rotten Sinkin’ Grapes by Margie Palatini E PAL

The Story of Cherry the Pig by Ukato Yamada

The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Lord

We Scream for Ice Cream!

Books we shared:

How to Speak Moo by Deborah Fajerman

Isaac the Ice Cream Truck by Scott Santoro

Songs and Rhymes to Share:

"Eighteen Flavors" By Shel Silverstein

Eighteen luscious, scrumptious flavors

Chocolate, lime and cherry,

Coffee, pumpkin, fudge banana

Caramel cream and boysenberry.

Rocky road and toasted almond,

Butterscotch, vanilla dip,

Butter brickle, apple ripple,

Coconut and mocha chip,

Brandy peach and lemon custard,

Each scoop lovely, smooth and round,

Tallest ice cream cone in town,

Lying there (sniff) on the ground

Ice Cream Scoops

First we need a cone,
Nice and crunchy.
Then we need some ice cream,
Sweet and yummy,
Scoop 'em on; stack 'em on'
Up to the sky.
We love ice cream; my, oh my!

First comes vanilla,
Cold and sweet.
Then comes chocolate
A delicious treat.
Here's some strawberry;
Orange sherbet, too,
A super-duper scooper cone
Just for you!

One scoop, two scoops,
Three scoops, four.
We love ice cream
Let's have some more!

Other yummy books you may enjoy:

Ice Cream Colors by John Fosberg (E Board Book)

Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons (E GIB)

Ice Cream at the Castle by Ann Love (E LOV)

From Cow to Ice Cream by Bertram Knight (EJ637.4 KNIG)

Ice Cream Larry by Daniel Pinkwater (E PIN)

Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star by Kevin Henkes

The Sundae Scoop by Stuart Murphy

Ice Cream Recipe

Large zip lock bag 1/2 cup of whole milk
Small zip lock bag 2 Tbsp sugar
3 cups of ice 1/4 Tsp Vanilla
6+ tbsp of salt

Add milk sugar and vanilla together in the small zip lock bag. Zip
TIGHT and place larger zip lock bag with the ice and salt around it.
SHAKE.....SHAKE.......SHAKE

Next week we will be reading books about berries and making "pie!"

Summer Reading Week 2: Pirate Lesson for Children Ages 3-Entering Grade 2

Theme: Pirates
Song: Review Slippery Fish (see week 1)
Book: Pirate Pete's Talk Like a Pirate by Kim Kennedy
Song: I'm a Pirate
"I'm a pirate, yes I be (point to self).
I sail my ship across the sea ("steer" a wheel).
I stay up late, 'til half past three (point to invisible wrist watch),
And that's a peg below me knee (wiggle leg)
Arrh!" Repeat!
Book: How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Craft: Decorate treasure chests with jewels, stickers, and metallic markers (purchased from Oriental Trading)
Activity: Hunt for gold in our sandbox! Build sandcastles and visit the library to check out books!

See you next week for our Beach Bash! Children should come dressed to get wet and make sand art!

Summer Reading Week 1: Underwater Lesson for Children Ages 3-Entering Grade 2

Theme: Under the Sea!

Books: Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Song: Slippery Fish
"Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water (prayer hands glide back and forth).
Slippery fish, slippery fish, GULP, GULP, GULP!
Oh no (hands to face)! He was eaten by an...
Octopus, octopus, sliding through the water (arms squiggle and flail at sides).
Octopus, octopus, GULP, GULP, GULP!
Oh no (hands to face)! He was eaten by a...
Tuna fish, tuna fish sliding through the water (palms joined, fingers open and close).
Tuna fish, tuna fish, GULP, GULP, GULP!
Oh no (hands to face)! He was eaten by a...
Humongous whale, humongous whale sliding through the water (arms open and close).
Humongous whale, humongous whale, GULP, GULP, GULP, BURP!"

Book: The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist

Song: I'm a Little Fishy (to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")
"I'm a little fishy (point to self), I like to swim (swimming motion with arms).
Here is my tail (wiggle), and here are my fins (wave cupped hands).
When I want to have fun with my friends (point to self), I wiggle my tail (wiggle) and dive right in (jump)!"

Craft: Sea foam paintings
Mix equal parts liquid glue, shaving cream, and food coloring or liquid watercolor. Apply to heavy cardstock and add fish stickers/cutouts, sea shells, and Easter grass to look like seaweed. This paint dries puffy and is a great way to make your own aquarium- without the water!

Activity: Fishing
Try to catch the fish out of our pool without catching a shark!

Activity: water play at table, wading pools, and visit the library to check out books!

5/24, 5/25 Story Hour

Theme: Library Tour
Book: Mr. Wiggle's Book by Paula Craig and Carol Thompson
Activity: Look at damaged books. Can you guess what happened to them and how the accident could have been prevented?
Activity: Library matching game
Activity: Library tour
Craft: Decorate a bookmark

5/17, 5/18 Story Hour

Theme: Bears
Book: The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky
Activity: We're Going On a Bear Hunt
Song: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Craft: Color the letter B and decorate it with Teddy Grahams to remind you that B is for bear!

Make a Splash at Your Library!

Summer Reading registration is only 2 weeks away!

Did you know....

• Children 13 and under can win $1,000 just by signing up for Summer Reading!


• 2 lucky parents who register at least one child will be entered to win a night at the historic Doe Run Inn!


• Can't make it to the weekly programs this year? No problem! Sign up for Bookworm and receive reading logs to track time spent reading. Whether you're on vacation, at a friend's house, or at the beach with a good book, you can still enter to win prizes at the Summer Reading Shop!


• Speaking of prizes, how would you like to win a DVD player, digital camera, bicycle, water slide, fishing pole, tent, and more?!? The more you read, the better your chances of winning!

Registration for Summer Reading opens on Monday, May 24th at 9:00AM. Reservations will be taken by phone, but an adult must come to the library to fill out paperwork by Saturday at 3:00 for us to continue holding your spot. A waiting list is likely for grades 2 and under, so be sure to sign up early for your preferred session. Check out our website for a complete schedule of Summer Reading programs. Whether you're 0 or 100 years old, we have a way for you to Make a Splash at Your Library this summer!

5/10, 5/11 Story Hour

Theme: Mother's Day

Book: My Mom is Magic by Ingrid Godon

Song: Happy Mother's Day to You (to the tune of "Happy Birthday")

Craft: Flowerpot hand tracings. (Purchase kit from Oriental Trading or try these instructions at home: Children trace their hands on a sheet of green foam. Cut out and add foam flower stickers at the top of each finger and decorate with leaves. "Plant" in a foam pot cutout with a special poem and write child's name on it. Add ribbon to hang.)

5/3, 5/4 Story Hour

Theme: Cinco de Mayo

Book: Off We Go to Mexico by Laurie Krebs and Christopher Corr

Sign Language: Party

Activity: Break open a pinata

Craft: Make a paper plate maraca

A Very Hungry Storytime

Theme: Butterflies
Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Activity: retell the story with flannelboard pieces (builds narrative skills)
Activity: crawl like a caterpillar, curl up in a cocoon, fly like a butterfly
Activity: make Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Salad
Craft: tissue paper butterflies

Book Spine Poetry from Homeschool Connections

Here are some of the silly book spine poems we made during our monthly homeschool meeting:









For more inspirational ideas, click here!

Our next homeschool meeting will be Tuesday, May 25th from 1-2PM in the MCPL Annex.

4/18, 4/19 Story Hour

Theme: Earth Day
Book: My Garden by Kevin Henkes
Discussion Questions: What things do you like to do outside? What if we didn't have trees and flowers? What can you do to help keep our earth clean?
Activity: Practice recycling! Sort a bag of items into paper, cans, boxes, and plastic. This is a great way to teach kids about sorting and help the environment at the same time!
Craft: Watercolor earths. Click here for directions on how to try this at home.

4/12, 4/13 Story Hour

Theme: Gardening
Book: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Sign Language: flower and tree
Song: review "Sticky Sticky Bubblegum" from the week before
Discussion Questions: What can you plant in a garden? What else lives there? What do flowers need to grow? How can you take care of your garden?
Craft: Decorate pots and plant flowers to take home!

4/5, 4/6 Story Hour

Theme: Bubbles
Book: Trouble Gum by Matthew Cordell
Sign Language Words: hands, eyes, face
Song: Sticky Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
Activity: Dance on bubble wrap
Craft: Paint with bubbles! Mix bubble juice and food coloring or liquid watercolor and blow bubbles on cardstock to make a pretty splatter painting!

Check out pictures from this program on our facebook page! Become our fan today so you can follow the latest news and events at MCPL!

Easter Story Hour

Theme: Easter
Book: Little Bunny Foo Foo Illustrated by Paul Brett Johnson
Activity: Sing Little Bunny Foo Foo
Craft: Bunny picture frames or Easter egg wreaths from Oriental Trading
Activity: Easter egg hunt in the children's library and pictures with the Easter Bunny!

Have a happy Easter!

The Great Unsung YA 2010 Giveaway

Check out this awesome giveaway at http://yannabe.com/2010/03/22/unsung-ya-giveaway/

While you're there, use the rest of the site for some great YA suggestions!

3/22, 3/23 Story Hour

Theme: Easter
Book: Milo the Really Big Bunny by Stephen Krensky
Sign Language: Bunny, Jump, and Egg
Song: Little Bunny Foo Foo
Click here for lyrics
Use sign language for bunny and hopping.
Activity: Bunny Twister
Craft: Decorate Easter Eggs

We will take pictures with the Easter Bunny at Story Hour on Monday, 3/29 and Tuesday, 3/30. Come ready to have fun and hunt for eggs!