Saturday, December 19, 2015

Peace

Today we spent the morning making popsicle stick snowflakes at our library. My favorites are always the wonkiest glitter explosions. I predict we'll be finding glitter in the chair crevices well into 2016.

On this sunny, cold and now quiet Saturday at my library desk, for my last blog post of 2015, I want to wish you peace now and always. There is no better choice for that message than Wendy Anderson Halperin's beautiful picture book, Peace.


http://discovery.marinet.lib.ca.us/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1943208?lang=eng
Copyright 2013. Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

"Based on the Eastern philosophies of the Tao Te Ching, a lyrical picture book explores the eternal question of how to promote world peace and shares inspiring quotes from famous peacemakers while counseling readers on how to find peace within oneself."


Let us keep reading and sharing. Let us keep our minds open and ever-learning. I just love that Halperin's dedication page is to your senses.

http://discovery.marinet.lib.ca.us/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1943208?lang=eng
Copyright 2013. Antheneum Books for Young Readers
http://discovery.marinet.lib.ca.us/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1943208?lang=eng
Copyright 2013. Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

A toast to all of us, for raising a community of readers! Clink! xoxo Miss Kitty

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Mind in the Making



Greetings friends. As I unpack my suitcase let me tell you about a fascinating trip I recently undertook to further investigate the workings of your talented little reader brains. Curious? Good.
 
Delightful children's librarian Sara Hathaway (from our Novato branch) and I attended a training institute held at the incredible New Children's Museum in San Diego California.

The name of program was Mind in the Making and it was presented in conjunction with the Families and Work Institute. The training focused on the "Seven Essential Life Skills" that all children need. 
We are so fortunate that the Marin County Free Library system and local children's museums are at the forefront of providing the environment and tools to teach life skills and raise lifelong learners.
Here's a fascinating article MITM provided about that very subject.  Did you know that with your library card you can receive free passes to a whole list of local museums. Discover and Go!

Sara and I will be training our own staff and passing along lots of tips and tools for parents throughout 2016.  But for here and now, I thought you might like to see some snapshots of San Diego's New Children's Museum from our trip! Truthfully it was a very full week of training, so I had to dash through the museum at a brisk clip. But what I saw was just wonderful.

I know....everyone sighs at being "invited" to watch vacation slide shows. I always say, "Oh you get started without me, I'll go make the chips and dip." And then I hide in the kitchen. But I promise these are super cool.

We've all made toilet paper roll crafts, but these guys were huge cardboard rolls a foot tall and more.
Super cool scary monster 








I just love this group painting with stencils and neon spray paint!

Cool graffiti signage for directions


















Your own play house that says "HOME" with a secret message pulley system!






















Are you not a baby? Good at sneaking around? More will be revealed.....


























 A storytime blackboard & backdrop. Fabulous idea!























The chicken coop with a quote by an architect I know pretty well!























Or a library....



















xoxo Miss Kitty!