Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Storytelling Festival in Corvallis this weekend

Escape from the Winter Blahs with an auditory treat this weekend!

The annual Tcha Tee Man Wi Storytelling Festival is coming to Corvallis beginning Thursday, January 31 through Sunday, February 3, 2008. Acclaimed professional storytellers Jay O'Callahan, Susan O'Halloran, Eth-Noh-Tec and Celtic Harpist Mary Grace will be presenting workshops, storytelling performances, a children's matinee and more. For a schedule of the festival's events and for more information about the storytelling festival and this year's featured storytellers, see http://library.ci.corvallis.or.us/corvallis/storyfest/.

New Parenting Books @ the Library

The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Your Baby's First Year: expert advice and mom-to-mom wisdom from the world's most popular parenting website by Linda Murray ... [et al.].

The editors from the popular website BabyCenter.com provide new parents with advice on all things baby.







Building a Parenting Agreement that Works: how to put your kids first when your marriage doesn't last by Mimi Lyster

Provides a step-by-step plan for building a parenting agreement that benefits the children affected by separation and divorce. Discusses how to minimize conflict, accommodating non-traditional families, easing tension, and how to understand and work with custody laws.






Building Better Families: a Five-Step Plan by Matthew Kelly

Demonstrates how to transform one's family into an emotional safe haven that promotes personal growth and develops a sense of unity, purpose, and shared values.





El Primer Ano del Bebe: guía para madres/padres adolescentes para Jeanne Warren Lindsay

Written for teens who straddle the worlds of adolescence and parenthood, this parenting guide is geared to the special needs of young parents. Interviews with teen mothers and fathers reinforce discussions of the stages of development during the first year— breast- and bottle-feeding, moving to solid food, teaching and playing with babies, providing appropriate health care, and ensuring their safety. The needs of the young parents are stressed along with the developmental needs of the child. This version in Spanish.


Is it a Big Problem or a Little Problem? by Amy Egan et al.

Almost every child, at some point during their early years, won't listen, will throw a tantrum, will be mean or aggressive, shy or withdrawn, a picky eater, and more. As a parent, you know that differences in children's learning styles and temperaments are a given. ... Is It a Big Problem or a Little Problem? will help you to determine: The size of the problem, How to manage problems on your own with practical tips and strategies, When, if at all, to seek a professional evaluation and what to do in the meantime. (Book Jacket)




Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder: a family guide to understanding and supporting your sensory sensitive child by Christopher R. Auer

Children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) may seem unduly sensitive to physical sensations, light, and sound. In this book, a child advocate and a child psychologist offer a comprehensive guide to parenting a child with SPD and integrating his or her care with the needs of the whole family.





Parenting Children with Health Issues: essential tools, tips, and tactics for raising kids with chronic illness, medical conditions & special healthcare needs by Foster W. Cline and Lisa C. Greene

Does your child have a helath condition which requires special medical or dietary care? Whatever the health issue, you will learn the essential parenting skills you need to help your child comply with medical requirements, cope well with health challenges, and live a hope-filled life. Get practical and compassionate answers to your toughest questions as you discover effective ways to communicate about medical issues with children of all ages.



Parenting Inc.: how we are sold on $800 strollers, fetal education, baby sign language, sleeping coaches, toddler couture, and diaper wipe warmers and what it means for our children by Pamela Paul.

This new book discusses the business of marketing parenthood and the effects this has on childhood.






Parenting Without Fear: letting go of worry and focusing on what really matters by Paul J. Donahue, Ph.D.

Parenting Without Fear gives you the tools to confront your fears, rethink your goals, and teach your children how to be independent, to persevere, to cooperate and respect adults, to be mindful, to imagine and explore their world, and to develop compassion for others. Discover how to gain the confidence to trust your own judgment, and the courage to make choices about your children's academic, social, and athletic lives that reflect your family's values and balance your needs with theirs. (Book Jacket)




Practical Wisdom for Parents: demystifying the preschool years by Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birmbaum

The directors of one of the countrys most admired preschools draw on their 50 years of combined experience as educators, admissions directors, and parents to give moms and dads of children between the ages of three and five the guidance they need to feel confident and empowered.






Pregnancy and Parenting after Thirty-Five: mid life, new life by Michele C. Moore, M.D. and Caroline M. de Costa, M.D.

Pregnancy and Parenting after Thirty-Five covers a broad range of issues for mothers in mid life, from the possibility of Cesarean section to the awkwardness of being the oldest mom at PTA meetings to the joy of holding your infant in your arms." "Incorporating the stories of real women who have gone through mid-life pregnancy, Moore and de Costa have created a valuable resource that will help other women do so realistically and with confidence. One of the few books devoted to prospective mothers over thirty-five, this one also includes information on surrogacy, adoption, and the first few months of being a new mother. (Book Jacket)



Supportive Parenting: becoming an advocate for your child with special needs by Jan Starr Campito

...This book explains how to make that leap from bystander to leader in the life of a child with special needs. Jan combines her expertise as an educator and developmental psychologist, with her experience as a parent, to give guidance on many of the practical and emotional issues faced by parents. These range from obtaining and understanding evaluations, to designing, implementing, and monitoring intervention plans. Using examples from her own children's lives, she explains how to develop an active partnership with schools and professionals to ensure that your children receive the support that they need and deserve, at home and in school. Supportive Parenting offers valuable insight into the advocacy process for both parents and professionals. (Book jacket)

Monday, January 28, 2008

Pick of the Week

Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Harcourt, 2007)

Jazz-lovers and non-jazz-lovers alike should relish in keeping rhythm and beat with this lively new picture book by Lisa Wheeler. Baby and his family get the music going ("Grandpa toot-toots, Granny sings scat. Bitty-boppin' Baby goes rat-tat-tat!") and then wind down to sleep with the music of jazz. Children may be inspired to get up and move while you read this story! The snappy, rhythmic text found in Jazz Baby also promotes phonological awareness - the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words. Another way to promote phonological awareness is to share music with young children. Listening to the sounds and beats in music is not only fun, it can help prepare them for later learning success. Clapping out the syllables of the word as you sing together and listening to the rhythms of various styles of music can help tune a child's ear for phonological awareness. This is an important skill for learning to read.

Go Baby Go!

To round out your Jazz Baby experience, listen to Go, Baby Go! by Baby Loves Jazz, available at the Library.



Sunday, January 27, 2008

Story Time with Daddy

Young children thrive on security, love, and routine. One wonderful way to give these things to your little one is a regular story time with dad!

For warm-fuzzy stories, try these titles:

Daddy All Day Long by Francesca Rusackas, illustrated by Priscilla Burris (Harper Collins, 2004).

Owen pig and his daddy count the ways they love each other from one to ten and a million zillion more and all day long.




Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino (Henry Holt and Company, 2006).

Yaccarino's bright, distinctive art style and sweet, simple story about father-son bonding make this fun look at a weekly tradition an all-around crowd-pleaser and an ideal title for sharing on Father's Day. (Or any day!)






My Dad by Anthony Browne (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001).

A child describes the many wonderful things about "my dad," who can jump over the moon, swim like a fish, and be as warm as toast.








Piglet and Papa by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Stephen Michael King (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2007).

When Piglet's beloved father chases her away after she plays too rough, all of the barnyard animals try to make her feel better, but Piglet is still afraid that her father no longer loves her.





Daddy's Song by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Karen Ritz (Henry Holt, 2007).

At bedtime, a father conjures up images of all sorts of strange things that could happen--from ice cream cones faling from the sky to penguins jumping on trampolines--but no matter what, he and his love will be there.



For humorous stories, try these titles:

Day Out with Daddy by Stephen Cook (Walker, 2006).

A young boy tells his own version of the day he spends with Daddy while Mommy is out of town, and Mommy vows never to miss all the "fun" ever again.






If My Dad Were a Dog by Annabel Tellis (Chicken House/Scholastic, 2007).

With refreshingly direct, unfussy photos of a black Lab set against cheerful, simple, primary-colored backgrounds, this fun book playfully explores, in rhyming text, just what would happen a young child's wish came true.





My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle, illustrated by Randy Cecil (Candlewick Press, 2006).

A young girl suspects that her father is really a dog because he performs such acts as fetching the newspaper and chasing balls.


Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Pick of the Week

Mother Goose: Numbers on the Loose by Leo and Diane Dillon (Harcourt 2007)

Caldecott Winning illustrators, Leo and Diane Dillon, bring readers a visually stunning and imaginative celebration of traditional counting rhymes of childhood. Mother Goose: Numbers on the Loose presents an illustrated collection of twenty-four counting rhymes, from "Baa, baa black sheep" to "Wash the dishes, wipe the dishes."

*starred review Publisher's Weekly

Sunday, January 20, 2008

LBCC's 31st Annual Family Fun Day

Linn-Benton Community College's 31st Annual Family Fun Day will be held Saturday, February 2nd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the gym at Linn-Benton Community College Albany campus. Children 1 to 6 can enjoy activities provided by LBCC Parenting classes, such a play dough, an obstacle course, seed planting, basketball, face painting and much more. Activity tickets are 25 cents. Activities for parents include the used toy and book sale, raffle and silent auction. The proceeds from this event go to support parenting programs and provides partial tuition grants fro some of the nearly 2,000 parents in Linn and Benton Counties who are involved in LBCC Parenting Education each year.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Pick of the Week

Punk Farm on Tour by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Random House, 2007)

In this sequel to Punk Farm, Farmer Joe is off to a Tractor Society Conference in Reno, Nevada. But back at the farm the animals are gearing up to go on tour across America! Along the way they find themselves in trouble when their tour van breaks down. Will they make it all the way to Colorado? Will the fans love them and their new songs? Get ready to sing and scream, "Peace out, Colorado!" along with Cow, Pig, Goat, Chicken, and Sheep.This is a rockin', hilarious book that will add any zing to storytime! Pair it with Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin and Paul O. Zelinsky's Wheels on the Bus for extra punch. Visit author Jarret Krosoczka's web site to listen to the animals play!

Pick of the Week

Punk Farm on Tour by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Random House, 2007)

In this sequel to Punk Farm, Farmer Joe is off to a Tractor Society Conference in Reno, Nevada. But back at the farm the animals are gearing up to go on tour across America! Along the way they find themselves in trouble when their tour van breaks down. Will they make it all the way to Colorado? Will the fans love them and their new songs? Get ready to sing and scream, "Peace out, Colorado!" along with Cow, Pig, Goat, Chicken, and Sheep.This is a rockin', hilarious book that will add any zing to storytime! Pair it with Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin and Paul O. Zelinsky's Wheels on the Bus for extra punch.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Children's Award Winners Announced

John Newbery Medal
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick)

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)

Mildred L. Batchelder Award
VIZ Media, publisher of Brave Story, by Miyuki Miyabe, translated from the Japanese by Alexander O. Smith

Batchelder Honor Books
Milkweed Editions, publisher of The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity, by Jutta Richter, illustrated by Rotraut Susanne Berner, and translated from the German by Anna Brailovsky
Phaidon Press, publisher of Nicholas and the Gang, written by René Goscinny, illustrated by Jacques Sempé, and translated from the French by Anthea Bell

Belpré Author Honor Books
Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand (Marshall Cavendish)
My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo, written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Children's Book Press)

Geisel Honor Books
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
Hello, Bumblebee Bat, written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne (Charlesbridge)Jazz Baby, written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Harcourt)
Vulture View, written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Holt)

Odyssey Award
Jazz, Live Oak Media

Odyssey Honor Audiobooks
Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy, Listen & Live Audio
Dooby Dooby Moo, Weston Woods/Scholastic
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Listening LibrarySkulduggery Pleasant, HarperCollins Audio
Treasure Island, Listening Library

Sibert Medal
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sís (Farrar/Frances Foster)

Sibert Honor Books
Lightship by Brian Floca (Simon & Schuster/Richard Jackson)
Nic Bishop Spiders by Nic Bishop (Scholastic/Scholastic Nonfiction)

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Americana Tales

While most likely to be appreciated by older children than in our Birth-to-Six age group targeted on this blog, I still couldn't resist sharing the latest title from beloved children's author and illustrator, Tomie DePaola. As we celebrate and spotlight storytelling at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library this month, this new title should delight fans young and old of tall tales, Americana and storytelling in general.

Tomie DePaola's Front Porch Tales & North Country Whoppers by Tomie DePaola (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007)

In the spirit of wonderful storytelling and read-alouds, Tomie DePaola is back with a collection of hilarious read-aloud tales and whoppers from Vermont and "New Hampsha" where he has spent over 35 years of his life. Organized into sections by season, DePaola introduces us to his mostly sweet, funny, and quirky characters that make for enjoyable reading for the whole family. His signature folk-style art also includes comic-strips interspersed between tales. Recommended for sharing with your children - school-aged on up!

Pick of the Week

I Want a Hug by John A. Rowe (Penguin Young Reader's Group, 2007)

"The only thing in the world little Elvis wants is a hug. Everywhere he goes he sees hugs - in the city, in the park, in the train station. But poor Elvis is so prickly that no one wants to get close to him. "Please," he asks, "won't someone give me a hug?" Sadly, no one anywhere will give him one.

Just as he's about to give up, he hears a voice in the crowd crying out, "Won't someone give me a kiss?" Could this be Elvis' chance to make a lasting friend? From the wild imagination of John A. Rowe comes an adorable and hilarious book about what it means to reach out to someone." (from inside cover)

Sunday, January 6, 2008

January Spotlight on Storytelling

You Have an Important Story to Share

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways we communicate, share experience and memory, and organize our world. While children are born without narrative skills, they quickly develop in the first years of life. What parents and caregivers do during these years is important in developing these early storytelling abilities.

By adding vocabulary and description to a child's experiences and world around them, you're helping build important language skills. Sharing bedtime stories, talking about the events you experience during the day, and telling stories about the past, the day your child was born, and your own experience or favorite stories as a child all help build narrative skills and a love of language.

Having narrative skills means being able to describe things and events and tell stories. This is an important pre-reading skill that all children need. As your child grows, sharing traditional stories that are a part of your family's heritage also gives them a sense of community and builds their sense of identity.

This month, stop by the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's Birth to Six site for links to storytelling information, events, and suggested books for both children and the adults that care for them.

Keep the story alive!

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Tcha Tee Man Wi Storytelling Festival 2008


Everyone is welcomed to the Tcha Tee Man Wi Storytelling Festival that will take place January 31-February 3, 2008 in Corvallis, Oregon. A full weekend of storytelling events and workshops is planned. To read more about the festival and to see a schedule of events please visit http://library.ci.corvallis.or.us/corvallis/storyfest/