PAWS for reading!

Do you like dogs? Do you like to read? Have you ever tried to read to a dog? Well, at Alamance County Public Libraries, you can! The program is called “Paws for Reading,” and it’s for kids ages 6-12.

Here is James, relaxing after reading a Dr. Seuss book to Shaka:

All you do is pick a book you’d like to read, sit on the comfy rug next to the cute dog, and read! Here are some of the other reading dogs who love to hear kids tell them stories:

Chance

Charley

Charm

Buford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have your grownup call your local library to schedule your spot!

May Memorial Library
Headquarters, Alamance County Public Libraries
342 South Spring Street
Burlington, NC 27215
Telephone: 336-229-3588

Graham Library
211 South Main Street
Graham, NC 27253
Telephone: 336-570-6730

Mebane Library
101 South First Street
Mebane, NC 27302
Telephone: 919-563-6431

North Park Library
849 Sharpe Road
Burlington, NC 27217
Telephone: 336-226-7185

ANGRY DANCE!!

Do you feel angry sometimes? Probably! We all get angry at times.

At my house, we like to do The Angry Dance, and that helps us feel better. We get out all our energy, punch the air, jump up and down, and we DON’T hit or kick anyone OR scream at anyone. We just dance like crazy!

Here’s our silly video…  you can use our moves or make up your own! All you need is a loud song with a strong beat. 1,  2,  3 …… GO!

JUMP! spring 2019 issue is here!!

Hello! Please check out the spring issue of JUMP! You will notice that it’s smaller than usual — I’m trying out a new style called a “mini magazine.”

Inside, you’ll learn about labyrinths and how they can help you meditate! (We talked about meditation in our Winter 2019 issue.)

You’ll also learn how to make your own labyrinth. And, of course, we have fun poems and pictures. Check it out!

Spring has sprung!

Here in North Carolina, spring flowers are popping up! It’s starting to get a tiny bit warmer in the afternoons, and a few bees are buzzing around. Don’t worry, though, bees are not interested in stinging people – they are too busy collecting pollen!

Are there any flowers blooming where you live? This is what’s blossoming here…

Daffodils and flowers on the pear tree! We also spotted some crocuses and a little bird’s nest that had fallen out of the pear tree… Don’t worry — it was empty!

 

Freebie printouts in Winter issue!

Hello, everyone! I’ve added two free printouts in our Winter issue of JUMP! I needed to add two extra pages so that I could print out the magazine at my local print shop — the solution? I added a maze and a “finger labyrinth”!

If you’d like to try those, see if your grownup can print out the last two pages of the magazine. Here’s a link to the whole magazine: Winter 2019_print

And here are the printouts by themselves:

Finger labyrinth – start at the opening and follow the path with your finger to the middle!

Picture Book for Women’s History Month-Jane Austen — Jean Matthew Hall

March is Women’s History Month, and I am sharing this post from Jean Matthew Hall’s excellent blog! She has lots of great book ideas for kids (AND for caregivers!).

You might like this picture book about a famous writer, Jane Austen, who lived in a time when women couldn’t vote, and most men didn’t think they could do much except get married and have babies! Today, we know that’s not true. But sometimes we all need encouragement — girls and boys — and this looks like a good book to do that!

A picture book review by Jean Matthew Hall featuring a 2018 picture book about a woman making history! Happy Women’s History Month! Brave Jane Austen: Reader, Writer, Author, Rebel was written by Lisa Pliscou and was illustrated by Jen Corace. Henry Holt and Company… The post Picture Book for Women’s History Month-Jane Austen appeared first…

via Picture Book for Women’s History Month-Jane Austen — Jean Matthew Hall

Celebrate Black History Month with new books!

What better way to celebrate Black History Month (February) than to talk about a new kids’ bookstore that opened last October in Greensboro, NC! I stumbled upon Wonderland Bookshop today while wandering down State Street.

A chalkboard that said “Come in and meet your new book” caught my eye. So did this tiny fairy garden:

Inside, Wonderland Bookshop smells like new wood and fresh books. Sisters Amy and Beth own the store, and they only sell books for children and young adults. Here are two reading suggestions they give to help you celebrate Black History Month:

Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins
By Michelle Meadows
Illustrated by Ebony Glenn

In 1951, Janet Collins became the first African American prima ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera. This book tells her story, from beginning to learn ballet at age 10 to becoming a huge success in the Opera at age 34. The author weaves lively poetry with the beautiful illustrations.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down
By Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

I love the pictures in this book – they are colorful and full of life! Find out what happened during the 1960 Greensboro Woolworth’s Sit-In, when four young men changed history by sitting down at a “whites only” lunch counter. Although they sat peacefully, not bothering anyone, the white people in the restaurant called them names and threatened to hurt them. The police even showed up, but as the young men were not doing anything wrong, they were not arrested. (You can see the actual counter at The International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro!)