FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Readers,

Be the first in line for our August Back to School Book sale! The sale runs August 11 - August 23. Hard cover books will be $1.00, paperbacks 50¢, and all kids books 50¢. There will also be craft and art supplies for sale for friends and families to buy and use. (Items are not intended for resale.)

We are currently accepting book donations for our awesome sale. We would never look a gift horse in the mouth, and yet if you wouldn’t buy it or give it as a gift to a friend, maybe think twice about donating it to the library. Condition does matter. If you need more information, just ask! I am looking forward to this event, because I can’t resist a good deal on a good book.

-Lisa Johnson, Director

FEATURED THIS MONTH:

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

journey designed to build early literacy skills and create special bonding moments between children and caregivers.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a nationwide challenge that encourages parents and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their child before they start kindergarten. It may sound like a big number, but reading just one book each night will get you there in less than three years! Reading aloud from a young age helps develop vocabulary, attention span, and a love for learning. Plus, it's a wonderful way to spend quality time together and build a lifelong habit of reading.

Stop by the library to register your child and pick up a starter folder, a free book, and a bag to begin your reading adventure. Track each book you read—yes, re-reading favorites counts! Each August, we host a special graduation ceremony for everyone who has completed the 1,000 books in the past year. This year's graduation will happen on August 19 so if you have completed this milestone with your child remember to register them for the party!

BOOK TALK:

Wordless Wonders

When I was an education student, one of my favorite classes was Children's and Adolescent Literature, where one assignment left me, initially, quite puzzled. Wordless Picture Books. I was immediately intrigued, why would anyone want to read a picture book that doesn't have any words? What is the benefit to learning minds? How do we do read them? Thankfully, my professors were quick to share answers to all my queries, and now, as the Education Librarian and teacher of four years, I get to share what I have learned with you!      Wordless Picture Books boost children's visual comprehension skills. From deciphering the images, drawing connections between pictures, making predictions, and deepening understanding of story structure, there is a whole lot of opportunity to practice those vital comprehension skills! They can also help build a child's expressive vocabulary (a fancy way of saying "the words they use"). By giving children the chance to be the narrator of the story, they become more confident using vocabulary they may have read or heard, but don't often use! It can also be used as a guide for initial story writing. I used wordless picture books as creative writing prompts in my 4^th grade classroom, making the students exercise their written vocabulary. There are so many other benefits, but for now, here are my four favorite tips for reading Wordless Picture Books with children: 

1. Start by simply looking at the pictures. Start with the cover, then flip through the whole book and point out details. Don't start by trying to create a story. 
2. While doing the initial look through, ask lots of questions: who, what, when, where, why, how... give children guidance to decipher what they see!
3. On the second look through, model what you expect the child to do. Make up the problem, give the characters names, give in to whimsy! If the child has questions, try to answer them based on your interpretation of the illustrations. 
4. Once again, go back to the beginning of the story, but allow the child to lead this time. Let them decide the setting, the characters' names, the conflicts. Ask follow up questions about what in the picture is leading them to their conclusions. 
5. Encourage them to reread the story to someone else. This will be a rare time where young children will be able to fully read a book independently, and encouraging them to do so can give them a huge boost in their reading confidence! 

One final note before I end this - while using books specifically designed without words can be massively helpful, this practice can be done with any book! If you'd like some Wordless Book recommendations, there will be some on display in the Children's Area of the library for the next couple weeks!    -Submitted by Victoria

Below are a few book suggestions to get you started:

AUGUST EVENTS

Visit our website for more details and to sign up for these events.

READ FOR AUGUST:

National Back to School Month