Kansas Reads to Preschoolers

Hope all our readers remembered to turn their clocks back and got an extra hour of sleep. Or maybe you put that hour to use in another way. Some people are more sensitive than others to changes such as this, but everyone is sure to notice the difference around suppertime tonight when darkness descends.

If you missed our Geek Day Carnival on the 29th, you missed out on a good time. In spite of chilly temps and a brisk south wind, it was a great event. The kids enjoyed the games, Poppa D clown, the popcorn, and, of course, the balloons. Parents, grandparents, and other adults enjoyed visiting with library staff, getting geek info, and writing on our geek board. Musical entertainment was provided by Watson's Warriors, and it really added to the festivities. There were lots of great volunteers who helped out wherever needed. A big 'thank you' to each and every one of you!

And now it's time to move on to November activities. November 13 through 19 is Kansas Reads to Preschoolers week, a statewide effort to read to as many preschoolers as possible. The intent is to raise awareness of the importance of early literacy in the lives of young children. This is the seventh year for this event, which has seen a great selection of titles, personal appearances by some of the authors, and wonderful companion activities. This year is no exception, as the chosen book is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. This rollicking alphabet book is sure to please preschoolers everywhere. A bit about its author - Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) has been called "America's favorite children's book author." Born and raised in Hiawatha, he experienced difficulty reading until he attended Kansas State Teacher's College at Emporia (now Emporia State University). There he memorized poems an instructor read aloud, then related the words to what was on the page. After graduation, Martin taught English and journalism at Newton and St. John, Kansas. Martin continued as an educator, became a school principal in Illinois, and earned a doctorate in early childhood education. He then moved to New York to join publisher Holt, Rinehart and Winston as editor-in-chief of the school division and developer of innovative reading programs. In 1972 Martin became a full-time writer, eventually publishing over 300 books. (taken from Kansas Center for the Book website, Martin biography).

During Kansas Reads to Preschoolers week, the library provides both in-library and outside of the library programs. The special in-library story time for Kansas Reads to Preschoolers will take place at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, November 17. For those outside programs, preschools and larger daycares throughout Liberal are visited by library staff members who present the featured story. The smaller in-home daycares are the ones that are sometimes most difficult to connect with. This is where our readers can help out.

If you operate a home daycare, please phone the library so that a visit to your facility can be arranged during that week. If you know someone who operates a home daycare, please encourage them to give the library a call at 626-0180, ext 4. It's great that Liberal joins in reaching out to so many little ones and in making a good showing for the state-wide tally, making a statement of the importance of early literacy.

The November 17 story time session will be the final one in this series. The next set of storytimes will begin December 8. Be sure to check the library's website or pick up a monthly events newsletter at our circulation desk to get all the latest on activities in the library. The month of December will be bringing some fun events for youngsters.

Recently we received a generous donation from the Seward County Conservation District earmarked for books on soil. We are acquiring those titles. Those now on the shelf include: Growing and Eating Green -- Careers in Farming, Producing, and Marketing Food by Ruth Owen; Different Kinds of Soil by Molly Aloian; How is Soil Made? by Heather L. Montgomery; Soil Erosion and How to Prevent It by Natalie Hyde; and Micro Life in Soil also by Natalie Hyde.

Growing and Eating Green is part of a series called Green-Collar Careers. As is typical of many information books for youngsters these days, this book contains, in addition to the main text, additional little boxes of information. Chapter 1 is entitled The Future is Green and includes push pin 'attached' information on various careers. In addition, terms such as organic and fair trade are defined in other boxes. Other boxed items include information about caged hens and about mad cow disease and vCJD. The back of the book provides both a glossary and a page of websites for further information.

The other four titles listed above are part of a series entitled Everybody Digs Soil. The publisher describes this series by stating, "Soil is second only to oceans as the most important living area on planet Earth. This amazing series goes under ground to show children how soil is as important as the atmosphere in sustaining life on Earth and keeping global warming under control. Kid-friendly examples and fun activities help young readers understand complex processes." So, if your child 'digs' soil, come on in and check out these great titles! See you at Memorial Library!