Dragons have ignited our imaginations for centuries! They’ve been important to fantasy books for just as long. While some dragons are as friendly as can be, there are others who wouldn’t mind a little, tasty human for a snack. Plus, there’s so many different ways dragons can look, depending on the culture they’re from! Some dragons fly through the sky without wings, and some slither over land with no legs. What do dragons look like where your family is from? Here are a couple books for different ages with all sorts of dragons in them!
Cassie shares why Christine Day’s The Sea in Winter is the perfect book for young readers (ages 8-12) struggling with hopelessness. Find it on the New book shelf in Youth Services or place a copy on hold through the online catalog.
What is This Book About?: In 1714 France, a young Adeline LaRue lives in a small town. She wishes to have a more exciting life than one destined for a typical young woman in the village. One night, in desperation, she prays to a god to live rather than be trapped in an arranged marriage. Her wish is granted; however, she is is cursed to live forever and immediately forgotten by everyone she meets. The book goes back and forth in time. We see Addie in the beginning, struggling to survive even after her own family didn’t remember her. Then it flashes back to the present where Addie has adapted to her challenges, but is still saddened that she cannot keep lasting relationships. But, one day, the status quo changes when Addie meets someone who has more in common with her than meets the eye.
My Review: I picked up this book after it had been heavily praised on social media. The beginning is slightly slow until the main plot kicks in at about halfway through the novel. I really enjoyed Schwab’s poetic writing style and the plot twists she introduces towards the end of the novel are great. I like historical fiction and this switches back and forth from that to a modern romance. It is very tragic and painful, especially the chapters that cover Addie’s time in France. Remember, she is quickly forgotten by everyone she meets. If you enjoy genre blenders, you will like this novel as it has a little romance, fantasy, and historical fiction all in one.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Tragic, Romantic, Poetic
Give This a Try if You Like… The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
by Lauren James, All the Lives We Ever Lived by Katharine Smyth
According to Stanford Children’s Health, most children who need braces first get them between the ages of 9 and 14, but everyone is different. Despite being a common life event, it’s surprisingly hard to find books about getting braces and pretty much impossible to find a children’s book about other orthodontic appliances, such as retainers and headgear. Most orthodontists or dentists will hand out pamphlets and provide information for patients, but it’s nice to have something a little more fun for your kid to read. Getting braces requires a big adjustment period, and reading stories about other people who wear them can help kids know that they are not alone and their situation can get better. Here are some options:
Wearing Braces by Harriet Brundle. This informational picture book can help younger kids understand what braces will do for their teeth or perhaps those of an older sibling. Recommended for ages 6-9.
Braces for Cori by Christine Florie is an easy reader that fits well with elementary age kids who are feeling insecure about getting braces. Recommended for ages 6-9.
How Do My Braces Work? by Steve Parker is a practical guide to help preteens learn basic facts about dental hygiene and braces. Recommended for ages 9-13.
Smile by Raina Telgemeier. This is by far the most popular book on the list and an awesome graphic novel in its own right. It’s another good choice for kids who are insecure about having braces or struggling to deal with changes in their appearance and friendships during puberty. Recommended for ages 9 & up.
Join us for the library’s 2021 Summer Reading Program – Reading Colors Your World! – June 1 to July 31.
We encourage readers of all ages to explore humanity, nature, culture, and science. Be creative, try new things, explore art, and find beauty in diversity. Expand your world this summer and READ!
Kids, teens, and adults can earn badges for reading materials from FDL and for attending library events — and earn prizes! Fun online and outdoor programs are scheduled throughout the summer for all ages, including outdoor Family Movie Nights, weekly online story times, and programs for exploring creativity, diversity, nature, science, and more! Aside from all the fun, summer reading is especially important for students to prevent the “summer slide” so they don’t fall behind when they return to school in August. Readers can register and track their progress online at fondulaclibrary.beanstack.org or on-the-go with the Beanstack app! Follow FDL on Facebook and Instagram for more updates and summer surprises!
Borrow books, audiobooks, and magazines from Fondulac District Library, or download or stream eBooks and audiobooks from Axis 360, hoopla, Overdrive, and Tumblebooks. Search the online catalog and our digital collections at fondulaclibrary.org.
Whether it’s reading a graphic novel, listening to an audiobook, or reading an article, it counts! Materials must be borrowed and read within the program dates.
Earn Badges
Record your minutes in Beanstack or on your reading log.
Earn one badge for every 50 minutes (PreK – 2nd graders), 100 minutes (3rd – 8th graders), or 150 minutes (high schoolers and adults) of reading.
From an incredibly young age, children start to recognize the expectations others have for the way they should look and act. I remember my then six-year-old sister asking me if she looked fat while playing dress-up, and I couldn’t believe how quickly she had learned to feel ashamed of the extra weight helping her grow. I also grew up hating my curly hair because of comments from well-meaning people. When I would straighten it, I would always hear, “It looks so good! You should wear it like that all the time.” But now it’s one of my favorite things about my appearance, and I attribute that to seeing so many beautiful women with curly hair in my own life and depicted on TV and other media.
It can be difficult as a caregiver to find child-friendly media that doesn’t feed into the harmful body image standards that are so common today, especially when raising children of color in a world that rewards white-centered beauty ideals. However, in the past 10 years we have seen a huge increase in the number of children’s books focused on body positivity and acceptance, which has allowed me to cultivate this short list of picture books as an accessible starting place. As always, feel free to reach out to us by phone or in person and we would be more than happy to help you find even more body confidence books for children of all ages.
Sulwe written by Lupita Nyong’o and illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Welcome to a special bilingual story time on Children’s Day/Book Day (El día de los niños/El día de los libros)! This holiday is all about celebrating children, families, and the joy of reading, so join us as we read and sing songs that celebrate our diversity.
Not only are spiders super cool, they’re also really fun to read about! Miss Alice shares a couple books about these lovely arachnids in today’s story time!
Song: Hello, Friends
(using ASL, to the tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, friends! Hello, friends!
Hello, friends! It’s time to say hello!
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Song: Open Them, Shut Them
Open them, shut them, open them, shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap!
Open them, shut them, open them, shut them.
Put them in your lap, lap, lap!
Creep them, creep them, slowly creep them,
Right up to your chin, chin, chin!
Open wide your little mouth,
But do not let them in!
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Song: Ten Little Fingers
I have ten little fingers, and they all belong to me. (point to self)
I can make them do things. Do you want to see? (point to eyes)
I can squeeze them up tight. I can open them up wide. (squeeze hands shut, then open them)
I can put them together. I can make them all hide. (clap, then hide hands behind back)
I can make them jump high. I can make them jump low. (wiggle fingers above head, then reach down)
I can fold them up quietly and hold them just so. (fold hands and place on lap)
Written by Jacob Grant and published by Bloomsbury Publisher.
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Craft: Cupcake Liner Spiders
Craft kits are available to pick up from the Youth Services desk or the drive-up window while supplies last.
Source: I Heart Crafty Things
Instructions:
Glue down your string, then glue your cupcake liners over the string so your spiders can hang on the “web.” Glue down the eyes next! Use a marker or crayon to draw on the spider legs and finish out their face. Try giving your spiders a nice smile! What are the names of your spiders? Draw in some mosquitos or flies to give your spiders some food!
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Song: I am Special
(to the tune of Frere Jacques)
I am special, I am special, (point to self)
You can see, you can see. (point away from self)
Someone very special, someone very special, (hold hands out in questioning motion)
What do ninjas, robots, time travel, and outer space have in common with each other? Cats, of course! You can find books on all of these topics, and more, which feature cats as the main characters. It may sound a little silly, but stories like these are a great way to get kids excited about reading. One of the reasons some kids don’t like to read is because they have learned to associate books with boredom and frustration. A fun book about cats in space could be just the thing to help them realize that reading doesn’t always have to be a serious task and that there’s nothing wrong with enjoying something more for entertainment than its educational value. Skip the “normal” adventure stories, and read one full of cute kittens!
