Programs & Events for Kids
Library staff design a full schedule of engaging, entertaining, and educational programs and events for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children. Various events – including options for early literacy, STEAM, gaming, and crafts – are offered year-round.
1KB4K: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
1KB4K is a library initiative that promotes reading 1,000 books to preschoolers before they begin Kindergarten. It’s easy to do, and the child gets a free book every time they read and report 100 books. Register and track their reading progress online with Beanstack, or visit the Youth Services Department for additional information or to register in person. You can also view the 1KB4K brochure here.
100 Club
The 100 Club is a fun way for kids to build their reading habits year-round – while earning prizes! Kids in kindergarten through 8th grade can join the club and track their progress on Beanstack. There’s no time limit for completing the challenge, but the goal is to read 100 books! The structure is simple: log books in any category and earn a prize for each 10 books read. Each month, a prize winner will be drawn from active readers, and readers who finish all 10 badges will earn a 100 Club completion prize and get to pick a free book to keep. Learn more about signing up in Beanstack at fondulaclibrary.beanstack.org/reader365 or ask a librarian for help and get your young readers involved in this awesome reading challenge!
Anytime Activities, Toys, & Games
Even when there’s not a program scheduled, there’s always something fun to do at the library! Stop by the desk in the Youth Services Department to learn more about the library’s current Anytime Activities – crafts, games, or projects kids can do whenever they visit the library. Additionally, the library offers a wide selection of board games and card games, as well as a train table, Lego table, puzzles, and a puppet theater to play with during your visit.
December is Cat Lovers’ Month!
December is Cat Lovers’ Month!
December is full of celebration. Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas are a few of the holidays we recognize this month, but did you know December is also National Cat Lovers’ Month?
During National Cat Lover’s Month, we honor the beauty, smarts and sass of our feline friends. Evidence suggests that cats were domesticated more than 9,500 years ago, and according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 25 percent of households are home to a cat. (source: americanhumane.org)
We have books that not only celebrate Christmas, but also celebrate our kitty companions!
Kids
Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas by Kimberly and James Dean
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin and James Dean
Where’s Santa Boo? By Salina Yoon
The Shy Little Kitten’s Christmas by Kristen Depken
The Cat Who Ate Christmas by Lil Chase
Sammy Claws the Christmas Cat by Lucy Rowland
Stowaway in a Sleigh by Roger C. Mader
Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood
A Very Fuddles Christmas by Frans Vischer
Mouse’s Christmas Cookie by Patricia Thomas
Charlie and the Christmas Kitty by Diane De Groat
Dewey’s Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron
Christmas Kitten, Home at Last by Robin Pulver
Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton
A Christmas Surprise (Magic Kitten Series #15) by Sue Bentley
Santa’s Snow Cat by Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer
Adults
A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary
Snowball’s Christmas by Kristen McKanagh
Christmas at the Cat Café by Melissa Daley
The Christmas Cat by Melody Carson
The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts
Santa Clawed by Rita Mae Brown
The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas: How a Cat Brought a Family the Gift of Love by Julia Romp
The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory
FDL Reads: The Golden Dreidel
The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner
Reviewed By: Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant
Genre: Fantasy, Holiday
Suggested Age: Children (7-10)
What is This Book About? Sara is a Jewish middle-schooler who is feeling a little burned out on the Hanukkah festivities this year- even begging her mother for an evergreen for their living room so she can feel like the other kids on her block. Reluctantly, she accompanies her family to their annual Hannukah party where she and her cousins hunt for chocolate gold coins which they then use in a game of dreidels. Sara finds no joy in the festivities and gives up on the game just as a mysterious guest arrives with gifts for the children. Though everyone receives their desired gift- Sara instead is given a golden dreidel. Little does she know that the dreidel is not what it seems. Instead of a piece to a children’s game, it is a key to a magical world where Sara will learn of her heritage and some deeper meaning behind the spinning-top holiday game.
My Review: This book was a fun, quick read. I always enjoy learning about other cultures and religions, so I found the biblical characters very interesting as Sara came across them in the magical world. I like that the book focused on the dreidel game as I didn’t really know much about it beforehand. I always thought they were just spinning-tops, and didn’t realize there was a whole game involved! This book was very much like a Jewish rendition of Alice in Wonderland- Sara finds herself slipping into another world quite by accident and is introduced to various outlandish characters on her journey. Sara is comparable to Alice as she uncovers an inner confidence and understanding of her home-world while on her quest to rescue the “dreidel” (I won’t spoil what the dreidel actually is!)
Three Words that Describe this Book: Magical, seasonal, cautionary
Give this a try if you like…Magical worlds, learning about religious cultures, The Magical Reality of Nadia by Bassem Youssef and Catherine R. Daly, Magic Treehouse series
Rating: 3.5/5
