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.
Children’s Book Highlight: Rose Wolves by Natalie Warner
Rose Wolves by Natalie Warner
Reviewed by: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager
Genre: graphic novels, fantasy
Suggested Age: 4th-7th grade
What is the book about?
One day, a little girl picks an unusual flower from an unusual bush in the forest. Overnight, the flower blooms and turns into a magical creature: a rose wolf, missing a leg just like she is missing an arm. Together, the new friends must go on a journey to find where they belong. (From Amazon)
My Review:
The parallels between the little girl and the rose wolf make the story incredibly meaningful. They both begin their story a little growly and with missing limbs, and wind up finding where they belong together.
The entire concept of the rose wolf is wonderful, from the non-threatening design to the actual rose tail. I was sad to see the petals on the tail falling off and what that could possibly mean for the story, but it all worked out okay in the end.
What fantastic illustrations! I’ve seen a bunch of wordless picture books, but this is the first wordless graphic novel that I’ve read. This story has a lot of depth and doesn’t need words to get its message across.
Find it in the Youth Services Department or on the hoopla app!
Stay-cation!
Staying home this summer? You can still “take a trip” through a book. Fondulac District Library Children’s Department has a new series of nonfiction books called Norrie Explores!
Norrie, a puffin, loves to travel to cities around the globe! In this series of books, readers can explore London, Buenos Aires, Beijing, Cape Town, Sydney, Vancouver, Rome, Chicago, Shanghai, and New York City!
As readers travel, they will help Norrie the Puffin follow clues and solve puzzles to find landmarks in each city. Along the way readers will learn about the people, places, and cultures, in each of these cities!
Enjoy your travels!
– Kris Tyler, Youth Services Specialist
