Library Blog
Posted on Thu, June 25, 2020 - 08:00pm
Kwame Alexander is a multi-award-winning poet/author known for his middle-grade books about basketball, and more recently for the Caldecott Award winning book The Undefeated, but these are just two examples of his many works spanning from picture books to YA novels.
Books in the Crossover series…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Tue, June 23, 2020 - 08:00pm
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans. Today, celebrations include…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Mon, June 22, 2020 - 08:00pm
Writing…the most difficult to understand of the pre-literacy skills. How can I work on writing when my baby can’t even hold her own bottle? Writing definitely comes later when preschoolers have refined their motor skills and strengthened their muscles – but pre-writing skills are anything that can…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, June 21, 2020 - 08:00pm
Although our summer events look different this year, we are still hosting a variety of family and children’s activities and events. The Family Fun events that are usually held in our garden will instead be held in YOUR garden (or living room)! Our traditional season opener, Mr. Wayne Potash, will…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 18, 2020 - 08:00pm
If you’ve ever played Pictionary or Telestrations, you’ll probably love this family activity! If you haven’t played those games, this is a good substitute (it’s basically a homemade, simplified version of Telestrations).
Everyone starts with a piece of paper (scrap paper is fine) and a pencil, and…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Tue, June 16, 2020 - 08:00pm
Bored and need something to do? Feeling crafty but don't know where to start? Check out these 15 fun DIY projects you can complete at home this summer. These aren't your kiddie crafts, so be prepared to MAKE!
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/diy-projects-for-teens-4768728
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Mon, June 15, 2020 - 08:00pm
Lazy days of summer are perfect for spreading out a blanket in the shade and sharing some books with your baby. Picture books – even those written for very young children – are perfect for building your little one’s vocabulary, which in turn expands their entire world view. You might not use the…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, June 14, 2020 - 08:00pm
School’s out!! This year did not exactly shape up the way anyone was expecting when we started last fall, but here we are. Whether you (parent or student!) limped across the finish line or sprinted – you did it. Take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, and take a few days to just take a break…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 11, 2020 - 08:00pm
Ever thought about writing a book? Maybe a really short one? Literally… short…
Seasonal AFL Author-in-Residence Kate Klise recently shared this fun article about making tiny books. Consider collaborating with your kids and making this a true family project! Depending on their ages, you might need…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Tue, June 09, 2020 - 08:00pm
Adam Silvera was born and raised in the Bronx. He is one of YA’s best own-voices authors. (“Own-voices authors” means people who live the experience of the marginalized communities about which they write.) He currently has written five novels. The sequel to his fantasy novel Infinity Son is due…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Mon, June 08, 2020 - 08:00pm
Do you find yourself tapping your toe to the beat? Dancing in the car? Just “can’t stop the feelin’?” Well, little ones do too! Besides supporting language growth, music is great for working on large and fine motor skills, among other things. From the first time they’re rocked to a lullaby, to…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, June 07, 2020 - 08:00pm
It might be a while before we can host our once-a-month Lego Club again, but you can use whatever you’ve got at home to recreate some of the fun! Sometimes the fun of Legos is building whatever it is that your set makes - but once you’ve done a few of those, it can be fun to go rogue! If you’ve got…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Fri, June 05, 2020 - 08:00pm
Currently Reading: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
Reader: Uma Hiremath
Image retrieved from Amazon.com
Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Format: Large Print Book
Bibliographic Citation: Larson, Erik. 2020. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz.…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, June 04, 2020 - 08:00pm
We’re all about books around here…but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a good screen time break every now and then! Now that you can pick up materials from the library, check out our video game selection. We have games for the Nintendo Switch, Wii, DS/3DS, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Whether you use one…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Tue, June 02, 2020 - 08:00pm
TED Talks aren't just done by adults… check out these amazing TED Talks by kids and teens! From scientists to musicians, here are 13 videos from the brilliant minds of young people, https://www.ted.com/playlists/129/ted_under_20.
Who knows, maybe someday you'll present your own TED Talk! Check out…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Mon, June 01, 2020 - 08:00pm
Talk, talk, talk… once your child starts talking, you start wishing they would stop! But since talking is such a foundational part of human communication – including literacy (reading) – the best thing you can do is… well, talk it up! We’ve written about how to talk with your baby or toddler, but…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 31, 2020 - 08:00pm
Hey, have you heard the good news??! The library’s not open yet… but you can check out books to keep your at-home storytime and learning fun going! We all need to follow a few rules to make it work properly; this explains the procedure for Contactless Curbside Pickup.
The short of it is – if you…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, May 28, 2020 - 08:00pm
This month, our spotlight is on picture book author Todd Parr! Todd’s books are very simple and in many ways each book is alike – but all are completely irresistible! Todd uses bright two-dimensional illustrations to spread positive messages on a variety of topics. His books are silly but relatable…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Tue, May 26, 2020 - 08:00pm
Need an escape from the real world? Check out these awesome YA Fantasy novels and travel to another world!
Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy
King Arthur as you've never imagined! This bold, sizzling YA retells the popular legend with the Once and Future King as a teenage…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Mon, May 25, 2020 - 08:00pm
Here’s the great thing about babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, and playing - it’s what they do! There’s no learning curve involved on “how” to play; give a baby a toy, and they will feel it, turn it, maybe even taste it. They’re like little scientists in the making!
The best way to play is simply…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 24, 2020 - 08:00pm
In case you missed it – we’re running a Spring Reading Challenge to get you through these last few weeks before our SUMMER programming starts! Soon you’ll be able to pick up books we’ve got here in the library, or you can always keep working on those ebooks that we have available through Hoopla,…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, May 21, 2020 - 08:00pm
We’re living through a global pandemic – a situation which almost no one still living has experienced before. Many people are keeping “COVID Journals” to record their thoughts, feelings, challenges, and small triumphs as we carry on, day by day. (Have you seen these coloring pages? Or consider…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Tue, May 19, 2020 - 08:00pm
Being a teenager is tough! Balancing all the things in your life can be stressful, but you are not alone. Many teens have the same questions, problems or concerns that you do. So if you feel like you don't have anyone you can talk to about these things, please have a look at our tailored list of…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Mon, May 18, 2020 - 08:00pm
It can be hard to see how you might introduce your baby or toddler to writing. The fine motor skills required are well beyond their grasp (pun intended)! However, the underlying knowledge behind writing is about knowing shapes. Letters are made of mountains, bumps, and lines. So are shapes!
…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 18, 2020 - 08:00pm
Welcome to the third episode in Ames Free Library's new video series, “Stepping Out.” These short, Library-produced nature videos will, we hope, enrich your outdoor experiences and increase your understanding of the local environment. In a time of social distancing and significant stress, walking…
Category: AFL Videos