Children

Recommended Websites

Some fun websites that you can enjoy with your children:

Chickadee Award
Maine Student Book Award
Free Rice
We Give Books
Online Storytime
Leading to Reading
Learn To Read
Play & Learn (Try this is Spanish, German, or French for fun!)
Count Us In
Britannica Online Learning Zone (use MARVEL! for home access)

Ultimate Summer Reading List - From James Patterson's READKIDDOREAD.

5 Tips for a Successful Trip to the Library with a Toddler - Simple tips for preparing your toddler for their first visit to the library.

Bouncing Ball Download Summer Program flyer for information about children's progras at the library this summer. Get a Summer Reading Calendar or stop by the library for a Bedtime Math calendar with star stickers. Read for 30-minutes a day. Bring your Calendar to the Library at the end of the summer for your playground ball & other prizes!

Have a Ball! at the Liberty Library this summer.

StoryWalk featuring the children's book Thanks to the Animals by Passamaquoddy storyteller Alan Sockabasin is mounted on sign posts along the Haystack Mountain Trail in Liberty. Click here for more information.

Portland Sea Dogs Sea Dogs free ticket vouchers available to children. Click here for more information.

2013 Maine Student Book Award and Chickadee Winners!
The students in Maine have voted and the 2013 winner of the Maine Student Book Award is *Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness* by Donn Fendler, Lynn Plourde, and Ben Bishop. Donn Fendler's harrowing story of being lost on Mt. Katahdin when he was twelve was made famous by the children's book *Lost on a Mountain in Maine.* In Lost Trail, more than 70 years after the event, Donn tells the story of survival and rescue from his own perspective in an illustrated graphic novel. He has some help from Mainers, author Lynn Plourde and Illustrator Ben Bishop. The Maine Student Book Award is designed to expand literary horizons of students in grades 4-8 by encouraging them to read, evaluate, and enjoy a selection of new books and to choose a statewide favorite by written ballot each spring. Get more information and the new 2013-2014 Title List at www.mainestudentbookaward.org
The Chickadee Award is a picture book award program for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. This year the children chose Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku as their favorite book. A feisty shelter cat is adopted by a boy and his family, driven home ("letmeoutletme/outletmeoutletmeout./Wait-let me back in!"); and given the name Won Ton. Won Ton's sweetly humorous story will steal the hearts of readers young and old. Get more information about the Chickadee Award at http://www.chickadeeaward.org

2013 Maine Student Book Award and Chickadee Winners!

The students in Maine have voted and the 2013 winner of the Maine Student Book Award is Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness by Donn Fendler, Lynn Plourde, and Ben Bishop. Donn Fendler's harrowing story of being lost on Mt. Katahdin when he was twelve was made famous by the children's book Lost on a Mountain in Maine. In Lost Trail, more than 70 years after the event, Donn tells the story of survival and rescue from his own perspective in an illustrated graphic novel. He has some help from Mainers, author Lynn Plourde and Illustrator Ben Bishop.

The Maine Student Book Award is designed to expand literary horizons of students in grades 4-8 by encouraging them to read, evaluate, and enjoy a selection of new books and to choose a statewide favorite by written ballot each spring. Get more information and the new 2013-2014 Title List at www.mainestudentbookaward.org

The Chickadee Award is a picture book award program for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. This year the children chose Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku as their favorite book. A feisty shelter cat is adopted by a boy and his family, driven home ("letmeoutletme/outletmeoutletmeout./Wait-let me back in!"); and given the name Won Ton. Won Ton's sweetly humorous story will steal the hearts of readers young and old. Get more information about the Chickadee Award at http://www.chickadeeaward.org

HOW A BOOK IS MADE

Bestselling author Lauren Oliver presents How a Book is Made: The Spindlers. Go behind the scenes and follow the book publishers process from start to finish in a seven-video series for book lovers, students, and aspiring writers. (Lauren Oliver was the author that Walker School 5th graders had a Skye visit with in September, 2012, that was sponsored by the Liberty Library.)

ALA Awards

The American Library Association announced the 2013 youth media award winners:

The One and ONly Ivan John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. JF APP
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

This is Not My Hat Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassesn. E KLA
A tiny minnow wearing a pale blue bowler hat has a thing or two up his fins in this underwater light-on-dark chase

For more information and a list of all the 2013 award winners, go to ALA Press Release.

100 New Children's Books!

How Rocket Learned to Read The 100 new children's books from the Brownstone Grant have arrived! The books range from Toddler through Juvenile Fiction. The Brownstone Book Fund is a private foundation in New York City, interested in fostering early reading, a love of books and encouraging parents and children to read together. Please stop by and check out some of these wonderful new books.

Playgroup

Currently, there is no Playgroup at the library. Please see Programs page for more information.

Raising Readers

Raising Readers promotes a love of books and reading by giving books to Maine children at birth and at each well child visit through age five. Like Raising Readers on Facebook to get tips on reading to your children.

Great Readalouds!

Lightning Thief We agree with Geek Dad that "few things that you do are more important than reading to your kids early and often. The social science is in, vocabulary is a major predictor of cognitive development in your children. Reading to them is a great way to get them using the language centers of their brain. Plus some of the best times we have had with our children have come while watching their eyes glisten as Harry looks in the Mirror of Erised or listening to their giggles as they discover the joys and absurdities of Shel Silverstein’s poetry. Reading aloud to your kids can be a blast."