Shark Stroytime

"SHARK! Get out of the water and into the library!" With the much anticipated 25th anniversary of The Discovery Channel's Shark Week on the horizon, and since kids love sharks, I thought it would be fun to have a storytime featuring these fun, yet fearsome creatures. For our after-stories craft we made "Deep Sea Panoramas" featuring The Sandbar certified sharks.

Shark Storytime Line-Up:

I'm a Shark by Bob Shea

Meet a shark that's not afraid of anything; well, almost anything. Bob Shea's dinosaur books are a big hit at our house as well as at storytime. This title was no different.

After reading I'm a Shark, I showed the kids pictures of different types of sharks with a few facts before reading the next book...

Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist, illustrated by Julia Gorton

A spin-off of the tale The Three Little Pigs for the ocean blue.

Next, the kids enjoyed a flannel board rhyme.

Five Little Fish, Teasing Mr. Shark Flannel Board

Five Little Fish Teasing Mr. Shark

(Sung to the tune of 5 Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree)

 

Five little fish, swimming in the sea,

Teasing Mr Shark

"You Can't Catch Me!"

You Can't Catch Me!"

When along swam Mr. Shark, as quiet as can be...

AND (clap hands) caught that fishy right out of the sea.

(Repeat with four fish, three fish, two fish, and one fish...)

So alone swam Mr. Shark as quiet as can be

And he looked and he looked...

"no more fishies for me."

Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway

A friendly shark that would do anything to be friends with the other sea animals. The kids loved this book.

Deep Sea Panorama Craft:

The kids had such a fun time with this craft. There was quite a bit of prep involved, but it was worth it - especially since The Sandbar donated toy sharks for the kids to keep. For those of you who don't live in Lawrence, The Sandbar is a downtown staple. They're famous for their "indoor hurricanes" and signature adult beverages including (make that especially) their "Shark Attack".  For this post, I amended their famous shark attack and made it kiddie friendly. More on that later.

Materials Needed: file folders, colored paper, tape, glue stick, clip art printed and cutout, stickers, scissors, and crayons.

To create the deep sea panorama, open a file folder and tape two pieces of blue paper on the inside of the folder.

Cut the exposed folder parts leaving only the blue paper showing.

It will look like so.

Using white or manilla colored paper, cut sand to line the bottom and glue on.

From green paper, cut squiggly lines, layer, and glue onto the panorama.

I pre-cut the sand, seaweed, and also cut out some clip-art I found on the interweb that the kids glued on. They also used foam stickers. (They love their foam stickers!)

I also left crayons out to color their panoramas with.

The finishing touch... each kid received their very own shark! To keep!

And to play with in their homemade deep  sea home forever and ever!

We also took diorama pictures that were posted on the library's facebook page. You can view those here.

Now for the bonus round...

How to make a Shark Attack drink for kids (without the bite).

Here we go!

*BONUS* Shark Attack Fun!

Since The Sandbar serves adult-only Shark Attack drinks, my co-worker (who has two shark-loving boys) came up a kid-friendly version. Here is my take on her idea to make a  kiddie concoction for refreshment fun at home.

Materials needed: light blue sports drink (I used Powerade Mixed Berry), grenadine, clear  drinking glass, ice, and a hollow plastic toy shark.

To make, put a few ice cubes in a glass and fill 3/4 full of blue sports drink.

Holding shark nose up, pour grenadine into the shark until almost full.

Serve by setting shark in the glass facing up.

Now for the fun part... Allow the child/children pour the grenadine into the cup while yelling, "SHARK ATTACK!!!!"

Make sure you bob your shark up and down to mix it well. Saying, "shark attack" a few more times helps as well.

Drink and enjoy .

A BIG THANK YOU to The Sandbar for donating the sharks!

Looking for more kid-friendly ways to celebrate Shark Week?

Check out Discovery Kids Shark Week's Shark Facts, Shark Yourself by uploading a picture of yourself or anyone to become a shark, and these free shark coloring sheets. Know a game nut? Try Shark Dash ($.99) or Shark Munch (free) kid-appropriate computer games.

See You at Harry's

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

Published: Candlewick Press, May 2012

Recommended Age: 10 & up

In a Nutshell: Twelve-year-old Fern is feeling anything but the love. Her three-year-old nuisance of a brother Charlie will not leaver her alone. Older brother, Holden, a freshman in high school, is having a hard time at school and keeps running off, refusing to talk to anyone (even Fern) about it. Sarah, the eldest has been aggravated since her friends went off to college, leaving everyone else in the house to cope with her grumpiness.

On top of that, their father devotes most of his time and "creativity" into running their family-operated restaurant, Harry's; of which some of his entrepreneurial marketing idea's involve the whole family. Yikes! This means Fern's mother is always trying to keep the peace. The only person in Fern's life who gives her a little relief is her friend Ran, a friend she's  growing to like in a 'more-than-a-friend' way.

With the entire family submerged in their own agendas and issues, one event turns everything they know upside down and it's up to them to mend the pieces back together - even if the  picture doesn't look exactly how it looked before.

I read some fantastic middle grade literature over the summer, and really, this entire year thus far. See You At Harry's joins the ranks. An unbelievable, stay-up-all-night must-read.

Perfect For: Tweens with a knack for realistic fiction.

Don't Take My Word For It: Kids Indie Next Summer 2012 Pick, Welcome to my Tweendom,

Throwback Thursday: The Snow Spider

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo

Published: Dutton Books, 1986,  Orchard Books (Imprint of Scholastic), 2006

Recommended Age: 9 & up

In a Nutshell: On Gwyn's 5th birthday, his older sister, Bethan, tragically disappeared. Four years later, still ridden with guilt over her disappearance, his slightly cooky grandmother gives him five unusual presents. Presents she believes will not only invoke Gywn's inner magician, but lead him to Bethan.

Throwback: I had a dream a few weeks ago of a crystal spider. I was certain it was a book I read when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, so I searched the library. Lo and behold there it was! I'm glad we still have the old cover, because I've seen the newer cover dozens of times from previously working in a bookstore some years ago and it never registered. The story was creepy and bizarre then and it was creepy and bizarre to re-read - and I love it. Obviously, it has an affect on me since I'm dreaming about it 20 years later.

Perfect For: Yesterday, I wrote a post about kids looking for their next magical adventure. This book would fit in perfectly with that crowd.

Reprint Cover: The picture above is the original cover. Below is the modern take on this neo-classic fantasy.

Looking for your next magical adventure?

Wizards, Greek mythology, and tales of princesses long ago... The most popular fantasy requests for middle grade readers this summer. Harry Potter and Percy Jackson rule and Ella Enchanted is still holding her own. Continuing the Summer Book Hook marathon, these are a tried and true read-a-likes that will keep kids coming back for more!

If you're crazy for Harry Potter...

Magyk (Septimus Heap series) by Angie Sage

The Flight of the Phoenix (Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist series) by R.L. La Fevers

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising series) by Susan Cooper

The Lives of Christopher Chant (Chestomanci series) by Diana Wynne Jones

Midnight for Charlie Bone (Charlie Bone series) by Jenny Nimmo

The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud

 

If you read Rick Riordan like he's going out of style...

The Akhenaten Adventure (Children of the Lamp series) by P.B. Kerr

Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl series) by Eoin Colfer

The Sea of Trolls (Sea of Trolls series) by Nancy Farmer

Odysseus in the Serpent Maze (Young Heroes series) by Jane Yolen & Robert J. Harris

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (Theodosia Thockmorton series) by R. L. LaFevers

Secrets of the Sirens (Companions Quartet) by Julia Golding

 

My fair maiden! You like Ella Enchanted, Fairest, and other Gail Carson Levine books?

Try these...

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Dealing with Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles) by Patricia C. Wrende

Once Upon a Marigold (Once Upon a Marigold series) by Jean Ferris

Princess Academy (Princess Academy series) by Shannon Hale

The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern series) by Shannon Hale

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Book Hook: Season's Readings

For the latest edition of the Summer Book Hook, I'm going to direct you to the Summer 2012 issue of Lawrence Kids Magazine featuring picks from Lawrence Public Library's youth librarians. You can see this summer reading feature and the magazine in it's entirety HERE!

(Psst... Also check out the Sturdy for Common Things feature of this butterfly craft in the back of the issue!)

Books mentioned in Lawrence Kids Magazine's summer reading article "Season's Readings":

Preschool

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses by Taeeun Yoo

Easy Readers

Chicken Said, "Cluck!" by Judyann Ackerman Grant, pictures by Sue Truesdell

Frog and Friends by by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Josee Masse

Beginning Chapter Books

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon

Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

Middle Grade

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Teens

Ripper by Stephan Petrucha

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

A BIG THANK YOU to LAWRENCE KIDS for supporting the library and childhood literacy!

 

 

image sources: Lawrence Kids Magazine

Olympics Storytime

The opening of the Olympic Games is this Friday! To celebrate we had our own Olympics celebration at storytime yesterday. We read books about competition, good sportsmanship, and London, where the 2012 Olympics are being held.

First I held up a picture similar to the above image and I asked the kids if they knew how many athletes were competing in this year's Olympic Games (14,000 athletes) and how many nations were being represented (205 nations). I also said what the Olympic motto is ("Higher. Faster. Stronger.") and explained the symbolism behind the Olympic rings.

Next, I showed the kids this picture of the this year's Olympic Gold Medal and asked them to guess who the woman with the wings is (Nike, the Goddess of Victory... not the shoe brand). Which lead me to briefly explain that the Olympics started many, many years ago by the ancient Greeks. I kept things very simple and brief and the books where chosen so that the youngest storytimers could get excited and be aware of the the festivities ahead.

Olympics Storytime Line-Up:

A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino

This book is a little on the long side, so I abbreviated parts. It's a wonderful way to learn about London's famous landmarks through a mother and daughters afternoon in a city full of history. Since the TV networks will be flashing scenes of the city, I thought it would be fun for kids to be able to recognize a few of the key monuments.

The Tortoise and the Hare, an Aesop Fable adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens

The classic tale of hard work, perseverance, and a lesson in good sportsmanship.

Make the Team, Baby Duck! by Amy Hest, illustrated by Jill Barton

You'll never know the champion within, if you don't try.

Clifford The Champion by Norman Birdwell

Everyone's favorite red dog learns that winning isn't always everything.

Olympic Crafts:

The kids really enjoyed making their very own star-spangled flags and gold medals fit for champions. Here's how we made our Olympic crafts...

Materials needed: Straws, aluminum lids from glass jars (jelly, spaghetti, mason jars), ribbon, tape, sharpie, scissors, paper, and whatever you'd like to use to decorate the flag (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)

For the flag, I printed and cut out flags using this template.

We used markers to color our flags, but you can use whichever coloring tool you'd prefer.

Once finished coloring, the straws were taped to the back of the flag.

Easy peasy craft to cheer on your favorite US athletes.

For the medals, I used the lids I had leftover from the Mother's Day Storytime craft.

I spray painted them using leftover spray paint from this Magic Tree House Adventures craft. Both sides, two coats. I did this all the day before storytime.

At storytime, I pre-cut ribbon into 14-inch strips and had tape, stickers, and sharpies available for the kids to use.

On the back of the lid, tape the ends of your ribbon.

For the younger kids, I encouraged parents to be the sharpie user. They could write their name, or "USA", or "#1", or really, whatever they'd like.

Star stickers were used to decorate the medals.

Everyone left Olympics Storytime a champion.

 

 

 

image source: Olympics London, Olympic medal 2012