Posted on September 3, 2013 by Laurie Willhalm to Children's Services Blog

Every Child Ready to Read - Singing

Singing soothes the savage beast (and also helps prepare your child to be ready to read).

Every Child Ready to Read Logo

Songs are a wonderful way for children to learn about language and pick up new words. Singing also slows down language so they can hear the different sounds that make up words. This helps when children begin to read printed language. There are some easy and fun things you can do with your child with songs and music.

  • Sing the alphabet song to learn about letters
  • Sing nursery rhymes so children hear the different sounds in words
  • Clap along to the rhythm in songs so children hear the syllables in words
  • Sing your own favorite songs so your child can share your passions

You are your child's first teacher, and your home is where your child begins to learn. Help your child get ready to read by providing early literacy opportunities around your home. In addition to singing, you can talk, read, write, and play with your child to help him

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Posted on August 29, 2013 by Amy Martin to Children's Services Blog

The Right Book, the Right Reader: Science Guy

What will happen when a young reader discovers a kind of book he didn't know existed? True love, perhaps? Read--this week in comics form!

A friend and I have been doing a 30 Day Drawing Challenge; every day we draw from a prompt, then post the pictures to each others' Facebook walls. Results are somewhere between poignant and hilarious. In that spirit, I decided to draw today's story about a reluctant reader who finds a kind of book he'd never dreamed existed...... Enjoy!

        

     

     

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Posted on August 27, 2013 by Nina Lindsay to Children's Services Blog

Congratulations Summer Readers!

Results of the grand prize drawings for the children's Summer Reading Program

Fairyland Membership Winner

More than 5000 kids read for more than 8 hours each this summer in the Oakland Public Library Summer Reading Program, and collected wonderful rewards including a book of their own, and coupons to attractions all over Oakland.  

Two lucky kids are the recipients of this year's city-wide grand prizes.  For the under-5 category, Children's Fairyland generously donated a one-year family membership, and the lucky recipient is Kiran Beattie, age 4.  Here she is with her older sister Amba, who likes Fairyland too. Since the whole family helped Kiran read this summer, we're glad they all get to share in the prize.

Temuge BaatarIn the 5-14

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Posted on August 23, 2013 by Sharon McKellar to The Library Community

Oakland Public Library + Nerd Nite East Bay

Oakland Public Library will be at East Bay Nerd Nite #11. You should be there too!

If there's one thing this librarian loves, it's a good nerd, so imagine my excitement when I learned there was an opportunity to partner with Nerd Nite East Bay.  A dream come true!  A whole night, once a month, for nerds that we, the Oakland Public Library, can be part of?  Count me in!

So, you may be wondering what Nerd Nite is exactly.  It is an event that takes place on the last Monday of each month at the New Parkway and includes three talks from three speakers on three diverse topics, each one, of course, interesting and engaging.  Last month I attended as an audience member and loved it.  This month, I'll attend as an interested audience member and in official librarian capacity repping OPL.  

The Details:  

Monday, August 26th, doors 7:00pm, start 8:00pm at the New Parkway

The Theme:

Materials, Monotremes, & MMMMM...Mollusks

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Posted on August 23, 2013 by Rebekah Eppley to Advice for Readers

Oakland Stories

Looking for Oakland stories? Here is a sampling of titles offered at OPL.

Michael Chabon's book Telegraph Avenue, set in Berkeley and Oakland, is a popular selection for book groups.  (Please see the Reader's Advisory post from August 9th for a recap of Lakeview Branch's book group discussion.) 

Many people, including myself, enjoy reading books that are set in the area in which they live so I've dedicated this post to fiction set in Oakland.  All of these titles are available at OPL and include blurbs from the publisher's descriptions.

While I've only listed fiction that takes place in Oakland, the library also carries many titles by Oakland authors. 

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Posted on August 22, 2013 by Miriam Medow to Children's Services Blog

Off the Page: Children’s Audiobooks

A list of recommended books on CD for kids of all ages that can be found at the Oakland Public Library.

If you’re looking for something to captivate youngsters during an end-of-summer road trip, OPL has you covered! Each of our library locations carries a selection of children’s audiobooks to engage even the wiggliest of passengers. Ask library staff to help you find book/CD kits, too; these are books that include a CD so kiddos can read along with the audio.

Have you tried audiobooks with your kids? Let us know which ones they have especially enjoyed!

Classic Tales

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book on CD cover

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Posted on August 20, 2013 by Laurie Willhalm to Children's Services Blog

Award Winning Children's Book Illustrator at César Chávez Branch

Sara Palacios is coming to Oakland Public Library!

Picture of children's book illustrator Sara Palacios

Sara Palacios, award willing children's book illustrator, is visiting the César Chávez branch of the Oakland Public Library on Saturday, August 24 at 3:30. She will share illustrations from her books and answer questions regarding how she creates her images.

Sara Palacios is the recipient of the 2012 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor for her work on Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/MarisolMcDonald no combina (Children's Book Press, 2011), which has been described as "vibrant" and "eclectic." A native of Mexico, Sara graduated from the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana with a degree in Graphic Design. She also obtained an Associated Degree in Artistic Illustration from  la Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, and another one in Digital Graphic Techniques  from the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico. After graduation in

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Posted on August 16, 2013 by Jenera Burton to Advice for Readers

Who owns your parts?

Henrietta Lacks was a poor black Virginia farmer born in 1920. She was one of ten children and went on to have five, herself. But she was more than that, Henrietta was also said to have been beautiful, generous and kind. And though she died at the age of 31, part of her is still very much alive and with us, some 62 years later.

Henrietta Lacks in the 1940s.The Lacks family saga has recently resurfaced in the news.

Henrietta Lacks was a poor black Virginia farmer born in 1920. She was one of ten children and went on to have five, herself. But she was more than that, Henrietta was also said to have been beautiful, generous and kind. And though she died at the age of 31, part of her is still very much alive and with us, some 62 years later.

Mrs. Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she had a mass of rapid-growing tumors caused by HPV. After her death, it was discovered that the tumors had spread throughout her body. Cells from her tumors were harvested without her knowledge and sent to a researcher. Unlike other cells used in

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Posted on August 14, 2013 by Amy Martin to Children's Services Blog

The Right Book, the Right Reader: Last, She Bowed

The right book for one reluctant child reader turns her into a reader, author, and illustrator.

My first story of finding the book that made someone a reader is one of my favorites.

I work closely with classes at Markham Elementary, and last year one class began visiting me at Eastmont every two weeks. They were a small class, first and second grade special ed, with a warm and attentive teacher who worked hard to help each student find a book they wanted to check out. 

One girl, a child of six I'll call Josefina, had not yet learned to read, and was not interested in doing so. 

It's not hard to identify the reluctant readers in a class visit. They're the ones who, every time you show them a book, look at you something like this:


A reluctant reader throws shade on an EXCELLENT book suggestion 

Josefina's very kind teacher was showing her books that she might like, and Josefina was

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Posted on August 13, 2013 by Nina Lindsay to Children's Services Blog

Summer's Over?

Updates on library activities following the conclusion of the Summer Reading Program and Free Summer Lunch at the library

Our Summer Reading Program is officially over, and so are our free summer lunches, but you can still:

  1. Get free lunch this week at many non-library locations in Oakland, including most Oakland Parks & Recreation Centers. For a location near you, call the Alameda County Community Food Bank "Get Food Today" Hotline at (800) 870-3663. The hotline provides information to all kinds of free food service for everyone, year round. 
  2. Pick up your Summer Reading Program prize at any Oakland Public Library, if you haven't yet, for any hours completed by August 10 (if you didn't get them logged online, just ask library staff for help).    We do start to run low on prizes by the end of the month, but we want you to get yours!  Grand Prizes will be drawn later this week. 
  3. Come this Saturday, August 17th, to

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