(Flashback) Pulled From the Vault- Thankful Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!  In case you're looking for an easy kitchen-table craft to keep the kiddos occupied before the big meal, here's one we've pulled from vault for you that will remind everyone to keep a grateful heart and a smiling face today!

Thankful Turkey
Supplies Needed:
-paper lunch bag
-construction paper in fall colors (red, yellow, orange, brown) or white paper and markers
-scissors
-pencil
-stapler (younger kiddos: use the stapler with adult supervision!)

Craft Steps:
1) Open up your paper bag, roll down the top a few times, and staple the opening shut.
2) Cut out four or five feathers from construction paper.  Have your child write down simple things he or she is thankful for on these feathers (i.e. Mom, Dad, pizza, my bike, my baby brother, etc.).  Staple the feathers to the back of the bag.
3) Draw a simple turkey head on the front of the bag.  If you think you might need a little artistic help, check out these cute turkey head and feather printable patterns from Kaboose!
4) Use your gorgeous gobbler as a handmade centerpiece or a coffee table decoration.  It might even start some conversations among the grownups about all we have to be thankful for!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Reference)

The last stop in our tour of the Youth Collection is the Reference section, a perfect place for the student researcher or inquisitive mind!

Overview
Reference books are non-circulating, meaning that they are not available for check out from the library, though readers are welcome to take notes or make copies of the pages they need.  Comprehensive encyclopedia sets and subject guides are often included in the reference collection. 

What It Looks Like
Since reference titles don't check out, they don't contain blue or white check-out cards inside their front covers; instead, they have "REFERENCE" written in bold letters.  Reference books do still have white spine labels (clearly marked with an "R" for "Reference", followed by a "J" or "Y" age designation (for Juvenile or Youth material), a Dewey Decimal number, and the first three letters of the author's last name (or as happens more often with Reference titles, the first three letters of the series, such as "COM" for "Compton's").  So, a spine label for the encyclopedia pictured below would be "R J031 COM".

Left: The cover of a reference title. Right: The inside cover of a reference book.

How to Find It

Here's an image of the catalog card for the encyclopedia mentioned above:

Title card for the full Compton's set.

Reference books are so easy to find, you don't even really need to look up their locators in the card catalog!  At most of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system, reference titles are shelved on top of the regular Nonfiction bookshelves.  Books are grouped together in complete sets (see the picture below of the full Compton's set).

If you've missed any part of this eight-part series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, the Paperback Collection, Teen Fiction, or Children's/Teen Nonfiction when you have time.

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Children's and Teen Nonfiction)

Today, we're moving on to explore the Nonfiction section of the Youth Collection!

Overview
The nonfiction section of the Youth Collection houses tons of factual titles for juveniles and teens covering a variety of topics, from outer space to the inner ear!  Like most public and school libraries, Ozark Regional uses the Dewey Decimal system to organize its nonfiction books (for a great overview of how Dewey Decimal Classification, aka DDC, works, visit this site).  Readers beeline for nonfiction for lots of reasons: to complete research for a school paper, to learn about a favorite hobby, or just to read for fun!  The nonfiction section also hosts a growing collection of kid-safe graphic novels (if you don't know what GN's are, Scholastic has a great overview of graphic novels they offer for elementary through teen readers).

What It Looks Like
As mentioned in the Overview section above, juvenile and teen nonfiction are shelved together, interfiled to make them easier to locate.  They boast white spine labels that contain the age designation ("J", "Y" or "YA"), the Dewey number (i.e. 741.5), and the first three letters of the author's last name. 

Left: The cover of a Nonfiction title. Right: A close-up of the spine label.

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for the above book (which happens to be one of the kid-safe graphic novels our library shelves under the 741.5 Dewey designation)...

Title entry card for David Peterson's Mouse Guard: Winter 1152.

We know this title is Juvenile Nonfiction because our catalog card locator contains a "J", followed by a Dewey number.  We know we can find this book shelved in the nonfiction section, shelved first by the Dewey number (since it's a "700", it's located about three-fourths of the way through the collection, after the "600's" and before the "800's"), and then by the first three letters of the author's last name.

Mouse Guard can be found with the other graphic novels and cartooning/drawing books located under the 741.5 Dewey number.

And there you have it- a brief overview of how the Nonfiction section is organized and how to located items on the shelves!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, the Paperback Collection, or Teen Fiction at your leisure.  Next up, our last stop in the series: the Reference section!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Teen Fiction)

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how to find Teen Fiction in the library.

Overview
Once readers enter middle school and begin to outgrow the Juvenile Fiction collection, they are ready to move on to Teen Fiction, which is divided into two sub-categories: "Y" Fiction (or Youth Fiction, for grades 7-9) and "YA" Fiction (or Young Adult Fiction, for grades 10-12).

What It Looks Like

Many of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system shelve Juvenile Fiction separately from Y/YA (aka Teen) Fiction, though as mentioned in an earlier post, some of our smaller branches still combine the two sections into one.  Like Juvenile Fiction titles, the spine label on a Teen Fiction book is white and is labeled with a "Y" or "YA" designation, as well as with the first three letters of the author's last name.  For example, a book by Sarah Dessen would have a spine label that reads "YA Des".

Left: The cover of a Teen Fiction title.  Right: A close-up of the spine label.

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for pictured book...

Author entry card for Sarah Dessen's Whatever Happened to Goodbye?

We know this title is Teen Fiction because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled with a "YA", followed by the first three letters of Dessen's last name.  We know we can find this book shelved, alphabetically by the author's last name, with the other "Y" and "YA" titles in the Youth area.

There's our book!

And that's it- an overview of Teen Fiction and how to find a "Y" or "YA" book in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, or the Paperback Collection at your convenience.  Next up: the Nonfiction Section!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Paperbacks)

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how the J/Y/YA paperback section is organized.

Overview
If readers don't find what they're looking for in the Juvenile Fiction section, they might try the library's collection of paperbacks for Juveniles, Youth, and Young Adults (titles in this collection run the gamut, with books for grades 3-12).  Paperbacks often have a shorter shelf life (pun intended!) than hardback titles, but don't let their dog-eared appearance fool you!  You can find lots of great reads in this section, in a variety of genres: adventure, action, mystery, historical, fantasy, science fiction, contemporary, and more.  

What It Looks Like
Since paperbacks are flimsy by nature, they aren't processed as heavily as a hardback counterpart would be.  For example, paperbacks don't have spine labels.  When you want to know what age range a paperback book is geared toward, you just open the book and look in the upper left-hand corner of the white check-out card for the "J" for "Juvenile" (grades 3-6), "Y" for "Youth" (grades 7-9), or "YA" for "Young Adult" (grades 10-12) designation.

A peek at the white card for Mark Williams' Dragon Sword- by checking the upper left-hand corner of the card, we can see that this is a Juvenile Fiction (JFIC) from the paperback collection (PB).

Since paperbacks tend to rotate in and out of the collection much more quickly than hardback books, they are also shelved more casually- usually lumped by series or genre, rather than alphabetically by author's last name.  The paperback collection is a perfect place to browse for interesting titles you may not have stumbled across otherwise!

How to Find It
As I mentioned above, paperback books aren't processed as heavily as hardback titles.  Aside from not having spine labels, this also means that these books are not listed in the library's card catalog.  If you're looking for a paperback book, just browse the section until you find what you're interested in, or feel free to ask your local librarian for help!

And that's it- an overview of J/Y/YA paperbacks and how they're organized in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, and Juvenile Fiction when you have time.  Next up: Teen Fiction!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Children's Fiction)

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how to find Juvenile Fiction in the stacks.

Overview
After fledgling readers have mastered the challenge of Easy Readers, the next stop in their reading journey is the Juvenile Fiction section.  Juvenile fiction is intended mainly for readers who are grades 3-6 and varies widely in content and style. 

What It Looks Like

Left: The cover of a Juvenile Fiction title.  Right: A close-up of the spine label.

Many of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system shelve Juvenile Fiction separately from Y/YA (aka Teen) Fiction, though some of our smaller branches still combine the two sections into one.  The spine label on a Juvenile Fiction book is white and is labeled with a "J" for "Juvenile", as well as with the first three letters of the author's last name.  For example, a book by Erin Hunter would have a spine label that reads "J Hun" (see above picture).

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Erin Hunter's The Fourth Apprentice.

We know this title is Juvenile Fiction because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled with a "J", followed by the first three letters of the author's last name.  We know we can find this book shelved, alphabetically by the author's last name, with the other "J" titles in the Youth area.

Here it is!

And that's it- an overview of Juvenile Fiction and how to find a "J" book in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, or Easy Readers at your convenience.  Next up: the Paperback Collection!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Easy Readers)

Today, we're continuing our tour of the Youth collection, figuring out how to locate easy readers (also known as "step" readers or "level" readers) on the shelves.

Overview
Easy readers (aka "step" or "level" readers) are the titles children check out when they're interested in learning to read independently from an adult.  In line with their name, these books often sport an assigned "level" on their front covers or spines.  As the designations increase in value (they often range from PreK for fledgling readers and work their way up to Level 3 for those children able to read whole paragraphs on their own), the difficulty level of the book's reading content becomes more complex.  Like stepping stones across a babbling brook, easy readers are meant to smoothly guide children through the transitional process of becoming independently literate. 

What It Looks Like

Left: The cover of an easy reader.  Right: Close-up of the level label.

Easy readers are always either located in a separate section near the picture books, or at some of our library branches, the easy readers are interfiled with the picture books.  Regardless of how they're shelved, easy readers are simple to distinguish from other parts of the collection because, while they are still alphabetized by the first letter of the author's last name and carry a bright yellow spine label similar to picture books, easy readers' spine labels are also clearly marked with a large, black "ER" designation. 

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Melvin Berger's Snap!

We know this title is an easy reader because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled "ER", and after noting that the author's last name begins with the letter "B", we know we can find this book in the Easy Reader section with the rest of the "B"s.

Found it!

And that's it- an overview of easy readers and how to find them in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books or Picture Books at your convenience.  Next up: Children's (or Juvenile) Fiction!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Picture Books)

All right, today, we're continuing our brief tour of the Youth Collection, figuring out how to locate picture books on the shelves.

Overview
The picture book collection is the section most people think of when they conjure up images of the library.  Picture books can range from simple to quite complex, in both text and illustration and are often books that parents/teachers/caregivers read to children prior to children learning to read independently.  The books I use in story time are almost always culled from the picture book collection.  

What It Looks Like

A wintry book to get you in the right frame of mind for upcoming chilly temps! 

Picture books are easy to tell apart from most of the other books in the Youth Collection; they have bright yellow spine labels, shared only with the Easy Reader Collection, which we'll cover in more depth in the next post. 

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Jimmy Fallon's Snowball Fight.

All books in the picture book collection are arranged alphabetically by first three letters of the author's last name, so this title is a snap to find.  Just locate the shelf with the other yellow labels marked with an "F", and then browse down the line until you find the title you're looking for.

Here's our book!

And that's it- an overview of picture books and how to find them in the library!  If you missed the first part in this series of demystifying the youth collection, feel free to catch up here.  Next up: the easy reader (aka step, or level, reader) collection...

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Board Books)

Have you ever walked into the youth area of your local library and wondered "How on earth is this organized, and where do I find what I need?"  Maybe you browsed on your own until you located the right title, or maybe you asked a librarian for help.  Maybe you left the library frustrated that you couldn't find what you needed.

Well, no more!  All the information you need is at your fingertips- in the catalog and on the book spines!  Over the next few weeks, I'll help to "demystify" the code on those paper spine labels so you can always find exactly what you're looking for. 

Overview
Let's start with the board book collection.  Those small, sturdy squares with cardboard-esque pages are perfect for adults to read to babies or toddlers who are just beginning to learn how to appreciate books.  The covers of board books are washable, their pages don't rip easily, and they often feature simple, bright illustrations and minimal text.

What It Looks Like

Here's a seasonal board book I snagged from our collection at Ironton.

Board books are different from the majority of the Youth Collection in that they don't have spine labels. 

Look, Ma, no label! :)

We often keep our collection corralled in a plastic bin or two, near the picture books- a section we'll talk about in the next installment of this series!

How to Find It
Let's say you found the above dePaola title listed in the card catalog...

Author entry card for Tomie dePaola's My First Thanksgiving.

and you wanted to know how to find it in the Youth Collection.  In the upper left-hand corner of the catalog card is a call number or locator.  This card notes that My First Thanksgiving is a board book, so automatically, we know we can find it in the board book bin (or designated shelf, as it happens at some of our branch libraries), which I've already mentioned are always located near the yellow-spined picture books. 

And that's it- an overview of board books and how to find them in the library!  Next up: demystifying the picture book collection...

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Russia!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Russia!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Russia Story Time

Books: 

Peter and the Wolf

by Sergei Prokofiev

and Chris Raschka

Cover image from Goodreads.

Rechenka's Eggs

by Patricia Polacco

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: A traditional Russian folk dance is called the pereplyas.  Look up a few videos of this dance online, and then pull on a pair of fuzzy snow boots, and practice the new steps you've learned!

Snack: Satisfy your sweet tooth today, and bake some yummy Russian tea cakes (you might also have heard these treats called Mexican wedding cakes or snowballs).

Craft: Likely due to the harsh, cold winters Russia is accustomed to, Grandfather Frost is a popular fairy tale character.  Using a piece of black or dark blue construction paper for your background, use chalk to draw a picture of what you think Grandfather Frost must look like.

This is our last story time at home post for the season; I hope you've enjoyed trying out some new ideas!  And check your calendars... Spring Story Time is right around the corner!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit The Netherlands!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is The Netherlands!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit The Netherlands Story Time

Books: 

The First Tulips in Holland

by Phyllis Krasilovsky and 

Steven D. Schindler

Cover image from Goodreads.

The Boy Who Held Back 

the Sea 

by Lenny Hort, Thomas Locker

and Mary Maples Dodge

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Study the movement of windmills in an online video (try typing "windmills" into YouTube for some choices).  Then, placing your arms out at your sides, pretend to be a windmill.  If it's not too cold out, bundle up, and try this activity outside where you can feel the real wind blowing.

Snack: Enjoy a snack that reminds you of Holland!  Try a Dutch cheese, like Gouda, on crackers, or buy some cute windmill cookies.

Craft: The Netherlands is internationally known for its beautiful flowers, particularly its tulips.  Here's how to make some tulips that won't wilt!

• Gather an unused egg carton, scissors, sturdy tape, and several pipecleaners.
• Cut the egg carton cups apart, so they resemble tulip blossoms.
• Poke a pipecleaner through the bottom of each cup to represent the flower’s stem.
• Tape the pipecleaner in place with sturdy tape.  

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Mexico!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Mexico!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Mexico Story Time

Books: 

M is for Mexico by

Flor de María Cordero

Cover image from Goodreads.

What Can You Do With a Rebozo?

by Carmen Tafolla

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Fill plastic Easter eggs (or discarded toilet paper tubes with beads or pebbles, and seal tightly.  Put on some fast-paced music, and shake your hand-made maracas to the beat.

Snack: Cook an easy cheese quesadilla.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on one half of a flour tortilla.  Then fold the tortilla closed, and microwave for 45 seconds.

Craft: Make a piñata out of a balloon, newspaper strips, and flour paste.  Family Fun has a great tutorial!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Japan!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Japan!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Japan Story Time

Books: 

Suki's Kimono 

by Chieri Uegaki and

Stephane Jorisch

Cover image from Goodreads.

Yoko by Rosemary Wells

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Make a rock and sand garden, first introduced to Japan by monks.  You can make your garden using simple items commonly found around the home: a cookie sheet for the base of the garden, cornmeal or flour used in place of the sandy ground, and small pebbles or stone for the rock formations.  Once your garden is set up, use a fork as a trowel, and drag it, tines down, through the cornmeal and around the pebbles to make beautiful patterns.

Snack: Make some candy sushi.  The Family Fun site (a favorite of mine) has a fun tutorial here.  Flashback: The library's first program for preteens was a candy-sushi-making competition held in summer of 2009!

Craft: Make a samurai hat through the ancient Asian art of origami, or paper-folding.  You can find instructions to make your helmet at this great origami site.

       

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Italy!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Italy!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Italy Story Time

Books: 

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Cover image from Goodreads.

The Legend of Old Befana
by Tomie dePaola

(Can you tell I like dePaola books?!)

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Play a game of bocce ball.  If you haven’t played bocce before, just think of it as being similar to bowling- in your yard!  In the traditional game, you give each team four wooden balls.  A smaller ball called the pallino is set in place first.  Then each team tries to roll the wooden balls, one by one, so that the balls land as close to the pallino as possible.  Whoever gets closest to the pallino wins the game!  When we play bocce in story time sessions, I like to use four Nerf balls (no injuries with Nerf!) and a Ping-Pong ball for the pallino.

Snack: Grab a slice of pizza, of course!  In a more authentic imitation of the original Italian pizza, be sure to layer your crust with plenty of olive oil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

Craft: Paint with spaghetti!  Pasta is a staple in many Italian diets, and it's not just good to eat- it's fun to make art with, too.  Dip uncooked spaghetti noodles (or cooked noodles, if you want to experiment with a different texture) into washable paint, and brush across a sheet of paper.  Bellissimo (beautiful)!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Israel!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Israel!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Israel Story Time

Books: 

Welcome to Israel!

by Lilly Rivlin and 

Gila Gevirtz, et. al.

Cover image from Goodreads.

Sammy Spider's First Trip 

to Israel by Sylvia A. Rouss

and Katherine Janus Kahn

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Tambourines are an ancient Israeli instrument mentioned in the Book of Exodus.  Make your own tambourine by stapling two paper plates together and filling with small pebbles, beans, or beads.  Play your tambourine, and notice how the sound changes when new materials are substituted for the filler.

Snack: Make a potato latke, such as is traditionally eaten during Hanukkah.  Mix together 2 cups of frozen hashbrowns, 2 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons of milk, ¼ cup of chopped onion, and 2 Tablespoons of flour.  Drop the batter by spoonfuls into a heated skillet, and flatten into cakes with a spatula.  Brown on both sides, and then serve warm with applesauce.

Craft: Make a miniature copy of the Israeli flag.

• Gather a blank, white index card, as well as glue, blue markers, and six toothpicks (you might have some of these left over from our France Story Time at Home a few weeks back).
• Color your toothpicks blue. 
• Glue the toothpicks into the shape of two, separate triangles.
• You can make a Star of David for your miniature flag by overlapping and gluing together the two triangles; one triangle will be right-side-up, and the other will be upside-down.   
• Glue the Star of David onto your white flag, and let dry.  

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Hawaii!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Hawaii!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Hawaii Story Time

Books: 

The Hawaii Snowman 

by Christine and Michael Le

Cover image from Goodreads.

Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale
from Hawaii
by Gerald McDermott

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Ok, so the hula hoop didn’t originate in Hawaii, but the “hula” dance sure did!  For this silly exercise in music and movement, dig out your old hula hoop (or snap one up on the cheap at a yard sale), and try to dance the hula while hula-hooping.  Impossible?  You won’t know until you try!

Snack: Keep your snack simple.  Buy some canned, sliced pineapple, and savor the flavors of island life!

Craft: Make a flowered, paper lei.  The Family Fun site has a great tutorial using cupcake liners!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Greece!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Greece!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Greece Story Time

Books: 

Hour of the Olympics:

The Magic Tree House #16

by Mary Pope Osborne

and Sal Murdocca

Cover image from Goodreads.

The Orphan: A Cinderella Story

from Greece

by Anthony Manna, 

Christodoula Mitakidou, 

and Giselle Potter

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Research the origins of the Olympics, and have your own outdoor contest.  The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

Snack: Olives and figs are common fare in Greece.  Sample some green or black olives, or have dried figs or Fig Newton cookies for your snack.

Craft: Make a chiton, or robe-like piece of clothing similar to what the ancient Greeks wore. 

• Gather a large paper grocery sack, scissors, a holepuncher, ribbon or yarn, and crayons/markers.
• Open the grocery bag, and set it upright on a table.  Then, remove the side panels of the bag with your scissors.  
• Cut a wide opening in the bottom of the bag– this will be the neckhole of your garment.
• Holepunch down the sides of the bag, and tie the sides together with ribbon or yarn.  
•  Decorate your garment however you would like.  Then, slip your head through the neckhole and your arms through the sides of the bag (before the yarn lacing begins.  Tighten the yarn sides to fit, and you’re done!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen