An active children’s department provides in-library programming for children of all ages: Babes & Books, Toddler Time, Pajamarama, and an Afterschool Adventure Book Club meet at various times during the school year. An eight week summer program encourages children to continue using their reading skills during the summer months. Check the community calendar or inquire at the children’s desk for times, dates and locations.
The children’s department also offers outreach to day care centers. Area elementary schools are encouraged to visit the children’s library for materials and stories. Home school teachers, area public and private elementary and nursery school teachers, and day care providers may obtain a faculty, day care or home school library card allowing for extended checkout of materials with no fines. The children’s librarian will provide a “Sharing Books with Children” program to community groups upon request.
The children’s library is committed to educating parents on their role in teaching a child to want to read. Parents who read and read to their children on a regular basis are teaching their children that reading is an enjoyable and important part of life. Through shared reading experiences children will experience new vocabulary words, improved grammar skills, strong listening and imagination skills, a healthy curiosity about their world, improved memory skills, and the ability to sequence story events. Most importantly, when children share books with someone they love, they learn to love books and reading which is the beginning of loving to learn. Sharing a book offers a special, low-tech way to bond with children and prepare them to be successful in school. No other product aids a child’s development as well as a book.
Children’s Programs
Jean Holste, children’s librarian at the Humboldt Public Library for 20 years, provides year-round programming for children infant to 12 years.
BABES AND BOOKS offers babies through 24 months with caregiver a language enrichment program and an introduction to the library. Parents are encouraged to continue the literacy skills shared during the story time at home. A handout of rhymes and songs incorporated into the story time is available at each session.
TODDLER TIME offers children ages two through three and caregiver simple stories, songs and large muscle activities related to the toddler’s world. Parents are educated in six literacy skills: print motivation, an interest in and enjoyment of books; phonological awareness, the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words; vocabulary, knowing the names of things; narrative skills, being able to describe things and events and tell stories; print awareness. noticing print and knowing how to handle a book; letter knowledge, knowing that letters are different from each other. Practicing these literacy skills at home will enhance a child’s ability to read. A handout of shared rhymes and songs is available at each session.
PAJAMARAMA is held on Monday at 6:30 p.m. for children ages 4, 5, and 6. Pajamarama is offered at various times throughout the school year. Children are encouraged to come in their pajamas for bedtime stories and fun! Many area families enjoy bringing siblings to Pajamarama.
AFTERSCHOOL ADVENTURE BOOK CLUB is for students in third, fourth, and fifth grades on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, October through April. Students mold the activities to their interests with book discussions, book sharing, puppetry, shadow puppetry, movies, crafts, games, library skills, and more.
DAYCARE VISITS are offered to Humboldt/Dakota City daycare centers monthly from October through April. A bin of 30 books, KITS, and puppets is delivered to each daycare center providing care to four or more children ages 2-5. At the same time, a story time is shared with the children.
SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM – Each summer the children’s library provides a summer reading and story time program to children ages 3 through 12. Using materials from the State Library of Iowa, a different theme is offered each summer. Statistics prove that encouraging children to read during the summer months helps maintain their reading skills for success in the following school year.
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by theAssociation for Library Service to Children, adivision of the American Library Association, to theartist of the most distinguished American picturebook for children.
2008 Medal Winner
The 2008 Caldecott Medal winner isThe Invention of Hugo Cabretby Brian Selznick (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic)
From an opening shot of the full moon setting over an awakening Paris in 1931, this tale casts a new light on the picture book form. Hugo is a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station where he labors to complete a mysterious invention left by his father. In a work of more than 500 pages, the suspenseful text and wordless double-page spreads narrate the tale in turns. Neither words nor pictures alone tell this story, which is filled with cinematic intrigue. Black & white pencil illustrations evoke the flickering images of the silent films to which the book pays homage.
2008 Honor Books
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroadbyillustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic)
Inspired by an antique lithograph, Kadir Nelson has created dramatically luminous illustrations that portray Henry “Box” Brown's ingenious design to ship himself in a box from slavery to freedom.
First the Egg, written and illustrated byLaura Vaccaro Seeger(Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
Laura Vaccaro Seeger's innovative concept book on transformations, First the Egg uses strategically placed die-cuts to provide an astonishing visual explication of the word “then.” Her richly textured brushstrokes creatively reveal the process of metamorphosis for young readers.
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, written and illustrated Mo Willems (Hyperion)
Willems sets the stage for one of the most dramatic double-paged spreads in picture-book history in Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. Masterful photo collages take Trixie and her daddy through their now-familiar Brooklyn neighborhood to the Pre-K class where Trixie discovers that her beloved Knuffle Bunny is not “so one-of-a-kind anymore.”
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
2008 Winners
2008 Medal Winner
There Is a Bird on Your HeadbyMo Willems(Hyperion)
In this humorous account of Elephant Gerald and Piggie's ongoing friendship, Gerald learns that there is something worse than having a bird on your head - having two birds on your head! Trying to help her friend, the always-playful Piggie ends up with a problem of her own.
Willems' balanced design of color-coordinated speech bubbles, expressive cartoon art and familiar vocabulary create an engaging, laugh-out-loud experience for young readers. The charming characters, whimsical tone and accessible language come together in this fresh and memorable celebration of friendship.
2008 Honor Books:
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
Simple words and paintings create a jewel-like package in a stylish yet unpretentious book in First the Egg, inviting the new reader in again and again. Lush, textured paint combined with die cuts in a trim size just right for deep thinkers, introduces the age-old chicken-and-egg riddle for the youngest reader.
Hello, Bumblebee Bat, written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne (Charlesbridge)
Nine questions and answers introduce the world's smallest bat in Hello, Bumblebee Bat, an informational book for emerging readers. Straightforward text pops out of a sparse background allowing this little mammal to describe its habitat and characteristics in an intriguing and accessible way.
Jazz Baby, written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Harcourt)
Bebop rhyme and repeated stanzas are just the right rhythm for young readers in Jazz Baby, a nostalgic celebration of dancing, singing and playing music. New words are effortlessly repeated as they bounce into the text and become part of the joyful gouache paintings that swing high and low with the movement of one lucky baby at the center of this loving family.
Vulture View, written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Holt)
In Vulture View, rhyming lyrical text, juxtaposed with dramatic textured collage come together in an innovative combination of science and poetry for new readers. Spare text placed on vivid backgrounds introduces new readers to a day in the life of turkey vultures.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
Administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the AmericanLibrary Association, the Laura Ingalls WilderAward was first given to its namesake in1954. The award, a bronze medal, honors anauthor or illustrator whose books, published inthe United States, have made, over a period ofyears, a substantial and lasting contribution toliterature for children.
Laura Ingalls WilderAward Winner, 2007
Author/illustrator James Marshall has been awarded the 2007 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Marshall was the author and illustrator of the “George and Martha” books, the “Fox” easy reader series, “The Cut-Ups” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” – a Caldecott honor winner in 1989. He also illustrated the “Miss Nelson” books and “The Stupids” series, written by Harry Allard. Marshall died in 1992.
“Marshall conveyed a world of emotion with theplacement of a dot or the wrinkle of a line,” said Wilder Award Committee ChairRoger Sutton. “In both his drawings and impeccably succinct texts, he displayeda comic genius infused with wit and kindness.”
The Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator,published in the United States, whose books have made a substantial and lastingcontribution to literature for children. The award was announced January 22 atthe American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The awardis administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), adivision of the ALA, and is named for its first recipient in 1954.
Born in San Antonio in 1942, Marshall was a self-taughtartist. After an injury cut short his pursuit of a career in music playing theviola, he found his life’s work in children’s books. His first book was “Plink,Plink, Plink,” written by Byrd Baylor and published by Houghton in1971.
Drawing from a career that spanned just over 20 years, dozens ofMarshall’s books remain favorites with audiences ranging from young children tocollege students and adults. The enduring friendship of George and Martha, thewily grace of Fox, the irrepressible resilience of the Stanley Q. Stupid familyand the benevolent dictatorship of Miss Nelson (aka Viola Swamp) are testimoniesto human nature in all its complexity.
In an introduction to the collected “George and Martha” books, Maurice Sendakwrites that “Marshall is the last of a long line of masters that began in thelate 19th century with the preeminent English illustrator Randolph Caldecott;then continued in our century with Jean de Brunhoff in France and EdwardArdizzone in England; and then via Tomi Ungerer arrived full blast in America,where the laurel leaf settled finally, splendidly, on the judicious, humane,witty, and astonishingly clever head of James Marshall.”
In “George and Martha: One Fine Day,” George thehippo offers some wisdom that speaks as much of his creator as it does toMartha: “If you love what you do, you’ll be very good at it too.”
2007-08 Winner: Selected by Iowa students: The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn!
2008-09 IOWA CHILDREN’S CHOICE Titles available at the library:
Birney, Betty G. Friendship according to Humphrey
Buckey, Sarah Masters, 1955- The stolen sapphire : a Samantha mystery
Butler, Dori Hillestad. Do you know the monkey man?
Corbett, Sue. Free baseball
Cummings, Priscilla, 1951- Saving Grace
Gutman, Dan. The million dollar putt
Kehret, Peg. Abduction!
Lombard, Jenny. Drita, my homegirl
Lord, Cynthia. Rules
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Roxie and the hooligans
O'Dell, Kathleen, 1957- Ophie out of Oz
Park, Linda Sue. Archer's quest
Stone, Jeff. Tiger
Wallace, Bill, 1947- No dogs allowed!
About the Iowa Children's Choice Award...
The purposes of the Iowa Children's Choice Award are:
• to encourage children to read more and better books.
• to discriminate in choosing worthwhile books.
• to provide an avenue for positive dialogue between
teacher, parent, and children about books and authors.
• to give recognition to those who write books for children.
The award is unique in that it gives children an opportunity to choose the book to receive the award and to suggest books for the yearly reading list.
Selection Criteria
Books chosen for the master list are those written by American authors within the last five years. Titles are fiction or nonfiction, with a wide range of interests and reading levels appropriate for children in grades three through six. No textbooks are included.
Iowa Children's Choice Award Past Winners
2006 Peg Kehret – Escaping the Giant Wave
2005 Andrew Clements - A Week In The Woods
2004 Margaret Haddix - Among the Hidden
2003 Kate DiCamilla - Because of Winn-Dixie
2002 Cynthia DeFelice - The Ghost of Fossil Glen
2001 Dan Gutman - The Million Dollar Shot
2000 Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - Saving Shiloh
1999 Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - Shiloh Season
1998 Barbara Park - Mick Harte Was Here
1997 Barbara Robinson - The Best School Year Ever
1996 Peg Kehret - Terror at the Zoo
1995 Lois Lowry - Attaboy, Sam
1994 Peg Kehret - Nightmare Mountain
IOWA CHILDREN’S CHOICE 2007-2008
(Titles Available at the Humboldt Public Library)
AUTHOR TITLE COPYRIGHT
Bauer, Marion Dane The Blue Ghost 2005
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker The President’s Daughter 2004
Butler, Dori Hillestad Trading Places with Tank Talbott 2003
Clements, Andrew Lunch Money 2005
Crisp, Marty White Star: a dog on the Titanic 2004
DeFelice, Cynthia The Missing Manatee 2005
DiCamillo, Kate The Miraculous Journey of
Edward Tulane 2006
Hahn, Mary Dowining The Old Willis Place:
A Ghost Story 2004
Kehret, Peg The Ghost’s Grave 2005
Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie Lumber Camp Library 2002
Newman, Leslea Hachiko Waits 2004
Ogilvy, Ian Measle and the Wrathmonk 2004
Park, Linda Sue Project Mulberry: a novel 2005
Spurr, Elizabeth Surfer Dog 2002
Van Draanen, Wendelin Enemy Spy 2005
Wiles, Deborah Each Little Bird That Sings 2005
Humboldt / Dakota City Day Care Providers Outreach Program
The children’s department of the Humboldt Public Library invites you to participate in a Day Care Outreach Program. Each month thirty books, and / or books with audiotapes or CDs and / or puppets would be delivered to your facility on Wednesday mornings. At the same time two or more stories and related finger plays and songs would be shared with your children. The program is offered September to May.
To qualify for Day Care Outreach, you would need to meet the following criteria:
Be registered with the Department of Human Services
Reside within the city limits of Humboldt or Dakota City
Provide care for four (4) or more children ages 2, 3, 4, or 5 at the time of the daycare visit.
Be present at the story time presentation
Other factors to consider are the following:
A sturdy covered bin will be provided for storage of the books while at the day care center.
Librarians will select materials but book suggestions will be considered.
Day Care Outreach will be offered through May 2007
Materials will be checked out on a day care library card that has the following privileges:
Check out of 50 items from the library
Materials checked out for six weeks with no renewals or fines
If you are a licensed day care and do not qualify for Day Care Outreach program, you may still obtain a day care library card with the above-mentioned privileges. If desired, a bin of materials can be assembled for your use on a designated date each month. Each daycare will be responsible to obtain the bin and return materials from the previous month. The library is open Monday & Tuesday from 10:00 to 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday – Friday from 10:00 to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday from 9:00 to 3:00 p.m.; closed on Sunday and holidays.
It is hoped you will see these outreach programs as worthwhile opportunities for your day care children. Please contact Jean Holste, Children’s Librarian, for more information about Daycare Visits.
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30 6th Street North · Humboldt, Iowa · 515.332.1925
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
Author/illustrator James Marshall has been awarded the 2007 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Marshall was the author and illustrator of the “George and Martha” books, the “Fox” easy reader series, “The Cut-Ups” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” – a Caldecott honor winner in 1989. He also illustrated the “Miss Nelson” books and “The Stupids” series, written by Harry Allard. Marshall died in 1992.
Drawing from a career that spanned just over 20 years, dozens ofMarshall’s books remain favorites with audiences ranging from young children tocollege students and adults. The enduring friendship of George and Martha, thewily grace of Fox, the irrepressible resilience of the Stanley Q. Stupid familyand the benevolent dictatorship of Miss Nelson (aka Viola Swamp) are testimoniesto human nature in all its complexity.