Kids Blog

A Perfect Adventure Book: Journey of the Pale Bear

Journey of the Pale Bear by Susan Fletcher plays it cool with a cover that does not quite tell you what's happening. A boy on a bear? Are they playing? Escaping? With muted colors and surprisingly little drama for a picture of a boy riding a polar bear, the seemingly dull cover almost led me away from this Sequoyah pick.

Riddle Me This: Jokes & More for Reading Fun

Children's librarians at the Tulsa City-County Library want kids to read. And one way to show them that reading is a fun activity is to build on their curiosity about...well, everything! Last week, I brought up how to use YouTube videos about topics like sloths and wild weather as a way to the library and reading, but another YouTube entry point into library books is the humble riddle and joke. Search for "Clean kid jokes" online (make sure you preview them first, of course!) and share with your child.

YouTube for Reading? Yes!

It may seem strange for a librarian to recommend YouTube videos as a reading strategy, but hear me out. The 21st century has given us technology that can be a burden and a chore (says anyone forced to answer work email during vacation). But for children, it's also a great opportunity to stoke curiosity and build a sophisticated level of background knowledge about a wide variety of topics.

Talk More than Turkey at Thanksgiving

Talking is one of the best activities you can do with your young child to help prepare them for learning how to read later on. (It's also beneficial in multiple ways to children who are already reading!)  This Thanksgiving, make sure you take time to talk to your child! A few tips that might help:

Don't Miss Out on "Bob"!

If you've followed the Owasso Library's social media or stepped within 5 feet of our Sequoyah display, you probably know how much I loved "Bob".

Second Graders, Get This Special Books To Treasure Library Card!

A library card is the ticket to literally all of the knowledge and stories in the world. (No boast, just the truth!) Every year since 2003, all second graders in Tulsa and Tulsa County have had the opportunity to get their very own library card decorated with the artwork of a celebrated illustrator. As part of the Books To Treasure program, funded from the beginning by the Zarrow Foundation, every second grader can apply for their own library card, while also receiving a copy of the book the artwork is from, AND see the illustrator in person at a public presentation.

Seeing Is Reading in "Books To Treasure"

This article was originally published in the October 2019 issue of Tulsa Kids magazine. Seeing Is Reading in “Books To Treasure” See legendary children’s book illustrator Christian Robinson @ Hardesty Library on Nov. 15

More Laugh Out Loud Books!

Who doesn't love to laugh? Not kids - especially in the books they read! According to several recent research reports, elementary-aged children identify humor as one of their top interests in reading. Here are a few more laugh-worthy books to share together:

Ha Ha Ha! It Is For To Laugh! (Funny Picture Books)

Love to laugh? Love to laugh when you're reading to your kids? Here are a few funny picture books perfect for sharing (and laughing over) together: Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea - Shea is a master comedic picture book creator, but this one is pretty special because of its perfect details (Unicorn can make it rain cupcakes, while Goat can only prepare marshmallow squares) matched with energetic illustrations that practically leap off the page.  

Making the Jump to Chapter Books: Mo Mo Mo!

If your child has started reading independently but isn't quite ready for full chapter books, I have one easy suggestion: Mo Willems. The author/illustrator has singlehandedly revived the "easy reader" or "early reader" category of books - not full picture books, not full chapter books, but a lovely amalgam of the two just perfect for the "in-between" readers who are testing out their phonics knowledge while working on becoming fluent readers. Why is Mo so perfect?