Chinese New Year, that is. Chinese New Year is a centuries-old celebration that is based on the Chinese lunar calendar. The New Year celebrations begin on the first full moon of the year and last for about a week to 15 days.  This year marks the year of the Tiger and will begin on February 14. Festivities take place all over the world and many images that characterize the New Year include dragons, lanterns, fireworks and parades. Check out some wonderful images from last year’s celebrations at The Big Picture.

If you would like your child to learn more about Chinese New Year, the Library is an excellent resource! Check out the following books:

Celebrate Chinese New Year by Carolyn Otto

Paper Crafts for Chinese New Year by Randel McGee

D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine

The Chamblee Library will be hosting fun and festive programs in honor of the New Year and the Year of the Tiger. Children can drop by the Library by February 13 to pick up a tiger to decorate and enter in their Chinese New Year Art Contest and they can attend the Chinese New Year Craft on February 6. And don’t miss out on Chamblee Library’s Chinese New Year Celebration kickoff on February 13. There will be traditional drumming, dancing, and more! For more information call the Chamblee Library at (770) 936-1380 or check their online event schedule.

Every year, like so many others, I half-heartedly attempt a New Year’s resolution. Gone are the days where I try to guilt myself into going to the gym, being more organized, and wasting less time on Facebook. As I get older, I realize I’m just setting myself up for failure. But last year in an attempt to save more money and eat healthier (hopefully eliminating the gym altogether), I resolved to stop eating out so much and start cooking at home. While my resolution wasn’t a complete success—I still like to eat out a lot—I did learn that I actually can cook. Well, I can follow a recipe. This year I plan on getting more serious, which isn’t that hard to do since the Library has tons of great cookbooks with cuisines from all over the world. It’s fun to bring a new one home and try out the recipes rather than commit to buying one. A few of my favorites include:

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source by Terry Walters

How to Cook Everything: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food  by Mark Bittman

There are also some great websites and cooking blogs worth checking out:

Fine Cooking

Their slogan is “We bring out the cook in you” and I couldn’t agree more. Thousands of free top-notch recipes that make me look like I am a better cook than I really am.

The Pioneer Woman

Ree Drummon, a.k.a. Pioneer Woman, shows how to cook delicious homemade fare with step-by-step photos.

Supercook

Life is about to get much easier since I discovered this site. You simply type in the ingredients you have at home and Supercook finds you a recipe. You can also start an account and keep a running list of ingredients.

The Library has plenty of cookbooks for children and teens. These books can help children learn their way around the kitchen and teach them the importance of eating right; international cuisines can serve as an introduction to a new culture.

Grow It Cook edited by Deborah Lock

Holy Guacamole!: and Other Scrumptious Snacks by Nick Fauchald

The Spatulatta Cookbook by Isabella and Olivia Gerasole

Cookbooks can be found in your Library under the Call Number 641. Books about food and culture can be found under 394.

Years ago I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Eddie Bonnemere.  He had played piano for Duke Ellington and told wonderful stories of late rehearsals and long road trips.  One story that stuck with me was this: whenever the band finally stopped for a meal Mr. Ellington would return thanks not only for the food but for the time and company as well.  All these years later I’m still grateful to Mr. Ellington, by way of Mr. Bonnemere, for reminding me that time and the people we choose to spend it on are precious.

Now, let me get to my point.  As a children’s librarian I am frequently asked, especially this time of year, by Grandma and Uncle and godpapa to help them choose books for the darling young person in their lives.  They have gotten the message that books are good for youngsters and are eager to do their part in setting that child on the path to academic success.  There’s a second, delicious part to the equation though.  Books are great gifts, but they are all the better when a much loved adult spends time reading them with the child.  If the adult is too far away there is reading together over the phone, or a video call, or even a homemade read-along with a CD or (yikes) a cassette tape of the adult reading.  Jim Trelease can tell you all about the benefits of reading aloud, even to older children, and offers many wonderful suggestions.  Any children’s staff member at DCPL can do the same.  So, buy the books, check them out of the library, it really doesn’t matter either way but be certain to treat yourself, and that special child, to time together talking, laughing or crying over a book.  Books are great, but books + time together is the best.

Congratulations to Hightower Elementary School for being the first school in the DeKalb County School System to have all their pre-kindergarten students sign up for library cards! The undertaking was accomplished with the dedication of the pre-k teacher, Elaine Swartley, Hightower’s teacher-librarian, Kia Wansley, as well as the parents and the DeKalb County Public Library System. These people worked together to ensure that these children did not miss out on a free and wonderful opportunity, as children of any age in DeKalb County can receive library cards.

One of the best ways that you, as a parent, teacher, or caregiver can support literacy in children is to encourage them to use the library. The library has thousands of books, reference materials, audiobooks and educational videos as well as internet access and a wide variety of free programs specifically for children and teens.

So what are you waiting for? Stop by your local branch and sign your child up for a Library card today!  Adults may also apply online for a library card.

On Friday, August 28, the award winning children’s program Reading Rainbow aired its final episode. It marked the end of an era. For the past 26 years, host LeVar Burton has introduced countless children worldwide to the joys of reading. In that time the show has been the recipient of over 250 awards, including 26 Emmys (ten for “Outstanding Children’s Series”), a Peabody, and nine Parent’s Choice Awards. While the show stopped producing new episodes in 2006, PBS had continued to air reruns until last month, when lack of funding made it impossible for them to renew the show’s broadcast rights. This unfortunate happenstance is at least partially due to a paradigm shift in children’s literacy work which asserts that the focus should be on teaching the mechanics of reading instead of attempting to foster a love of books, as Reading Rainbow did (See the NPR article for more on this).

The Library has many Reading Rainbow videos available for checking out.   Additionally, the Reading Rainbow section of the PBS kids website is still running and will remain accessible until December 2009.

I was a huge fan of the show as a kid, and though it has been many, many years since I last had the pleasure of viewing it, I still remember the words to the theme song. I bet you do too.

Correction: originally, this post said that the Reading Rainbow series was not available at the Library.  This was a mistake, and has been corrected above.  Thanks to the readers who pointed this out to us!

There is something so delightfully nostalgic about coming across an old children’s book that I read as a child. Little Golden Books, anybody? Seeing the colorful illustrations that I would pore over as a kid brings back those halcyon childhood days and reading the charming stories reminds me of why I became a children’s librarian in the first place. DeKalb County Public Libraries house thousands of children’s books and there are many hidden treasures just waiting to be rediscovered. Here are some of my favorites:

Frederick (1967) by Leo Lionni

The Giant Jam Sandwich (1973) by John Vernon Lord

Too Many Mittens (1958) by Florence and Louis Slobodkin

The Story of Ferdinand (1936) by Munro Leaf

I came across this blog recently, which brought back even more wonderful book memories and helped me to discover some new ones I have never read.

What are your favorite vintage children’s books?

Spring is here, and despite the rain and ridiculous amount of pollen in the air, this is the time to get outside and enjoy the warm days before the onset of the sweltering Georgia summer–unless, of course, you’re allergic to pollen. If you don’t suffer from allergies, then grab the kids, head outside, and play some fun outdoor games. What to play, you ask? I recently came across this website and found it loaded with games that I played as a child. Games like Ghost in the Graveyard, Four Square, TV Tag, Capture the Flag and more are all listed with instructions. If you do suffer from allergies, it’s a fun website to look over and reminisce about those school yard days of yore.

The Library also has books that can help motivate you to get outside:

Sidewalk Games by Glen Vecchione
Run, Jump, Hide, Slide, Splash: The 200 Best Outdoor Games Ever by Joe Rhatigan

What were your favorite games as a child?

Are you struggling to find something for your kids to do now that school’s out?  It’s not too late to register for some of the summer camps being offered around Atlanta.  There are plenty available.  Most last 5 days and are offered through July.  The majority are for children age 5 through 17, but there are a few for pre-schoolers.

Atlanta Parent has an extensive list of day camps in the Atlanta area as well as overnight camps sorted by state.  Day camps are organized by interest, including art, sports and drama among others.

Atlanta Moms also has a list of day camps in the area.  Many of them are in the northern part of the city, but it does include some in Stone Mountain, Decatur and Lithonia.

Don’t forget to check out local universities which also might be hosting camps this summer.  Oglethorpe, Emory, and Georgia Tech are all offering day camps for children.

There are plenty of summer camps in Atlanta and DeKalb County.  Whether your child is interested in cooking, basketball, computers, gymnastics or something else, you’re sure to find a camp for them through one of these sites.

Traveling with
children can be fun and exciting. It can also be challenging and
hectic. If you’re going on vacation this summer, whether it’s for a
weekend or for a week, you need to be prepared. The library has several
good books about where to go and what to do. I’ve listed a few of them
below.

500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up: From
Frommer’s, this interesting guidebook is not organized by destination,
but rather by what kind of place it is. For instance, historic
battlegrounds are in the War and Peace section. The Grand Canyon is in
Out & About. Other sections include Cities Great and Small, Lost in
the Mists of Time (the Coliseum, Machu Picchu), and Walk with the
Animals (zoos, nature reserves), among others.

Parent’s Survival Guide to I-75: This
unique travel guide lists kid-friendly stops along Interstate 75, from
Detroit to Orlando. It’s organized by state and lists the attractions
by exit number. It also lists which exits have fast food restaurants
with playgrounds and where the rest areas are located.

100 Best Family Resorts in North America: Organized
by region, this handy book lists family friendly resorts that have
activities for adults and children. Among its features are descriptions
of the accommodations, dining options, activities for children and
activities for families.

Fun with the Family – Georgia: If
you’re looking for trips close to home, check this one out. It lists
all the attractions, historic sites and parks in Georgia.

Take Your Kids to Europe:
Even if you’re going abroad this summer, we have something for you.
Foreign countries can be especially tricky to navigate with children.
This takes the guesswork out of it by listing attractions that kids
will enjoy.

These are just a few
of our guidebooks for traveling with kids. Check out our catalog for
even more. And here’s a hint, when searching for books, use keywords
like “kids,” “children,” or “family” to find ones like those above. You
can also narrow the search by adding specific cities, states or
countries. Whether you stay close to home or venture abroad, have fun
and happy travels!

If you have a school age child, you know why he or she is looking forward to Friday, May 23.  It’s the last day of school, of course.  Another day to look forward to is Saturday, May 24.  That’s the first day of the 2008 Vacation Reading Program.  This year Georgia has joined with 47 other states to Catch the Reading Bug (our theme for this year’s program.)  We have a reading program for children of all ages: Wee Reader for babies from birth to two years; Catch the Reading Bug for those ages 3-12; and Metamorphosis for teens ages 13-17.

Signing up is easy.  Just visit any DeKalb County Public Library and tell a staff member you want to participate.  You can view the rules here.  Prizes include tickets to Zoo Atlanta and Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

On Tuesday, May 27 musician Eric Litwin will help us celebrate the start of our Vacation Reading Program at our kick off parties at 3 locations around the county.  There’s one near you so we hope you’ll come out and join us for songs, storytelling and crafts.

Come in anytime between May 24 and July 31 to Catch the Reading Bug.  And don’t forget to check out our program schedule for special children’s programs all summer long.