Here are a handful of our favorite books that we read this year. Be sure to check out our Favorite Books of 2022 as well, to find out our favorites published in 2022.
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Erin recommends... |
Marshmallow & Jordan by Alina Chau |
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Jordan was the star of her basketball team and a natural leader. However, when an accident leaves her unable to play, she battles with her love of the game, being positive, and the feeling she is being left behind. One afternoon, Jordan finds a mysterious white elephant that has been injured. Jordan nurses the elephant she has named Marshmallow, back to health. The two become fast friends and Jordan seems happier to her family and friends, however, Marshmallow can sense that Jordan feels lost without basketball. Marshmallow makes it her mission to show Jordan there is no limit to what she can do. Marshmallow and Jordan is a hopeful story, focusing on the power of friendship and believing in yourself. |
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Stefanie recommends... |
Sometimes All I Need Is Me by Juliana Perdomo
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Chris recommends... |
Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly
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See even more of our 2022 favorites!
Youth Services Specialist Stefanie Molinaro
Bring home a fun new project! Sign up from our Library Calendar and pick up a kit at the Youth Services desk or through our Parking Lot Pickup service between December 19th and the 30th. All kits not picked up will be available on a first come, first served basis starting January 2nd.
Salt Dough Family Keepsakes
The whole family can get involved with this kit! Mix up some salt dough, bake it, and decorate it to create a unique family keepsake!
Your Kit includes: 1 bag of flour, 1 bag of salt, 1 piece of twine, 1 cookie cutter, 1 rolling pin, and 1 set of markers.
Mix flour, salt, and 1 cup of warm water together in a bowl. Knead until combined and dough forms.
Use rolling pin to roll out dough to desired thickness. Use cookie cutter or free style the shape of your keepsake!
If you want to hang your keepsake, be sure to punch a hole out somewhere using a pencil or straw.
Be creative! You can cut out a circle by using a glass, trace your hand, or press a finger, hand, foot, or a pet's paw into the dough!
Once done shaping, put all keepsakes on cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours. Flip halfway through baking.
When keepsakes are cool to touch, they can be decorated! Use provided markers to finish your masterpiece and hang it with a piece of twine.
Show us what you created! Send us pictures at youthservices@balibrary.org.
Youth Services Librarian Claire
Winter is here! Do you want a new book to read but don’t want to travel in the snow? We got you covered! Check out some of these beginning reader and early chapter snow-inspired e-books! All e-books shown are available at BALibrary. Check them out and read with the Libby app on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Looking for some personalized selections? Fill out this form and you’ll receive a customized list direct to your inbox!
Youth Services Assistant Librarian Jessica
The Youth Services staff have picked their favorite books published in 2022 for readers from ages 0-13. We hope you and your family find some new favorites here, too!
Looking for more recommendations? Fill out our form to get a custom list of reads or a Book Bundle for pickup.
November is National Native American Heritage Month, also known as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, or Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month. We've gathered some of the newest books in our collection celebrating Indigenous people, that can be enjoyed all year round. For more recommendations, check out 11 Books to Read for National Native American Heritage Month.
Looking for more recommendations? Fill out our form to get an individualized list of reads sent to your email!
Youth Services Specialist Stefanie
Gratitude can have a big impact on our lives. It has been proven to be effective in improving mood, increasing ability to cope with emotions, decreasing stress, and so many other positive benefits. Let’s practice showing our gratitude in a creative way - with a scavenger hunt! Use the list below to find what sparks your joy and makes you smile.
- Something you enjoy looking at
- Something that is useful to you
- Something that is your favorite color
- Something that makes you smile when you see it
- Something that smells good
- Something that makes you laugh
- Something you enjoy in the morning
- Something you enjoy at night
- Something that means a lot to you
- Something you love to spend time with
- Something that reminds you of the people you love
- Something you created
- Something you like to share with others
- Something that makes you feel calm
- Something you love
Looking for more fun activities?
Gratitude for Kids - 9 Ways to Practice Gratitude with Kids ⋆ Journal for Kids
Learn more about why gratitude is so important:
Why gratitude is important for kids? | WOW Parenting
8 Reasons Why Gratitude is Important for Kids — Peake Academy
The Positive Impact of Gratitude on Mental Health | Psychology Today
We’d love to hear about your experience with the scavenger hunt! Chat with us at the Youth Services Reference Desk, or email us at youthservices@balibrary.org.
Youth Services Assistant Librarian Jessica
If you can't make it to Baby Time this month, or if you just can't get enough and want to recreate it at home-we've got you covered! Here are all of the wonderful rhymes we'll be sharing in our November sessions.
All the Little Babies
All the little babies go bouncin’, bouncin’
All the little babies go bouncin’ now.
All the little babies go bouncin’, bouncin’
All the little babies go bouncin’ now.
All the little babies go swayin’, swayin’
All the little babies go swayin’ now.
All the little babies go swayin’, swayin’
All the little babies go swayin’ now.
All the little babies say hello, hello
All the little babies say hello now.
All the little babies say hello, hello
All the little babies say hello now.
Little Bo Beep
Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Leave them alone,
And they'll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.
London Bridge
London bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London bridge is falling down
My fair lady.
Spots, Spots, Spots
Spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots
A leopard has lots of spots
What a lot of spots he got
A tiger's stripes are always nice
But a leopard has lots of spots
Spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots!
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton is fifteen miles.
From Wobbleton to Wibbleton is fifteen miles.
From Wibbleton to wobbleton,
From Wobbleton to Wibbleton,
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton is fifteen miles.
Jelly on a Plate
Jelly on the plate
Jelly on the plate
Wibble wobble, wibble wobble
Jelly on the plate
Sweeties in the jar
Sweeties in the jar
Shake them up’ shake them up
Sweeties in the jar
Candles on the cake
Candles on the cake
Blow them out’ blow them out
Phew' phew' phew'
Baby Hokey Pokey
You put your arms up
You put your arms down
You put your arms up
And you wave them all around
You tickle, tickle, tickle
And you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
The baby hokey pokey is fun!
You put your legs up
You put your legs down
You put your legs up
And you wave them all around
You tickle, tickle, tickle
And you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
The baby hokey pokey is fun!
You put your baby up
You put your baby down
You put your baby up
And you wave her all around
You tickle, tickle, tickle
And you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
The baby Hokey pokey is fun!
Looking for something to do with your little one? See a list of the library’s upcoming events for young children.
Youth Services Specialist Stefanie
We have a new line of Backpacks in the Youth Department! These are the Beginning Reader Kits - a set of nine backpacks designed for pre-readers and beginning readers. There are games, BOB Book sets, and other activities to do that will introduce and build reading concepts. The kits are: CVC Words, Letter Recognition, Word Recognition, Sight Words 1 + 2, Rhyming, Word Families, Word Building, and Storytelling. Find all nine kits in our catalog to see the contents of each kit and to place any of them on hold. If you check any out, be sure to let us know what you think by filling out the provided comment card!
Be sure to check out our other kits as well! STEM Kits, Early Learning Kits, and Board Games are all available in the Youth Department!
Youth Services Assistant Librarian Claire
Fall is in full swing! It’s time for some slightly scary vibes. Take a break from scary books or movies and take a crack at writing your own! Here are some journal prompts to spark your creativity and get you into an eerie, creepy crawly state of mind.
There is no right or wrong way to use the prompts. Use one or all of them and write as little or as much as you’d like. All that matters is that you have fun!
- As the clock struck midnight, the witch said…
- The black cat was very…
- I was carrying my hot chocolate back inside when…
- The house was so quiet you could only hear…
- My favorite October night is when…
- I couldn’t believe it; everywhere I looked I saw…
- They got a tingle down their spine when they heard…
- Once the potion begun to brew it looked….
- The crunch of fall leaves beneath my feet was not the only sound I heard…
- I entered the corn maze with my friends, and we decided to….
- Fall time reminds me of….
- All of a sudden there was a big, scary looking…
- The mysterious object started floating and…
- There was a creak in the steps as I climbed the staircase to…
- As we sat around the bonfire, we thought it would be fun to…
- There was a loud snap! We turned around and saw…
- The night was drawing near, bringing a full moon…
- They said there was nothing to be afraid of but…
- He could not remember how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembers is…
- She faced the monster head-on and said…
Looking for other activities to do with your little one? See a list of the library’s upcoming events for young children.
Youth Services Assistant Librarian Jessica
If you can't make it to Baby Time this month, or if you just can't get enough and want to recreate it at home-we've got you covered! Here are all of the wonderful rhymes we'll be sharing in our October sessions.
All the Little Babies
All the little babies go bouncin’, bouncin’
All the little babies go bouncin’ now.
All the little babies go bouncin’, bouncin’
All the little babies go bouncin’ now.
All the little babies go swayin’, swayin’
All the little babies go swayin’ now.
All the little babies go swayin’, swayin’
All the little babies go swayin’ now.
All the little babies say hello, hello
All the little babies say hello now.
All the little babies say hello, hello
All the little babies say hello now.
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
all the king's horses and all the king's men
couldn't put Humpty together again.
Diddle Diddle Dumpling
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John
Went to bed with his trousers on.
One shoe off, and the other shoe on.
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.
Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel
Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel,
My little one shall have a tickle!
One for your nose,
And one for your toes,
And one for your tummy, where all the food goes!
Baby Goes Bumpy Boo
Baby goes bumpy boo.
Baby goes bumpy bye.
Baby goes bumpy bee.
On top of my knee.
I bounce you to the left.
I bounce you to the right.
I bounce you up and down.
I bounce you out of sight.
Baby goes bumpy boo.
Baby goes bumpy bye.
Baby goes bumpy bee.
On top of my knee.
I bounce you very fast.
I bounce you very slow.
I bounce you up and down.
And back we both will go!
I Bounce You Here, I Bounce You There
I bounce you here, I bounce you there
I bounce you, bounce you everywhere.
I tickle you here, I tickle you there
I tickle you, tickle you everywhere.
I hug you here, I hug you there,
I hug you, hug you everywhere!
Cheek, Chin
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin,
Cheek, chin, nose.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin,
Cheek, chin, toes.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin,
Up baby goes!
Looking for something to do with your little one? See a list of the library’s upcoming events for young children.
Youth Services Specialist Stefanie
Who doesn't love a morning when nothing is going on and the whole family can sleep in? In the fall and winter months, our bodies call us to relax and sleep a bit longer as the days get shorter and the air gets cooler. Animals feel this pull to sleep longer during these seasons too, but for some of them, they sleep the entire season away! This is called hibernation and you can learn more about it with your family.
Before hibernating animals can snooze away the winter, they have to pack on the pounds. The extra fat helps them to survive during a time when there is little or no food. So, the fall months are busy for the animals who are at work finding food to eat.
For big hibernating animals, like brown bears, it takes a lot of eating to prepare for hibernation. At Katmai National Park in Alaska, they celebrate Fat Bear Week. Fat Bear Week is an annual competition to determine which bear is the largest in order to advance to the next round. Voting begins October 5th and concludes on the 11th . Jump online to vote for your favorite fat bears until one is crowned the champion.
While you’re at it, check out these books about hibernation:
Looking for more hibernation-inspired activities? Try having a family pajama night where everyone snuggles in together for a movie and favorite snacks. Building a fort is optional. You can also go on a nature walk to observe how animals in your backyard or on trails are preparing for winter. For example, can you see squirrels hiding away food for the winter months? Do you notice fewer birds around because they have flown south?
Here’s to more cozy nights in with family and friends as we transition to a new season.
Youth Services Assistant Librarian Karen
Grow Your Mindset
Putting yourself out there or trying something new can be a scary process. The What-If’s creep in and may even prevent you from trying something new. However, if more focus is placed on the journey and learning rather than the outcome, it can open the door to so many possibilities.
Here are some wonderful books that emphasize the saying; “Progress Over Perfection.”
Looking for more recommendations? Fill out our form to get an individualized list of reads sent to your email!
Youth Services Assistant Librarian Erin