Kids Blog

10/31/2016 - 9:29am
We Have a Butterfly Garden!

“The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity.” ― George Carlin

In May 2016, Master Gardeners Pat Brown and Annette Leach, along with England Run Branch staff members, prepared soil and planted a butterfly garden. We included both nectar and host plants to attract butterflies and support their life cycles. The nectar plants feed adult butterflies, and, just as important, the host plants support the caterpillars that will turn into butterflies. Stop by, and take a look! The garden is located near England Run Branch's drive-up window. The picture below was taken in the England Run Branch garden. Our garden includes:

09/28/2016 - 8:56am

Columbus Day is sometimes called Discoverers' Day. In the spirit of discovery, take some time to learn about the world as it was in the days of the European explorers. You can make a compass, learn about the stars, read about other explorers and discoverers, and find how even our way of eating has changed since the Europeans came to the Americas looking for gold, glory, and, yes, tasty cooking spices.

Pizza Without Tomato Sauce?

The explorers who came to the Americas found the food enjoyed by the native people to be very different from what they knew at home. They had never seen tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize (corn), pineapples, chili peppers, or even cocoa. The vegetable dishes from the Europe they knew relied on parsnips, cabbages, peas, carrots, turnips, and onions. After being at sea and living off of a diet of lentil soup, salt beef from a barrel, salted sardines, hardtack, and other delights, the fresh, new foods of the islands would have been an astonishing change.

09/16/2016 - 10:30am
Painter from R.W. Hitt working on Salem Church Branch

Salem Church Branch is getting a face-lift thanks to Spotsylvania County Facilities Management. The entire interior of the library is currently being repainted. Painters from R.W. Hitt, Inc. are taking it section by section, but, in order to complete the project, the library will close most of the building on Thursday, September 22. That day the branch will open as an "express" and provide:

—Access to and checkout of holds.

09/08/2016 - 12:34pm

Do you know the difference between a subject and a predicate or between a compound sentence and a simple one? How about the differences between capital and capitol, color and colour, action verbs and passive verbs? Do your subjects and verbs agree?

Learning how to diagram a sentence will not teach you to be a great story writer, any more than learning to read music will guarantee you fame and fortune as a lead singer. However, understanding grammar will show you how English language works, which is certainly handy for every writer.

09/22/2016 - 2:51pm

The First Emperor

China's first emperor was named Qin Shi Huangdi. He brought together all the warring states and made them his subjects in 221 B. C. Qin is pronounced "Chin" and ever after the country was named China. He took the name Shi Huangdi which means "first emperor." Qin was an unusual man. He standardized writing, bureaucracy, scholarship, law, currency (money), and weights and measures. He built a capital and many roads. He connected the old walls along China's northern frontier to form the Great Wall, to protect his country from invaders. But he was also cruel. He killed and banished many people who disagreed with him and destroyed books from the past.

09/22/2016 - 1:14pm

There are all kinds of puppets: marionettes on strings, hand puppets that fit like a glove, and tiny finger puppets. They can be made with so many things: paper plates, index cards, straws and yarn, and even old socks! Puppets have been around for ages throughout the world. Read on to learn more about the world of puppets and how to make your own.

08/23/2016 - 12:03am
Nature Books for Young Children

Being outdoors in nature offers children endless possibilities to engage and stimulate their curiosity. If you can’t get your children outdoors for one reason or another, books are a great way to explore the wonders of nature further. Many children are keenly interested in animals and nature, and there are a nearly endless number of books for elementary-aged children and older where they can learn about plant and animal life.

10/07/2016 - 4:21pm

If it's December, it's time for that familiar topic for reports: Christmas Customs Around the World. Fortunately, the library has a number of resources to help you.

First, of course, you need to find out something about the country you've been assigned to research. The World Book Encyclopedia or The World Almanac are good places to start. Here's where you can find out whether Christmas is even celebrated in your assigned country! The World Almanac (part of Student Edition) and other encyclopedias are also available online at no charge to CRRL card holders.

08/13/2016 - 10:43am
If you like Spooky Adventure Reads

This readalike is in response to a customer's book-match request. If you would like personalized reading recommendations, fill out the book-match form and a librarian will email suggested titles to you. Available for adults, teens, and kids. You can browse other book matches here.

Do you want plenty of adventure, but some spookiness too? Check out these titles.

Always October by Bruce Coville
Best friends Jake and "Weird Lily" enter the monster-filled land of Always October, made famous in Jake's grandfather's books, to save a foundling who becomes a monster during the full moon. (catalog summary)

 

Books by Betty Lynn Wright
These books are great for late elementary-middle grade readers.

A Ghost in the Family
While visiting his friend Jeannie's eccentric Aunt Rosebud in a boarding house that may be haunted, ten-year-old Chad comes across a mystery involving a missing diamond bracelet.

Other books by Betty Lynn Wright: The Ghost in Room 11, Haunted SummerOut of the Dark, The Ghosts of Mercy Manor, Crandall's Castle, The Dollhouse Murders, Too Many Secrets 


 

Books by Mary Downing Hahn
These books are great for late elementary-middle grade readers.

All The Lovely Bad Ones
While spending the summer at their grandmother's Vermont inn, two prankster siblings awaken young ghosts from the inn's distant past who refuse to "rest in peace."

Other books by Mary Downing Hahn: The Doll in the Garden, Wait Till Helen Comes, Took, Closed for the SeasonThe Old Willis Place, Time for Andrew

 

10/25/2016 - 10:45am

Image courtesy of Paula Burch's All About Hand Dyeing, http://www.pburch.net/dyeing.shtml

Feel like putting a little free spirit in your summer? Get on your oldest clothes, grab some buckets and rubber gloves, and head for the backyard to create beautiful tie-dye crafts.

You can use natural or artificial dyes, depending on whether you want your design to be a real eye-popper or something subtler that bespeaks being at one with nature. You can use a tie-dye kit or collect wild things from nature for earthier tones. Heck, even unsweetened Kool-Aid can be used as a dye to produce vivid color.

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