Kids Blog

Encouraging Art, Encouraging Smart: Part 1

By Melody Palmer, Youth Librarian, South Broken Arrow Library If you ask an adult if they consider themselves an artist, chances are, they would say no. If you ask a child, however, they often heartily reply "YES!" 

Read a Series: Jasmine Toguchi

By Sarah Davis, Youth Librarian, Herman and Kate Kaiser Library Did you know that reading books in a series is a great option for your growing young reader? When they read series books, young readers get to know characters, recognize patterns, and grow their reading confidence. One new series perfect for growing readers is "Jasmine Toguchi" by Debbi Michiko Florence.

For Bedtime and Beyond: "Crunch the Shy Dinosaur"

By Melody Palmer, Youth Librarian, South Broken Arrow Library How do you deal with a shy child? Does your child know how to behave around a shy child? If not, Crunch, who is a shy dinosaur, is happy to let children practice social skills on him.

Art Meets Imagination in "Ocean Meets Sky"

By Laura Raphael, Children's Services Coordinator The ocean and the sky are magical places in stories. But what about where the ocean MEETS the sky? In the Fan Brothers' latest fantastical book, Ocean Meets Sky, a young boy named Finn discovers that, beyond the island of giant shells, past the sea of moon jellies dancing, is a place of extraordinary imagination.

Big Kids Get Big Benefits from Reading Aloud

By Tori Hamilton, Children's Library Associate, Glenpool Library Reading to babies and young children is one of the most important things parents and caregivers can do to promote literacy skills.

Join the After-School Homework Club!

As long as there is school, there will be homework... Never fear, the library's After-School Homework Club is almost here! Registration is open for students in grades 3 through 8 to receive one-on-one homework assistance at six library locations: Brookside, Broken Arrow, Martin, Maxwell Park, Suburban Acres, and Central Library. The After-School Homework Club will begin this year on September 18. Registration is required: http://guides.tulsalibrary.org/homeworkclub Some details:

Build A Reader In 5 Easy Steps!

By Laura Raphael, Children's Services Coordinator, Tulsa City-County Library Academic research about early literacy development can be a little heavy on, well, academic terms. But it really all boils down to one idea: there are five basic activities you should do with babies and young children to set the foundation for future reading and school success: Talking - Singing - Reading - Writing - Playing

What's the Dewey Number for Star Wars?: Nonfiction Numbers You Should Know, Part 3

By Tori Hamilton, Children's Library Associate, Glenpool Library Want your children to read more nonfiction? It starts with teaching them how. When was the last time you read an entire cookbooks straight through? That's right, with nonfiction, readers generally dip in, find what they need, and save the rest for later. When children don't feel pressured to read the entire book from start to finish, nonfiction titles become much more appealing! Try some of these nonfiction numbers to find books that invite children to sample as much or as little as they desire.

What's the Dewey Number for Monster Trucks?: Nonfiction Numbers You Should Know, Part 2

By Tori Hamilton, Children's Library Associate, Glenpool Library You've finally convinced your school-aged child to read, they've found a series they enjoy, and they're ready to plow through the whole thing. Hooray! But then! Tragedy! "Teacher says I have to read a nonfiction book. But nonfiction is boring!" Oh, no! What will you do?

What's the Dewey Number for A Whole New World? Nonfiction Numbers You Should Know, Part 4

By Tori Hamilton, Children's Associate, Glenpool Library Books take you places! Everyone says so! Of course, we're not just talking about the places books take us through the power of imagination - the delights of Narnia or the wonderful wonders of Oz! Nonfiction books are the perfect place to foster any child's dreams of travel and adventure. Whether you want to visit Fiji, Finland, or France, here are the Dewey Decimal numbers that will get you there!