Kids Summer Reading (4): All Together Now

 

The past three weeks, we talked about FRIENDSHIP and COMMUNITY and KINDNESS programs. Go back and check them out if you missed them.

This week I'm sharing art and display ideas:

Kindness Tree or Kindness Branches Out

Friendship is in the Air

Sunflowers

Dandelions

Photo Moment:

Grateful Wreath

This Community Loves Books

Add favorite book titles on the hearts from staff and patrons. Keep growing the display all summer long

World Kindness Day: Picture Book Roundup

Today is World Kindness Day.

Here are a few picture books spreading love and kindness and will make your heart happy!

And these books share the message that one act of kindness can change everything.

This wordless picture book shows one girl (Vanessa) being bullied and another girl trying to help. She's not sure what to do, but she can walk with Vanessa. 

I'm always a fan of Todd Parr's book and he talks a lot about inclusivity and diversity and being yourself in all this books. Plus the art is colorful and bright. 

What does it mean to be kind?

How can you help someone? And more importantly will you help?

Kindness is all around us - and it takes different shapes and can influence the whole community. 

A whole alphabet on Kindness. 

Kindness is a great thing to spread around. Pass it on.

Kindness doesn't have to pertain to just people - but maybe also to animals and the earth.

Welcoming someone new is a great way to show kindness. 

How are you grateful? This book showcases the way the Cherokee tribe shows their gratefulness throughout the year and across the seasons. 

Review: See You on a Starry Night

Juliet's parents are getting a divorce; she's moved with her mother and her sister to a beach town. Right off she meets Emma; the two girls become instant best friends. Emma's writing a message in a bottle and throwing it into the ocean. She has an extra bottle for Juliet.

It isn't long before Juliet receives a message - one from someone who's gotten her bottle. The email asks if she wants to join a club - a club that grants wishes for people.

Juliet and Emma can't wait to make someone's dream come true - but who can they help? It can't be just a simple wish. Focusing on someone else's happiness allows Juliet's mind to focus on something other than her unhappiness.

My Thoughts: I really love this book. I loved how Emma and Juliet became friends. I adored Emma's family - they were large and loud and wonderful. I loved their interaction - from their chore list to their helping people out. I really loved their ice cream shop. I wanted to eat ice cream along with the girls. I adored the bookmobile and the couple who ran it. I enjoyed the small town charm and how everyone knows everyone else (and their business). I loved the Starry Night Club. What a wonderful way to spread kindness and good cheer. I loved how the girls searched for people to help - even just little moments of kindness. We could all use a little more kindness. And a little kindness goes a long way. I too have paintings I'd like to live in. I felt bad for Juliet and her family - how sad they were at the changes in their lives. But sometimes change is for the best; this might be one of those times. While it doesn't take place in the summer, it has a summer novel feel with plenty of tugs at the heartstring, family and friendship drama, and hope. Another winner of a middle grade novel for Lisa Schroeder. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: ARC sent for review
Release Date: This book comes out tomorrow, so you don't have a long wait!
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your school and public libraries - because it's good and for the kindness club!

Random Acts of Kindness Week

February 12 - February 18 is Random Acts of Kindness Week 

WHAT:            17^th Annual Random Acts of Kindness Week

WHEN:            Sunday, Feb. 12, – Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017

WHERE:         Random Acts of Kindness Week is observed worldwide.

HOW:            Commit to participating in 2017 RAK Week by signing up at www.randomactsof.us and either add a challenge to the Kindness Generator or pledge to take part in a kindness challenge established by another person, educator or organization. Use #RAKWeek2017 on social networks to spread the word. 

Go here for more info: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas or watch this video and then get started:

I LOVE this!
Let's turn the world Kind
Especially after these last few weeks, we all could use a little kindness.
What will you do this week?

National Bully Prevention Month

Think about what your and/or your library can do to stop bullying, to provide a safe sanctuary, and to share stories. Do you have a book list for readers - maybe one on bullies but maybe also one about friendship? Do you have programs around kindness? Are you connecting with the schools?  Can you come up with a community project?  Or do something smaller. Hand out a snack one day to all the teens and tweens in the library. Just because. Just to say hello. If it's too late for this year to scramble together a program, write a note in your calendar to plan something for next year. 

These middle grade authors are teaming up and taking a stand.

Kirby Larson - AUDACITY JONES TO THE RESCUE (Scholastic, Jan)

Augusta Scattergood - MAKING FRIENDS WITH BILLY WONG (Scholastic, Aug)

Barbara O'Connor - WISH (FSG, Aug)

Susan Hill Long - THE MAGIC MIRROR (Knopf, May)

The authors really want to expand the conversation about friendship and writing and reading with a #TrueFriends hashtag. Each author has created a short video talking about her book and the #TrueFriends storyline within it and each closes her video by offering a writing prompt about friendship. We've created a #TrueFriends YouTube channel to host the videos.

They also created a #TrueFriends downloadable kit that features a conversation between these four friends and also a "Friend Catcher" for kids to make.

And if you don't have the books in your library, you're in luck. There's a #TrueFriends giveaway where 15 lucky librarians and teachers will win a set of all four books, and 4 lucky grand prize winners will receive the books and an opportunity to host one of the four authors for a Skype visit with their class, library, or school. Enter before November 30, 2016.

If you want to get involved and do something before then, here are some ideas taken straight from Stomp Out Bullying 

Every October, schools and organizations across the country join STOMP Out Bullying™ in observing National Bullying Prevention Month. The goal: encourage communities to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying by increasing awareness of the prevalence and impact of bullying on all children of all ages.

 TAKE ACTION with A MONTH OF ANTI-BULLYING ACTIVITIES

The Week of October 10^th: Make friends with someone you don’t know at school (or anywhere)

If you've ever been isolated from others at school or you were new at school and it took time to make friends, you know what it feels like to be left out. Or even if you were never isolated, imagine how it would feel.

Make friends with someone at school who you don't know. Invite them to sit at your lunch table or join you in an after school activity. You probably wish someone had done that for you.

Be a leader. Take action and don't let anyone at school be in isolation.

Challenge Others To Be Kind: Pay it Forward

Make kindness go viral with an act of kindness and challenge friends and classmates to pay it forward with their acts of kindness. Make a video of everyone doing acts of kindness and submit it. We'll add it tou our website.

The Week of October 17^th: STAND UP for Others Week

When you see someone being bullied, be brave and STAND UP for them. Bullies have been known to back off when others stand up for victims.

If you don't feel safe get the help of an adult immediately. Be part of the solution -- not the problem!

The Week of October 24^th: Students can participate by

• Creating positive messages on post-its and handing them out to students at school
• Hold a "kindness" dance at school
• Creating anti-bullying videos and sharing them on the STOMP Out Bullying site
• Sharing inspirational stories on the STOMP Out Bullying site
• Create a kindness dance flash mob at school or in your community. Make a video of it and send it to us. We'll share it on our web site.

The more awareness that is created during the month of October -- and all year round, you are one step closer to putting an end to bullying!

What have you done that's worked well for your library? Or have you been able to help certain students on an individual level? I want the students in the town to know that the library is a safe place, where they can hang out, where they can have fun. I strive to create that  environment. And I love it when authors create a movement that helps out.  I hope to spread a little more kindness this month.