News from the Children's Room

Greetings for the Manchester-by-the-Sea Children's Room! 

I am here and would love to hear from you.  Is there something you are looking for that I can help you with?  Please email me at cbender@manchesterpl.org to help you sign up for a Library Card, access digital downloads and offer book recommendations.  I hope you join our virtual programs and story times and find some joy in the offerings below!

Warm wishes from Ms. Carol

Virtual Children's Programs at the Manchester Library

Virtual Family Challenge! Trivia

Pumpernickel Puppets presents Sir George and the Dragon

THURSDAY, May 28th*

For nearly forty years John McDonough of Pumpernickel Puppets has captivated audiences of all ages with humorous and colorful adaptations of classic folk and fairy tales.  A demonstration period follows every performance giving the audience some insight into what happens behind the scenes.  The program will last abut 40 minutes and is appropriate for children ages three and up.

This year Manchester by the Sea Friends of the Library are pleased to offer this annual Preschool Field Trip in a virtual format.  We hope that all our preschool friends, teachers, families and others are able to enjoy this delightful performance that will be offered during the hours of 8AM to 8PM* 

A special link will be posted on our website on Thursday, May 28 for you to access this program.  Please email any questions to cbender@manchesterpl.org

 Virtual Children's Story Times at the Manchester Library

Virtual Story Time Programs on Manchester by the Sea FaceBook Live 

Stay at Home Story Time every Monday at 10AM

Story time fun for preschoolers & their families

PJ Story Time Fun every Tuesday at 6:30PM

Remember to wear your PJs and bring your special animal friends

LEGO Story Time Building Challenge  Thursday, May 7 @ 3PM

Join Ms. Carol who will read If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen and then announce a themed LEGO building challenge...can you guess what it will be?  You can email a photo of your creation where it will be shared on our Library website and Facebook page

COVID19 RESOURCES...to share with kids

This informative and accessible guide for young readers defines the coronavirus, explains why everyday routines have been disrupted, and lays out how everyone can do their part to help. With child-appropriate answers and explanations, the book addresses several key questions.  Download your copy HERE

“An elegant, effective work. Download this now, read it immediately, share it with everyone you know.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus

Malaka Gharib of the NPR blog Goats and Soda has created a comic that explains COVID-19. It's based on a radio story that NPR education reporter Cory Turner did. He asked some experts what kids might want to know about the new coronavirus discovered in China.  To make this comic, we've used his interviews with Tara Powell at the University of Illinois School of Social Work, Joy Osofsky at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and Krystal Lewis at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Kids, this comic is for you; read it HERE!

Write and Illustrate a New Picture Book with Author Corinne Demas

Remember Me? is a brand-new picture book that hasn’t been illustrated or published yet.  Massachusetts author, Corinne Demas, wants to share it with you right now, because it’s the story of kids who are living through this hard time, just like us.  You will find all the details HERE 

A Visit with Audrey Duck & Dr. Susan Linn

During this unprecedented time a special offering comes from Dr. Susan Linn, founding director of CCFC (Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood) who is offering free video chats for young children with her puppet Audrey Duck (as seen on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood)!  You can learn more about Dr. Linn and her important work HERE.  If you have kids ages 3 to 8, and are interested in a visit with Audrey and Susan you can find out how to sign up HERE

Fun & Free On-Line Offerings...Here's what I've found this week:

FIND quality non-fiction on-line books here...

Scholastic Learn-from-Home
Scholastic Learn at Home is a free website providing students with 20 days' worth of exciting learning journeys and a variety of award-winning digital programs. To get started click HERE and then select the appropriate grade level.
If prompted please use the following username: Learning20 | password: Clifford

Bookflix from Scholastic
Another great product from Scholastic is now available: Bookflix pairs Weston Woods classic picturebooks with quality non-fiction titles for an amazing learning experience for preK through 3rd grade. You will find it all HERE  username:  Learning20 | password: Clifford

TumbleMATH
For a limited time we are pleased to offer TumbleMath: the most comprehensive collection of math picturebooks available on-line HERE
If prompted please use the following:  Username: matumbles | Password: trial

Listening...Creating...Playing!

Check out this awesome Manchester by the Sea Coloring Book thanks to the Manchester Historical Society! 

Get Creative at Home with PEM!  You will find Peabody Essex Museum inspired crafts and more!

WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.

Julie’s Library is a new podcast hosted by legendary actress and author Julie Andrews and her daughter, children’s book author Emma Walton Hamilton. It will launch on Wednesday, April 29 with a six-episode release, and more episodes will come later this summer!

Emily's Idea by Christine Evans and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens is the story of how a simple creative act can spread a message of love and acceptance around the world.  You will find the on-line story and creative activites to help you bring this message to your world!

Breathe with Me by Miriam Gates guides young ones ages 4–8 through six guided breathing meditation exercises to promote body awareness, calm anger, feel stronger in new situations, energize in the morning, and relax at bedtime.

Remember to look for more great resources in our On-Line Offerings for Kids

Especially for Parents

Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood's timely resources from a trusted source!

Social Distancing as a Family: Screen Time Strategies and Resources

This special Action Network Live! series on parenting and screen time issues during the quarantine is off to a fantastic start.  The summaries and recordings from previous live events are now available

FOR PARENTS WITH CHILDREN UNDER AGE 6...access to recording HERE

What do young children really need during these difficult times? What can parents do to ensure that their young children are getting the sleep, play, and exercise they need while confined to the house and separated from their friends? How can parents get their work done without resorting to screens to occupy their children? Pediatrician Mark Bertin and early childhood expert Nancy Carlsson-Paige answer these questions and discuss key child development concepts to guide you in this challenging, uncertain time.

FOR PARENTS WITH CHILDREN AGES 6 to12 ...access to recording HERE

During social distancing, how can parents help their children develop meaningful routines, and ensure they get the exercise, sleep, and emotional connection they need? As schools require children to be online more than ever, how can parents ensure that children get the offline time they need? How can parents guide their children to use screens in a limited and intentional manner? In part two of our quarantining with kids series, pediatrician Mark Bertin and psychologist and parent educator Teodora Pavkovic answer these questions and more.

Digital Streaming & Downloads

Now is a great time to take advantage of our digital media, always available from your home computer, tablet or phone.  All you need is your Library Card Number and PIN to get started!

Overdrive for Kids offers eBooks and eAudiobooks through the LIbby app.  Make sure and check out their new Always Available Classics collection for All Ages.  Maybe now's the time to do a family read-aloud...Little Women, Treasure Island, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and more!

TumbleBookLibrary offers an amazing selection of streaming eBooks and eAudiobooks and National Geographic videos for kids.  You will also want to make sure and check out their Audio BookCloud, a database of streaming audiobooks for listeners of all ages.
And for a limited time we are pleased to offer TumbleMath: the most comprehensive collection of math picturebooks available on-line!
If prompted please use the following:  Username: matumbles  Password: trial

Hoopla offers on-line streaming of audiobooks, movies, tv shows and music for the entire family (up to 10 downloads per card / per month).  And during this difficult time of sheltering at home, we are proud to announce the hoopla Bonus Borrows Collection with more than 1,000 top titles and hoopla favorites.  Borrowing from this special collection will not count towards you monthly borrowing total!

Kanopy is a video streaming service that provides instant access to thousands of critically acclaimed movies, documentaries and Kids favorites. We partner with studios like A24, The Criterion Collection, PBS and more to bring your library access to thoughtful entertainment.  PLEASE NOTE: Kanopy Kids streaming is unlimited and does not impact your monthly play credit balance!

A Few Favorite Books...currently available on OverDrive: