Kent District Library (MI)'s Blog, page 87

New BookFlix Online Books for Kids

We are pleased to offer a new online resource just for kids — BookFlix from children’s publisher Scholastic!

BookFlix is an online literacy resource for grades PreK–3 that pairs fictional video storybooks with nonfiction eBooks to build a love of reading and learning.

For example, the picture book Bear Snores On is paired with the nonfiction title A Bear Cub Grows Up:

The picture book is presented in animated video format (very similar to TumbleBooks, another popular youth online resource), and children can choose to “Read Along” to display the text highlighted word-by-word as the story plays. The Read Along option is also available for the related nonfiction title, and key vocabulary words are also highlighted, and can be clicked on to display definitions:

There are also educational games such as puzzles, author profiles, and additional age-appropriate web resources available for each pairing, as well as lesson plans, curriculum correlations and other educator resources.

You can watch an overview of this new product, or try it out yourself!

 

KDL on GRTV

Recently, KDL Director Lance Werner was interviewed by Barbara Hansen on NPO Showcase. Lance promoted the many services that we offer, including our new hoopla video-streaming service and our extensive eBook collection.

The show will air on GRTV several times in the next few weeks, but you can watch it here first. Enjoy!

Kent District Library on NPO Showcase

Holiday Break Boredom Busters

Staying in town for Christmas break? We can help keep your kids happy, busy and entertained! Between Life-Sized Candied Land, Fancy Nancy Soirees, a Pirate Festival  and much more, there won’t be any time for boredom. Click here for a complete list of our programs taking place December 21 – January 4.

With your bank account a bit depleted after all that holiday shopping, don’t worry about spending money keeping your kids busy… all KDL programs are free!

 

 

 

KDL Top Ten – 12/13/2013

Check out what everyone else is reading and watching! Click on the link to the KDL Top Ten List. These are 10 of the most popular items at KDL this month!

Books and Fun for the Holidays

Looking for a good book or some fun things to do over the holidays? Morgan Doane, Youth Specialist at the East Grand Rapids branch, recently appeared on eightWest with some great suggestions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zCHuRviey0

Find out more:

The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
Thunder Rising (Warriors: Dawn of the Clans series) by Erin Hunter
Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff
Inferno by Dan Brown
Free downloadable eBooks, magazines, music and videos
Free holiday programs, including live reindeer and Polar Express parties
KDLville play spaces at your local KDL branch

 

Patron Story: Chandler Owen

When 17-year-old Caledonia High School senior Chandler Owen was assigned a paper for school, she turned to the library for research instead of the Internet.

“Everyone gets their sources online,” she said. “With actually having to read the books, you don’t just click on something and go onto the next thing, you absorb it.”

It paid off. Her 14-page paper on the psychological aspects of religious and apocalyptic cults earned her a solid-A grade, and the respect of her English teacher, who is “definitely biased toward books.”

Often when she visited the library to research the paper and use the study rooms, she was doing double-duty babysitting her younger brother, Beck, who is in the fourth grade.

“He’s the all-American boy: play outside, get dirty, ‘I don’t want to read,’” his sister explained. “Now he’s an avid reader. He’s a huge fan of the Spiderwick Chronicles, which were my favorite books when I was younger.”

These days, Chandler’s free-time reading mostly features books by Stephen King, “my all-time favorite author,” she said, plus memoirs of musicians. She also listens to music and said she’s impressed with the selection available from KDL, whether it’s compact discs that can be checked out from a branch or Freegal music that can be downloaded online from anywhere she happens to be. As someone who aims to work in the music business, Chandler said the selection is diverse, and that she’s been introduced to several Michigan bands through KDL’s collection.

“A: it’s free, and B: you guys have so much that’s local,” she said. “I love to support local bands and artists… Crane Wives are my No. 1 right now.”

Chandler said some in her circle don’t realize all the library offers, so she lays it out: “I tell them there’s music and movies, computers, a place for my brother to hang out while I’m doing research. It’s definitely a safe haven.”

To read more KDL patron stories or submit one of your own, click here.

 

Star Wars Snowflakes

Calling all Star Wars fans! If you decorate your Christmas tree with starships and aliens like I do, then a perfect complement to your holiday décor would be to make these cool snowflakes designed by Anthony Herrera. You can download free pdf versions of Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine or my favorite – Stormtrooper!

So break out your scissors and very sharp x-acto knife for the fine details.

Hint: Watch the how-to video on the website for many helpful suggestions from the designer. Enjoy!

New Teen Booklists

Take a look at these new teen booklists and find your next great read!

Adult Books for Teens
Teen Romance

        

 

Best Books of the Year Lists

This is the best time of the year!  Now you can find out about all the great books you might have missed, using the many best books of the year lists.  Here are some of my favorites:

Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2013
Washington Post Top 10 Books of the Year
Goodreads Choice Awards 2013
Amazon Best Books of 2013
Barnes & Noble Best New Books of 2013
Oprah’s 10 Best Books of 2013

One of my favorite books this year was Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.  Tell us in the comments what book you loved!

 

Get Your Money’s Worth!

Recently, you may have received your property tax statement and noticed the amount of money you pay for library service. Though you probably don’t enjoy paying taxes, we want you to know that we work hard to make sure that you get your money’s worth! We strive to offer great value to our library patrons.

Over 29,000 people participated in the 2013 Summer Reading @ KDL program and enjoyed reading for prizes. We offer free computer classes to help people learn new skills that will improve their personal and professional life. Our Early Child Essentials classes help parents and caregivers learn new tips and techniques to use as they raise and nurture the children in their care. And don’t forget about our collection! From the latest books, movies and music, to a wide selection of downloadables and even video games, KDL is your source for information, ideas and excitement. The best thing about KDL services is that they are all free!

How much is your family saving by using our services? Find out now.

Remember, the more you use the library, the more you save. The library is the ultimate bargain!