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CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT NEWS

January 2014

Frederick County Public Libraries

Greetings!

On behalf of the staff at FCPL, we wish you a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2014. With 2013 now in the rear-view mirror, we hope your New Year's resolutions include more trips to your library.

Are your cooped-up kids eager to blow off some energy and have fun? Are you eager to find thoughtful, entertaining free programs for your kids? Winter is a great time to visit your library with your children. Where else can you provide your child with a world of opportunities? From book clubs to delving into science and so much more, your child will want to spend all season with us.

In the event that this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to continue to receive information about library programs, services, and events, we invite you to sign up here for our email newsletter.

Sincerely,
Darrell Batson, Director
Frederick County Public Libraries

In This Issue

National Hobby Month

Think with Bink

Ronald McDonald is Coming

Wags for Hope

Rhyme Time Olympics

Keep in Touch

Special Event

Winter Books

and Crafts

(ages 6-11)

Hear a selection of winter stories and make

winter-themed crafts.

Monday, January 13, 2 pm

Middletown Branch Library

For details, call

301-371-7560

JANUARY IS NATIONAL HOBBY MONTH

Cold snowy days make January the perfect month to start thinking about hobbies. Hobbies are a great way to keep a child busy without having to rely on TV and video games, and there are so many options from which to choose. Parents can listen for clues as to what their children might be interested in, or moms and dads can share and involve their children in one of their own personal hobbies.

Most hobbies fall into one of three categories: Collections, Performance Hobbies (singing, acting, musical instruments), or Arts and Crafts. Often it's best to start small until you find out whether it's a passing fancy or a passion. Be Patient--trying different hobbies is a normal and important way of developing confidence in choosing their own interests.

The library is a great starting point for investigating hobbies. We have a wide selection of books for most hobbies including stamp, coin, and rock collections; loads of arts and craft books; and books about sports and activities ranging from marbles to basketball. A very basic book that gives a quick overview of several hobbies is Things I Like published by World Book. Heinemann's InfoSearch Learning Musical Instruments series provides background information about several different musical instruments to help your child choose which instrument he or she might like to learn to play.

Of course, one of the best hobbies is reading, and we can definitely help you with that when you visit the library.

Submitted by Jeanne Read

Thurmont Regional Library

THINK WITH BINK

Brain, Initiative, Necessity, Knowledge

Join Frederick County Public Libraries, the Fort Detrick Alliance, and BINK the Robot to get your first through fifth graders excited about STEM! The Think with BINK program invites a visiting scientist from the Fort Detrick Alliance to teach children all about STEM each month. Children's Services Supervisor Janet Vogel says, "What better way to get children excited about STEM careers than to spend time with practicing scientists?"

Our topic for January is:Oobleck: The Dr. Seuss Science Experiment

Lauren Beeson, the Fort Detrick GEMS Coordinator and Educational Consultant, will lead this hands-on session with plenty of gooey fun. Learn about a non-Newtonian fluid that acts like a solid and a liquid at the same time and make your own Oobleck!

Urbana Regional Library

Wednesdays at 4 pm: January 8, February 5

C. Burr Artz Public Library

Tuesdays at 4 pm: January 14, February 4

Think with BINK programs are free, but we ask you to register so that we're sure to have enough space for everyone. To register, click on the appropriate date above.

For information and upcoming topics, visit fcpl.org.

Sponsored by: Fort Detrick Alliance and Frederick County Public Libraries

RONALD McDONALD IS COMING

TO A LIBRARY NEAR YOU!

Ronald McDonald is coming to visit the Library! He's got music, magic, and lots of fun stories for kids. What a wonderful way to encourage a love for reading in your child-have one of his/her favorite characters participate in that encouragement.

Brunswick Library: Wednesday, January 8 at 10:15 am

C. Burr Artz Library: Monday, January 13 at 2:30 pm

Thurmont Regional Library: Tuesday, January 21 at 6:30 pm

Wednesday, February 5 at 10:30 am

Urbana Regional Library: Tuesday, February 4 at 6:30 pm

Don't forget to bring your camera!

Submitted by Karin Tome

Brunswick Public Library

WAGS FOR HOPE

If your child loves dogs and needs a little help reading aloud, Wags for Hope at Frederick County Public Libraries could be your answer. Wags for Hope is a non-profit organization that provides the library with teams of volunteers and their certified Reading Education Assistance Dogs� (R.E.A.D.). These dogs are trained therapy dogs who meet specific criteria for health, grooming and behavior. Once these friendly dogs and their handlers arrive at the library, the real fun gets under way.

Kids bring their own book or the Wags volunteer provides them with one. The child sits down with both the dog and the volunteer and proceeds to read aloud to the dog, with some helpful prompts from the volunteer when necessary.

Although it might sound unusual, reading aloud to a dog is an excellent way for kids to build their literacy skills. This technique focuses the child's attention on the animal instead of on the anxiety they may be feeling. Learning to be comfortable reading aloud to such an non-judgmental audience can help a child gain confidence in his or her reading skills, both at home and in the classroom.

The program is offered at multiple branches of the library system on a monthly basis. Kids of all ages are welcome.

Upcoming January Dates:

Walkersville: Thursday, January 2, 2014 - 6:30 pm to 7 pm

Thurmont: Saturday, January 4, 2014 - 11 am to 11:45 am

Urbana: Sunday, January 5, 2014 - 2 pm to 3 pm

C. Burr Artz: Sunday, January 12, 2014 - 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Brunswick: Saturday, January 25, 2014 - 10:30 am to 11:30 am

Middletown: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - 6 pm to 7 pm

Submitted by Tara Lebherz

Children's Supervisor, Thurmont Regional Library

RHYME TIME OLYMPICS

AT THURMONT REGIONAL LIBARARY

Get ready! The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia from February 7-23. As you get ready to celebrate and cheer for our US athletes from afar, encourage your younger Olympic hopefuls to join us at the Thurmont Regional Library for a fun-filled Nursery Rhyme Olympics Program.

Register and bring children ages 3-7 (with an adult) to the "Rhyme Time" Olympics Monday, February 17, for an hour of active games and challenges. First session will be at 10:30 am with a repeat session at 2 pm. Registration is limited to 30 participants for each session, so be sure to sign up in advance! You can register at the Thurmont Regional Library, online at fcpl.org, or by clicking on one of the sessions below.

10:30 am, February 17

2 pm, February 17

Kids will work around stations like the Jack Be Nimble Hurdles, the Wee Willie Winkie Sack Race, and do the Mother Goose Waddle or Humpty Dumpty Puzzle Fixing. Help the kids chase away the winter blahs and embrace the Olympic spirit with a silly nursery rhyme twist. Come to the library and go for the gold!

Submitted by Shelba Bollinger

Thurmont Regional Library

Keep In Touch

If you would like to receive updates from time to time about events at your library, make sure to subscribe to this email newsletter.

Thanks, See you around the library!