Kids

TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.  You can access it on the library's website by selecting TUMBLEBOOKS at the bottom of the drop down menu on the KIDS tab.  If you are on a library computer, it will take you straight to the main page.  If you are at home or on your own device, it will ask you to type in your library card number first.  Then, you can select from hundred of titles!  Many of them pair perfectly with our Oceans of Possibilities Summer Reading theme.

Big Blue by Shelley Gill
Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale
Crab Moon by Ruth Horowitz
DinoSailors by Deb Lund
Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen
Fluffy: Scourge of the Sea by Teresa Bateman
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
I'm a Manatee by John Lithgow

Since 2001, the United Nations has recognized June 20th as World Refugee Day.  Take some time to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. Let these books help you build empathy and understanding for their plight and recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

Today is International Bath Day!  Yep, there really is a holiday for just about everything, so you shouldn't be surprised at all.  But do you know what IS surprising?  The fact that there are not one, but TWO perfect picture books to read in celebration!

The Big Bath House by Kyo Maclear (11/16/21)
In this celebration of Japanese culture and family and naked bodies of all shapes and sizes, join a little girl–along with her aunties and grandmother–at a traditional bath house. Once there, the rituals leading up to the baths begin: hair washing, back scrubbing, and, finally, the wood barrel drumroll. Until, at last, it’s time, and they ease their bodies–their creased bodies, newly sprouting bodies, saggy, jiggly bodies–into the bath. Ahhhhhh!

Do you love to imagine an ocean full of fantastical creatures?  Then make sure you dive in to our upcoming weekend event, Mermaids & Monsters on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.!  Test your skills and attempt to capture the legendary Kraken by tossing rings around his tentacles!  Dodge giant clam shells, limbo beneath the seaweed, avoid the floating jellyfish, and swim through a curtain of bubbles in our Mer-Maze!  Feed Nessie the sea monster!  Unleash your inner Poseidon and show your might by tossing a trident!  And don't forget to make a mer-crown and floating sea monster!  This event is fun for the whole family, and there is no registration required.  Simply head to the Kid Zone at Hoover Public Library.

Attention, aspiring artists in first, second, or third grade!  Miss Traci is hosting Make a Splash with Art on Monday, June 20, 2022 at 4:00 and 6:30 p.m.  And it's a perfect match for any level of artistic ability because it is a directed drawing session.  A teacher guides students through each step, showing them exactly where and how to make the next line or mark on their ocean-themed masterpiece. As you make an amazing work of art, you are also developing spatial awareness, practicing hand-eye coordination, fine-tuning fine-motor skills, and building confidence in your budding art skills!  We have to limit how many can attend each session, so please register beginning 06/10/22.  You can sign up online (by clicking on the blue time slot in this blog) or by phone (205-444-7830).

Are you going into 4th, 5th, or 6th grade?  Do you have what it takes to Survive the Library Desert Island?  Let's find out.  Sign up online or by phone (205-444-7830) for the 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. survival experience that's happening Monday, June 13, 2022. You'll build a raft and a shelter, practice your semaphore and knot-tying skills, and determine what foods are edible and what are poison.

Our summer storytime series starts next week, and this year you have TWO options!

1. Sail the Story Seas at Hoover Public Library
Dive deep into an ocean of fun at our storytime designed for children under five.  Miss Katie Jane (that's me!) and another storyteller will lead two back-to-back sessions in the Youth Program Room each Monday morning at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.  No registration is required.
June 6 = Waves! (joined by Miss Anna Beth)
June 13 = Claws! (joined by Miss Lindsay)
June 20 = Beaches! (joined by Miss Emma)
June 27 = Tentacles! (joined by Mr Justin)
July 4 = NO STORYTIME
July 11 = Mermaids & Pirates! (joined by Miss Grace)
July 18 = Sharks! (joined by Miss Traci)

June is National Oceans Month, so what a perfect time to begin our ocean-themed Summer Reading program!  Oceans of Possibilities starts Wednesday, June 1, 2022.  Sign up is easy!  Either grab a paper log from one of the desks, or sign up on Beanstack.  Then, all summer long, record the title and number of pages of each book you read.  When you reach certain page totals, you'll receive a prize -- 250, 500, 1000 & 1500.  At 2000 pages, you can choose a free book or enter your name into a raffle drawing.  You will also earn an entry to a raffle drawing for every 500 pages after that, up to 5000 pages.  At 500 pages, kids will also be entered into the drawing for a bike from Bike Link.  Teens can always choose to enter the raffles instead of getting smaller prizes.  Prize redemption will begin on Monday, June 6.  The last day to redeem for prizes is Sunday, July 31.