Special Holiday Program for Families!

Get your tickets now for a special FREE holiday program sponsored by the Lee County Library and the Friends of the Lee County Library.

Rags to Riches Theatre will be presenting a performance of "The Gingerbread Boy" on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m. in McIver Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church, 203 Hawkins Avenue, Sanford (next door to main branch of the library).

This family-friendly performance is FREE and open to the public BUT you will need a ticket to get in. These will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the front desk of the library during normal business hours. Seating is limited, so don't delay!

For more information, call the Lee County Library at (919) 774-6045.

The library is closed on Thursday, November 27 & Friday, November 28 for Thanksgiving. It reopens on Saturday, November 29 at 9:00 a.m.

Happy Turkey Day!

We were very thankful for Carrie Enyart of the Lee County Cooperative Extension last Thursday, November 20. She showed up with "Tom," an enormous Bourbon Red turkey who was very well behaved throughout the program.

We also made pinecone turkeys, and this is an easy craft for you to do if you're looking for something to keep the little ones occupied. They make great place markers for your Thanksgiving table.

You will need:

pinecones--try to find some that have "open" splines on them. Tightly closed cones won't really work for this activity.
construction paper--red, yellow, orange and one color for the head. (Or, choose your own colors. Psychedelic turkey, anyone?)
googly eyes (or just draw your own eyes)
scissors
glue

Cut out three long "feathers," one of each color.
Cut out a head.
Cut out a yellow beak and a curved red wattle. (This is that jiggly piece of cartiledge-y stuff that hangs down on the turkey's beak.)

Glue the tail feathers together in a fan shape.
Glue the beak and the wattle to the head.
Draw or attach googly eyes.

Insert tail feather section into widest section of pinecone.
Insert head into narrowest part of pinecone.
You can try to glue these in, but it may not help.
If using for place cards, insert name card in middle of bird.

See photo!

And while you're working, you can say these little poems:

I have a turkey, big and fat.
He spreads his wings and walks like that. (Put hands on hips and strut.)
His daily corn he would not miss,
and when he talks he talks like this:
Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

The turkey is a funny bird.
His head goes "wobble, wobble."
And he says just one word:
Gobble, gobble, gobble.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am thankful for all of you and your beautiful children. I am also thankful for Ms. Delisa Williams, the children's librarian assistant.

Story time will resume on Wednesday, December 3 at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, December 4 at 11:00 a.m. See you then!

Story time was for the birds. . .and pigs. . .and goats today

What an exciting day at the Lee County Library today! We want to thank our 4-H friends for bringing their beautiful animals to story time. We had Lucky the Goat,(owned by Karen McCaffery) Porkchop the Vietnamese Potbellied pig (owned by Jordan), as well as Mr.& Mrs. Ed Silver Wyandot (black and white chickens owned by Katie and D.W. Heldt).

4-H meets at the McSwain Center/Cooperative Extension Service at 2420 Tramway Road, and they are actively seeking new members between the ages of 5 and 18. For more information, contact Carrie Enyart, County Extension agent, at (919)775-5624 or Brandy Heldt at (919) 353-8914.

Don't miss next week's visit by a real live turkey!

Farm Animals!

This is our story time theme for the week of November 10th, 2008. Just cock-a-doodle-do it!

Books to read
Cock-a-moo-moo, by J. Dallas-Conte
Here a chick, there a chick, by S. McDonald
Click, clack, splish, splash, by D. Cronin
Wake up, Big Barn! by S. Chitwood
Dooby Dooby Moo, by D. Cronin
Farm Flu, by T. Bateman
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, by Stevenson (?)

Songs & Motions

Old MacDonald (of course!)

Over in the Barnyard (to the tune of "Down by the station")

Over in the barnyard, early in the morning
See the little baby (pigs/chicks/cows/other animals of your choice) all in a row
See the busy farmer scattering their breakfast
Gulp gulp, snort snort (or peck peck, cheep cheep or moo moo moo moo)
Off they go!

Ten Fluffy Chickens

Five eggs and five eggs (hold up each hand)
That makes ten (wiggle fingers)
Sitting on top is mother hen (put one fist on top of the other)
Cackle, cackle, cackle (Clap hands three times)
What do I see? (Open hands wide)
Ten fluffy chickens, looking at me (hold up ten fingers, then make "glasses" in front of eyes)

Story time theme for November 5 & 6: Bears!

Bear Books to read:
My Brown Bear Barney, by D. Butler
My Bear and Me, by B. Maitland
Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear?, by B. Martin
Bear Snores On, by Karma Wilson
Bear Feels Scared, by Karma Wilson
Don't Worry Bear, by G. Foley
Old Bear, by K. Henkes

Songs & Motions

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear (anonymous)

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear turn around
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear touch the ground
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear show your shoes
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear now say "boo!"
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear go upstairs
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear say your prayers
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear turn out the light
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear say "goodnight!"

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching")
from "Songs for the Flannelboard," by Connie Walters, 1989

Oh, here is great big papa bear, uh-huh uh-huh
And here is medium-size mama bear, uh-huh uh-huh
And here is little baby bear, he's the one with the fuzzy hair
And they all lived in the woods, deep in the woods.

Well, papa bear he likes to build, uh-huh uh-huh
And mama bear she likes to cook, uh-huh uh-huh
And baby bear he likes to play, he plays baseball outside all day
And they all lived in the woods, deep in the woods

A little girl named Goldilocks, uh-huh uh-huh
Went knocking on the Three Bears Door, uh-huh uh-huh
She walked into their house that day, no one was there they had gone away
They were walking in the woods, deep in the woods.

The bears came back and found a mess, uh-huh uh-huh
An empty bowl, a broken chair, uh-huh uh-huh
They went upstairs to baby bear's bed, Goldilocks screamed and bumped her head!
And she ran into the woods, deep in the woods!

Story time starts this week!

Be sure to join us this week, Wednesday Sept. 17 at 10:00 and/or Thursday Sept. 18 at 11:00 a.m. for story time at the Lee County Public Library!

Story Time Begins in September

Join us this fall for our toddler and preschool story times, beginning September 17.
Wednesdays at 10:00: for children up to age 3
Thursdays at 11:00: for children ages 3 to 6

Programs last between 30 and 45 minutes and may include books, flannel board stories, finger plays, action rhymes, songs, and crafts.

All programs are free and you do not need to register to attend.

For more information, call the Lee County Library at (919) 774-6045

Scooter Hayes: Story Teller, Story Yeller!!

Join us for an evening of hilarious stories and skits when Scooter Hayes presents "Bug Berserk" on Friday, July 25*

This program is guaranteed to be fun for the whole family, so bring your picnic basket and a blanket down to Depot Park on July 25th at 7:00 p.m. and get ready to laugh your socks off.

FREE and open to the public!

*CAVEAT: In case of inclement or ozone-alert-type weather (temperatures above 90 degrees), this event will be held in the auditorium at Lee County Library. Seating will be extremely limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Questions? Call the library at (919)774-6045 or check our blog at:
www.leesummerreading.blogspot.com

Family Night Programs at Lee County Public Library

Looking for a summer reading program that the whole family can enjoy? "Fireflies" is for you!

We will meet for three Thursday evenings beginning on Thursday, June 26 (no meeting on Thursday, July 3) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for crafts, stories, and a movie.

Registration IS REQUIRED for this program, and a limited number of spaces are available.

Register at Depot Park on Monday, June 23 at 11:00 a.m., and catch the free performance of "Bug Juice" by Rags to Riches Theatre.

Note that families may not register for "Fireflies" AND another summer reading program due to limited space.

To keep up-do-date on the latest developments in the summer reading program, subscribe to our blog:

http://www.leesummerreading.blogspot.com

And call the Lee County Library with any questions: (919) 774-6045

Sign up for the preschool summer reading program!

That's right: the Lee County Library will hold a special summer reading program just for preschoolers. It's called "Junebugs," and you can register for the program on Monday, June 23 in Depot Park at 11:00 a.m.*

And did we mention that Rags to Riches Theatre will be performing a play called "Bug Juice" that day for FREE??!! Yes, bring your family to watch the performance and then register for the summer reading program right then and there.

*Caveat: In case of inclement or ozone-alert-type weather with temperatures above 90 degrees, the events will take place at the old fellowship hall of First Presbyterian Church, 203 Hawkins Ave., next door to the library. Old fellowship hall is very small and admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. No strollers will be permitted.

"Junebugs" will meet 6 Tuesdays beginning June 24. REMEMBER: Registration is required for this program, as only a limited number of spots are available.

And you may be asking yourself, hmmm, wonder what they will be doing in "Junebugs" this summer?
Glad you asked, because our theme this summer is Catch the Reading Bug. That means six weeks of bugs, bugs, and more bugs. Make buggy crafts, listen to buggy stories, and eat buggy snacks. Each program lasts approximately 30-45 minutes and may include books, flannel board stories, movement, songs, games, crafts, and snacks.

If you can't come to the preschool program, stop by the children's area at the library and pick up a buggy bibliography. This is a brief list of books that will appeal to children ages birth to 12.

April Pre-School Story Time Schedule

We invite you to bring your pre-school aged children to the Lee County Library for story time on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. or Thursdays at 11 a.m. Programs usually last 30 to 45 minutes and include books (of course!), movement, rhyme, songs, and a flannelboard story or activity. We usually conclude with a short movie.

Parents, please note that there will be NO public story time on Wednesday, April 9, as we will be hosting a veritable hoarde of 3rd graders all morning. Also note that there will be a special story time on Friday, April 18 at 11 a.m. in honor of "The Week of the Child."

April 2 & 3: Hooray for Spring!
April 10: "Be Kind to Spiders" week
April 16 & 17: National Library Week--Discover the World @ Your Library
April 23& 24: Earth Day Celebration: Clean It Up!
April 30 & May 1: The Zoo

It's not easy being green

Top o' the mornin' to ya on this St. Patrick's Day! I'm having a major holiday anxiety attack with two holidays falling within the same week.

Since green is the color of the day, let's talk about a terrific book that will entertain young and old alike. "Little Pea" is the tale of a young legume who must suffer through at least five bites of candy before he can scarf down his favorite dessert: spinach. Even the toddlers were chuckling as little pea forced down his daily dose of candy (yuch, blech, pleh) in order to be rewarded with his leafy green dessert.

Try playing a guessing game about green foods before you read "Green Foods" by Patty Whitehouse (nonfiction, Heinemann Library). What are some big green foods? How about some small green foods? Crunchy green foods? Soft green foods? Green drinks? This would make a good flannel board activity, too.

This week in story time, it's bunnies galore. Cowboy Bunnies. . .Little Bunny Foo-Foo. . .Is it just me or do there seem to be an inordinate number of bunny books?

Happy Easter!

We all lived in a yellow submarine

Well, it's finally happened in my lifetime. The Beatles have apparently slipped from their niche as a cultural marker. First, competitors in a teen academic bowl could not supply the first names of the fab four. And just last Wednesday someone referred to what was obviously a copy of the yellow submarine as a "choo choo train." It's a serious blow, let me tell you.

The aforementioned yellow submarine (created by the lovely and talented Allison Briggs) was a major feature of story time this week. I'm still trying to figure out how to create a link to the photos we took of children "on board" the banana-colored bateau. Meanwhile, I'm posting a couple extra-cute ones here for you to enjoy.

Here are some activities for an "Under the Sea" theme.

Make Jellyfish
1) Use small white paper plates.
2) Cut tentacles from various colors of crepe paper. I made ours from lavender, turquoise, light blue, and blue-green strips that were about 12 inches long.
3) Place the plate right side up. Overlap the tops of the crepe paper strips and secure to the plate with two or three staples. When you turn the plate upside down, the strips should dangle beneath the plate like tentacles.
4) This is optional, but we stuck puffy foam fish on some of the tentacles, as if the jellyfish had caught them.

Let the children move their jellyfish up and down as if bobbing in the ocean while you sing this song (to the tune of "Allouette")

I'm a jellyfish drifting in the ocean
I'm a jellyfish drifting in the sea.
Wiggle, wiggle, splash, splash, splash
Wiggle, wiggle, splash, splash, splash
Dive right in (Dive right in)

Repeat using the names of other fish: angel fish, tuna, swordfish, shark, etc.

Books
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Shark in the Park by (oops!! memory lapse!! will add later)
Swimmy, by Leo Lionni

The night before, place some Swedish fish (gummy fish) in a heat-proof, clear bowl. In a separate bowl, dissolve a package of blue jello according to the package directions, then pour it into the bowl containing the gummy fish. They will "float" up as you pour in the jello. Chill, then dive right in! (Dive right in!)

Spring Brings Fresh Breezes to Story Time

Aaaaahhhhhh. . .the reading bug is a happy bug today. February is almost over, and March will be blowin' in next week. Keep your eyes on the "sky" of the children's room because our spring decor is on the way.

Woof, woof. . .what makes that sound? A DOG, right? This week we're talking about dogs in story time. Bring your favorite stuffed pooch on Wednesday or Thursday this week when we'll read stories, sing songs, and watch a movie about dogs.

Meanwhile, here are some great books to read while you're waiting for story time to roll around.

Any Clifford book
Any Spot book
Good Boy, Fergus by David Shannon
Chewie Louie, by Howie Schneider
McDuff and the Baby, by Rosemary Wells
Our New Puppy, by Isabelle Harper & Barry Moser

Here's a crafty idea for a rainy day: Dog Headband

Cut a long strip of brown or black construction paper. Bend it into a circle, fit to child's (or your) head, remove and staple. Cut off any excess paper.

Using brown construction paper, make two dog ears. They can be upright and triangular, or long and droopy. . .be creative.

Decorate your dog ears with cotton balls and/or magic markers. Mark the places you want them to go on your headband, then staple in place. Voila--your doggy headgear!

For extra fun, you can ask for a little makeup on the end of your nose. Bow-wow-WOW!

Send me your picture!

Look below for the March story time schedule. Please note that as of March 1, story times at the Broadway branch have been discontinued.

March 5 & 6: Under the Sea
March 12 & 13: Frogs (and other green things)
March 19 & 20: Bunnies [Bring a basket]
March 26 & 27: Oooooh. . .that's naughty!

Valentine's Day

What will you be doing for valentine's day?
We'll be reading books, decorating cookies, and watching a movie at the Lee County Library. Story time is for children ages 3 to 5 and takes place every Wednesday at 10 and every Thursday at 11. Come "check us out". . .

Meanwhile, it's raining in Sanford so you may need a cheap, easy, and fun-to-do pre-Valentine's Day craft. Make a bag to put your valentines in.

1. Glue a heart-shaped paper doily to an ordinary brown paper lunch-size bag. (Glue modestly--it goes right through the holes in the doily.)You could also cut a heart shape from construction paper or any other colorful paper you like.
2. Whip out the glitter glue--follow the outlines around the heart or put dots all around it. Set it aside to dry while you read one of these wonderful valentine's stories.

Froggy's First Kiss, by Jonathan London. (Froggy falls head over heels for Frogilina, the pretty new girl in his class. Did Froggy eat caterpillars for breakfast, or is it LOVE??)

I Need a Valentine, by Harriet Ziefert. (Margery wants a valentine. Lift the flaps and see if she gets one.)

Little Bill: Happy Valentine's Day, by Robert Scull. (Little Bill has lots of love to share on this special day.)

How Do I Love You?, by Leslie Kimmelman. (Little Alligator's mom loves him every day, even when his feet are muddy.)

There are lots of other great Valentine's Day books at the Lee County Library. Come in and check them out.

Has the glue dried on your valentine bag yet? Good! Now decorate it with heart stickers and you're ready to collect your cards. A great movie to watch is
"Franklin's Valentines."

Now is the time for me to go, so I'll see you in the next story time!

The Reading Bug Checks In

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. . .70 degrees-ish, but clouding up. We did Dinosaurs in story time today.

Made dino hats. Could be dino necklaces, depending on the size of the head involved.
1) Cut the center out of a paper plate.
2) Stick foam dinosaur stickers around the edges; leave spaces in between.
3) Squirt many colors of glitter glue in the empty spaces. You can write your name
if you want to.

We sang a dinosaur rock song. Remember "Big Brother and the Holding Company"? It was Janis Joplin's band. Here's verse 1 of an oldie but goodie. I'm not making this up. It's on Janis's first album, the one with the cover by R. Crumb. Check it out. Kids will love it.

I'm a Pterodactyl
I'm a Pterodactyl
Flyin' for your love,
Flyin' for your love,
Flyin' for your love, for your love.

Read two dinosaur books:

Dinosaur, Dinosaur by Byron Barton
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen

Showed a good dinosaur movie:

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, based on the book by Jane Yolen
Scholastic/Weston Woods

Stay tuned for Valentine's Day!