Kent District Library - Information. Ideas. Excitement!

Join KDL this holiday season in bringing cheer to a local child. Once again, KDL is participating in the US Marines’ Toys for Tots program, helping to provide toys to deserving children throughout the community.

Drop off your new, unwrapped toys now through December 14 at any one of these KDL branch locations: Cascade Township, East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Krause Memorial and Wyoming.

Thank you for your donation!

Earlier this week, Kristin Meyer, of the Wyoming branch, visited the set of WZZM’s Take Five to share some simple crafts you can do with little ones to develop early literacy skills.

Check out the video of Kristin’s appearance:

You can also read the accompanying article and check out our Play-Grow-Read resources.

Earlier this week, Trish Reid, of the East Grand Rapids branch, visited the set of WZZM’s Take Five to share tips on how to get babies and toddlers excited about reading.

Check out the video of Trish’s appearance:

You can also read the accompanying article and check out our Play-Grow-Read resources.

Last week, Michelle Minerd of the the East Grand Rapids branch, visited the set of WZZM’s Take Five to talk about reading activities for young children, from babies to preschoolers.

Check out Michelle’s tips:

For more great ideas, read the WZZM article and check out KDL’s helpful Play-Grow-Read information.

It’s hockey season again! From now through April, use your Kent District Library card to get a great deal on Grand Rapids Griffins hockey tickets. At every Sunday and Wednesday home game, fans who present a local public library card — such as your KDL card — at the Van Andel Arena box office on game day will get a lower bowl ticket for just $10! That’s a savings of $7! Limit four tickets per card.

Sunday and Wednesday home games include:

Wednesday, November 11
Wednesday, December 9
Sunday, December 27
Sundays, January 3 and 17
Wednesday, January 6
Sunday, February 21
Wednesday, February 24
Wednesday, March 31
Wednesday, April 7

Tickets are subject to availability.

Katie L. will be making a special appearance at the game on Wednesday, February 24. Be sure to stop by the KDL information table to say hi!

Sign up for a Kent District Library card at your local KDL branch. And if you already have one, don’t forget to use it!

 

If you have a child just starting to use a computer, and likes stories, give our Tumblebook Library a try. It’s a really cool interactive storybook site with a ton of great titles including Aesop’s Fables, Caillou, Winnie-the-Pooh and others. Each book is brought to life with animation and voice acting. The site also features a variety of games and learning resources specifically for children. It’s one of my 5-year-old daughter’s favorite activity sites.

 Check out the Tumblebook Library today, available in the Books and Reading section
of the KDL Parents and Kids page*. 
*You will be prompted to enter a valid KDL library card number.

KDL staff members have been making the rounds of the local news stations, pointing out some of the great services and programs offered by the library!

Walker branch Youth Librarian Morgan Doane talks to WOOD-TV’s eightWest show about all the great storytimes and book clubs that KDL offers for Tots to Teens:

Be sure to check out our Event Calendar for complete details on all our programs for children and teens.

---

KDL Program and Outreach Specialist Denise Robinson appears on WZZM’s Take Five show to explain six skills your child needs to be ready to read:

See our PLAY-GROW-READ! resources for more fun ideas and information
to help prepare your child for school and encourage a lifelong love of reading.

 

On Thursday, October 8, all around the world, more than one million people are expected to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, the official book in Jumpstart’s 2009 Read for the Record campaign.

The goal of this program is to set a Guinness World Record for the number of people reading the same book on the same day to children around the world, and to shine the spotlight on the importance of early literacy.

Sign up at Jumpstart to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and be a part of this year’s Read for the Record!

Calling all Wimpy Kid fans! KDL has received its shipment of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. The bad news? We are under STRICT instructions from the publisher not to release it until Monday, October 12th.  But fear not, we have ordered TONS of copies, and they will be hitting the shelves as soon as that Monday (depending on where you live).  WHAT? You say you haven’t placed your hold yet? Well, what are you waiting for? The list isn’t getting any smaller! Click on the book cover to place your hold today!

 

   

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
September 26–October 3 

KDL invites you to celebrate your freedom to read during Banned Books Week. This event is observed each year during the last week of September and celebrated nation-wide. Since 1982, Banned Books Week reminds Americans not to take this democratic freedom for granted.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read as well as the freedom to express one’s opinion even when that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. The current list of banned books is quite impressive, as is the conviction of those that choose to stand up for our freedom to read and never take that freedom for granted.

Be sure to check out these great Banned Books Week resources:

• Wikipedia’s list of books banned by governments
• American Library Association’s lists of frequently challenged books
• BBW Facebook page
• BBW MySpace page
• American Library Association’s BBW page