FREE STUFF

In my autobiography, or the world's worst parenting book ever - whichever my future editor decides will be better on the market, there will definitely be a chapter dedicated to my love and hoarding of free stuff. I LOVE getting free stuff - especially if it is something I would actually spend money on. Baby Gear? Books? Toys? Cool looking pens? Sign me up! I pretty much hit the jackpot this morning when I accidentally ended up at "The Mama Expo" at the NY Hall of Science today and it was COMPLETELY free!!! (Not like when I go to the Biggest Baby Shower or the Book Expo and rack up "free stuff" - I am aware I paid to get in so therefore I am entitled to all these samples!)

As my husband and I pondered what to do with the kids on this beautiful day, our 5 year old came downstairs and asked if we could go to the Science Museum since we haven't been there in a long time. We figured if we really pushed ourselves we could make it there by 10:30 and get free admission and then get pizza for lunch after. (It was 8:46 but we were on a mission and we could do this!) Into the car we stumbled at 10:08 and we thought "yea, we got this!" and pulled into a parking spot at 10:36. I was mentally prepared for that kiddie playroom where we always start our Science journey but instead I was greeted with "Excuse me Miss, would you like a gift bag?" "Why yes I would love one thank you! Are you having a birthday party?" Is what I asked this cute little teenage girl and she looked at me like I was crazy and she said, "No, there is an event here today and we are celebrating moms and you look like a mom". (Cool, did my stroller give that away or the pile of coats in my hand??) And that was when reality hit my husband and he said "Go do your thing just call and find us when it's out of your system - but you keep the baby with you". 

There I was - free pass from stressing out that my kids are getting pink eye from touching drums and bubble wands and off to gather up goodies I definitely don't need but MUST accumulate. The picture above is a summation of my collection. I kept it pretty calm today (I don't want my husband to think he married an insane person), but the free tutu was a definite score and so were the sting rays because we definitely don't have stuffed sting rays. Not shown are all the Happy Baby and Plum Organics pouches I hoarded. (I have 3 kids constantly on the go, pouches are expensive and the best thing to throw in a bag - I should not have to defend myself!) If I am being honest, no, I do not plan to send my kids to any of the day camps I feigned interest in to get an extra bag to hold my stuff or free stress balls but at least I am doing all these kind places a service by posting their slogans here.

The best booth I stopped at (and the reason this ties into my librarian blog) belonged to the Brooklyn Public Library. First I had to make small talk with the librarians because we are basically professional family AND because I NEED to make sure Karen Keys gets my regards! (Side point: Karen was one of the best coworkers and mentors I ever had in the biz - if you are a YA book fan - you want to be her bestie - she has a major in with those Printz nominees so find her branch, ask to chat with her and tell her that I sent you!) I wanted to share with my readers an amazing service BPL provides. It is called BKLYN BookMatch and all you need to do is fill out a form of the books you like (or your kids) and they will email you back a list of personalized reading suggestions based on your form. This is better than any generic "If you liked this, read this" bookmark I've ever made for my children's room because it actually has a reader in mind! You BPL Librarians are amazing and so innovative in the world of children's librarianship and I want people to really utilize this! (And make other libraries do this too!) So to get you started on your new reading journey, here is the link to BookMatch: http://www.bklynlibrary.org/bookmatch 

To sum up what we've learned from today's adventure: Listen to your 5 year old when he makes a great suggestion on how to spend the day. Make sure you get the cooler free pens on the table, even if it means signing up for spam emails and obviously, don't leave until each kid has at least 3 new things to clutter their rooms with! And of course,  most importantly - hit up the BookMatch questionnaire!

Happy Reading!!!

What Have You Been Up To?

(Me and Marc Brown, creator/author of the Arthur series) 

You know what they say, time flies when you are having fun. Time also flies when you have a baby, move and start a new job. It almost makes you forget that you used to do things like write blog posts. Luckily, a snow day arrived giving me a chance to make soup, bake cookies, catch up on some TV AND sit down to write this!

What I love most about this blog is that it is evolves based on where my career has taken me. From Queens Library to the Central Synagogue and now to HANC Plainview, I have gone from the world of programs and major reader’s advisory to mastering the art of preschool readiness and engaging story times to reinventing the library space and curriculum in an elementary school.

When I first started considering the library curriculum and what one teaches elementary school kids I thought to myself “this is the most boring thing ever”. Seriously, Dictionaries? Encyclopedias? Atlases? All I could think about was the embarrassment my kids would have every week when their classes showed up and I had to give over information on how to use these giant books that are pretty much obsolete thanks to Google and Google Maps. So, in true Francie fashion, I have been trying to figure out ways of how to make Library cool again. Thanks to Pinterest (how did ANYONE survive without Pinterest? What did people do? Get creative themselves? Experiment??) I have truly gotten such inspiration and confidently show up to work with ideas (I think?) that are making my students understand how the library is structured and why reading is fun and books are awesome. I guess the next stage of this blog will be sharing some of my classroom ideas and of course I will continue to showcase the books I am adding to the school’s collection.

The first topic we tackled was the standard first lesson of what is in a library and how we treat books. The younger classes got a coloring page with all those rules they couldn’t read but hopefully understood based on the pictures. We then jumped into parts of a book. I was extremely pleased to see that everyone K-3 knew this and felt like they all learned something new when we talked about title pages. Since you are sleeping reading this, the game we played on this topic was surprisingly fun. Thanks to Pinterest, I made a dice and each part of the book was on one of the six sides. There were a bunch of books on the table and each child took a turn rolling the dice and had to choose a book and show us whatever they rolled (ex: author on the dice, read out loud the name of the author on a book on the table). As far as library lessons go, I felt pretty good leaving at the end of the day after this one.

My next major topic (which we are currently doing) is Fiction vs. Non-Fiction. I had a hard time figuring out how to excite 3^rd graders with this but I am pretty confident my “Fishin For Fiction” game will be a total hit (the Kindergarten loved it!) I made laminated fish labeled Fiction and Non-Fiction and put them in a fishbowl. With leveled appropriate books on the table (mix of fic and non-fic), children took turns “fishing” and whatever they fished they had to pick up a book from the table that matched. (Ex: fished a “Fiction” fish, pointed to an Elephant and Piggie book.) I love putting books in front of the kids because I believe it helps guide them when choosing books to take home. In the past, children took whatever they wanted, even if they couldn’t understand what they reading BUT could read the words (EX: a book about Matter for a Kindergartner who read the title correctly) and I am trying to change this to get the right books in the hands of the right readers.

We’ve been incorporating call numbers in the Fiction-Non-Fiction lesson to gear up for some Dewey Decimal instruction. Gear up from some relays and scavenger hunts in our little library! I hope you continue to read my posts and hear about my journey as a school librarian and that this gives you some ideas on how to spice up some of the less glamorous (but equally important) life skills you learn from the Library!

   

New From Cottage Door Press

My theory on gift giving has always been to give something I would want for myself, whether it is a simple gift card or a baby outfit. When I give books as gifts, I contemplate the age of my friend’s children, the themes in stories and obviously, would my kids want/ already own their own copy. I have had the opportunity many times to preview books before they hit the shelves and those are often books I end up loving and buying for others as baby and holiday gifts.

I would like to say thank you to the team at Cottage Door Press for the thoughtful baby gift and the chance to preview of some of their newest titles. I firmly believe a child is never too young to be read to and with these interactive board books babies and toddlers are sure to be thoroughly entertained.

Little Yellow Bee – Garden Lift the Flap

This series has the sturdiest flaps for the most heavy-handed child (there is no way this "lift-the-flap" is a "rip-the-flap"). Learn your colors and way around the garden with these colorful animals and flowers. You will definitely want to collect all the titles in this collection if your toddler is in the heart of their “peek-a-boo” phase!

Sweet Little Monkey – Early Bird Sound Books

Little Monkey is on a mission to find his mommy the perfect banana. On each page there is a picture of the monkey to signal pushing the sound button. Babies will love the noise (parents maybe not so much), but reading together and chanting “Eee and Ooo” can definitely be tons of fun!

 

Under the Sea – Turn and Learn

I absolutely love this series and I have never seen anything like this before. There are three wooden pieces with two pictures each that spin around and each page has questions on the top of the piece and the toddler has to turn the piece to the correct answer. It is such an innovative way to introduce sea creatures to little ones and they will have a blast spinning the pieces round and round!

Will You Be My Sunshine

This is an adorable story of a love between a mother and her child. Every child needs the security that someone loves them whether they are together or far apart and this is the perfect tale to remind your baby that you love them.

Going to Grandma’s House – An I Can Do It book

A child’s first sleepover can sometimes seem overwhelming but this brightly illustrated book is sure to get anyone excited about a sleepover at Grandma’s! A definite gift for Mother’s Day or Grandma’s birthday (pair it with Grandma Wishes). I love every book in this series. Whether it is walking a child through a nighttime routine or an introduction to potty training, this series is essential for teaching life lessons to toddlers.

For more reviews on other Cottage Door Press books, click here.

Summer Is Here!

    

The season of pools, camp, sunscreen, ices, ice cream and fresh fruit, (particularly berries and melons) and barbecue has arrived! Maybe it’s just me, but I often find myself doing a little more snacking and a little less proper meal eating in the summer. A salad with a protein in it and a fruit for dessert just hits the spot on those hot and humid days and while my kids love to be in the kitchen with me to assist with meal prep, I try to limit the amount of stove use because I personally could do without the added heat, so we opt for room temp noodle dishes and deli sandwiches when the kids allow.

So what are reading these days to celebrate the summer?

The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli of course! Have you ever swallowed a seed? This little crocodile does and this story sends my children into giggle fits until the problem is solved. Caution: it may make your children cautious of eating fruits with seeds!

1 Big Salad: A Delicious Counting Book by Juana  Medina is masterfully illustrated, taking real vegetables and making them look like animals. Complete with a dressing recipe in the back, mix each of these ingredients from 1-10 together and make fun memories with your children at meal time!

Poor Little Guy by Elanna Allen is such a fun read (especially since there are more illustrations than text) about a little fish in a big pond. Since we tend to eat more fish in the summer (coincidentally), this is the perfect summer bedtime story or camp read-aloud. (This can also tie in nicely to the summer of Finding Dory!)

Explorers of the Wild by Cale Atkinson – we try to make Sundays as fun as possible for our kids and nothing is more exciting than a beach day and searching for treasures in the sand. While this book is more about forest exploring, the theme is the same and topic of conversation can be made about team work and adventure!

    

And some summer snack and dinner ideas:

Classic Macaroni Salad

Deli Salad Recipes

Fruit Salad Ideas

Frozen Treats

I hope you all enjoy a happy and healthy summer filled with frozen desserts, healthy eating and adventures that make amazing memories for your family!

Learning To Lose

   

In a world where every child gets a trophy for showing up at the game, it is very difficult to teach losing. Whenever a team lost color war in camp, the losing team would always chant “It just doesn’t matter!” over the winning teams victory cheers. I figured that was the attitude to have when my husband and I started to play board games with our four year old a few months ago. At first, we would make sure he understood the rules and won the first game or two, but then if either of us won, in came the waterworks and the throwing of pieces and things got a little out of hand. I thought the best approach was to teach the concept of “it’s just a game, it doesn’t matter who wins and who loses”. But the truth is, EVERYTHING matters when you are four years old. (It also backfired a bit when he would not get dressed for school and would say “it doesn’t matter if I get dressed!” Yes little one, it matters, you cannot go to school in pajamas!) So we needed to learn how to approach losing with her son and still teach him to be a true team player.

For those who are curious which games we are playing these days, we have a very nice rotation of UNO, Go Fish, Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, Busytown Eye Found It, Zingo, Connect 4 and Guess Who. Our first challenge was to teach my son he cannot cheat his way across the board (or ask to be dealt three draw fours and a WILD card). You can’t spin the spinner until you get the highest ladder, or the Rainbow Trail and you cannot hide the tiles to prevent others from finishing their Zingo boards. After a few weeks of “I am not playing this game anymore” (which we gladly said we would take a break whenever he needed) he ultimately came around and agreed “you get what you get and you don’t get upset”. For games that are pure chance, like Candyland or Chutes and Ladders, my son learned it really is just the luck of the card or the spin. When it comes to card games, sometimes I have the urge to just let him win but I force myself to not do that too often, because he really does understand that when there are two player games, one person wins and one loses and the same person cannot win every time.

As a person who loves to use books to help my children understand concepts in life, I had a hard time finding a book called “Max Loves Losing”. (To be honest, I didn’t even look for that book.) The books we did use to deal with learning to lose were actually not books about playing games at all, but ones that focused on character’s that have meltdowns. The Pigeon series by Mo Willems and Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli really helped my son see how silly it is to “go crazy” over something so primitive. The Pigeon is famous for his epic breakdowns because he can’t do what he wants which was completely relatable to my son and we created an excellent dialogue about how crying and screaming doesn’t get the Pigeon to drive the bus, just like throwing Connect 4 pieces doesn’t help you win the game. Good Night Owl, which has become our #1 bedtime story for the past few weeks is about an Owl who hears a noise and destroys his house trying to find the sound that’s keeping him awake and in the end the Owl is SO CALM despite sleeping without a roof or walls. Owl threw things and made a mess of his house just to learn that what upset him is something he likes, which is similar to the four year old and the board game. In the moment it is sad when you lose, but ultimately you still get enjoyment from playing, a profound idea my son and I were also able to discuss.

No parent likes to see their child upset over anything and I wish I could be that mom that lets her kids win every time they play but I honestly feel that would be doing a disservice to my kids. My children will lose when they play “bigger games” in life. I just hope that as they get older, they will take losing with stride and not be sore winners either, as we also make my son shake hands and say “Good Game” whether he wins or loses. 

  

New and Noteworthy From Disney Press

 

When I was a library school student, many of my classmates commuted by car from Suffolk County to Queens College. These were often the classmates that contributed the most to the “love of books on CD” discussions since many of them listened to narrated stories to and from school. Since I walked to school and my job (perks of working where you live!) I never got on the “book on CD” train. There have always been audio books for kids, you may find them in these plastic bags that have hangers on top in a small section of your public library with a book and tape together. While I still don’t listen to books in the car, I have found a new use for the book on CD – to assist with bedtime story time with one child when another needs tending to. Disney has recently launched a new Read-Along Storybooks and CDs series with characters/stories every child loves: Star Wars, Captain America, Ironman, Aladdin, Frozen, Inside Out and Finding Dory and more. With pictures of scenes straight from the movies and the voice talents of the actors and actresses in the films (Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Chris Evans as Captain America/Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark to name a few), your children will be able to follow along and be entertained if they are too lazy to read the book themselves (or are starting to sight read and can’t quite read on your own yet). And if audiobooks are your thing, now you can include your child in the daily ritual of listening to books on the road.

 

Other New and Noteworthy Books From the masterminds at Disney Press:

For Finding Dory Fans:

Fish Talk – Suzanne Francis – This book is written in dialogue form (think a play or movie script with alternating colors and clear distinctions as to who is speaking and tells the story of the movie. Perfect for 2^nd-4^th grade readers who can follow along the style. I think it is a fun way to bring the movie home and a great introduction to learning how to read in different formats.

 

Three Little Words – Amy Novesky – Dory’s mantra “Just Keep Swimming” is what gets her through the toughest times and has become one of the most quotable quotes from a Disney Pixar movie. This book is a reminder that sometimes things don’t always go your way but if you remember these three little words you can get through all your rough times. The bright watercolor illustrations make you feel like you are floating through the ocean with Dory and her friends.

 

For Percy Jackson Fans:

Demigods & Magicians – Rick Riordan

If you’ve read the Percy Jackson series and The Kane Chronicles you are ready for this exciting new adventure where Percy and Annabeth meet the Kane kids and work together to destroy the evil walking around the streets of New York for the first time. If you haven’t read those series yet – (I am talking to you every 5^th grader in the world), it is time to get reading!!

 

For The “Elephant and Piggie” Fans:

The Thank You Book – Mo Willems

It’s the end of an era!! Elephant and Piggie have one last story to share with us (as easy readers) and they send personal thank yous to everyone who has ever appeared in their books. We are all blessed to continue seeing these 25 books on our shelves, and hope Elephant and Piggie will be back with more adventures for us in the future (in the form of early chapter books)!

   

New Board Books:

My First Words – Jerrod Maruyama

Broken down by categories familiar to little ones, this brightly illustrated board books combines real life pictures with Disney characters to help young ones learn to sight read and recognize typical shapes, colors, animals and objects all around them.

Marvel Mighty Numbers and Marvel Mighty Colors

Brighten your young super hero’s day with these sturdy books that depict the famous super heroes and the colors they wear (or are) and count them as they fill each page!

It's Passover Time!

Hello Friends,

I know it's crunch time and everyone is cleaning out those pockets and vacuuming for those final crumbs, but let's all remember this is also a time to celebrate so to get you in the mood - here are some fun songs for you to hum and get in the spirit of the holiday! (And as always, some activities to entertain your little ones while you are in the kitchen!)

Enjoy and have a happy and healthy Passover!

The Order Of The Seder

Kadesh, Urchatz, 

Karpas, Yachatz, 

Maggid, Rachtzah,

Motzie, Matzah, 

Maror, Korech, 

Shulchan Orech, 

Tzafun, Beirach, 

Hallel, Nirtzah

The Seder Plate (tune: this old man)

Parsley green number one... that’s cause springtime has begun.

Chorus: For it’s Pesach now, how do we celebrate, see what’s on our Seder plate.

Charoset is number two... Sweet like freedom, good for you. (Chorus)

Maror is number three... bitter herbs for slavery... (Chorus)

Shank bone is number four... lamb’s blood marking on the door. (Chorus)

Hardboiled egg number five... it’s so good to be alive! (Chorus)

Ma Nishtana?

Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol halaylot?

1) She-bechol halaylot ain anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat, halaylah hazeh shtei pe’amim?

2) She-bechol halaylot anu ochlim chametz o matzah, halaylah hazeh kulo matzah?

3) She-bechol halaylot anu ochlim she’ar yerakot, halaylah hazeh maror?

4) She-bechol halaylot anu ochlim bain yoshvin u-vain mesubin, halaylah hazeh kulanu mesubin?

The Ten Plagues

Dam, Tzefardea

Kinim, Arov

Dever, Sh’chin 

Barad, Arbeh

Choshech, Makat Bechorot.

These are the ten plagues!

The Frog Song

One morning when Pharoah woke in his bed

There were frogs on his head, and frogs in his bed

Frogs on his nose and frogs on his toes

Frogs – here! Frogs – there!

Frogs were jumping everywhere!

Dayeinu

Il-u ho-tzi, Ho-tzi-a-nu Ho-tzi-a-nu mi-mitz-ra-yim Ho-tzi-a-nu mi-mitz-ra-yim Da-yei-nu

Refrain: Da, da-yei-nu

Work, Work, Work

Bang, bang, bang, hold your hammer low

Bang, bang, bang, give a heavy blow.

For it’s work, work, work, every day and every night

For it’s work, work, work, when it’s dark and when it’s light.

Dig, dig, dig, get your shovel deep

Dig, dig, dig, there’s no time to sleep.

For it’s work, work, work, every day and every night

For it’s work, work, work, when it’s dark and when it’s light.

Who Knows One?

1 - who knows 1
1 - I know 1
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.

2 who knows 2
2 I know 2
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.

3 who knows 3
3 I know 3
3 are the fathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.

4 who knows 4
4 I know 4
4 are the mothers,
3 are the fathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.

5 who knows 5
5 I know 5
5 are the books of the Torah,
4 are the mothers,
3 are the fathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.

Bake A Matzah

Bake a matzah, pat, pat, pat

Do not make it fat, fat, fat

Bake a matzah, pat, pat, pat

Bake a matzah just like that.

Make charoset, chop, chop, chop

Apples, nuts and cinnamon

Add some wine, its lots of fun

Make charoset chop, chop, chop.

Eliyahu HaNavi

Eliyahu Hanavi,

Eliyahu Hatishbi,

Elyahu Hagiladi,

Bimherah Biyameinu

Yavo Eleinu

Im Mashiach Ben David

Chad Gadya (One Little Goat)

One little goat my father bought for two zuzim - chad gadya

Then came the cat that ate the kid…

Then came the dog and bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim - chad gadya

Then came the stick and beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim - chad gadya

Then came the fire And burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim, chad gadya!

PAT-A-CAKE

Pat a cake Pat a cake Matzah man,

Bake me an afikomen as fast as you can

The afikomen is the piece that Daddy 

 So I can find it and get a prize!

Activities:

Coloring Book: 

http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/270608/jewish/Passover-Coloring-Book.htm

Mazes:

http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/361602/jewish/Mazes.htm

Paper Crafts:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/jewish/passover.htm

Seder Plate:

https://www.teachervision.com/passover/printable/37354.html

Other Ideas:

http://www.whattoexpect.com/family-fun/passover-activities-for-kids.aspx