July in the Children’s Room

Posted by karad on 29 June 24

Read to Bead is in full Swing! Don’t have your packet yet? Ypu can pick it up at the library. Need an extra tracking sheet?

Download one here, or pick one up at the Library.

When choosing a reading goal for your family, remember, you know your child best!

Tip: When choosing a goal, try to have it be enough of a stretch to create a real sense of accomplishment.

Track pages, chapters, books read or time spent- minutes or hours. For reluctant readers, start simple by aiming to read every day. Remember you can always adjust your goals as the summer progresses.

Once a row is filled, bring it to the library to redeem a token for our gumball machine! Our gumball machines give out beads so your child can create a unique summer reading necklace.

Keep filling rows for more tokens and beads. Earn special charms by attending Library Programs.

The summer slide refers to the learning loss that can occur when children are out of school for the summer, especially in their reading skills. It’s important to keep kids reading all summer long to maintain their progress and prevent this setback.

Whether it’s a comic book, a mystery novel, or even a favorite magazine, as long as they’re reading something, they’re keeping their minds active and engaged. Consistent reading helps children retain and even improve their literacy skills, setting them up for success when they return to school in the fall. Let’s make this summer a time for fun and growth through reading!

Break out of the box!

If your child has a required reading list, we can help you order the books that you need. If a title is older, there may be limited copies in our network, so please be patient if it takes a bit longer for us to find you a copy. If your reading list is recommended, not required, or if you’d like to try more modern or diverse books, we have some alternatives for you:

• The American Library Association has lists that are full of book titles to keep children engaged in reading throughout the summer.
• Check out these diverse books for kids and teens.
• Boston Public Library has a collection called Black Stories Matter!: Children’s Books by Black Authors and Illustrators.
• Use your Grafton Public Library card to log into Novelist to search for books by Lexile level.
• Have a reluctant reader? Try graphic novels!

There’s nothing better than choosing your own books. Come in and let your children browse the shelves. Summer is a great time to explore their interests. Are they interested in Minecraft? We have a book for that! How about rockets?

Remember, it doesn’t matter what your child reads, as long as they are reading!

CHILDREN’S ROOM UPDATE

Posted by karad on 05 June 24

Unfortunately, the Children’s Room has been closed since last August due to a summer storm that flooded and damaged portions of the Children’s Room, Children’s Workroom (where the staff offices are located) and the entirety of the Children’s Program Room. In addition, the community meeting room was flooded, too.

Construction was completed to repair the damaged sections of walls and flooring of the Children’s Room and the Community Room. The Community Room has been reopened and repurposed as a play space for children. The Friends of the Library section is being used by the Children’s Room department as well.

The Children’s Room carpet was not installed properly and safely. This has resulted with the necessity of the complete replacement of the carpet. The Board of Library Trustees voted to replace the carpet to ensure the safety of the public and longevity of the flooring.

At first, it was thought that a partial replacement of the carpet might work out but due to the poor installation, this is not a safe option. The carpet tiles do not adhere to the floor correctly and pop out of place causing the adhesive solution to disperse. They are not reusable. This is the reason why the decision was made to replace the entire floor.

The Town Administrator’s office estimates that the replacement work may not be completed until the end of the summer.

We apologize for the delay which has caused a lot of discomfort to library patrons especially the youngest ones. We are sincerely sorry that the remediation, construction and replacement of the carpet has taken so long.

Children’s activities will continue throughout the summer months with the staff using the Community Room, Children’s Program Room, and the Friends of the Library’s space right off the lobby. A variety of programs will be offered off-site at local parks and the Willard House & Clock Museum as well.

Please address any questions or concerns to the Town Administrator’s office or the Board of Library Trustees at trustees@graftonlibrary.org