What's New for Kids at the Mission Viejo Library

2009-06-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Our blog has moved

Check out are new blog location for all library events on the City of Mission Viejo's website. http://missionviejolife.org/category/library

2009-03-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

GET READY FOR STORYTIME!
Storytimes are back! Join us this April for our next session of storytimes at the Mission Viejo Library.

Mondays

“Mommy & Me” Storytime for children ages 12-36 months and a special grown-up will be offered three times on Monday mornings from 10:20am-10:40am, 11:00am-11:20am, and 11:40am-12:00pm. All programs include stories, music, puppets, and fingerplays.

Our newest storytime is offered on Monday afternoons from 3:30pm-4:00pm. Children ages 3 to 6 will enjoy stories, music, and a hands-on craft activity.

Monday evenings from 7:00pm-7:30pm children 3 to 6 years old are invited to join us for our “PajamaRama” storytime. Come in your PJ’s for bedtime stories, fun and crafts.

Dates for Monday storytimes are: April 6, 13, 20, 27, and May 4, 11.

Tuesdays

Tuesdays we offer another storytime with a craft from 10:30am-11:00am and again from 1:30pm-2:00pm. Preschoolers from age 3-6 will enjoy stories, music, and a hands-on craft activity. Dates for this storytime with a craft are: April 7, 14, 21, 28, and May 5, 12.

All of the above storytimes are held in the library community room. Doors in the children’s area to the community room will open a few minutes before each program begins. Don’t miss out on all the fun! We’ll see you at the library for storytime!

2009-02-23T10:20:00.001-08:00

In the Spotlight: Awards

It’s awards season. The Golden Globes, the Grammy Awards, and the Academy Awards are all given out around this time of the year. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, a division of the American Library Association) also announces its children’s book awards this time of year. This year’s winners include some wonderful books for younger children. The Caldecott Medal, awarded to the artist of a picture book, was given to “The House in the Night” illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Susan Marie Swanson. This cumulative bedtime story is sure to comfort and soothe the youngest of readers. A starred review from Booklist says “…the art is spectacular.” You’ll want to check it out and see for yourself!

Another of the awards recently announced by the ALSC was the Geisel Award, an award given in honor of Theodor Seuss Geisel, the one and only Dr. Seuss. This award is for an outstanding book for beginning readers. The award for 2009 was given to “Are You Ready to Play Outside?” by Mo Willems. It’s a wonderful story about Piggie and Gerald and how they deal with a rainy afternoon. You will laugh and fall in love with the characters on the first read! Then be sure to check out Willems’ other “Elephant and Piggie” books. Your beginning reader is sure to love them all!

For a complete listing of all of the 2009 ALSC Award Winners click on this link.

While we’re on the topic of award winners, you’ll want to check out this year’s Grammy winner for Best Musical Album for Children. It’s “Here Come the 123s” by They Might Be Giants.

2009-02-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag
by Daytha Howell

The Wide-Mouth Frog by Keith Faulkner

The reason I chose this book for Storytime in a Bag was…it’s just plain fun to read aloud! The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner is a pop-up book, and pop-ups are enjoyed by kids (and adults) of all ages. When the wide-mouthed frog asks different animals what they eat, the reader just has to open his mouth as wide as he or she can. Then, at the end when he asks the alligator what he eats and finds out that it’s wide-mouthed frogs…well, that is when you purse your lips and deny you’re a wide-mouthed frog. What fun!!!!

2009-01-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag
by Denise Mueller

Help! A Story of Friendship by Holly Keller
I selected this book for its sweet story of friendship between animals. It is also beautifully illustrated with cut paper collage. The storytime bag includes a shiny, long snake puppet, which kids will like to use in re-telling the story.

2009-01-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag

by Mary Locke

Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson
Karma Wilson's "bear" books are all at the top of my list of great picture books. They're all so good that picking one for a "storytime in a bag" was difficult. I finally decided on this one because of the friendship theme.

2008-12-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag
by Denise Mueller

Harry & the Dinosaurs at the Museum by Ian Whybrow; Adrian Reynolds, illustrator
We get many requests at the Children’s Reference Desk for both dinosaur facts and dinosaur stories, so I believed there would be lots of interest in a dinosaur theme. The storyline is an entertaining fantasy as Harry’s dinosaur toys come to life.

2008-12-22T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from the Mission Viejo Library staff

2008-12-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Me Storytime

December was a short month for Mommy & Me storytimes. We only had two dates early in the month. Here’s a little summary of what we did and the links to the catalog for our books and CDs.

December 1 we did a storytime all about bears. We started by doing the action rhyme “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear” and then read the classic book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do Yo u See? We followed that with a flannelboard about teddy bear driving in his car. We guessed which color car he was in and finally found out it was the red one. Our second book was Bear at Home by Stella Blackstone. We got to see all the rooms in Bear’s house including his library with big cozy chairs! Next we did another flannelboard counting little bears from one to five. Our last book was “Quiet Bear, Noisy Bear”, a lift-the-flap book in which Bear illustrates several opposites like happy and sad, and full and empty. We ended by playing with our sponge teddy bears to Hap Palmer’s song “Teddy Bear Playtime” on his So Big CD.

December 8 was our holiday storytime. We began by reading We Love Christmas! by Marilyn Janovitz, a book about two kittens getting ready for Christmas. We followed with a flannelboard and fingerplay called “Chubby Little Snowman”. We laughed when the hungry bunny ate the snowman’s nose! Our second book was Peek-a-Boo Christmas! by Marie Torres Cimarusti. We especially liked the page where Santa peeked out and went “Ho, ho, ho!”. After the fingerplay “When Santa Comes to My House”, we did a flannelboard with five little bells. Storytime concluded with all the children playing bells to several songs including the classic “Jingle Bells” (find a version on “Raffi’s Christmas Album”).

The library will be closed on December 24 and 25, and January 1. Storytimes will resume on January 12, 2009. See you at storytime next year!

2008-12-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Me Storytime

If you missed the fun at Mommy & Me storytimes this last session or were there and just want to remember some of the stories and music, here’s a little summary of what we did and links to the library catalog for the books and CDs we used.

We started on November 3 with a storytime all about a toddler’s day. We read Wake Up M e! by Marni McGee which followed a child waking up and getting ready for his day. Then we pretended to brush our teeth with Raffi’s song “Brush Your Teeth” from his “Singable Songs for the Very Young” CD. We dressed our flannelboard teddy to the tune “Mary Wore Her Red Dress” changing it to “teddy wore his red shirt” and so on as we added each new article of clothing. Our second book was Lulu’s Busy Day by Caroline Uff. Lulu’s day sure was busy but she ended it quietly with a nice bedtime story.

November 10 Mommy & Me storytime was all about colors. In our first book, Let’s Go Visiting by Sue Williams, we counted our colorful farm friends from one brown foal to six yellow puppies. We sang “If You’re Wearing Red Today” giving all the children a chance to stand and shout “hooray” when they heard a color they were wearing. We read Snappy Little Colors, a special pop-up book of various animals and their colors. We ended our storytime playing with our colorful scarves to Hap Palmer’s song “Slow and Fast” from his “Rhythms on Parade” CD.

Food and eating was the focus of our storytime November 17. Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley, a colorful book about a hungry mouse looking for food, was our first book. After a flannelboard about five cookies in the bakery shop, we read Crunch Munch about the different ways animals eat. Miss Mary followed that with a rhyme about making pancakes. She pretended to stir the mix in her bowl, poured it in her frying pan, and tried to flip the pancake but missed! It took her several tries before she caught it in her pan. Silly Mary! After playing “Pat-a-cake” (find a version on “Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies”) we read Charlie Chick, a lift-the-flap book about a big chick who eats a lot. We really loved the surprise ending!

Our Thanksgiving storytime was November 24. We read a poem from Round the Turkey: a grateful Thanksgiving about a family coming together to celebrate. After a turkey feathers flannelboard, we read our second book, Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes. The wonderful illustrations make this my all-time favorite Thanksgiving book for toddlers. After doing a little song and pretending we were turkeys, we read a poem called Thanksgiving Parade from Thanksgiving Day at Our House. Then we had our own parade, playing our musical instruments and marching to the song Seventy-Six Trombones (find a version on the CD “Stars and Stripes”).

The end of November seems an appropriate time to say thanks to all the adults who took the time to bring their little ones to storytime, and to the little ones for sharing their laughter and smiles!

2008-12-08T10:26:00.001-08:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag
by Mary Locke

Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee
I was drawn to this book because of the simplicity of the story and the way children will relate to the farm animals' reaction to an unexpected finish to their ride from Mr. Horse. It's a true-to-life example of childhood joy!

2008-12-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

School Library Journal's Best Books 2008

The editors from the library magazine School Library Journal each year list what they think some of the best books. Here is a list of the books from the list that the library owns.

Picture Books
COTTIN, Menena. The Black Book of Colors. tr. from Spanish by Elisa Amado. illus. by Rosana Faría.
FERN, Tracey E. Buffalo Music. illus. by Lauren Castillo.
FOX, Mem. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. illus. by Helen Oxenbury.
FRAZEE, Marla. A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. illus. by author.
GEORGE, Jean Craighead. Goose and Duck. illus. by Priscilla Lamont.
GORBACHEV, Valeri. Christopher Counting. illus. by author.
GRAHAM, Bob. How to Heal a Broken Wing. illus. by author.
GRANT, Judyann Ackerman. Chicken Said, “Cluck!” illus. by Sue Truesdell.
GREY, Mini. Traction Man Meets Turbodog. illus. by author.
HARRIS, Robie H. Mail Harry to the Moon! illus. by Michael Emberley.
HENKES, Kevin. Old Bear. illus. by author.
HORSE, Harry. Little Rabbit’s New Baby. illus. by author.
HOWE, James. Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time. illus. by Marie-Louise Gay.
JENKINS, Emily. Skunkdog. illus. by Pierre Pratt.
LEE, Suzy. Wave. illus. by author.
MCGILL, Alice. Way Up and Over Everything. illus. by Jude Daly.
ROHMANN, Eric. A Kitten Tale. illus. by author.
ROSOFF, Meg. Jumpy Jack and Googily. illus. by Sophie Blackall.
SHULEVITZ, Uri. How I Learned Geography. illus. by author.

Nonfiction
ARNOSKY, Jim. Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature’s Footprints. illus. by author.
BISHOP, Nic. Nic Bishop Frogs. photos by author.
BRADLEY, Timothy J. Paleo Bugs: Survival of the Creepiest. illus. by author.
DENENBERG, Barry. Lincoln Shot: A President’s Life Remembered. illus. by Christopher Bing.
FLEISCHMAN, Sid. The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West.
FLEMING, Candace. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary.
KERLEY, Barbara. What to Do About Alice? illus. by Edwin Fotheringham.
KUKLIN, Susan. No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row.
MACAULAY, David, with Richard Walker. The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body. illus. by David Macaulay.
NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK AND LITERACY ALLIANCE. Our White House: Looking in, Looking Out.
STONE, Tanya Lee. Sandy’s Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder. illus. by Boris Kulikov.
THOMAS, Peggy. Farmer George Plants a Nation. illus. by Layne Johnson.
WINTER, Jeanette. Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa. illus. by author.

Fiction
AVI. The Seer of Shadows.
BLUNDELL, Judy. What I Saw and How I Lied.
CASHORE, Kristin. Graceling.
COLLINS, Suzanne. The Hunger Games.
CONNOR, Leslie. Waiting for Normal.
DOCTOROW, Cory. Little Brother.
DOWD, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery.
GAIMAN, Neil. Coraline: Graphic Novel. adapt. & illus. by P. Craig Russell.
GREEN, John. Paper Towns.
HARDINGE, Frances. Well Witched.
HORVATH, Polly. My One Hundred Adventures.
LANAGAN, Margo. Tender Morsels.
LOCKHART, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
MURDOCK, Catherine Gilbert. Princess Ben: Being a Wholly Truthful Account of Her Various Discoveries and Misadventures, Recounted to the Best of Her Recollection, in Four Parts.
MUSSI, Sarah. The Door of No Return.
MYERS, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah.
PEARSON, Mary E. The Adoration of Jenna Fox.
PENNYPACKER, Sara. Clementine’s Letter. illus. by Marla Frazee.
PRATCHETT, Terry. Nation.
REEVE, Philip. Here Lies Arthur.
SMITH, Hope Anita. Keeping the Night Watch. illus. by E. B. Lewis.
WEATHERFORD, Carole Boston. Becoming Billie Holiday. illus. by Floyd Cooper.
WERLIN, Nancy. Impossible.

2008-11-20T14:34:00.000-08:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag

by Denise Mueller

Happy Birthday, Dear Duck by Eve Bunting; Jan Brett, illustrator
This is a fun book by a very popular author, but I chose it mainly because birthdays are such a universal theme. Toddlers and pre-schoolers remember and identify with all the happy associations that go along with the concept of birthday . . . parties, friends, songs, games, and goodies!

2008-11-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag
by Daytha Howell

Watch Out! Big Bro’s Coming! By Jez Alborough
This was my first storytime in a bag, and I owe it all to my youngest granddaughter Miranda. Every time she visited me, she would request that I read this book to her over and over again. By the time she started to school, she knew every word by heart. This book holds very special memories for me, and I hope our young patrons enjoy it as well.

2008-10-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Me Storytime

October was another fun month for Mommy & Me storytime. Here’s a look at what we did and links to the library catalog for the books and CDs we used.

Our storytime on October 6 was all about sleeping. We started with a special lift-the-flap book by Fiona Conboy called “No, Monkey! No!” in which Monkey looks and looks for a place to sleep. We followed with a flannelboard of the nursery rhyme “Little Boy Blue” who was found “under the haystack fast asleep”. Our second book was Jane Yolen’s How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Spoiler alert! In the end, it turns out a dinosaur gives a big hug and a kiss goodnight. We ended with a fun activity of playing our bells to the song “Frère Jacques” (Are You Sleeping?). Raffi has a version of the song on his “The Corner Grocery Store” CD. No one nodded off during storytime. We were having too much fun!

October 13 Mommy & Me was all about “things that go”. We started by singing “The Wheels on the Bus” and then read Red Light, Green Light by Anastasia Suen, a book with cars, trucks, busses and fire engines. We did the fingerplay “Red Says Stop” and sang “Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light” while doing motions. Our second book was Fire Truck by Peter Sis. Matt, the little boy in the book, loves fire trucks so much he actually wakes up one morning to find he has become one! Next we chanted “Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck” while we pretended to drive the fire truck, climb the ladder, and squirt the water from the hose. Lastly, we played with our scarves to Hap Palmer’s song “Slow and Fast” from his “Rhythms on Parade” CD.

We did our autumn storytime at Mommy & Me on October 20 and the day actually had a little feel of fall in the air. Our first book was Busy Little Squirrel about a little squirrel that’s getting ready for winter. We really enjoyed the delightful pictures in this one! We followed it up with a flannelboard about “Five Little Squirrels”, counting down five to one as the squirrels all ran away. We read a part of Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington and then did a fingerplay pretending to pick our own apples. Our final book was Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson. In the book, Mouse and Minka had fun playing in the leaves so we followed the story by playing with our own leaves while singing “The Leaves on the Trees” to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”.

On October 27 Mommy & Me was all about pumpkins, scarecrows…Halloween! Our first book was Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin by Mary Serfozo. We read how Peter was looking for a “perfect” pumpkin and learned what he did with it when he found it. We followed the story with a flannelboard version of the “Five Little Pumpkins”. Our second book was a special lift-the-flap book by Marie Torres Cimarusti called Peek-a-Booo! It was fun playing peek-a-boo with the ghost, the skeleton, and the scarecrow! We finished up celebrating Halloween by playing our musical instruments to Halloween songs about pumpkins and trick-or-treating. Happy Halloween everyone!

2008-10-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag
by Mary Locke

Little Quack by Lauren Thompson
"I couldn't resist the cute story of Little Quack and his four siblings Widdle, Waddle, Piddle and Puddle. The pictures are as cute as their names! The included 'quack-u-lator' adds to the fun while helping teach the numbers one to five."

2008-10-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

This Weeks Storytime in a Bag
by Denise Mueller

Sixteen Cows by Lisa Wheeler; Kurt Cyrus, illustrator

Howdy Cowgirls and Cowboys! This particular story is about two herds of cows and what happens when the wind blows down the fence between them. The book has repetitive, rhyming text that’s enjoyable to read and will have listeners chanting along with you.

2008-10-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Me Storytime

The fun at Mommy & Me storytime continued through September. Here’s a brief summary of what we did and links to the library catalog for the books and music CDs we used.

Our storytime on September 15 was very silly! We started with the song “Shake My Sillies Out” which can be found on Raffi’s “More Singable Songs” CD. We read Silly Little Goose by Nancy Tafuri and Silly Sally by Audrey Wood. We ended with a silly story called Bark, George about a dog who doesn’t bark but makes lots of other animal sounds. Silly George!

Mommy & Me on September 22 was all about hands, fingers, feet and toes, and all the parts that make us who we are. We started with Hap Palmer’s version of the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” from his “Early Childhood Classics” CD. We read Busy Fingers by C.W. Bowie and then did the song and motions to “Itsy Bitsy Spider” just like the boy in the book. Our second book was a new one by Mem Fox titled Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. We finished up playing with our sponge teddy bears to Hap Palmer’s song “Teddy Bear Playtime” from his “So Big” CD. We sure had fun at storytime!

We visited the farm in our books and songs during our Mommy & Me Storytime on September 29. Our first book, Peek-a-Moo!, by Marie Torres Cimarusti, was a lift-the-flap book about farm animals and the sounds they make. We also read a special pop-up book called My Giant Book of Snappy Farm. We ended our storytime by playing our instruments to “Old MacDonald’s Band” from Hap Palmer’s “Rhythms on P arade” CD. We can’t wait to go back and visit the farm!

News to Know!

We’ve added a third Mommy & Me Storytime on Monday mornings. The new times are as follows:
10:20am to 10:40am
11:00am to 11:20am
11:40am to 12:00pm

2008-10-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Storytime in a Bag Explanations

For those of you who don’t know about our Storytime in a Bag collection, the children’s librarians have selected about dozen or so books and bundled them in a bag with craft ideas, music CDs, and other items to allow people to do a storytime just like their done here at the library. Each of the children's staff was asked to explain why they choose the books they did. We’ll post what they said here on the blog.

First up is a selection from Mary Locke.

Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo written by Kevin Lewis; pictures by Daniel Kirk.
"I knew a book about trains would be a sure winner with toddlers and pre-schoolers. The primary colors of Daniel Kirk's pictures and the familiar toys throughout the book will certainly please all who read it."

2008-09-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Me Storytime
September 8, 2008

We began this new session with a Mommy & Me storytime about making new friends. We met our new friend Baby Bunny who was a little shy but popped out of her hat to wave at all her new friends. Baby Bunny brought her book bag and inside were some of her bunny friends and books for us to share. Our first book was Hello, Lulu by Caroline Uff. We met Lulu, her family and her pets, and learned that Lulu’s favorite color is red. Then we went to visit Miss Mouse on our flannelboard. When Miss Mary couldn’t remember the house Miss Mouse lived in, the children all helped find her, calling out “Miss Mouse, Miss Mouse, are you in the blue (green, yellow, etc.) house” until we finally found her in the red house. Next we read Bear at Home by Stella Blackstone. Bear took us for a tour through his whole house. He sure had a lot of toys in his toy chest in his playroom! It reminded us that what we like most about our friends is playing together. So we played the freeze game with our scarves, listening carefully for when the music stopped and then freezing in place. It was so much fun!

Early Literacy Tip
In addition to checking out library books, purchasing some books that your child can call his own is wonderful way to encourage reading. Pick a special place for your child’s books so he can find them easily. You could use a bookcase, plastic bin, or cardboard box and make it fun by decorating it.

News to Know!
The library has a bookstore where you can purchase gently used books for your child. It’s a wonderful place to purchase books without breaking the bank. And don’t forget to get a book or two for yourself. Letting your child see you read is another way to encourage reading.

2008-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Monday Storytime

Good news! Beginning this fall, we will be adding another storytime for young patrons ages 4 to 6 to our schedule. The first program will be on Monday, September 8, from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. Future dates include September 15, 22, 29 and Oct. 6, 13, 20, and 27.

We ask our young patrons to come to the Friends Community Room and enjoy interactive stories, songs, puppets, and other literary, dramatic, and musical fun and crafts.

2008-08-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations go to two of our young SummerREADS raffle winners, Alexander Rosenwald and Emily Sim. Thanks to the wonderful generosity of Mission Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontist Dr. Sam Veshkini, both of our lucky young participants won a brand new bicycle.

A third drawing presented another SummerRead participant, Shadi Hemmati, with an MP3 player.

Thank you to all our young summer reading participants. This summer more than 13, 524 hours were spent reading! That makes everyone a winner!!!

2008-07-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Bicycles! Bicycles!

Come check out the two shiny, new bicycles, one red and one blue, which will be given away at the end of SummerRead! They are currently on display in the Children’s Department. If a child 12 & under completes the program by reading 12 hours or more they will be entered in the Grand Prize Drawing to win one of these fabulous bicycles.

We would like to acknowledge the generous donors of these bikes. One was donated by Mission Pediatric Dentistry; thank you greatly for your ongoing support! The other bike was donated by Dr. Sam Veshkini of Advanced Orthodontic Center. The Doctor and his office have been an important source of support, providing Dental Education as part of our Storytime Program. They are also providing support for our August End of Summer Wrap-Up, which will feature a Comedy, Magic, and Juggling Show presented by Abbit the Average. For further information, please see their website at http://www.advancedorthodonticcenter.com/.

2008-06-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

Storytime in a Bag Collection Parents & Teachers . . .Check out our Storytime in a Bag collection. Mission Viejo Library has more than a dozen storytime bags available to check out and do your own storytime at home or at school. The bags include a pre-school level book, a puppet, a CD with themed music, a craft sample with directions on how to make the craft, and fingerplays. Also included is a list of similar titles available from the Library which can complete your storytime. Popular titles include Bear’s New Friend, Froggy Goes to School, and Alice the Fairy.

2008-04-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Me Storytime
April 14 and 21, 2008

Mommy & Me Storytime on April 14 was all about our hands, fingers, feet, and toes and everything in between. We began by clapping our hands and stomping our feet to the song “Clap Your Hands” on the “Wiggleworms Love You” CD. We read Busy Fingers by C.W. Bowie and sang “Itsy Bitsy Spider” while doing the motions. We also used our hands to play “Pat-a-Cake”. We followed with our second book, My Nose, My Toes, and Me! and stretched out doing the actions to “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. We moved our entire bodies and played with our scarves to “The Freeze” from Greg & Steve’s “Kids in Motion” CD. We closed with our “Hands Up High” fingerplay and blowing kisses goodbye.

On April 21, Mommy & Me Storytime was all about the farm. We read Peek-a-Moo by Marie Torres Cimarusti and followed it by making farm animal sounds while Miss Mary sang the song “Pig on Her Head” from Laurie Berkner’s “Buzz Buzz” CD. Boy, did she look silly with all those animals on her head! We read Spots, Feathers, and Curly Tails by Nancy Tafuri, and tried to guess each of the farm animals. We sang about the “Five Little Pigs” rolling in the mud. Oink, oink, oink! Our last book was a special giant pop-up book, My Giant Book of Snappy Farm. Our storytime ended after we played our instruments to “Old MacDonald’s Band” from Hap Palmer’s “Rhythm on Parade” CD. Visiting the farm in our books and songs sure was fun!

NEWS TO KNOW
The library staff is working hard on preparations for SummerREAD 2008. This summer reading program for ages 0 to 12 is a fun way to motivate your children to read over their school break. Pick up a flyer in the children’s area for all the details. SummerREAD will also include a teen and adult program so there’s something for everyone!

Early Literacy Tip of the Week
You’ve probably heard it said that you are your child’s best teacher. When it comes to reading, this certainly is true. While you may not teach “reading”, you will lay the foundation for your child’s success in reading when they get to school. Talking, reading and singing with your young child will help stimulate the growth of your child’s brain and build the connections that will be the foundation for reading. Storytimes provide a fun way to do this with your child and give you ideas for books, music, rhymes and more.

2008-04-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

PUPPET SHOW

Mark your calendar! Draw a big circle around Saturday, May 24. Everyone enjoys a great puppet show whether you’re 3 or 63 and we have a great one for you…and it’s free!

The Saddleback Room in City Hall across from Mission Viejo Library will be the site of The Great Puppet Show “The Case of Elephant Trunk” presented by Swazzle on May 24 at 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. No registration required but come early for the best seats. We’ll see you there.

2008-04-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Preschool Storytime will be celebrating El Dia de los Ninos (Children’s Day/Book Day) on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Please join us as we enjoy stories, music, and craft. No registration is necessary.

2008-04-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Me Storytime
April 7, 2008

Today’s Mommy & Me Storytime was all about a toddler’s day. After “shaking our sillies out” we began with the book Wake Up, Me! by Marni McGee. We followed along as the child in the book greeted the new day, had his breakfast and got ready to go out to play. We sang “this is the way…” as we acted out all the things we do in the morning such as wash our hands and face, and brush our hair. We pretended to brush our teeth to Raffi’s song “Brush Your Teeth” on his “Singable Songs for the Very Young” CD. In our second book, Lulu’s Busy Day by Caroline Uff, we followed Lulu through her day and her many activities. Then we dressed our flannelboard teddy to the tune “Mary Wore Her Red Dress” changing it to “teddy wore his red shirt” and so on as we added each new article of clothing. We sang a song to see what all of our storytime friends were wearing, singing “If you’re wearing red today, stand up and shout hooray!” and going through all the primary colors until all of our friends had a chance to shout out. We ended storytime by playing together with our sponge teddy bears to Hap Palmer’s “Teddy Bear Playtime” from his “So Big” CD and then blowing kisses goodbye.

NEWS TO KNOW
We ask that everyone attending storytimes has a Mission Viejo Library card. You can get one at the check-out desk by filling out a short application and showing the requested ID. Library cards are free so if you don’t already have one, please take the time to get one on your next visit.

Early Literacy Tip of the Week
Remember to have fun when sharing books with your little ones. It will help them develop good feelings about reading and books. Reading a few minutes at a time is fine. As your child grows they’ll be able to sit for longer periods. If your child gets fussy, try again later. Don’t worry if you don’t finish the story. Make reading an enjoyable time both for you and your child.

2008-04-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ants, ladybugs, caterpillars, butterflies! It’s an invasion! Keep your eyes and ears open for more information that will be coming your way about Mission Viejo Library’s “buggy” summer reading program. Fun! Fun! Fun!

2008-03-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

GET READY FOR STORYTIME!

April is here and storytimes are back! Mark your calendars and plan on joining us for some fun at the library.

Our next session of storytimes begin Tuesday, April 1, with “Preschool Storytime” at 10:30am-11:00am and again from 1:30pm-2:00pm. Preschoolers from age 3-6 will enjoy stories, music, and hands-on craft activities. Upcoming dates for “Preschool Storytime” are: Tuesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, and May 6, 13, and 20.

“Mommy & Me” Storytime for children ages 12-36 months and a special grown-up will be offered Mondays from 10:30am-10:50am and then repeat from 11:30am-11:50am. Programs include stories, music, puppets, and fingerplays. Dates for “Mommy & Me” are: April 7, 14, 21, and 28, and May 5, 12, and 19.

Monday evenings from 7:00pm-7:30pm children 3-6 years old are invited to join us for “Pajama-Rama Storytime”. Come in your PJ’s for bedtime stories, fun and crafts. Dates for “Pajama-Rama” are: April 7, 14, 21, and 28, and May 5, 12, and 19.

We are happy to announce that we will be back in the Community Room in the library for our storytimes. We’ll gather in the children’s area and the doors to the community room will be opened a few minutes before we’re ready to begin. See you at storytime!

2008-03-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT NEWS TO KNOW!

The library has a new phone system and all of the extensions have changed. The new extension for the Youth Reference Desk (Children’s Department) is 5107. The children’s staff is happy to help you with any questions you might have for us. You can reach us at (949) 830-7100 extension 5107. Should you need another department when you call, press 2 for a directory of services.

2008-02-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

Spring into Reading
You’ve been waiting and now it’s fast approaching! Beginning March 8 you may sign up for the popular Food for Thought program sponsored by In-N-Out Burger. This program here at City of Mission Viejo Library will run from March 8 through April 19. For those of you not familiar with this program, children ages 4 to 12 are rewarded with a free hamburger from In-N-Out Burger for reading library books. You can’t lose!!! It’s a winner for all.

2008-02-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Me Storytime
February 25, 2008

Today’s Mommy & Me Storytime was all about fish. Our friend, Mr. Lion, brought three great books about fish for us to share and surprised us with a bright red fish puppet! We started by reading Ten Little Fish, counting down as each little fish leaves. We followed that with our Five Little Fishies fingerplay and flannelboard. Our next book was What Do You Say? We made lots of animal sounds as we answered the title question and found out just what to say to a fish. We sang and acted out the song “I’m a Little Fishy” to the tune “I’m a Little Teapot”, pretending we were fish swimming around the sea. The last book we shared was Hooray for Fish! We met all of Little Fish’s fishy friends and learned which one he loves most of all. We ended our time together pretending our scarves were fish and swimming them through the air to the song “Under the Sea”. By the end, we were all cheering “hooray for fish”!

DON’T FORGET!
Our next session of storytimes will begin in April. Preschool Storytime will start up again on Tuesday, April 1. PajamaRama and Mommy & Me Storytimes will start Monday, April 7.

Early Literacy Tip of the Week
Be sure to visit your library and take advantage of all it has to offer. Attend storytimes. Borrow books to share with your child. The library has a wonderful picture book collection as well as a great selection of board books. Borrow children’s CDs and sing songs together. There are CDs and DVDs to educate as well as entertain. Check it out at your library!

2008-02-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Me Storytime
February 11, 2008

Today’s Mommy & Me Storytime was all about love, hearts, hugs, and kisses in honor of Valentine’s Day! We began by doing the motions to Skidamarink and singing, “I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon. I love you in the evening and underneath the moon.” Our first book was If You’ll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant. In it, a little boy tells friends and family what he’ll do for them if they’ll be his valentine. We also read Who Do You Love? by Melanie Mitchell. We found out what the little bears like to do and who they love. We played with our scarves to the song I’m a Valentine for You making teeny-tiny movements, medium movements, and great big movements with our scarves. Our last book was My First Valentine’s Day Book. The animal pairs in the book shared valentine gifts with each other. We ended by singing along with Barney and friends to his classic song I Love You and passing out valentines to all of our storytime friends. Happy Valentine’s Day!

DON’T FORGET! Monday, February 18th is a holiday and the library will be closed. Our next Mommy & Me storytime will be Monday, February 25 at 10:30am and 11:30am.

Early Literacy Tip of the Week
Sing to your child! You’ll be helping your child by letting them hear the rhythm and rhymes of the words. Have fun and don’t worry about your singing ability. You’re not singing for American Idol judges but for an appreciative child who will benefit from and enjoy the experience. The library has a wonderful children’s CD collection. Check out some CD’s to learn some new songs or refresh your memory of the ones you loved as a child!

2008-02-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Me Storytime
February 4, 2008

Dinosaurs! Today at Mommy & Me we read and sang about dinosaurs. We started with the book Dinosaur Dinosaur by Kevin Lewis and heard all about the busy day in the life of a dinosaur. We also read How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and learned that they give a big hug and a kiss when they say good night, and don’t give mommy and daddy a hard time. Our flannelboard was about five enormous dinosaurs and we counted down until there were none left. We read the book Dinosaur Roar! by Paul Strickland and learned about all kinds of dinosaurs, including ones that are sweet, grumpy, spiky, or lumpy. We finished our storytime marching with our sponge dinosaurs to Laurie Berkner’s song “We Are the Dinosaurs”. It was a “roaring” good time!

NEWS TO KNOW! The library has a special collection called “Storytime in a Bag”. These ‘do-it-yourself’ kits contain all you need to conduct a successful storytime. Selected by library staff, each kit contains a book, a puppet, a music CD, fingerplays, and a craft activity all related to the story. In addition, each bag contains instructions on how to present a storytime and suggestions for further reading. Parents, teachers, and caregivers will want to pick one up at the library soon and hold a storytime for their own kids, their class, or the kids in their neighborhood, and see just how much fun it can be! For more information or to reserve your kit today, please call (949)830-7100 ext 4010.

Early Literacy Tip of the Week
When reading to your toddler, follow along with your finger under the words as you read them. This helps your child learn the left to right movement of reading and helps them realize that the black marks on the page have meaning.

2008-02-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Mommy & Me Storytime
January 28, 2008

Today’s Mommy & Me Storytime was all about visiting. First we read Bear at Home by Stella Blackstone where we visited with Bear and got to see all the rooms in his house. We especially liked seeing his playroom with the big toy chest! Then we went to visit with Miss Mouse on the flannelboard. Only we couldn’t remember which house she lived in so we checked one by one calling “Miss Mouse, Miss Mouse, are you in the blue (green, yellow, etc.) house” until we went through most of the colors, finally finding her in the red house. We followed that by reading Baby Loves Visiting by Michael Lawrence. Baby loves visiting lots of places especially the library where there are many fun things to see and do! We pretended we were going visiting and sang and did the motions to the song “I’m Going to Kentucky”. Then we read Let’s Go Visiting by Sue Williams counting all the colorful farmyard friends. In the end, we decided what we like most about visiting is playing with our friends so we ended our storytime by playing the freeze game with our scarves and music by Greg & Steve. It was so fun!

NEWS TO KNOW! The library recently added a couple hundred new books to our Board Book collection. You’ll want to check them out after storytime. They’re located in the Wickiup just off the main children’s area.

Early Literacy Tip of the Week
Nursery rhymes make wonderful choices when reading aloud to your child. The rhythm and the rhyme make them enjoyable to even the youngest of children. The library has a wonderful selection of Mother Goose books and other classic nursery rhyme collections. We’d be happy to show them to you next time you visit.

2008-01-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

“My smile is important because . . .”
Elementary school age kids are invited to participate in a special “My Smile” writing contest. Come to the Children’s Reference Desk for an entry form and write a brief statement telling why you think your smile is important. You’ll receive a prize when you pick up your form! A special “Thank you” to Dr. Sam Veshkini, Mission Viejo orthodontist for sponsoring this contest. Available while supplies last.

2008-01-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Healthy Smiles Make Happy Smiles !!

Pajama-Rama Storytime for Kids 3 to 6 will return after the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday break with a Special Presentation in honor of Dental Health Month, which is February. On Monday evening, January 28th at 7:00 p.m., Miss Denise will begin storytime with a couple fun picture books about teeth & a silly song about brushing your teeth. Next we will have a guest speaker, Tami Turk, a dental hygienist who will give a short talk on tooth care, demonstrating the correct way to brush and floss your teeth. She will also show a short DVD about dental hygiene. The night will end with Tami passing out goody bags filled with toothbrushes & toothpaste. Join us & brighten your kids’ smiles!

2008-01-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Me Storytime
January 14, 2008

The new year is here and our new schedule of storytimes has begun. We started out with Mommy & Me storytime on Monday morning. We were happy to be back and sang all about it with “If You’re Happy and You Know It”. Mr. Lion brought his book box and we found books and a box of cheerios inside! It turns out all of the books he selected were about food and eating.

First we read Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley, a cute story about a hungry mouse who leaves a huge mess when it goes in search of a snack. Next was the flannelboard story of the book Lunch by Denise Fleming. In it, another very hungry mouse eats a lot of colorful foods. We followed this up playing our musical instruments to Raffi’s song “Peanut Butter Sandwich”. Our last book was Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield, a pop-up book about a big chick who eats lots and has big feet, a big beak, and a big belly. Watch out for the BIG surprise at the end! When we were done reading, we heard Raffi’s song “Brush Your Teeth” and we pretended to do just that! After all, we had been “eating” the whole storytime through!

DON’T FORGET! Monday, January 21st is a holiday and the library will be closed. Our next Mommy & Me storytime will be Monday, January 28 at 10:30am and 11:30am.

Early Literacy Tip of the Week
Reading to your child every day helps them get ready to read on their own. Set aside a special time each day to read such as bedtime or after meals. Cuddle up, relax, and enjoy this special time with your little one!

2007-12-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

Storytime at the Library

It’s snowing in Mission Viejo, well…not really. But it will be on Monday, Jan. 14 from 7:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. during Miss Daytha’s Pajama Rama Storytime at the Mission Viejo Library. She will start the 2008 storytime lineup with books that have a snow theme. She will also include songs, fingerplays, and a craft. If you have a child between the ages of 3 to 6 years old, please join her and have a white snowy night.

If you have a toddler between 12 and 36 months, Miss Mary will be starting the new year’s “Mommy and Me” storytime on Monday, Jan. 14. For your convenience she offers her program at two different time slots. She looks forward to seeing her friends from 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. or 11:30 to 11:50 a.m. It’s a great time for all mommies (or daddies) and their toddlers…and Miss Mary.

Miss Nancy’s Preschool Storytime will kickoff the new year Tuesday, January 15. Miss Nancy always has exciting books to share with her 3 to 6 year old preschoolers. She has songs to sing, fingerplays to perform and also never runs out of creative crafts for her friends. Please join her from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 to 2:00 p.m.

2007-10-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Book Mark Contest Winners
Congratulations to our three bookmark contest winners! One winner was selected for the best design in each of three age ranges. The winner for the K-1st grade category is Ansley Nguyen, the 2nd – 4th grade winner is Jushua Dolendo, and the 4th - 6th grade winner is Eliana Yellin. Five hundred limited edition bookmarks were made of each of the three winning designs and will be available at the Youth Reference Desk. All bookmarks submitted will displayed in the library’s Wikiup room. The library would like to extend a big thank you to all children who participated.

2007-08-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Bookmark Design Contest

Celebrating Mission Viejo Library
10th Anniversary

To help celebrate our 10th Anniversary, the Mission Viejo Library is having a Bookmark Design Contest for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Kids are asked to submit their designs based on library related themes such as reading, books, or what the library means to them, reflecting on the library’s 10th anniversary.

Entries must be returned to the library by Monday, October 1st. Winners will be chosen from three categories: K-1st grade, 2nd-4th grade, and 5th-6th grade. Winners will receive a $25.00 gift certificate to Toys ‘R Us. Official entry forms are available at the Mission Viejo Library’s Youth Reference Desk. For further contest details or any questions, please call (949)830-7100, ext. 4010.

2007-08-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading Program Wrap-Up

This year’s Summer Reading Program at the Mission Viejo Library was a resounding success! 2374 children (ages 0 to 12 years) registered to participate, an increase of 346 over the previous year. All participants were given a book bag, a bookmark, a booklog, and a coupon for a free mini cheese pizza courtesy of Peppino’s Italian Family Restaurant. The children and their parents were invited to attend special programs including a comedy magic show, a puppet show, and a musical sing-along performance. 845 children and their family members joined in on the fun. 752 children completed the program and read an impressive total of over 9000 hours! 86 teen volunteers assisted the library staff with the sign-ups and distribution of the incentives earned by the children. The teens worked a total of over 950 hours averaging over 11 hours each.

The Mission Viejo Library would like to thank the sponsors of the Summer Reading Program, most especially, the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library who paid for the special programming and all of the reading supplies and incentives earned by the children for reading. A special thanks goes out to Peppino’s for the free mini pizza for all participants, to McDonald’s for 2000 reading awards, and to Mission Pediatric Dentistry for the donation of a bike for the final drawing. This year’s bike was won by Brooklyn Fuentes who was thrilled to win! Thanks are in order for our other sponsors including: the Saddleback Valley Chapter of the National Charity League, Legoland, Hometown Buffet, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill, Aquarium of the Pacific, Discovery Science Center, Boomers, Jump ‘n Jammin, Oggi’s Pizza, and Saddleback Lanes. We couldn’t have done it without your support!

2007-06-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM
IS COMING TO THE MISSION VIEJO LIBRARY!

School is almost out and summer is quickly approaching. The Summer Reading Program “Get a Clue @ Your Library” will be here soon! Children ages 0 to 12 will want to sign up to play the “Get a Clue” Reading Game and earn prizes for reading. Just for signing up, you’ll get a special book bag, bookmark, reading log, Legoland coupon, and a coupon for a free mini cheese pizza courtesy of Peppino’s Italian Family Restaurant. You can earn prizes like a tattoo, a disappearing ink pen, and a magnifying glass. Finish the game and you’ll be entered into a drawing for the bigger prizes. You’ll have a chance to win a pass for bowling or a round of mini golf, gift certificates, and even a bike! In addition, parents and children can enjoy special programs such as a comedy magic show, a puppet show, and a musical performance with audience participation. Don’t miss your chance to join in the fun! The Summer Reading Program runs June 22 to August 3. Take a look at the SRP website for more information.

The Mission Viejo Library would like to thank our sponsors who made this program possible including the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library; Peppino’s Italian Family Restaurant; Mission Pediatric Dentistry; McDonald’s (Trabuco Road and the Shops at Mission Viejo); Jump ‘n Jammin; Saddleback Lanes; Oggi’s Pizza; Hometown Buffet; Boomers; Legoland; Aquarium of the Pacific; and the Discovery Science Center.

2007-04-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday StoryFun!

Looking for a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon? Kids age 6 to 9 are invited to join us for Saturday StoryFun at the library. Enjoy stories and fun related activities just for you!

Saturday, May 12, join us for stories and fun about baseball. Spring is here and the baseball season is off to a fresh start. Enjoy stories, jokes, and puzzles about America’s favorite pastime.
Saturday, May 26, our StoryFun will be about tangrams, ancient Chinese puzzles. Listen to stories, see a demonstration, and get sample puzzles to take home and do yourself.

StoryFun will be held in the Wickiup in the children’s area from 2:00pm to 2:30pm. Children age 6 to 9 are invited to join us. Parents and younger siblings will be asked to wait outside the room. For more information please call (949) 830-7100, ext. 4010.

2007-03-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

And the winners are:

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for older children.

The 2007 Newbery Medal winner
is The Higher Power of Lucky written by Susan Patron,

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The 2007 Caldecott Medal winner
is Flotsam by David Wiesner (Clarion)

2007-03-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Zoo at the Library?
Yes they come big and small on Saturday April 21 at 11:00am and will stay for one hour at the Kershaw Garden next to the Library. so that children enjoy petting them and learning a lot about animals

2007-03-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday Storyfun

a special reading fun for kids ages 7 - 9
Starts in April on Saturdays April 14, 28 and May 12 and 26
at 11:00 - 11:30 am in the Wickiup.

Kids can join for listening to stories new and old, creative dramatics, fun. Parents and younger siblings are asked to wait outside.
This a special moment for children only.

2007-03-14T14:38:00.001-07:00

Food For Thoughts Reading Program
This program which is sponsored by IN-N-OUT Burger gives children ages 4 -12 an opportunity to earn free coupons to IN-N-OUT to get a free hamburger or cheeseburger. Children will earn a certificate of achievement and a free coupon for every 5 books they read or have read to them. Children can read up to 15 books and can earn as many as 3 coupons. This program runs from March 10 - April 21st. Visit the Library to register and get your book logs.

2007-03-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Storytimes are back!

Starting April 2nd, after March break, children and parents are invited to attend regular storytimes again. For more storytime information and schedule click here

2006-12-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

NEW "Storytime in a Bag" Kits

Attention Parents, teachers, and caregivers,

Now you can set up a storytime program for children just like our children's librarians do for kids in your neighborhood, for your child's birthday party, or for your entire class with our "Storytime in a bag" kits.

Prepared by Mission Viejo Library children’s librarians, these "Storytime in a Bag" kits contains everything you need to conduct a successful storytime. Each bag has a picture book, puppet, music CD, craft activities, fingerplays which all are related to the story. In addition, each the bag contains instructions on how to present the storytime and suggestions for further reading.

"Storytime in a Bag" kits can be checked out for 3 weeks. Please contact the Youth Reference Desk for more information or to reserve your kit today at 949-830-7100 ext 4010.

2006-11-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

Children's Authors Festival

Saturday, November 18, 2006
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Community Room

Meet Jerri Osgood, author of Grandpa's Golden Glasses, and illustrator Norma Samuelson. You will also meet Monique F. Rea, author of Toulouse the Moose.

The authors will share their inspiration and passion for writing, and will read and autograph their picture books. This program is free and intented for ages 6 and up.

2006-10-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Paw
Readathon

Do you love reading? Do you love dogs? Then follow the paw prints to a Paw Readathon!

On Saturday, November 4th and Saturday, December 2nd from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m., Husker the Therapy Dog will be in the Wicki-Up to listen to kids 7 and older read their favorite books aloud.

Kids, this is a great chance to get extra practice reading aloud in a fun location, meet new friends who share your love of reading, and of course, visit with Husker the Dog.

No need to pre-register, just check in at the Children’s Desk when you arrive. Remember to bring your favorite title to read to Husker or take a moment to select a book here at the Library!

For more information call the reference desk at (949)830-7100 ext.4010.

2006-10-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

NEW
LeapFrog collection is NOW available

This parent-child learning interactive, multi-sensory program incorporates basic phonics books, basic math, science and multi-subjects for preK – 3rd grades to support literacy needs.

Interactive talking books together with a Personal Learning Tool allows students to independently practice essential prereading and reading skills and reinforce interest in reading and learning by using a very exiting, attractive and state-of-art format.

Ask for these materials at the Youth Reference Desk

2006-10-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Halloween Spookinaria at the Library

Stairs creaking, wind moaning,

Bats flying at night,

Scary black spiders,

Will give you a fright!

Spine-chilling stories

And more that will scare.

Spooky fun at your library.

We’ll see you there!

Halloween happenings, strange and spooky! You won’t want to miss this frightfully funny and hilariously scary Family Entertainment Night at the Mission Viejo Library. Kids ages 6 to 12 and their parents are invited to wear their costumes and enjoy these most electrifying events: screaming magic show, spine-chilling stories, trick or treating, spooky snacks, and more unexpected surprises! Space is limited so register now at the Youth Reference Desk. Fee is $10 per person, cash only please. For more information call the Youth Reference Desk at (949)830-7100 ext.4010.

2006-08-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Reading

Learn what your kids love about reading and what you can do to help them want to read more. Read the news article the "The joy of reading"

2006-08-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Take Advantage of

Homework Help
for the

Upcoming School Year!

After a long, enjoyable summer, do your children need some help getting back to those homework assignments? Mission Viejo Library can help

Live Homework Help
People have access to a valuable resource through their library cards. They can utilize Live Homework Help, where they will find assistance in Science, Math, Social Studies, and English. Service Hours are available 7 days a week for kids in grades 4 through Introductory College level. Utilizing an instant messaging format, students and tutors communicate in real time. All tutors are retired teachers or college students who are carefully screened.

Homework Center
Register to have your 2nd to 6th grader work with a former teacher and/or experienced high school student to begin those difficult homework assignments every Wednesday from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. starting September 13th. Students may sign up one week for a 1/2 hour session one week in advance at the Children’s Reference Desk.

Online Databases
Schoolbooks left in the classroom? Unable to get to the library between soccer games and piano lessons? Use our online databases and you will have access to dependable data that will make those assignments shine! Through Grolier Online, you may use a youth-oriented General Encyclopedia, a Science Encyclopedia, as well as the online version of America the Beautiful, our most frequently referenced series of state books. Social Studies Fact Cards Online offers a wide array of information in the social sciences, including county, Mission, and Indian tribe information. Biography Resource Center offers biographical information on many notable individuals. All your kids need to log into these databases is their Mission Viejo Library card.

2006-08-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Toy Return

The library is requesting a return of the summer reading program toys shown above in order to comply with a RECALL INITIATED BY HIGHSMITH INCORPORATED due to lead content. This recall will affect many public libraries across the country, including the Mission Viejo Library, who used the toys as prizes during this year’s Summer Reading Program.

The toys, a bendable dog and cat (see above picture), were found to have 0.4 and 0.24 percent lead. The maximum safety limit is currently 0.06 percent. The toys are roughly 3.75 inches long and are similar in shape to a lollipop.

We would like all children and parents to return these toys ASAP to the Mission Viejo Library for safe disposal. Replacement reading prizes will be provided in exchange for the bendable toys.”

For more information, please contact Library Administration at (949) 830-7100, extension 4002.

2006-08-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

GET READY FOR STORYTIME!

Storytimes are back! Join us this September for our next session of storytimes at the Mission Viejo Library.

“Mommy & Me” Storytime for children ages 12-36 months and a special grown-up will be offered Mondays from 10:30am-11:00am and then repeat from 11:30am-12:00pm. Programs include stories, music, puppets, and fingerplays. Dates for “Mommy & Me” are: September 11, 18, 25 and
October 2, 9, 16, 23.

Monday evenings from 7:00pm-7:30pm children 3-6 years old are invited to join us for “Pajama-Rama Storytime”. Come in your PJ’s for bedtime stories, fun and crafts. Dates for “Pajama-Rama” are: September 11, 18, 25 and October 2, 9, 16, 23.

“Preschool Storytime” is offered on Tuesdays from 10:30am-11:00am and again from 1:30pm-2:00pm. Preschoolers from age 3-6 will enjoy stories, music, and hands-on craft activities. Dates for “Preschool Storytime” are: September 12, 19, 26 and October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31.

All of the above storytimes are held in the library community room. Doors in the children’s area to the community room will open a few minutes before each program begins.

Saturday “Family Drop-In Storytime” takes place from 11:00am-11:30am in the Wickiup in the children’s area. Join us for stories for all. Families are welcome! Dates for “Family Drop-In Storytime” are: September 9, 23, 30 and October 7, 21.

Don’t miss out on all the fun! We’ll see you at the library for storytime!

2006-07-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fun way to spend a
Tuesday morning?

Come to the library and laugh and have a great time at our Animal Crackers! storytime. The program will be held Tuesday, July 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Saddleback Room. Silly animal stories and funny songs will be enjoyed by all. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Tuesday, July 25, attend our Paper Critters Fun held in the Library’s Community Room from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Learn the art of Origami folding. Create cute paper creatures to take home. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

Bubble Adventures will be held on Tuesday, August 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Participate in bubble blowing, bubble stories and fun with bubbles! It will be held in the Community Room and recommended for ages 3 and up.

2006-07-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

Love to draw?
Don’t miss meeting
Lee Ames,
the well-known author of 27 drawing books

Attend Draw 50 ways
Saturday
July 15
11:00 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. ,

Learn about his amazing life story and the art of drawing. Books will be available for purchase and signing. It will be held in the Library’s Community Room and is for ages 6 and up.

After Draw 50 Ways, stay for Brady & the Bubble Monster from 11:40 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The creative and talented children’s writer-illustration team Ev Stanon and Steve Pietarila, will present a reading which will be followed by great fun balloon animal making activities and a hilarious parent-kid bubble blowing contest. It will be held in the Library’s Community Room and recommended for ages 4 and up.

2006-06-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Comedy Magic Show
Saturday, June 24th
11:00 a.m.

Come to the library on Saturday, June 24th to see this summer's hilarious comedy, magic, and juggling variety show that will include non-stop laughs AND sign up for the 2006 Summer Reading Program.

For more questions about this event or the Summer Reading Program visit the SRP website at http://kidsweb.cmvl.org/srp

2006-06-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

The 2006 Summer Reading Program website is now up!

Learn all about how you can join and become part of the fun
http://kidsweb.cmvl.org/srp

2006-06-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Read to Husker the Dog

You have two opportunities to read to a lovely therapy dog:

Saturday, July 1st
11a.m. -11:40 a.m.
and
Thursday, August 3
11a.m. -11:40 a.m.

Please join us in the Wickiup for PAWS Readathon, where you get to read to the dog! Husker, a beautiful trained therapy dog, likes to hear kids read all kinds of books.

Anyone who would like to read to Husker, must pre-register at the Youth Reference Desk.

Please remember to bring your favorite book to read. Children do not need to register if they want to watch the Readathon. This program is for children 7 to 12 years old.

2006-06-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

SRP IS COMING!
Look at all you can win

School is almost out and summer is quickly approaching. The Summer Reading Program will be here soon! Children ages 0 to 12 will want to sign up to play the PAW Reading Game and earn prizes for reading. You’ll get a special book bag, bookmark, reading log, and a PAW Reading Game just for signing up! You can earn prizes like a tattoo, dog or cat stamper, bendable dog or cat, fish squirter, magnetic photo frame, and a mini bean bag animal. Finish the game and you’ll be entered into a drawing for the bigger prizes. You’ll have a chance to win a bowling pass, a free pizza, gift certificates, and even a bike! Don’t miss your chance to join in the fun! The Summer Reading Program begins on June 24.

The Mission Viejo Library would like to thank our sponsors who made this program possible including the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library; the National Charity League, Saddleback Chapter; Boomers; Saddleback Lanes; Round Table Pizza; Golden Spoon; Oggi’s Pizza; Chuck E. Cheese’s; Olympiad Animal Hospital; Swings ‘n Things; Precious Hand & Footprints; Legoland; Lexus Mission Viejo; Mission Pediatric Dentistry; and Pet Supply Warehouse.

2006-06-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading Program, 2006
@ the Mission Viejo Library

The Summer Reading Program (SRP) for children will bound, crawl, slither, and hop into the library beginning on Saturday, June 24th! The program features an animal-themed reading game for children aged 0 to 12 that includes prizes for reading and chances to win big in our grand prize drawing.

The SRP also features the following special events during the summer months: PAWS Readathons (children can register to read to Husker, the trained therapy dog) on July 1 and August 3 from 11:00a.m. -11:40 p.m., a comedy, magic, and juggling show on June 24, from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m., a musical puppet show on July 8, from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. Children can also participate in animal storytimes and songs, an origami workshop, and bubble blowing adventures.

Hurry in to sign up for this years SRP! The fun ends on August 5th. For more information, please check this blog regularly, read the Kid’s Page at our website at http://kidsweb.cmvl.org, come by the library to pick up a printed Summer Program brochure, or call the Children’s Reference Desk at 949/830-7100 Ext. 4010.

2006-04-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Does your school age child enjoy learning by watching a video in addition to reading a book? If so, check out the recent additions to our Juvenile Non Fiction DVD collection.

New topics for Kindergarten through 6th grade include ancient Greece, volcanoes, and the water cycle. Math and Phonics video tutors covering several distinct age ranges have also been added to the collection.

For infants and toddlers, the offerings include Baby Noah for a visit around the world, Baby Monet, which describes the four seasons, and Baby Da Vinci that teaches body parts while featuring both paintings and sculptures.

Fresh choices for fun and recreation include DVD’s covering yoga, dancing, and magic. DVD’s now check out for a full week, so drop by the Children’s Area to see the entire collection.

2006-04-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hear all about it! New music for kids!

Come check out the new additions to the children’s music CD collection. New purchases include a variety of music for kids of all ages.

Infants will enjoy music from Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby, and a variety of lullaby recordings.

Toddlers and pre-schoolers can listen to music from Disney, Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, the Wiggles and sing along with classic artists like Hap Palmer and Laurie Berkner.

Elementary age children might want to check out award-winning selections like “Sing Along With Putumayo” and “Beethoven’s Wig Sing Along Symphonies” or move to the beat with Radio Disney.

Check out these and more in Children’s Services at your Mission Viejo Library!

2006-03-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

Missions and State Reports Drama Resolved!

Listen kids, we are not kidding! We have books for every one of you who is struggling to get the right information your teacher requires on US States, California Missions, California history, California explorers, ranchos, counties, countries and many others.

Many of these books are now online and just one click away. You can access them anytime, anywhere from the computer. Go to our website

On this page you will see:
Social Studies Facts Cards – a series of research resources designed for quick reference for students in grades 4 through 8. The topics covered by Fact Cards are those California, United States, and World topics included in the social studies curriculum in California. Here you can find ready information about California missions, explorers, ranchos, Indians, US States, countries and much more.

Grolier Online – An online encyclopedia and reference featuring: The New Book of Knowledge, The New Book of Popular Science, and America the Beautiful (the most comprehensive reliable and updated resource for US state, science reports and others)

To access the free databases at the Mission Viejo Library you must have library card. If you cannot come to the library right away you may apply for a card online.

2006-03-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

KidsKorner

Kid's Reading and Dining

The "Food For Thought" Reading Program sponsored by IN-n-Out Burger begins this Saturday, March 4 through April 15. Children ages 4-12 are invited to sign-up at the Youth Reference Desk at the Mission Viejo Library and receive a free hamburger coupon from In-N-Out for reading 5 books throughout the duration of this program. Readers can receive up to three hamburger coupons for reading a total of 15 books!