Story Celebrations: A Program Guide for Schools and Libraries »

JAN IRVING is a writer and consultant in the field of children's literature and library services to children. She was formerly a children's librarian and library supervisor in Kansas and Colorado. For more than 20 years, she has been active in ALA, and has presented workshops and trainings nationwide. Among her previous Libraries Unlimited publications are Mudluscious (1986), Stories NeverEnding (2004), and Stories, Time and Again (2005).

Juice up your library programs with these lively, thematic, book-based activities for children in grades 4-8. Ten chapters focus on popular themes and study areas Welcome to Victorian England, Gross Science, Discovering Family Roots, Is This Goodbye? Endangered Animals, and more, offering an annotated list of select books and two complete programs for each theme. You'll find step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and all the reproducible patterns, scripts, and stories you'll need to make it happen. In each chapter, one program is suited to the needs of school libraries and the other is targeted at public libraries, although both can be adapted to either environment. Through reading, creative dramatics, puzzles, writing exercises, arts and crafts, and more, you can engage young learners while building their literacy and reading skills, and their love of books and reading. Designed for school and public libraries, these activities are great for after-school programs and also fit beautifully into classroom studies. Grades 4-8.

Juice up your library programs with these lively, thematic, book-based activities for children in grades 4-8.

1 Paintings That Tell Stories 1

2 Puns of Fun: Wordplay for Kids 19

3 Family Roots 35

4 Going Dutch: Exploring Holland and Its Culture 59

5 Welcome to Victorian London 83

6 Plagues That Changed History 105

7 Gross Science 123

8 In the Spotlight: Public Speaking for Kids 143

9 Chew on This: Healthy Eating Kids Like 163

10 Is This Goodbye?: Studying Endangered Animals 181

Index 199