Welcome to the Stratford Library Children’s Department.
School Support Tip – Readaloud Book Pairs
Print & Audiobook PairsListening to an audiobook while simultaneously reading the print version of the book can be very beneficial for children: increasing their reading speed, expanding vocabulary, improving fluency and comprehension, teaching pronunciation and critical listening skills, boosting reading confidence, and allowing students to read above level.
The Stratford Library offers audiobooks in several different formats: on CD, via our digital audiobook collections (Hoopla, OverDrive, and Tumblebook Library) and on Playaway. Playaways are small, battery-powered players. Children just plug in their personal earbuds and listen! The Stratford Library owns hundreds of Playaways, many of which have matching print books in the Children’s department. Here are some examples.
Easy Readers and Picture Books
I Spy Fly Guy! By Tedd Arnold
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor
Curious George Flies a Kite by Margret Rey
Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
Epossumondas by Coleen Salley
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
The Teacher From the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Chapter Fiction Books
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Posted by John David Anderson
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Flat Stanley: Framed in France by Jeff Brown
Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: The New Girl by Meg Cabot
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
No Talking by Andrew Clements
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Blended by Sharon Draper
The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny–Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
Judy Moody, Girl Detective by Megan McDonald
The Whatever After series by Sarah Mlynowski
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Dork Diaries series by Rachel Russell
A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket
The I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
Continue reading →DIY Storytime – Hats
Celebrate Dr. Seuss day with a whimsical DIY Storytime on Hats – whenever is convenient for your family.
Do-It-Yourself Storytime
HATSBOOKS:
Old Hat New Hat
• Written and illustrated by Jan and Stan Berenstain
• Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
• Presented by Mark Gooding
Brother Bear wants a new hat, but nothing seems right.
https://video.link/w/1rwQb
Jean Warren has some hat activities on her Preschool Express site:
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/toddler_station07/hats_mar07.shtml
Whose Hat Is This?
• Written by Sharon Katz Cooper
• Illustrated by Amy Muehlenhardt
• Published by Picture Window Books
• Presented by Zest2Teach
Learn about different hats that help people do their jobs.
https://video.link/w/iswQb
First Palette has templates and instructions for making a variety of paper hats:
https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/easy-paper-hats.htmlDo You Have a Hat?
• Written by Eileen Spinelli
• Illustrated by Geraldo Valerio
• Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Presented by Art with Mrs. F.
A fun look at hats worn by famous people in history.
https://video.link/w/YswQb
Here are more ideas for paper hats from How Stuff Works:
https://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/paper-crafts/paper-hats.htm#pt3SONGS:
Hats on Top by Macmillan Education
https://video.link/w/1twQbMy Hat Seasons Song by Love to Sing
https://video.link/w/ZtwQbMy Hat It Has Three Corners
https://video.link/w/8uwQbRHYMES:
Silly Hat
A silly hat, a silly hat
I wear it on my head ‘cos that’s where it’s at
And I know it looks as funny as can be.
A silly hat, a silly hat
I wear it on my head ‘cos that’s where it’s at
And I like it ‘cos it feels like part of me.It may be too big or it may be too little
It might even have a whole in the middle
It might be colored red or blue or greenAnd if someone saw my silly hat
That I had on my head ‘cos that’s where it’s at
They’d think it was the funniest thing they’d seen
But I like it ‘cos it feels a part of me!Whose Hat Am I?
I’m hard and yellow, sturdy as can be
To protect your head – who wears me?
One, two, three strikes you’re out
I am worn in the field and in the dugout.
I’m tall and white, take a look
Someone wears me when he cooks.
Hocus pocus, look about
My master taps me and a rabbit jumps out!
On your birthday, I’ll be there
Sitting up atop your hair.
I am special, you can see
Worn by those of royalty.
Tall with stars and a pointy peak
Look for my owner if magic you seek.
If there’s a fire, I’ll be there
Protecting my brave owner’s hair.
I’m made of straw with a brim so wide
Can you tell whose head will be inside?
A knitted hat for young and old
To keep a head warm in the cold.Hat Counting Rhyme
5 hats on a rack at the formal store
A lady bought the one with feathers, now there are four
4 hats on a rack, perfect as can be
A young man bought the black top hat, now there are three.
3 hats on a rack, beautiful and new
A dancer bought the bright tiara, now there are two.
2 hats on the rack at the formal store
An actor bought the velvet derby, now there is one.
1 hat on the rack at the formal store
You bought the one with sequins, now there are none.
Continue reading →Kids Books You May Have Missed – Friendship Stories
FRIENDSHIP STORIESFriends in school and at summer camp…
Magical friends and animal friends…
Breaking up and getting back together…
Finding adventure and making trouble!Whether they are human, animal, or creatures of fantasy, the friends in these books support each other through good and bad times. Find some new friends in these wonderful Friendship Stories.
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (J Woodson)
ZJ’s friends help him cope when his father, a beloved professional football player, suffers severe headaches and memory loss that spell the end of his career.The Big Break by Mark Tatulli (J Comic Big Break)
Two ex-best friends get back together to hunt down the mythical Jersey Devil.Blue Daisy by Helen Frost (Bridge Books J Frost)
Friends Sam and Katie try to help a stray dog and, in the process, bring their neighbors closer together. Includes a recipe for dog biscuits.
Busted by Breakfast (Trouble at Table 5) by Tom Watson (Bridge Books J Watson)
When Simon gets in trouble for talking at school, his best friends think up a plan to keep him from getting grounded at home. But will their big plan get him into more trouble?Camp by Kayla Miller (J Comic Click)
Olive is quick to make friends with other campers, but Willow is having a hard time. Being Willow’s only friend is stressful for Olive. Will their friendship survive summer camp?Class Act by Jerry Craft (J Comic Class Act)
A companion book to the award-winning New Kid. 8th grader Drew works hard to feel accepted at Riverdale Academy Day School.The Girls of Firefly Cabin by Cynthia Ellingsen (J Ellingsen)
Four girls meet at camp. Will their new friendship survive rival cabins, distracting crushes, and their own secrets?
Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker (J Pennypacker)
Ware prefers pretending the lot next to the church is a medieval castle to attending Rec camp. When developers want to sell the land, Ware and Jolene, who is planting a garden there, join forces to save their space.How to Test a Friendship (The Magnificent Makers) by Theanne Griffith (Bridge Books J Griffith)
Violet, Pablo, and Deepak embark on an adventure in the Maker Maze, a magical laboratory full of robots, an antigravity chamber, 3D printers, and more.Marigold Star by Elise Primavera (J Primavera)
When a girl from a magical realm accidently sends herself to the human world, she has to make friends with human children to find her way home.
Narwhal’s Otter Friend by Ben Clanton (J Comic Narwhal)
Exuberant Narwhal and skeptical Jelly test the waters of adding a new friend to their pod when they meet Otty the super-adventurous otter.Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage (J Savage)
Ru reluctantly joins her parents in Scotland for the summer, where she meets new friends and searches for the Loch Ness Monster.Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by by Graham Annable (J Comic Peter & Ernesto)
Peter and Ernesto are sloths, friends, and nothing alike. Ernesto decides to go off on an adventure alone. Will the pals’ separation tear them apart or bring them closer together?
The Shark Report (Benny McGee and the Shark) by Derek Anderson (Bridge Books J Anderson)
After learning about sharks in school, Benny McGee is afraid to swim in the ocean but a great white shark follows him home and they quickly become friends.Stella Diaz Never Gives Up by Angela Dominguez (J Dominguez)
Stella loves marine animals. When she learns that the sea and its life forms are in danger due to pollution, she gets help from old and new friends to make a difference.The Story of Us (Our Friend Hedgehog) by Lauren Castillo (Bridge Books J Castillo)
When a storm separates Hedgehog from her lifelong friend, Mutty, she bravely sets out to find him and makes some very good new friends in the process.
That’s What Friends Do by Cathleen Barnhart (J Barnhart)
Sammie and David’s long-term friendship is endangered when new student Luke begins flirting with Sammie just when David decides to confess his crush on her.We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Mary Finnegan (J Finnegan)
Continue reading →
Hank, a boy with autism, and Maisie become friends as they try to save a neighbor’s dog that is always tied to a tree.