Storytime and Reading Opportunities at the Library

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., is offering a winter reading challenge and several exciting storytime programs for kids of all ages beginning in January.

For kids in grades 3-10, the library is offering the Milwaukee Bucks Library Reading Program. Participants have until Feb. 13, 2009 to complete a 500 page reading goal. Readers score points for each page read from a book, magazine, or newspaper. All participants will receive a Milwaukee Bucks poster, stickers and bookmark when a reading record is turned in. 500 points scored earns each participant a voucher for a free ticket to one of two select Milwaukee Bucks Basketball games. Students who read more than 750 pages will have their names entered into a drawing for an official Milwaukee Bucks autographed basketball. Six randomly selected children will participate in the Milwaukee Bucks starting lineup for each game date and 10 randomly selected children will be recognized at halftime for each game date. Reading logs and instructions may be obtained by visiting the Youth Services Dept. at the Main library or the Mobile Library. Call 262.636.9245 for more information.

You'll find the library's enthusiastic storytellers on the road this month as they perform a Saturday morning event for kids from ages 3-10 and their families. On Saturday, January 30 at 9:30 am , a storyteller will be present at Cup of Hope, 507 Sixth St., to entertain with an hour of stories and a simple craft. Enjoy a leisurely morning of quality family time and a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. These Saturday Family Storytimes will be held monthly on the last Saturday.

The library's popular preschool storytimes, held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., will begin on January 19 and run until March 10. Children from birth to age 5 may attend these 30 min. events. The programs feature fingerplays, stories, music and more designed to develop age-appropriate early literacy skills. Children who are able to sit in storytime on their own may attend the Preschool program. Children who prefer to be accompanied by an adult may attend the Infant & Toddler program. Both programs are held simultaneously at 10 a.m.

New to the library's preschool storytime schedule is the addition of Educational Open Play days. Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:30-12:30 and Fridays from 11 am-1 pm, the library will turn its storytelling room into an educational exploration area with a wide variety of educational toys and learning aids available. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Play days are held during the storytime season only.

The library is also offering an After-School Storytime with stories and crafts geared to kids ages 3-10. The next event in this series will be held on Tuesday, January 26 from 3:30-4:30 pm. Monthly after-school storytimes will be held on the 4th Tuesdays.

School age children in grades 1-5 are invited to spend 15 min. reading to one of the library's specially-trained listening dogs in the Ruff Readers Program. These canine friends visit the library after school several days a week. This is a fun way for kids to practice reading to a non-judgmental and gentle listener. Time slots available on a first-come/first-served basis. This season's Ruff Readers program will begin on Monday, Jan. 18, 2009. Call the library at 262.636.9245 for days and times, or to reserve a reading spot.

Kids ages 3-10 and their families are also invited to attend Family Fun Nights once a month. These hour-long events explore a variety of topics through stories, games, activities and crafts. The next event, We Have a Dream, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 14 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Join the storytellers as they celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other significant figures in Black History.

All storytime events are free and open to the public. No registration is necessary unless otherwise indicated.

Fall Storytime Opportunities at the Library

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., is offering several exciting storytime programs for kids of all ages this fall.

The library will begin its fall season of popular preschool storytimes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., beginning September 22-November 10. Children ages birth - 5 may attend these free drop-in events. The 30 minute programs feature fingerplays, stories, music and more designed to develop age-appropriate early literacy skills.

Adults may select from two storytimes depending upon the needs of the child. Children who are able to sit in storytime on their own may attend the Preschool program where content is geared towards ages 3-5; children who prefer to be accompanied by an adult may attend the Baby & Me program where material is appropriate for ages birth-2. Both programs are held simultaneously at 10 a.m. No registration is necessary.

Preschool Open Playtime will also be offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:45 am-12:00 pm, and on Fridays from 11 am-2 pm. These free drop-in play dates will be held in the Martin Room and offer kids ages 1-5 games, toys and activities to promote early literacy skill development. All young participants must be accompanied by an adult. No registration is necessary.

School age children in grades 1-5 are invited to spend 15 min. reading to one of the library's specially-trained listening dogs in the Ruff Readers Program beginning September 21. The canine friends visit the library on Mondays and Tuesdays from 4-5 pm, Wednesdays from 3-4 pm, and Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 pm. Time slots are available on a first come/first served basis or may be reserved by contacting the Youth Services Dept at 262.636.9245. This is a fun way for kids to practice reading to a non-judgmental and gentle listener.

Afternoon and evening family storytimes are being scheduled for the fall months as well. These programs generally feature stories, activities and simple crafts for families to share together. Contact the Youth Services Department at 262.636.9245 for program dates, times and topics.

All storytime events are free and open to the public. For a complete up-to-the-minute account of what's new at the library, visit us on-line. You'll find the Racine Public Library on the web at facebook.com, rplinfo.blogspot.com, and most recently at twitter.com/racinelibrary (get hourly recommendations of new books
being added!).

Summer Storytime Opportunites at the Library

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., is offering several exciting storytime programs for kids of all ages this summer.

The library will begin its summer season of popular preschool storytimes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., from June 23-July 29. Children from birth to age 5 may attend these free drop-in events. The 30 minute programs feature fingerplays, stories, music and more designed to develop age-appropriate early literacy skills. Adults may select from two storytimes depending upon the needs of the child. Children who are able to sit in storytime on their own may attend the Preschool program where content is geared towards ages 3-5; children who prefer to be accompanied by an adult may attend the Toddler program where material is appropriate for ages 1-3. Both programs are held simultaneously at 10 a.m. No registration is necessary.

School age children in grades 1-5 are invited to spend 15 min. reading to one of the library's specially-trained listening dogs in the Ruff Readers Program beginning June 22. The canine friends visit the library on various days and times, and time slots are available on a first come/first served basis. For a schedule of open time slots please contact the Youth Services Dept. at 262.636.9245. This is a fun way for kids to practice reading to a non-judgmental and gentle listener.

Kids ages 6-10 and their families are invited to attend "Be Creative @ Your Library," an hour-long monthly event where participants explore different topics through stories, activities, and crafts. Registration is required unless otherwise noted. Call the Library's Youth Services at 636.9245. "Be Creative @ Your Library" programs are as follows:

• Thursday, June 25 at 1:30 p.m. – Exploring Calligraphy
  
  
• Tuesday, July 21 at 1:30 p.m. – The Art of Origami
  
  
• Saturday, August 8 at 1:30-3:30 p.m. – Family Fun Day (no registration required) – a drop in program with games, crafts, activities and special guests.

All storytime events are free and open to the public.

Storytime Opportunities at the Library

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., is offering several exciting storytime programs for kids of all ages.

You'll find the library's enthusiastic storytellers on the road this week as they perform two events for kids from ages 3-8. On Thursday, January 15, a preschool storytime will be presented at Tyler Domer Recreation Center from 1:30-2:00 p.m., featuring fun and interactive stories and music. On Saturday, January 17, a storyteller will be present at JavaVino Café at 424 Main St., to present an hour of stories and a simple craft to kids ages 3-8 and their families.

The library will also start its winter season of popular preschool storytimes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., from January 20-March 11. Children from birth to age 5 may attend these 30 min. events. The programs feature fingerplays, stories, music and more designed to develop age-appropriate early literacy skills. Children who are able to sit in storytime on their own may attend the Preschool program. Children who prefer to be accompanied by an adult may attend the Infant & Toddler program. Both programs are held simultaneously at 10 a.m.

School age children in grades 1-5 are invited to spend 15 min. reading to one of the library's specially-trained listening dogs in the Ruff Readers Program. Our canine friends visit the library on Mondays from 4-5 p.m., Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 pm. This is a fun way for kids to practice reading to a non-judgmental and gentle listener. Time slots available on a first-come/first-served basis. This season's Ruff Readers program will begin on Monday, Jan. 19, 2009.

Kids ages 4-10 and their families are also invited to attend "Adventures in Stories," an hour-long monthly event where participants explore different topics through stories and crafts. The next event will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Join our storytellers as we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

All storytime events are free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.

Storytimes at the Library

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., offers several opportunities for youth ages birth to 10 to participate in storytime events this fall. All programs are free and no registration is necessary. All programs take place in the Youth Services Dept. For more information, contact the library at 262.636.9245.

From Sept. 23-Nov. 12, families of children ages birth-5 may attend a 20-30 minute storytime with their young listeners. Storytimes feature stories, songs, and activities designed to teach early literacy skills. All programs are held at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Caregivers should select one of the following programs best suited to their child's developmental needs:

• Baby and Toddler Storytime: For children 3 and younger who are accompanied by an adult.
  
  
• Preschool Storytime: For children 3-5 years of age who are able to sit independently.
  

In addition to these, the library also offers programs for school age youth:

• Saturday Stories: This program held at JavaVino, 424 Main St., from 9:30-10:30 a.m., features stories and crafts for families of children ages 3-8. Families are invited to enjoy a relaxing morning in a warm and fun atmosphere! Beginning in September, the program will be held on the first and third Saturdays. Coffee, tea and light breakfast items are available for purchase.
  
  
• Ruff Readers: Kids in grades 1-5 are invited to read to our specially-trained listening dogs on Mondays 4-5:30 p.m., Tuesdays 4-5 p.m. and Thursdays 4:30-5:30 p.m. 15 minute time slots are available on a first come/first serve basis.
  

Adventures in Stories is a storytelling program for families with children ages 5-10, combining storytelling (sometimes with a bilingual twist), crafts, and other fun activities. Kids explore a different theme for every event. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
For the latest and most up-to-date information about the happenings at the Racine Public Library visit rplinfo.blogspot.com. Your comments are always welcome and may be posted to the blog or emailed to info@racinelibrary.info. You may also visit the Racine Public Library at racinelibrary.info or on Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, and YouTube.

Just a reminder...Racine Public Library May 3 program

Adventures in Stories @ the Library

With Mother's Day just around the corner, the Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St, is hosting an "Adventures in Stories" program on Saturday, May 3 from 2-3 p.m. featuring stories and crafts celebrating Mom. The event is designed for ages 5-10 and will include the making of a gift for kids to give to Mom for Mother's Day. No registration is necessary for this free program. For more information contact the library at 262.636.9245.

Tuesday, March 18: Adventures in Stories: Spring Celebrations Around the World

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., is once again hosting an Adventures in Stories program for kids ages 5-10 and their families on Tues., March 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Children's Dept. Families will share great stories told by entertaining storytellers exploring the many spring celebrations held around the world. After enjoying a ½ hour of stories, families will have time to create a craft and share a snack together. The library has invited a special guest to meet with the children participating in the evening's activities. Families won't want to miss this opportunity to welcome a much anticipated season. This program is free and no registration is required.

February 25 & 26: Child Care & Education Information Fair

Some of Racine's finest child care, preschool and other education organizations will be present at the Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., for an information fair on Mon. and Tues., Feb. 25 & 26 from 9:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Parents and other caregivers are invited to explore the many wonderful educational opportunities available for their children and to search out that perfect facility for their child's needs. This is a free event open to the public.

Local organizations interested in displaying their information or staffing a display table may contact Becky Spika, 262.619.2571, to reserve a free spot.