Kids News
So, You're Stuck Inside...
Posted on March 25, 2020
Even though our library branches are closed, our online library is open 24/7 and we are here to help your family with online resources during the coronavirus epidemic and beyond.
In addition to our online library and expanded digital resources, we’ve also compiled this list of free links and resources to help you expand your world outside of your home. They include educational ideas for homeschooling, enrichment activities, ideas for family time, entertainment, and downtime, and even ways to give back to your community.
Visit the links below and discover, learn, contribute and create, from your own home:
Hear a story
Here are some websites where you can hear a picture book read aloud:
Picture Books
- Kids books on Audible are temporarily free
- Hear Quackenstein Hatches a Family read by Kristen Bell
- Listen to Harry the Dirty Dog read by Betty White
- Listen to a story read in space!
- Children’s publisher shares read aloud picture books on YouTube
- Subscribe to this publisher’s YouTube channel for weekly storytime videos
- Hear kids’ stories read by author Neil Gaiman
- Author Nick Bruel reads some of his Bad Kitty stories
- Author Kate Messner reads her book, The Brilliant Deep
- Author Carole Lindstrom reads her picture book, We Are Water Protectors
- Author Kate Messner shares an excerpt from her non-fiction book, Tracking Pythons
- Author-illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi reads her picture book Where Are My Books? and gives a drawing demonstration
- Author Kate Messner reads her picture book Up in the Garden
- Author Nancy Castaldo reads from her non-fiction book about endangered species, Back From the Brink
- Author Aisha Saeed reads her picture book Bilal Cooks Daal
- Author Emily Jenkins reads her picture book A Greyhound, a Groundhog
Chapter Books
- Author Leah Henderson reads the first chapter of her middle-grade reader, The Magic In Changing Your Stars
- Author Jason Reynolds shares an extract from his novel, Ghost
- Author Jo Knowles reads from the first chapter of her book, Where the Heart Is
- Author Chris Tebbetts reads the first chapter of his book Stranded and gives you a writing prompt
- Author Ann Braden reads the first chapter of his book The Benefits of Being an Octopus
- Author Mae Respicio shares an excerpt from her book, Any Day with You and gives a writing prompt where you imagine a day at the beach gone wrong
- Author Lisa Schroeder reads an excerpt from her book My Secret Guide to Paris and shares a writing exercise
- Author Janet Fox reads an excerpt from her book The Artifact Hunters
- Author Abby Cooper reads the first chapter of her book Friend or Fiction
Young Adult Books
- Read a synopsis for popular teen titles. After you’ve read one of the books, use the discussion questions provided and host a virtual book club
- Read books for grades 7-12 here (Username: Learning20 Password: Clifford)
Listen to music
Here are some sites with book-related songs, early literacy songs, and educational songs:
Picture Books
- Go on a Bear Hunt with author Michael Rosen
- Listen to songs inspired by children’s books
- Listen to a song about protecting the oceans
- Learn all 50 states with this song
- Learn about sentences with this song
- Here’s a song explaining the silent “e”
- Get the wiggles out with this song
Discover
Here are some sites with book-related songs, early literacy songs, and educational songs:
Animals & Nature
- Investigate some of the exhibits at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum
- Look at the fish and other animals at the Georgia Aquarium. How many different species do you see?
- Check out some of the animals at the San Diego Zoo. Can you find one mammal and one bird? What about one primate and one marsupial?
- Watch wild animals from around the world. What do you like to watch?
- Take a virtual field trip to learn more about the world of polar bears
- See what’s happening at the Monterey Bay Aquarium by looking at their webcams. Can you find a mammal, a bird, a fish and a reptile?
- Take a virtual tour of the US Botanical Gardens in Washington, DC
- Fancy a dip? You can virtually swim with dolphins and learn some dolphin facts here
- Meet a hammerhead shark in this 360 degree video
- Virtually explore an active volcano
- Take an up close look at a beehive
- Take a look at a desert biome. What plants and animals do you see
- Look at a temperate forest. How does it change with the seasons? What signs of animals do you find?
- Learn more about the life found in a rainforest here
Art
- Watch 360 degree videos and explore fashion, art, architecture, space, dinosaurs and more
- Check out the works at the National Gallery of Art
- See if you recognize any faces from the National Portrait Gallery
- Take a virtual tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Learn about the creations of Latinx artists in this exhibit from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Famous Places
- Check out the view from the Statue of Liberty
- Take a virtual tour of the Great Wall of China. No passport required
- What do you think it looks like on Mars? Take this virtual tour to see
- Can’t make it to the beach? Take this virtual tour of Hawaii
- See a virtual tour of the pyramids of Egypt without leaving home.
- Take a virtual stroll through the Taj Mahal
- Become an armchair traveller with virtual tours from places around the globe
- See the view from the top of the Washington Monument
- Drive across the Golden Gate bridge using just your computer
- Take a virtual tour of the Eiffel Tower
- Watch the cherry blossoms bloom on the National Mall
- Take a virtual look at Buckingham Palace
- Check out a 3D map of Mt. Everest
Sports & Mores
- Visit online exhibits at the National Football Hall of Fame
- Even if there are no games being played, you can still see the online exhibits at the National Baseball hall of Fame. Who is your favorite team?
- GOAL! Take a quick virtual tour of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
- Take a virtual ride on a roller coaster. Count the number of drops. Can you draw a picture of a roller coaster with as many drops?
- While you are eating the things from your pantry, do you ever wonder where that food comes from? Explore farms with 360 degree virtual tours
- Tour the Ferrari Museum to see some fabulous cars
- Learn about the secret gadgets of spies while you explore these items from the Spy Museum
Learn
Check out these sites with all kinds of information about the world around us.
- Here is a kid-friendly comic that explains the COVID-19 pandemic
- This podcast episode gives family friendly advice on staying healthy during the COVID-19 outbreak
- Learn about the Civil Rights Movement by looking at this photo display from the High Museum of Art in Atlanta
- Here’s a mini-lesson on comparative mythology from kids’ author Tracy Baptiste
- Learn the sad story of Anne Frank with a virtual trip through her home
- Learn more about President George Washington with a virtual tour through Mt. Vernon
- Test your math skills for grades K-6
- Print out some simple space themed activities to do at home
- Learn your family history with these genealogy tips from the Ellis island Museum of Immigration
- Help kids learn social and emotional skills with this video
- Learn about nuclear power with this virtual field trip
- Explore the world of technology with this virtual field trip
- Learn how pharmaceutical companies use science with this virtual field trip
Share
Here are some websites that will inspire you to make social media content, kid friendly crafts, and more!
STEM
- Do a pet-themed kids maker activity led by kids’ author with Megan Frazer Blakemore
- Solve a STEM mystery with author Sarah Albee
- Learn from Disney’s imagineers and explore methods to create your own theme park
Writing
- Author Veera Hiranandani gives a writing prompt to help you with creating characters
- Author Erin Entrada gives you a writing challenge about keeping notebooks
- Author Chris Tebbetts gives you a writing challenge about being stranded in a strange setting
- Author Chris Tebbetts talks you through a mini-workshop on creating characters
- Author Nikki Grimes gives you a prompt for writing poetry
- Author Paula Chase gives you a writing prompt to help you build stories about yourself
- Author Michelle Cusolito offers a mini-lesson on how to make your writing a more sensory experience for the reader
Art
- Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner teaches kids how to draw anything
- Author Grace Lin teaches you how to draw a Chinese dragon
- Illustrator Kelley McMorris talks about how to illustrate a book cover and prompts you to design your own book cover
- Author- illustrator Lita Judge gives advice on sketching
Author Permissions
- Learn from Penguin House how you can temporarily upload your own storytime video without concerns for copyright infringement
- Kids’ author Todd Parr gives permission for you to record storytimes of his books
- Kids author BJ Novak gives permission for you to record storytimes of his book
- Kids’ author Peter H. Reynolds gives permission for you to record storytimes of his books
- Kids’ author Mo Willems gives permission for you to record storytimes of his books
- Kids; author Karma Wilson gives permission for you to record storytimes of her books
Contribute
Help the world around you through citizen science projects:
- Count chimps in Africa, help identify stars, read historical documents or fight resistance to antibiotics. A world of science, arts, history and other projects can use your help
- Play a game while helping scientists defeat Alzheimers
- Do you have a Twitter account? Help MIT improve AI recognize emotions with this quick survey
- Help scientists learn about the effects of screen use on our sleeping patterns
- Help scientists learn about light pollution
- Do you have a bird nest in your yard? Monitor it carefully and report results to help ornithologists learn about bird populations
- Watch the birds in your yard for just a few minutes and report what you see
- Do you have a rain gauge? Monitor rainfall and report your findings here
- Concerned about climate change? Submit your observations about weather and wildlife in your area as part of an effort to collect data
- Observe how plants are changing each season and report your findings here
And More!
- Hear read-alouds, book talks, get art instruction, play games and more – all led by authors!
- See if you can set a Guinness World Record. Here are some feats you can try at home
Mock Caldecott 2020 Results
Posted on January 24, 2020
The votes are in! Sonoma County has chosen the best picture books of the year!
Drum roll please . . . The Sonoma County's Mock Caldecott Winner is...There Are No Bears in this Bakery, by Julia Sarcone-Roach.
Every year, children’s book illustrators hold their breath as the Caldecott committee members read, examine, and critique the best illustrated children’s books of the year to finally determine which one deserves the highly regarded award.
For the fifth year in a row, you let us know which books you thought would win by voting in our Mock Caldecott contest.
The children's librarians of Sonoma County Library read hundreds of picture books published in 2019, narrowed their favorites down to 8 (not an easy task!), then left it up to you to choose our winner by voting for your favorites either online or at the library.
The numbers were close, but the following titles are our three Honor Books for the year.
|
By Brendan Wenzel |
Dancing hands: how Teresa Carreño played the piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López |
by endy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus, illustration |
Winter Break Activities at the Library
Posted on December 30, 2019
Beginning Saturday, December 21 through Saturday, January 4, the Library is offering free programs ranging from winter crafts, Build Clubs and Read to a Dog events, to Magician Mike Della Penna, Animal Music, holiday puppet shows, kids' yoga and zumba, virtual reality, and more!
All events are free.
For more information, check the library’s online calendar at http://events.sonomalibrary.org/events, or Ask A Librarian.
Mock Caldecott 2020
Posted on December 23, 2019
It's almost time to choose our favorite picture books of the year!
Every year, children’s book illustrators hold their breath as the Caldecott committee members read, examine and critique the best illustrated children’s books of the year to finally determine which one deserves the highly regarded award.
For the past five years, Sonoma County Library has been hosting our own Mock Caldecott Contest, where we select the books WE feel are the best illustrated children's books of the year. Below, you will see the eight books we think are worth considering. These books, selected by Sonoma County Library staff, all fit the criteria of books to be considered for the Caldecott Medal. You can find copies of these books at your local branch.
Let us know who YOU think will win by voting for your favorites—either online or at the library. Voting will be open from January 2 through January 23.
Sonoma County's winners will be announced in your local branch and online Jan. 25!
Planting stories: the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpré
by Anika Aldamuy Denise
and Paola Escobar, illustration
Dancing hands: how Teresa Carreño played the piano for President Lincoln
by Margarita Engle
and Rafael López
Library celebrates Native American Heritage Month in November
Posted on November 07, 2019
Sonoma County Library is showcasing the rich history and traditions of Native Americans in Sonoma County by celebrating National Native American Heritage Month with a series of events in November.
National Native American Heritage Month events take place throughout November with presentations, Meet the Illustrator events, and traditional basket making/weaving classes at several participating branches.
“We welcome and celebrate all cultures at Sonoma County Library,” said Sonoma County Library Events Specialist Megan Backus. “We look forward to recognizing the history and heritage of this important part of our Sonoma County community every November during National Native American Heritage Month, as well as throughout the year.”
Sonoma County is home to a number of Native American Tribes dating back to over 12,000 years. From the Coast, Miwoks; in the norther near the Mayacamas Mountain Range dwelled Wintuns, Wapo and Miyakmahs; in the lower Valley, Pomos; near the edge of San Pablo Bay, Koskiwok; and in the southeast corner, Patwins; to name a few.
National Native American Heritage Month events are free and open to all.
Petaluma and Rohnert Park-Cotati libraries to host Halloween events
Posted on October 30, 2019
Unsure of where to take your kids for Halloween? All are invited to Trick or Treat in the Library on Thursday, October 31, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Petaluma and Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Libraries. Join your favorite library staff for a not-so-spooky Halloween event featuring stories, songs and silliness.
“In light of the widespread evacuations and poor air quality throughout Sonoma County, and after observing uncertainty from community members about where to take their kids trick or treating, we will be hosting indoor trick or treating events at our Petaluma and Rohnert Park-Cotati branches on Thursday, October 31,” said Library Director Ann Hammond. “We hope these events bring a semblance of normality to our families during this challenging time.”
Some Sonoma County Library branches had existing plans for Halloween events that had to be canceled due to branch closures. Library staff in closed branches have been re-deployed to open branches, ensuring that community members have a place to go with electricity, WiFi and charging stations.
Trick or Treat in the Library events are free and open to all. Attendees are welcome to come in costume, although not required.
Sonoma County Library launches virtual reality program
Posted on September 24, 2019
Surf in Angola, hike in England, dive with sharks in Cuba, fly over Manhattan, or hike the canyons of Arizona, without ever leaving the library!
The Sonoma County Library is officially launching its Virtual Reality at the Library program, with an inaugural party for the public at Central Santa Rosa Library on Monday, October 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Attendees will be able to try virtual reality (VR) equipment and a variety of different programs at the party. VR equipment is also available at the Petaluma, Central Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley and Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library branches. “We’re delighted to provide access to virtual reality technology and educate patrons on the extensive uses and purposes of VR,” said Sonoma County Library Digital Literacy Specialist Bridget Hayes. “We invite community members to immerse themselves in the world of virtual reality at our upcoming launch party.”
Sonoma County Library recently added VR headsets Oculus GO, Oculus Quest and ClassVR to its ever-expanding VR lineup. The library has provided opportunities for the community to experience VR since 2017 and plans to utilize the updated VR program to focus on the benefits of immersive learning.
The October 14 launch party at Central Santa Rosa Library from 6:30 to 8 p.m. is free and open to all.
The theme for the party is Travel for free! Immerse yourself in another world with Virtual Reality.
Age restrictions and permission forms apply to some devices. Learn more about Sonoma County Library’s VR services. Access to the library’s VR technology is free and open to Sonoma County Library cardholders.
Virtual Reality at the Library is made possible by the Measure Y sales tax, the community’s investment in free public libraries. Additional VR equipment was funded through a California State Library grant.
Jay Cobb tests a virtual reality headset at a library outreach program with the Kiwanis Club of Oakmont on July 18, 2019. Photo by Bridget Hayes.
2019 Summer Lunch at the Library Impact
Posted on September 15, 2019
In 2019, for the fifth year in a row, Sonoma County Library served free lunches to children ages 0-18 during the summer months, in an effort to help combat food insecurity on Sonoma County. Our library sites are eligible to participate if the closest public school to a library has more than 50% of its students eligible for free and reduced lunch during the school year.
For summer 2019, we had 8 participating library sites - Central Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Northwest Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Sebastopol, and Sonoma Valley.
From surveys returned by participating children and families, we learned that through this program we:
- Served 6832 meals to children and teens across the county (an increase of 36% over 2018)
- Served meals on 324 days across 8 locations (increase from 259 days/6 locations in 2018)
- Supported the physical, emotional, and developmental health of low income children in the community
- Engaged children and youth in summer reading programs and other library programming
- Provided community service opportunities to teens
- Provided a safe and trusted community space for children and families to go while school is out of session
- Provided families with access to technology and other community resources and services.
We'll be back again next summer, and we'd love to have you volunteer to help serve lunches to the children of our community!
LINK+ borrow more materials from more libraries
Borrow More Materials from More Libraries with LINK+
Posted on July 15, 2019
Not finding what you are looking for at your local branch? You now have access to a single, online searchable catalog of over 70 California and Nevada libraries; all you need is your Sonoma County Library card. With this new free service, called LINK+, patrons can request books, DVDs, audiobooks, music CDs and more to be delivered to their local branch. LINK+ is known for its quick service, with most items arriving within a week.
“We’re so excited to leverage the massive collections of other libraries and make over nine million additional items available for checkout,” said Jaime Anderson, Sonoma County Library Collection Services Division Manager. “LINK+ expands on the spirit of libraries to freely share resources and will greatly benefit our patrons.”
When the Sonoma County Library catalog does not have the item that a cardholder would like to check out, they can search the LINK+ catalog. Most materials loan for 21 days, with one renewal (subject to approval of lending library). Patrons can place requests online and monitor the progress of requests any time through their LINK+ account.
Check out LINK+ at sonomalibrary.org/linkplus or navigate through the Books and More page of the website. LINK+ is free and open to all with a Sonoma County Library card.
Fine Free library image
Library to eliminate fines for 80,000 patrons
Posted on July 01, 2019
On July 1, the Sonoma County Library went “fine-free” and eliminated overdue fines for items returned late, as well as forgiving past fines. In all, more than 80,000 people — 30 percent of all library borrowers — had their overdue fines waived.
“Research shows that charging fines doesn’t make a difference in whether people bring back books on time,” said Sarah Vantrease, Public Services Division Manager for the library. “Instead, we see that fines drive people away.”
While overdue fines are on their way out, some fees will remain. “We will no longer track and collect fines for overdue materials, but you still have to bring them back,” Vantrease said. Books, CDs, DVDs and other items that are kept more than 42 days after their due date will be considered “lost” and a replacement fee will be added to the borrower’s account. Returning the lost item in good condition will result in the fee being removed.
Library fines can be an extra burden for a family that may be struggling to manage the high cost of living in Sonoma County. “People want to be responsible and do the right thing, but sometimes have to make choices about which bills to pay,” said Sonoma County Library Director Ann Hammond. “Thirty percent of our patrons owe fines right now, and that’s not a good way to do business.”
“Eliminating fines and making it easier to use the library is the right thing to do,” Hammond said. “We are not in the business of collecting fines, we are in the business of sharing books and other materials to help the people of Sonoma County discover, learn and share ideas and information.”
Going fine-free is part of a plan to increase access to libraries. In addition to eliminating all past fines and not charging new fines, we are changing our library card policy. The library will still require photo identification to get a library card, but the requirement to provide proof-of-address will be eliminated, to better serve displaced, shelterless and seasonal residents.
