Being bilingual is good for your brain!

It is almost impossible to comprehend the loss that occurred last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. It can be even more difficult to explain that loss to your children.

There are so many great books for fourth and fifth graders. Fantasy, adventure, mystery – we have all types of stories! Our staff loves reading children’s books, new and old, and we are excited to help you find the next book in a favorite series or recommend a few new books to try. Have fun reading some of our favorites listed below, and come visit us at the library for even more reading recommendations.

Where has the moon gone? It has disappeared from the sky and Rendi seems to be the only one who has even noticed. Although Rendi was in a new village, because he had run away from home, he found work as an inn-keepers chore boy. No one had visited this inn or this town in some time and nothing ever seemed to happen. However, one day a mysterious Madame Chang arrives with wonderful stories of Chinese folklore. It is through the telling of these stories that the pieces of the puzzle begin to unfold. Each story reveals a little bit about the teller and offers a clue that helps answer, "what happened to the moon?" 

The calendar may say that the holidays are almost here, but the thermostat tells a different story.  How do you get in the holiday spirit when the weather refuses to cooperate?  Good books will always do the trick.  Whether it’s Peter’s snowball that melts in his pocket or Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods, these great stories will bring winter to your home.  So, grab a quilt, some hot chocolate and snuggle up.  The weather outside may be frightful, but these books are so delightful.  Happy Holidays and as always, Happy Reading!

There's still time to get creative--The deadline for Kids in Print, the Richland Library's literary magazine for children and teens, has been extended.  Submissions will be accepted through January 4th.  So start sketching, snapping black & white photos or writing your own poems, plays, essays or short stories. 

Written By: Lavin, Arthur; Glaser, Susan
Published By: Wiley, 2007

Written By: Ludewig, Alexis; Swan, Amy
Published By: McGraw-Hill Publishing, 2007

Library Storytime is a developmentally important and meaningful experience for children. When you bring your child to storytime, you introduce him to the Library, the best picture books, and what may be his first group experience with children his own age. By attending weekly, you make storytime part of his routine, and teach him that the library is not only where you go to get more free books, but where you go to have lots of entertaining fun. This fun time is also enriching.

Richland Library is dedicated to helping you raise a reader. Reading should happen every day and all through the day. These early literacy tips will help you incorporate reading into your family's daily life.We also hope you'll come to the library every week for storytime, and let our expert staff pick out books just right for your growing reader!