Your definitive guide for helping your speech-impaired child--cowritten by two in-the-trenches experts

Spending lots of time travelling this holiday season? Well, stop by the library for some of these great new picture books that will provide lots of entertainment for your little ones!

Kids love technology and, let’s face it, games make learning fun.  These iPad Apps will help your family get a handle on money:

Check it out!  Old favorites are making a comeback.  In The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm, readers will discover what life was like for Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny before they became orphans living in a boxcar.  Although fans of the series will know that hard times lay ahead for the Aldens, it is charming to read about their life as the “best family of all.”  A great choice for readers ages 7-10.

Children learn so much during the first few years of elementary school – especially when it comes to reading. These are the years when many children become independent readers and transition from picture to chapter books. Reading on his own will open up the world for your child, but reading as a family is important, too. At Richland Library we believe you are never too old to enjoy a good book read aloud!

Richland Library is dedicated to helping your child get ready for kindergarten. Nothing prepares a child for school better than reading aloud. Your preschooler will learn the alphabet and practice narrative skills as you read together. Read to your child every day, and before you know it they will be reading on their own!

With the holiday season underway and the days of long car trips upon us, what better way  to spend those tiresome travels than to be held captivated by an audiobook? British actor Jim Dale gives a Grammy Award winning performance in his narration of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. He has created over one-hundred and fifty unique voices, one for each one of Rowling’s characters. All seven Harry Potter books are available on CD or downloadable e-book format from the Richland Library. Enjoy those car trips just a little more by popping in an audiobook for the whole family.

Press Here: This app, based on the New York Times bestselling picture book by Hervé Tullet, has 15 different mini-games filled with wonder and excitement! In this app, as well as the book, dots take on a personality all of their own. Whether it is bursting into fireworks, making different sounds, or playing a game of memory each game will leave children delighted by what they observe.

Why books? Long after the wrapping paper, ribbon and boxes are gone, books will be pulled out again and again. These stories will help us go to sleep, calm our fears and make us dream. The characters found in the books we share become part of our family and their stories become part of our own. Best of all, these books work their magic, bringing us always closer together.