Children’s Librarians talk with parents, caregivers, and children all day, every day. It's harvest time all around the northern hemisphere. What books could we read to our children?
Q: What's your favorite book about Thanksgiving for ages 3 to 7?
A: Any question that begins with "What is your favorite..." is hard for me to answer, because my moods change, my tastes change, and new things are constantly coming into my consciousness. Also, it's my job to imagine what might be someone else's favorite.
Gifts for the readers in your life recommended by OPL librarians.
We have a confession to make: we librarians LOVE IT when you buy books. LOVE!! And we know you want to give exactly the right book.
So, without further ado, OPL is proud to present its first ever Holiday Gift Guide. These are books we love and want you and your loved ones to read, ones that are 99% guaranteed not to garner this reaction. And as if that weren't great enough, we're capping it off with a list of local indie bookstores where you can buy these gems. (Call ahead to confirm availability!)
Click here for our Graphic Novel Gift Guide!
Click here for suggestions for adult and YA readers!
It's been a banner couple-of-years for comics. Here are some of our favorites.
We loved so many graphic novels lately, we gave them their own list! Try Dr. Comics and Mr. Games of Oakland for these, though a couple are self published and can be purchased directly from the artists. Follow the links!
We've grouped them under the age of the youngest appropriate reader, but any of the kids' and YA titles may be loved by adults too.
For kids' books that aren't comics, click here.
Q & A: It's the kids turn to get their questions answered!
Usually I answer questions asked by adults. Today I am going to answer questions asked by children:
Melvil Dewey.
No, he was a librarian.
No.
I am not pulling your leg. Melvil Dewey was a real person. Read his online biography here or borrow this book:
The song "Skinnamarink Dinky Dink" is what I sing at
On November 12, we're releasing a list of books we recommend and independent bookstores where you can buy them! Which books do you recommend?
So, we at the library love letting you borrow books for free. It's kind of our thing. But we know that when you give a book as a gift, you don't want to have to whisper "bring it back in three weeks" while receiving your thank you hug, do you? Sometimes, you really need to buy a book.
And boy, do we have thoughts about which books you should buy, and where you should buy them. That's why on November 12, OPL will release our first Holiday Gift Guide. We'll include recommended titles for the children, teens, and adults in your lives, AND a handy-dandy list of independent bookstores in Oakland! What more could you ask for?
While we're making our list and checking it twice,* chime in with your suggestions here. What books have you loved this year? Which are you planning to give as gifts? I'll go first and say that multiple people on my list will be getting Kate Beaton's two 2015 books:
Children’s Librarians talk with parents, caregivers, and children all day, every day. In October, many parents find out their children's reading level from tests given at school. Their children's teachers may encourage them to find books at that level at the library. So where do we keep them?
Q: Where do you keep your Level K books?
A: The short answer is that Oakland Library doesn't label books with reading levels using any of systems associated with proprietary testing...
...however, we do have areas of the library that gather a range of reading levels together. This allows readers to browse an area that encompasses their reading level and includes choices of subjects, visual presentations, genres, and writing styles. Our hope is that (without too much effort) readers will find books that appeal to them and are close enough to their reading level.
So, when you ask us for leveled books, let us show you to the section that includes the level you need. At that point, many readers decide to get any books that look interesting
If you've got little magazine readers, you'll want to download popular children's magazines like American Girl and Highlights--free with your library card!
Zinio is the Oakland Public Library's digital magazine provider, and your library card gives you access to hundreds of titles on your iPad, Kindle Fire, smartphone or other digital device. The New Yorker, Vogue, National Geographic, Forbes and many others are available... and now, so are over a dozen popular children's magazines.
Do your kids love Highlights, Cricket, or American Girl Magazine? Zinio lets you download them for free, and you can keep them on your device forever.
To use Zinio, you'll need to add the app on your
Join us for zine fun!
Cathy Camper, the author of Low Riders in Space, comes to Oakland to present a series of zine-making workshops at five braches. Join us as she shares her process in writing Lowriders in Space and shows how to create zines. These workshops are designed for ages 10 to 14, but all are welcome.
Saturday, October 10, 2015 - 1:00pm 81st Avenue
Wednesday
Librarians fight for your freedom to read. Read this to learn why.
Parent: My kid said you will let him read whatever he wants! Is that true?
Me: The short answer? Yeah. Anything available to the public he is allowed to borrow.
Parent reply: He's only 9 years old! The library is full of subjects he is not mature enough for yet! You are going to let him borrow anything!?!?!
Me: As long as he checks it out with his library card... yeah, pretty much.
So I gave the parent the very
Why do we have so many Spongebob and Dora books? So kids can choose.
When I was in library school, I had a WONDERFUL children's literature professor who one day went on a rant about not buying what I will refer to as "junk" for our libraries (she used a more colorful four-letter word). "I don't want to see any [junk] on your shelves!" she told us. "There are too many good books out there for you to be buying [junk]."
By [junk] she meant books like these:
