Planning to see the movie? Read the book first!
Earlier in the year I highlighted books made into films during the first half of 2014. Many more book-based movies are scheduled to release in the coming months. Here are just a few, all available at Oakland Public Library, so you can check them out before seeing the movie!
A new study found that attending storytimes in which reading, singing, talking, writing and playing with your child took place had a positive impact on the child's literacy levels.
I recently returned from sweltering Las Vegas where the American Library Association Annual Convention was taking place. One of the programs I attended looked at whether or not the five activities developed by Every Child Ready to Read 2 - reading, singing, talking, writing and playing with children aged 0-5 had a statistical impact on that child's literacy levels. A research grant in Washington State looked at the literacy levels of kids who attended storytimes where those practices were modeled.
The results? Yes they do! Children who attended library storytimes that incorporated those activities did have higher literacy rates. Just another reason to come to the storytimes offered here at the library and practice these activities at home.
For more information about the study, check out:
New research supports reading for fun, and reading by choice during the summer.
This new survey from Reading is Fundamental tells us that kids are spending 3 times as much time watching TV or playing video games then they are reading during the summer. Even so, we know that Oakland kids are reading: so far, 1000 more kids are participating in Oakland's Summer Reading Challenge than at this time last year.
A couple of bullets jump out to me from the report:
With your Oakland Public Library card, you can request any LINK+ book that isn't available from OPL.
Guess how many books you have access to at OPL. Go ahead, guess. A million? 5 million? Go....higher. Yes, we do have over a million print titles in our collection and, with a service known as LINK+, an extension of our Interlibrary Loan service, you can choose from over 11 million print titles from participating public and academic libraries in the area.
Like Manga? Link+ has 10,000 listings.
Need textbooks? Link+ has thousands.
Q&A: Children's librarians answer questions from children, parents, caregivers, and teachers, all day, every day. Question of the day: I’m taking my son to the dentist. I don’t want him to have the same phobias I have! Do you have any great books that will put both of us at ease?
Q: Do you have any books about visiting the dentist? It’s my son’s first trip to the dentist, and I don’t want him to have the same phobias I have! Do you have any great books that will put both of us at ease?
A: Yes, as a matter of fact we do. To quote Mr. Rogers, “Learning to take good care 
of yourself is an important part of growing. No matter how much you grow, though, there will always be times when you’ll need help keeping your body healthy. That’s true for everyone – children and adults.” His is still my favorite book, even though it was
Nothing to do? Here's just a little of what's happening in the next 24 hours at the Oakland Public Library
Learn a language online with Transparent Language - includes 81 languages to teach you listening, speaking, reading and writing.
If you're traveling abroad this summer and want to get some conversational mastery in your destination language, check out our online language learning resource called Transparent Language Online. If you're accessing the link from your home computer, you'll need to enter your library card number and PIN to get started.
This program is fully interactive, and uses various multimedia activities to engage all four language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The feature I like best is that you can download all the vocabulary from each section as a PDF so you can even study off-line. (If you're an ESL student, it also includes beginner English courses for speakers of other languages and an immersion course for intermediate level English learners.) You can also get this on your smartphone - just search for the Byki app to get started.
Of course, the library also has a number of DVDs, CDs and books to help
This is a synopsis of the Lakeview Branch Library Book Club's discussion of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Recommended books for kids who love Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series.
Every day in the library, we meet young readers who just can’t get enough of Rick Riordan. The author’s exciting blend of reality and mythology has exploded in popularity, with kids clamoring for books in his Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, as well as his Kane Chronicles and Heroes of Olympus series. Riordan superfans who are hungry for more fantastical action and adventure may want to give these
Here are some of the books YOU are reading this summer!
Are you participating in our Summer Reading Program yet? Yes, I'm talking to you - you adult out there who thought summer reading was just for kids! It's not, and there are prizes to be won!
Also, we want your book reviews... if you post them on the website, they'll show up right here on the library's website. Spread the word and help other library users find some new things to read. Go straight on over to the book review form and let us know what we should (or shouldn't) read this summer.
Here are the reviews we've received so far...
