Blueberries for Sal

I've eaten a lot of berries this week. It's the season, even if it isn't. Don't berries show up in summer? For Oldtime Storytime this week we're rolling out one of the big guns, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. There's a lot wrong with this story, according to bear experts, and I'm not sure blueberry picking is a familiar activity for local kids, but it's a good separation anxiety yarn, and it makes adults like me nostalgic for a childhood I didn't have either. Join us today at 4:30 - we might even taste some blueberries!

Millions of Cats at Storytime

Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats. That's what we're dealing with today at Old-time Storytime. Space is limited!

What's On the Menu?

Mouse Soup! The only way to make a good mouse soup is to add some stories. Old-time Story-time this week is serving up Arnold Lobel's Mouse Soup, an I Can Read variation of the Arabian Nights. Just you try to tell a funny, interesting story using only Dolch sight words. I'm also starting off with something from Aesop, but I haven't decided which story. Any suggestions?


Previous Post: Jan Brett's Dolch Words

Curious George DOES NOT Get a Medal

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were forced to make a last minute substitution at old-time storytime today. Substituting for George was another old stand-by, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Lane Smith and John Scieszka. So far so good, but on polling the audience, it was discovered that over half were not familiar with any story about three little pigs, true or not. This required our brave story teller to do what's called "blind storytelling", or BS-ing. Purely from memory I was forced (much like Homer recounting the Illiad) to recite the Tale of the Three Little Pigs so that my audience could appreciate the wit and clever turns in the retelling by A. Wolf. Despite my forgetting the part about the "hair on my chinny chin chin" and that the second house was made of sticks, not wood, I think I pulled it off. I also failed to kill any pigs, out of sensitivity. TTOTTLP has a much higher death toll. My audience was great, and they forgave my transgressions. Next Wednesday, it's Mouse Soup!

Curious George Gets a Medal

Everything about this story is from another time and place. It's hard to imagine kids relating to a single thing that happens to poor George. But being curious, and following your curiosity where ever it leads, laughing through all the calamities that come with adventuring, who wouldn't deserve a medal? It's on the menu at old-time storytime tomorrow. We'll be giving out medals.

A Hole is to Dig

Tomorrow is Old Time Storytime again. I'm really looking forward to it. Afternoon storytime feels more right, and I get to read stories I like, and I know the kids will like, because 40 million kids have already liked them. Up next: A Hole is to Dig" by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

Old Fashioned Story Time is Back

To be honest, I missed doing Story Time. Since I work the late shift, our morning story time was out, and we have cut way back on the new children's picture books we order, so introducing new stories wasn't a priority. But I still like doing story time, so we're turning the whole thing on it's head - we're only reading classics, and we're doing it in late afternoon. It's actually kind of exciting to be able to crack open the old stuff - I'm looking forward to reading Blueberries for Sal now that the copyright dispute is settled. If you're in the area - join us starting May 6th.