Cinda Baxter, the Founder of The 3/50 Project, will speak at the Library at 6 p.m. on September 8. This event is free and open to the public. 

Relying on the simple premise “Pick 3, spend 50, save your local economy,” The 3/50 Project exploded onto the national stage as a way to help brick and mortar businesses reclaim consumer dollars in a positive, effective manner.

Cinda Baxter (pictured) understands small business from the inside out, having once been a retailer herself. As recipient of two national Retailer Excellence Awards and frequent press coverage, she now “pays it forward” to business owners and vendors through her consulting company Always Upward, and as founder of The 3/50 Project that Fox Business News refers to as “the formula that could save some local businesses that might not otherwise survive the recession.”  

Cinda urges us to "Save your local economy...three stores at a time."

For more information, please click on the attachments below.

Please join us for this important community event.

Now that we're moved in, and you've attended some children's programs...what do you think? 

Which programs would you like to continue?

In the new Library, what has your program experience been for children in their First Five Years?

If you're looking for a book to read or recommend and all that's coming to mind are "classic" youth and YA books, here are some contemporary books that you might like!

In our First Five (F5) collection, a great section to look for books for your babies in is the Rhymes & Songs glade (dark blue labels).

Before babies can understand our spoken words, nursery rhymes help demonstrate the rhythms, patterns and sounds of our speech to them.  By sharing nursery rhymes with your baby, you will be helping them build pre-literacy skills.  As they grow, learning the rhymes themselves will help them expand their vocabuary, learn number skills and give them confidence to express themselves through speech.

Another benefit to using nursery rhymes are that the books and stanzas are short so you can share them in bits and pieces. That will come especially in handy when your baby becomes a toddler and can't sit still for very long! 

Some of my favorites from this section are:

	If You're Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera
	Knock At The Door And Other Baby Action Rhymes by Kay Chorao
	Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Archibald Opie
	Tomie DePaola's Mother Goose by Tomi DePaola

On Wednesday, March 18 from 9:30 to 11 a.m., Darien Library will host a valuable seminar: Recession Proofing Your Family.

Topics to be presented:

• Parenting in Tough Times – presented by Susan Jasko, LCSW, Child Guidance Center

  ·         Talking to your kids about job loss
  ·         Setting boundaries with new financial constraints
  ·         What if they have to move or change schools?

• Keeping Relationships Strong – presented by Elisabeth Tullis Schneider, LMFT, Family Centers/Center for HOPE

  ·         Maintaining intimacy when stress is high
  ·         Communicating with your spouse and others
  ·         How to manage your own anxiety and sense of loss/fear

• Getting Your Needs Met – presented by Moira Rizzo, LMFT, Darien Family & Youth Options

  ·         Healthy coping skills
  ·         Unique ideas for getting your needs met
  ·         Signs of unhealthy coping
   

• Resources in the Community – presented by Marina Thomas, Person-to-Person, and Olive Hauser, Director of Darien Social Services

  ·         What resources are available to help you or your friends?
  ·         What can you do to help others in need?

We will provide a handout of resources available at the Library. Refreshments will be served.

(Image by flickr user Darren Hester)

Youtube videos are everywhere, but how can you be sure you won't come across something with questionable content?  Try Totlol!  This new sub-site of YouTube is a parent moderated video community aimed at kids under the age of 13. There are videos about music, phonics, classic cartoons, even some cool series like Signing Time where you can learn sign language!  The selection is huge and if you like, you can participate too by creating a free account, creating your own playlist. The site has gotten some good reviews from ReadWriteWeb and Wired Magazine. Find our more information about how it works here and see if you'd like to join in!

Other Online Video Alternatives:

Sesame Street also shares videos on their site and you can never get enough Elmo! Check out all the fun videos about reading!

blip.tv is where our library shares videos like Opening Day and time lapse videos of it being built.  See what it looked like one year ago this month!

Vimeo has fun videos like Bob Shea's Dinosaur vs. Bedtime (a personal favorite book of mine!)

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime from bob shea on Vimeo.

Kids have a natural love of music. They love to dance, shake and explore sounds and movement. Like with so many things in their lives, music is much more fun when it is shared with the grownups and siblings in their lives!  Music can help focus their attention, music can lift their spirits and research shows that music can help make them smarter!  

Many researchers believe that the earlier kids are exposed to music, the more their sponge-like brains absorb and respond to tones. In Early Literacy research, this is beneficial to their pre-literacy development and is known as Phonological Awareness. There are lots of ways you can help build this skill in and with your child including:

• clapping with the syllables
• using spoons to bang on pots and pans (note: do this with asprin handy!)
  
• making shakers by putting rice into and empty water bottle with a secure screw cap
• using scarves or sticks or anything to play! There are more ideas about making your own instruments here

Good Kids music is not something that is easy to find. A lot of the albums are hit or miss with quality and enjoyableness for the grownups who have to listen to it too.  We read a blog called Kids Music that Rocks and are introduced to lots of new artists and albums through there. Kiera wrote a piece a while back with links to some of her favorites from our collection like Elizabeth Mitchell, They Might be Giants and the Terrible Twos.  To her list, I'd to add some World Music presented by Putumayo (Kids):

Hawaiian Playground	Reggae Playground	Folk Playground	African Playground

 And now I leave you with some fun music from Feist from a guest appearance on Sesame Street. Have fun listening to music with your little one!!!

Babies learn through their senses. Ever wonder how a baby can be so fascinated with an object? They are exploring the texture, color, shape and even taste of the things they come in contact with.  Just like with words (the more you expose them to, the more they absorb) play is an essential part of your child's development. They don't just learn about the objects however. They are learning important concepts like cause and effect; when they touch the rattle, it makes a noise.  And boy do they like to move!  Just watch this short video of a baby at play (note: the adults were edited out of the video for streamlined baby adorableness).

Interested in learning more?  Talk to a Librarian and check out some of the great books we have in our Parents Section (F5 Parents) in the Children's Library:

	Baby Steps: A Guide to Your Child's Social, Physical, Mental and emotional Development in the First Two Years by Claire Kopp
	Baby Minds: Brain Building Games Your Baby Will Love by Linda Acredolo, PhD and Susan Goodwyn, PhD
	Games to Play with Babies by Jackie Silberg
	125 Brain Games for Babies: Simple Games to Promote Early Brain Development by Jackie Silberg

Have fun playing with your baby!

If you're the parent of a reluctant reader, fear not!  There are many things you can do to encourage a lifelong love of reading without resorting to bribery. 

I'll be blogging Reluctant Reader Tips (check out Tip #1) over the course of the next few weeks.  Here's Tip #2:

Silly Does It! 

Almost all kids like things that are funny, silly, and gross.  Especially if reading feels like a chore, having a laugh-out-loud book can help reinforce the idea that reading can be fun (gasp!). 

Alright, so high-brow and sophisticated Captain Underpants is NOT.  But, it certainly has phenomenal appeal for young boys- and that interest can be just the spark needed to transition into more sophisticated chapter books. 

Here are some favorite Silly Books:

If you're the parent of a child who does not like to read, you are not alone. 

Studies have shown that reading tends to drop off as a preferred activity as children get older and progress through elementary school.  Getting your child (re)interested in books can seem like an uphill battle.

What can you do?  Here's my Reluctant Reader Tip #1:

Try a graphic novel!

The Babymouse series follows the  hilarious adventures of a little mouse and her school friends.  And don't let the pinkness fool you- boys like it, too!		Not so much into pink?  Give Jeff Smith's Bone series a try. It's got humor, adventure, and friendship.	Consider Amelia Rules! the Peanuts of the 21st century.  A cast of kids who can make you laugh, cry, or both.

Comic books have come a long way!  Graphic novels have great appeal for children who are visual learners.  Like their more traditional cousin, the novel, they help increase vocabulary and narrative skills.  Graphic novels, however, have the added bonus of helping children develop an increasingly important skill: visual literacy.  Plus, they are super funny!

For future Reluctant Reader Tips, stay tuned to our blog.  And add your own tips in the comments section!