Join us for the August session of Growing Good Kids.

Tuesday, August 31 at 11 AM

August's Topic: Helping Toddlers Learn to Share

This program is a resource roundtable for caregivers at the Darien Library. Attendees can participate in an informal dialogue on childcare topics facilitated by Lauren Pote from Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut and Gretchen Pereyra, a Psychotherapist who is bilingual in Spanish.

Storytime is for babies, toddlers and children up to age 6.

Register: Monday, August 16 - Tuesday, September 7

Session:  Monday, September 13 - Friday, October 15

Registered Storytimes are for children whose parents are Darien residents, employed in Darien full-time, or contributors to the Darien Library Annual Campaign at the $300 level.

How to Register

Register infants and 1-year-olds based on their ability to walk. 

Register 2-year-olds and up based on their age by September 27 (two weeks after storytime session begins).

Registration is online and a lottery.  Notification is Saturday, September 11, 2010.

Drop-in programs are listed on the Kids Calendar on the Events page

Click on the name of the storytime for which you'd like to register

Giggles and Rhymes for pre-walking babies and parent/caregiver

• Monday 11 - 11:30 a.m.
• Wednesday 11 - 11:30 a.m.

Born to Read for walkers up to 24 months and parent/caregiver

• Wednesday 9:30 - 10 a.m.
• Thursday 10:30 - 11 a.m.
• Friday 10:30 - 11 a.m.

Side by Side for 2-year-olds and parent/caregiver

• Tuesday 11:30 - Noon
• Wednesday 10:30 - 11 a.m.
• Thursday 9:30 - 10 a.m.

Totally Preschool for 3 and 4-year-olds

• Tuesday 1:30 - 2 p.m.
• Friday 9:30 - 10 a.m.
• Friday 1:30 - 2 p.m.

Little Clickers technology class introduces computer skills and websites to 3 - 5-year-olds and a parent/caregiver.

• Friday 10:30 - 11 a.m.

Bookworms for 5 and 6-year-olds

• Tuesday 4:15 - 4:45 p.m.
  

Registration Information:

Registration begins Monday, August 16.

Parents will need a Library card to register.

Each program below is a series in which children attend all of the dates listed. Clcik on the link to fill out the registration form.

STORIES ON THE SPECTRUM

3 to 8-year-olds with a parent/caregiver.

A sensory-based storytime for children with autism spectrum disorders (or other sensory integration issues) and their families.  Register by the first meeting. 

Saturday 11 - 11:30 a.m.

September 11, October 9, November 6

NEWBERY VISIONARIES

9 to 12-year-olds.

Be a part of a monthly mock Newbery Award Committee!  Read, discuss, and vote on what you think will win in January 2011.  Register by the second meeting. 

Wednesday 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

September 15, October 13, November 10, December 8, January 5.

7, 8, CREATE!

7 and 8-year-olds.

No registration!  A weekly drop-in program featuring books, crafts, activities, and games. 

Wednesdays 4:15 - 4:45 p.m.

Getting kids excited about reading is all about find that "just right" book. 

The Children's Librarians LOVE to help kids and parents find great new books to read.  You can stop in anytime for a personal consultation.  You can also check out our Online Booklists. 

Looking for even more book recommendations? 

Here are a bunch of great book websites for kids:

Which book is missing from the series? :-) Picture by awinn233

Question:  Every wondered what book 26 is in the Geronimo Stilton series? 

Answer:  The Mummy with No Name

An easy place to find the answer is right here. 

A library in Missouri has organized tons of series!  It's pretty awesome; it contains over 29,000 children's books.

You can also use the database Novelist.  Find children's books similar to other books, their descriptions, and reviews of them too.  Have your library card handy.

Getting kids excited about reading is all about find that "just right" book. 

The Children's Librarians LOVE to help kids and parents find great new books to read.  You can stop in anytime for a personal consultation.  You can also check out our Online Booklists. 

Looking for even more book recommendations? 

Here are a bunch of great book websites for kids:

As a parent, do you:

• Worry that you are not doing enough?
• Struggle with embarrassing issues?
• Seek ways to reduce power struggles?
• Want to do everything you can to be
 an effective and competent parent?

Parents of boys and girls in 3rd and 4th grades are invited to join this monthly Parent Discussion Group held in at Darien Library. Using the Raising Our Sons and Raising Our Daughters Parenting Guides you will meet monthly with parents of children of the same age and gender to help prepare you and your children for the tween and teen years.

June 30, 2010 - April 13, 2011

Wednesday evenings, 7:00 pm

Darien Library is a member of Thriving Youth: Connected Community, an initiative of the Darien Human Services Planning Council for developmental asset building through meaningful relationships, experiences, skills and opportunities that benefit all our children. Thriving Youth: Connected Community is a movement in Darien to address the needs of our young people which were brought to light in the Fall when the Search Institute conducted the 40 Developmental Assets survey in our Middle and High Schools. If you missed the results when they were announced you can still view the presentation as a pdf here.

To see the list of Developmental Assets that will be discussed in this series, click here.

Space is limited - to register for this program, sign up by calling (203) 669-5235 or email childrenslibrary@darienlibrary.org

Parents' Film Screening

How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop

Wednesday, May 19

9:30 am and 6:30 pm

On Wednesday, May 19, there will be two screenings held in the Library's Community Room of the film        How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop.

In this film experience the frustration, anxiety, and tension felt by children with learning disabilities. This groundbreaking workshop led by Richard Lavoie, a nationally known expert on learning disabilities, parents and teachers are shown what the world looks like through the eyes of a LD child.

Running Time: 70 minutes

The Darien Library will be co-sponsoring this new storytime with the Darien Senior Center. Preschoolers and their caregivers are welcome to join us at the Darien Senior Center for stories, songs, and movement activities.

Ages 3 to 5

Wednesday, April 21 1:30pm – 2pm

Darien Senior Center: 30 Edgerton Street

photo courtesy of Flicker user GlennFleishman

From a new work of non-fiction that explores the extinction of ancient mammoths and mastodons, to Gary Paulsen's latest novel about a brave young boy in 1776 Pennsylvania, to the hilarious misadventures of a middle school girl in The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, there are tons of interesting new children's books to check out.

Click here to view all of the most recent additions to the Children's Library.