Yolo County Library holds Summer Reading annually from June 1 – August 15 for everyone, ages 0 – 101. Read what makes you happy and track everything you read to earn prizes! The Summer Reading Program at Yolo County Library helps promote literacy for people of all ages by providing incentives to develop and sustain a lifelong reading habit. Research indicates that summer reading programs help children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills over the summer, provide a haven for community readers, and develop reading enthusiasm. Additionally, adult participation encourages parents to play a strong role in their child’s literacy development by reading aloud with their child and modeling good reading behavior. Register starting June 1st.
Amidst a sea of gray clouds and freezing temperatures, early on the morning of January 16 the sun was not missed. Standing among hundreds of people armed with umbrellas, wrapped in brightly colored scarves, hats, and gloves united for a single cause, the warmth of the sun was felt in human form. The bubbling of voices grew and grew as more people arrived in the parking lot of Sacramento City College. Some with banners illustrated the iconic image of the day Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Others wore T-shirts with the words of the man and the reason we were all ready to march nearly 4 miles in his memory.
Amidst a hustle and bustle of presenters going up and down the stage and briefly presenting their speeches, I remember someone saying:
“They may cut all the flowers but they can’t stop the spring.”
As we marched, I could hear the lively laughter of the people around me amidst the blaring music. It was in those moments that I reflected on the rebellious nature of flowers and the inevitability of a vernal dream.
Martin Luther King Jr, the man who once dreamed of a future both free and equitable has not only passed that dream on to his people. But in his legacy, he has awakened a desire to watch, listen and learn among other peoples, like my own. So today, I invite you to do the same. Here are two great books about the life and dream of Martin Luther King.
Entre un mar de nubes grises y temperaturas congelantes, temprano en la mañana del 16 de Enero el sol no hacía falta. Parada entre centenares de personas armadas con paraguas, bien arropadas en bufandas, gorras y guantes de colores brillantes unidas por una sola causa, se hacía sentir el calor del sol en forma humana. El burbujeo de voces crecía y crecía entre más gente llegaba al estacionamiento del Sacramento City College. Algunos con pancartas ilustraban la icónica imagen del día en el que Martin Luther King Jr. dio su famoso discurso “Tengo Un Sueño”. Otros portaban camisetas con las palabras del hombre y la razón por la cual estábamos todos listos para marchar casi 4 millas en su memoria.
Entre un ajetreo de presentadores subiendo y bajando la tarima y brevemente presentando sus discursos, recuerdo que alguien dijo:
“Podrán cortar todas las flores pero no podrán detener la primavera.”
Al marchar, podía oír las risas vivaz de la gente a mi alrededor entre la música a todo volumen. Fue en esos momentos que reflexioné sobre la rebelde naturaleza de las flores y la inevitabilidad de un sueño vernal.
Martin Luther King Jr, el hombre que un día soñó con un futuro tanto libre como equitativo para su gente no solo ha transmitido ese sueño a su pueblo. Si no que en su legado, ha despertado el deseo de observar, escuchar y aprender entre otros pueblos. Así que hoy les invito a hacer lo mismo y les comparto dos libros sobre la vida y el sueño de Martin Luther King.
Martin Luther King escrito por María Isabel Sánchez Vegara ; ilustrado por Mai Ly
Yolo County Library, Washington Unified School District in West Sacramento, and the Winters Joint Unified School District have formed an innovative technology partnership to increase access to more eBooks and eAudiobooks for students. The unique collaboration strives to promote literacy and digital learning by combining school and library digital reading resources in one app.
Using the Sora app, students in Yolo County can borrow from their school’s digital collection of classroom and pleasure reading materials AND from Yolo County Library’s children’s and young adult digital collections. Students can easily log into the Library’s digital collection using the app and their student ID, rather than requiring a separate library card. Sora will automatically filter content to only include age-appropriate titles depending on each student’s grade level.
In addition, Yolo County Library provides TumbleBook Library for all Yolo County public schools. In Tumblebook Library, kids can safely browse and read books by their favorite authors. All books are instantly available, with no need to place a hold or check out. Schools can provide Tumblebook Library on their own website.
Dial-A-Story/Telecuento features children’s books, read aloud, for children ages 3 – 8 years old. Call (530) 298-9990 to hear a story in English or Spanish. Stories are available 24/7. Call from any landline or mobile phone.
The Dial-A-Story program is the latest addition to the library’s collection of early learning tools that help families cultivate a love of learning and reading in children.
To hear the story on the computer, go to the Library’s Dial-A-Story webpage. New stories will be available every month.
Sometimes we might wistfully say, “How great it is to be a child with no responsibilities and just play all day.” However, play is serious work for children. When they interact with others in play, their brains are constantly absorbing information at the speed of light. Play is a tool children use to learn how the world around them works. It is, in fact, a big responsibility for them. Here are some tips and ideas to encourage rich, learning interactions while playing with your child:
Unstructured Strategy
Play can be an excellent time to introduce new vocabulary and early literacy skills. However, be aware that children are already busy observing and absorbing information. You don’t need to make learning the only goal of play. Encourage learning and foster your child’s curiosity. For example, when playing doctor you can introduce the word stethoscope and pretend to listen to a heartbeat. Maybe your child wants to pretend to be a kitten instead. If so, you can adapt and allow your child to change the direction of play. I recommend Yolo County Library Storytime kits like this one, with books, toys, and puppets for your child to play with after reading a good story.
Sticks and Stones
As a child I owned several dolls and accessories – including a two-story dollhouse. I would, however, often abandon them to build tiny houses out of mud and sticks surrounded by a corral made of rocks piled up like the one around the corner in my neighborhood. Other times, I pretended to be a chef and “cooked” flowers and leaves that I cut from my grandmother’s garden. If your little one is more interested in your pots and pans than the newest trendy toy, your experience is not unique. Children learn best through play when we strengthen our connection with them and let go of the reins to safely explore their world openly. To start, I leave you with this book titled “Not A Box” written by Antoinette Portis for you and your child to play and explore with an object as simple as a cardboard box.
Adaptable and Fun
Finally, remember that play is just a door that opens to an infinite world of development and learning. How you decorate that door depends on your child’s needs, abilities, and senses. Therefore, play can be adapted in a myriad of ways and no one way is the only way to open that door. In short, play with us! I invite you and your little one to join us for a virtual or in-person storytime. Click here for a list of free Yolo County Library events.
A veces decimos: “ya yo quisiera ser un niño para jugar todo el día sin responsabilidad alguna”. Sin embargo el juego es un trabajo serio para los niños ya que cuando interactúan con otros en el juego, sus cerebros están absorbiendo toda la información constantemente con la rapidez que cae un relámpago. El juego es una herramienta que los niños utilizan para aprender cómo funciona el mundo a su alrededor así que para ellos es una gran responsabilidad. Aquí te comparto tips e ideas para fomentar el aprendizaje y enriquecer esas interacciones al jugar con tu niño:
Estrategia Sin Estructura
El juego puede ser una excelente estrategia para introducir nuevo vocabulario y un precursor importante para aprender a leer y escribir. Sin embargo es importante permanecer consciente de que los niños siempre están observando y aprendiendo. No es necesario, hacer el aprendizaje como la única meta del juego. Fomenta la curiosidad de tu niño.
Por ejemplo, al jugar al médico puedes introducir la palabra estetoscopio y enseñar cómo se usa para escuchar los latidos del corazón. Pero si tal vez a tu hijo no le interesa jugar al médico y en cambio hoy quiere pretender ser un gatito, posibilita a tu niño cambiar la dirección del juego. Utiliza nuestros kits de Storytime como este que además de libros también tiene juguetes y títeres para jugar con tu niño después de leer un buen cuento.
Piedras y Palillos
De niña tenía varias muñecas y accesorios para muñecas incluyendo una casa de muñecas de dos pisos. Sin embargo siempre abandonaba todo para construir casitas pequeñas de lodo y palillos siempre acorraladas por un corral de piedras amontonadas como el corral en la casa de la esquina. Otras veces pretendía ser chef y “cocinaba” con flores y hojas que cortaba del jardín de mi abuela. Si a tu pequeño tal vez le interesan más tus ollas y sartenes que el más nuevo juguete de tendencia, tu experiencia no es única. Es más, Magda Gerber postuló que los mejores juguetes simplemente no hacen nada. Reitero, los niños aprenden mejor jugando cuando fortalecemos nuestra conexión con ellos y les soltamos las riendas para explotar su mundo abiertamente con seguridad. En fin, te comparto este libro titulado “No Es Una Caja” escrito por Antoinette Portis que te dará unas ideas a ti y a tu niño para explorar con un objeto tan simple como una caja de cartón.
Adaptable y Divertido
Por último, recuerda que el juego es solamente una puerta que abre a un mundo infinito de desarrollo y aprendizaje. Cómo decorar esa puerta depende de las necesidades, habilidades y los sentidos potenciados de tu niño. Por ende, el juego se puede adaptar a un sin fin de maneras y ninguna es la única manera de construir para abrir esa puerta. En resumen, juega con nosotros! Te invito a que tu y tu pequeño nos acompañes a la hora de cuentos virtual o en persona en tu biblioteca más cercana. Haz click aquí para ver la lista de eventos.
Ramadan is more than abstaining from food or beverages during the day for those who belong to the Muslim faith. It is a time for contemplation and reflection that culminates in a great family celebration called Eid al-Fitr. This year Ramadan began on April 2nd and will end on May 2nd with the feast of Eid.
For celebrating or learning more about Ramadan and Eid with your little ones, here are some books about this festive month:
Follow Zahra, a Muslim girl’s sweet story about the important values such as sharing and kindness towards others that are rooted in Islamic traditions.
El Ramadán es más que abstenerse de comer o beber durante el día para aquellos que pertenecen a la fe musulmana. Es un momento que invita a la contemplación y reflexión que culmina con una gran celebración en familia llamada Eid al-Fitr. Este año Ramadán comenzó el 2ndo de abril y terminará el 2ndo de mayo con la fiesta de Eid.
Ya sea que tú familia esté celebrando el Ramadán este año o tal vez quieres aprender con tus pequeños más sobre Ramadán y Eid, aquí te comparto algunos libros sobre este mes festivo.
Sigue a Zahra, una niña musulmana relatando una dulce historia sobre los importantes valores como el compartir y la bondad hacia otros que están arraigados en las tradiciones islámicas.
Children and their families are invited to join the Yolo County Library and participate in this FREE, fun, and educational celebration on the following days:
April 07 at 1:30 p.m. Yolo Branch Library event is canceled and will be rescheduled. Please check at Yolo Branch for updates.
April 08 at 12:00 p.m. Knights Landing Branch Library, 42351 Third Street, Knights Landing
April 12 at 2:00 p.m. Esparto Regional Library, 17065 Yolo Avenue, Esparto
April 15 at 12:00 p.m. Arthur F. Turner Community Library, 1212 Merkley Avenue, West Sacramento
April 22 at 11:00 a.m. Winters Community Library, 708 Railroad Avenue, Winters
April 25 at 5:00 p.m. South Davis Montgomery Library, 1441 Danbury Street, Davis
April 26 at 2:15 p.m. Clarksburg Branch Library, 52915 Netherlands Avenue, Clarksburg
April 29 at 11:00 a.m. Mary L. Stephens – Davis Branch Library, 315 E. 14th Street, Davis
Children who attend these events will receive a free book and will participate in educational activities, watch a special performance at select locations, and listen to a story time program. “Our Día celebration across the County will be fun and engaging, and the free books will help add to or create home libraries – an important part of encouraging literacy. We hope you will join us in the festivities!” shares newly appointed County Librarian and Chief Archivist Diana Lopez
No reservations are required and all programs are free to attend. Programs are sponsored and supported by Yolo County’s Friends of the Library groups and the Yolo County Library Foundation. For more information about the Yolo County Library, visit our website at: www.yolocountylibrary.org or connect with us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/yolocountylibrary.org.
Have you used Coursera, Learning Express Library, LinkedIn Learning, Northstar, or VetNow?
Let the California State Library and Pacific Library Partnership know what you think about the CAreer Pathways online learning resources offered through your public library! Complete this short, 3-minute survey (available in English and Spanish) to share your experience. Thank you for your time and feedback.
With Yolo County Library’s Dial-A-Story, you can hear a story in English or Spanish anytime you like. New stories will be available each month.
What Should I Read Next? Answer a few simple questions about what you like to read (or need to read) and library staff will email personalized recommendations directly to your inbox.
We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory and homelands of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. For more information, please go to: www.yochadehe.org
