PCLS YOUTH SERVICES BLOG

At the Regency Park branch, we are growing our very own butterflies! We have set up a display with some live caterpillars that we will observe as they transform into Painted Lady butterflies.

In this picture, the caterpillars are making their way to the top of their container where they hang in a "J" shape and form their chrysalis. Once their chrysalis is formed, it takes 7-10 days to complete their metamorphosis into a butterfly. "Metamorphosis" is a big word that means "change". When the butterflies have come out of their chrysalis, we will release them. Come in and check them out!

The new Sunshine State Reader Booklist for the 2008-2009 school year has come out! Get a jump start, and begin reading this summer. If you join the summer reading club at your library, you'll get prizes for reading the books you have to read for school anyway. That's cool, right?

Click on the links below to get the lists:

Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8

Happy reading!

Don't forget to join the summer reading club!

Registration for the 2008 Summer Reading Club has begun! You can register at the library or online by clicking the "Summer Reading Program" icon at the bottom of our homepage.

The theme for 2008 is "Catch the Reading Bug". Make sure you check the calendar of events for a list of the upcoming programs happening at your local branch of the library. We'll have lots of fun bug-themed activities all summer long!

The black-n-white poster on this page says "read" in several Native American languages. It was created for kids by the Tulsa County Public Library. I hope it will inspire you to read Thanksgiving break. Enjoy the holiday, and we look forward to hearing about your adventures at the Thanksgiving table.

Tomorrow markes the end of the children's book week. I hope you have all had a chance to celebrate reading in various ways. As you may already know, November is National Native American Month, which ties in very well with Thanksgiving.

Dr. Debbie Reese, a leader in Native American Studies, has a blog that does a good job of explaining which books kids will find most useful for Thanksgiving. Remember, reading materials that expose you to different viewpoints can open your mind even further to explore ideas you never imagined before! link to Link to Dr. Reese's website at: americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com.

Check out Read the Books, a new resource which makes it easier for kids to find what they want to read. Among other cool features, this site offers ACCELERATED READER LISTS from schools around the country. 10 Pasco County schools are linked, and more are on the way. These accelerated reader lists are linked to our library catalog, which means that you can find out if the book that you need is available right away! To get to the database, click here or, from our HomePage, click on KIDS PAGE, then click on COOL READS and scroll down to READ THE BOOKS.