A Good Book
by Jill PhilbyWhen I was in elementary school, I remember thinking to myself, “I will always read chapter books that have pictures. They are so much better than books without!” In my mind, if a book had wonderful illustrations, then the story was probably wonderful, too.
To my sister at that age, a good book meant a horse book. To one daughter, it meant a book in which everyone was nice to everyone else. To another, it meant a funny book. To my best friend, it meant a teen romance.
No matter what the story is about, though, good books hav... Read Full Blog
Better Together
by Jill PhilbyWhen kids ask for help finding books here at the library, it seems as if they fall into one of two camps. They like either fiction or non-fiction, and there isn’t much overlap. Once in a while someone will ask for non-fiction books about dragons or some other magical creature—which always makes me chuckle—but in general, it’s a definite one or the other.
But the few kids who ask for both are on to something.
When you pair fiction with nonfiction, you learn better.
Reading fiction works on your emotional brain. Fict... Read Full Blog
Free Books For Students at Grab and Go Meal Sites
Ames families will again have access to free books on Fridays at four grab and go meal sites: Meeker, Mitchell, Sawyer, and the Ames Public Library. The location for Ames Public Library is at the south end of the alley behind the Library. Vehicles enter the alley from 6th Street. Pedestrians should approach from 5th Street between Douglas Avenue and Kellogg.
One book per week per student will be distributed for students in grades pre-K through 12. Scheduled dates are July 17, 24, 31 and August 7, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Books were purchased by the Ames Public Library ... Read Full Blog
Dog Man Wins March Madness
After a month-long, no-holds-barred brawl, Dog Man (along with Cat Kid) has claimed the title of most popular children's book at Ames Public Library.
The Library's annual March Madness bracket invited visitors to vote on their favorite book in four weeks of match-ups. Mo Willems' Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus flew to the top of the Picture Books brackets, going on to beat Willems' own Let's Go for a Drive, the winner of the Easy to Read Books brackets. Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark topped the Juvenile Chapter Books brackets, but couldn't stand up to Juveni... Read Full Blog
March Madness
It’s March Madness, book-style! We’re pitting the most popular books in our children’s section against each other in a literary showdown. Each week, vote for you favorite from each face-off by visiting www.bit.ly/APLMarch2019. (Paper ballots are also available at the Youth Services Desk.)
You can track your favorite books' progress on the bracket displayed on the south side of the Youth Services area. In the end, there can be only one!
... Read Full Blog