STEAM to-go Kits Help Kids Learn New Skills!
Kids learn quickly, so starting them off young will help them build a strong foundation of financial knowledge. With that base of knowledge, children will develop money habits that will help them mature and develop with confidence. Good money behaviors develop into good habits. The earlier that they are taught, the faster they catch on, and with practice, the routine will become a habit. By gaining basic financial knowledge early, later decisions such as buying insurance, paying bills, saving for major purchases, won’t be so daunting.
A STEAM kit that we have recently added to our collection at FDL is the Money, Math, and Economics Kit.
The Money, Math, and Economics Kit introduces the concept of money recognition, money management and math skills using play money in a hands-on play environment. The kit encourages interactive play to help children buy, sell and learn the value of money and teach basic financial literacy concepts.
This kit includes:
- A fun game, Buy it Right. This game gives players the opportunity to make purchases based on what is needed and how much the item costs. Hint: It took me a few minutes to read the directions and get the game board set up. You might want to do all of that first, then call the kids to play.
- An ATM machine that lets you deposit and withdraw money.
- A book, Math at the Store. This book shows a family at the grocery store doing their shopping. It features the skills, counting, adding, subtracting, greater than/less than, and using money.
You can find a list of STEAM kits at FDL on the
Library of Things page.
– Kris, Youth Services Specialist
#FDL: Book Adaptations Coming Soon
There are plenty of book-to-screen adaptations premiering by the end of 2023. Check out this list and read the book or listen to the audiobook before seeing it on film.
-After Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist, is fired from her position in a patriarchal lab, she is given the opportunity to host a TV cooking show in the 1950s.
-On Apple TV+ on October 13, 2023
-Follows historical events in the 1920s surrounding the murders of the wealthy Osage people in California after oil was found in their territory.
-The book was a bestseller in 2017, winner of the Edgar Award and National Book Award nominee
-Film release will be in theaters on October 20, 2023
-World War II novel that alternates between the viewpoints of Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl, and Werner Pfennig, a German boy in military school.
-Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2015)
-Series premiere will be on Netflix on November 2, 2023
-The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 17, 2023
-This adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel produced by Oprah will be musical this time around.
-The original novel was the Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
-The theatrical release date will be December 25, 2023
–Post by Susie Rivera, Adult Services Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
FDL Reads: Why Humans Build Up
Why Humans Build Up: The Rise of Towers, Temples, and Skyscrapers by Gregor Craigie
Reviewed by: Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
Suggested Age: Children (ages 8-12)
What is the book about? Author Gregor Craigie has been fascinated with tall buildings since childhood. He has decided to explore the world and history of building “up” in this eye-catching nonfiction book while also analyzing the apparently inherent need of humans to build in this way. Each chapter focuses on a reason for constructing vertically colossal structures – from security and utility to spirituality and beautification. Real world photographs are paired with bright, pop-art like illustrations and graphs by Kathleen Fu, adding to the quick glance appeal of a nonfiction children’s work. Like many works of informational children’s text, organizational aspects are utilized for readability. As each chapter is broken down into motivations for this type of construction, we see further break down of the information as focus is centered on particular structures: their basic facts, followed by anecdotal text and pictures. Craigie looks to answer his own questions about this deep-rooted need to build higher in humans, meanwhile addressing other possible questions like environmental impact and long term effects of towering construction in our world.
My Review: I don’t typically gravitate towards nonfiction. This is especially true of informational-based text like this (If I DO read nonfiction, I usually stick to biographies). So why did I pick this book up? Just look at the cover! I was immediately drawn to the bright colors and almost comic book-like illustrations. Reading this book was a fun journey. I enjoy information that leads me to look into things for myself. As I read, I found myself Googling more facts on mentioned buildings, as well as questions that came up. I don’t think that is indicative of bad writing, in fact I believe that is exactly what nonfiction SHOULD do: cause the reader to hunger for learning and go on their own research journey. Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the simple readability factor. This could almost be considered a “coffee table” book. It’s one of those that you can grab, flip to a random page, read for a bit, and then put it back down for later. I enjoy snippets of details rather than long, drawn-out prose and analyzation. That is exactly how this book is organized, which kept my interest and didn’t bog me down with “too much” all at once.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Appealing, Construction, Visual
Give This a Try if You Like…How it’s Made, What is…/Where is… series, books about construction/buildings
Rating: 3.5/5
National Pancake Day!
National Pancake Day!
Did you know that September 26th is National Pancake Day? Celebrate the day with some books about pancakes (and other breakfast favorites!).
Books for Beginning Readers
Curious George Makes Maple Syrup
Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast
Books for Advanced Readers
Books for Advanced Readers
The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs
Marvelous Muffins, Breads, and Pancakes
Paula Deen’s My First Cookbook
The Star Wars Cookbook: Awaken to the Force of Breakfast and Brunch
-Post by Alyssa Young, Youth Services Specialist
FDL Reads: Black Birds in the Sky
Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by Brandy Colbert
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
Genre: American History (early 20th Century)
Suggested Age: Teen, Adult
What is the book about? It has only been in recent years that knowledge of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has become more well-known. For decades, even the people of Tulsa didn’t acknowledge or often speak about it. What started as an attempt to lynch a young man accused of sexual assault, turned into a race riot that left churches, homes, and businesses burned to the ground, as well as hundreds dead. This book not only details the timeline of events that took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 1st, 1921, it first lays the foundation with an explanation of culturally significant events and practices that contributed to the mob violence and destruction that devastated a thriving African American community.
My Review: I listened to the audiobook version of this book and found it to be incredibly enlightening. This is a cautionary tale about mob mentality and the darker side of human nature, especially when it comes to race relations. I found it extremely beneficial to have the background information laid out before the author went into the description of the exact events of this tragedy. Learning about events that may be disturbing or hard to accept give us a clearer picture of our predecessors and the society they lived in. This is critically important to understanding how our society today has developed into what we see around us and can help keep up from repeating past mistakes.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Illuminating, Educational, Revelatory
Give This a Try if You Like…Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston, The 1619 Project: A New origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi
Rating: 5/5
Find Your Voice Adult Writing Contest Winners!
We’re excited to announce the winners for the Find Your Voice Adult Writing Contest!
1st Place – Inaudible by Megan McCoy
2nd Place – Cracks by Rachael Stanford
Teen Winner – Finding Your Voice by Ella Headly
Congratulations to each of them, and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry! Follow the links below to read the winning stories. Our judges panel had a hard time selecting from the submissions we received, so keep writing and stay tuned for another writing contest this winter!