Bklyn Kids Presents: Halloween!
We love Halloween at the Brooklyn Public Library. A holiday that allows us to dress up as our favorite literary characters? Count us in! Here are some highlights from this year's spooktacular celebrations across the system: Trick-Or-Treater Costumes These awesome library visitors got some free swag for showing up in costume! Staff Costumes Shout out to all the AMAZING staff who dressed up at work for Halloween! Halloween Programs Lots of Halloween parties happened across the library system with games, pin the wart on the witch, slime making, scary crafts, and more!…
Bklyn Kids Presents: Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the cultures, histories, and important contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. From September 15 to October 15, Brooklyn Public Library is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month by doing what we do best - offering rich cultural programming and booklists! Here's a look at some wonderful family programs and events being offered throughout the Brooklyn Public Library branches this month: Calpulli Mexican Dance Company Visit Carroll…
BKLYN Kids Presents: El día de los niños/El día de los libros
At Brooklyn Public Library, we're gearing up for Día celebrations across the borough on or around April 30th. Check our events page for an updated list of Día programs happening in our branch libraries. Día as an acronym stands for Diversity In Action, and aims to celebrate diverse communities and literature. El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for…
BKLYN Kids Presents: Black History Month
During February, Brooklyn Public Library celebrated Black History Month with a variety of programs for all ages. These programs provided opportunities to learn more about, and celebrate, the important contributions by African Americans to art, literature, science, sports, and pop culture. Here's a look back at some of the wonderful family programs and events offered throughout the Brooklyn Public Library branches this past month: Cortelyou Cortelyou Branch welcomed local author Harriet Hyman Alonso, who read and discussed her new novel for children ages 8-12; a…
Genderful! Exploring Gender Through Art
Leigh, School Outreach Librarian, School Outreach Librarian
My first memory of overt gender awareness is of browsing through my elementary school’s library (I was immensely lucky to have such a thing, complete with an incredible librarian, Mrs. Biesel) to find a suitable subject for an upcoming book report. My hand caught on the spine of a Betty Friedan biography. In 1990, a children’s biography about the second wave feminist activist and writer, most notably of The Feminine Mystique was a rare find indeed. (I have since tried to find this book, to no avail.) It was my first conscious exposure to the idea of gender inequality, oppression,…
Kids Explore: Fake News!
Program Objectives: Talk about fake news in a general way and across different media, looking at historical examples (War of the Worlds), unintentional fake news and intentional fake news, fake news as satire (The Onion), and the impact of fake news on the real world. Discuss ways of determining if news is real or fake, using examples and demonstrating skills. Activities: Games and Booktalks. Play the game “two truths and a lie.” Ideas for this can also be sourced from the books listed below (such as this example from Real or Fake, scroll to the bottom of this page for the answer!):…
Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!
Set your time-turners, because Monday, July 31st is Harry Potter's Birthday and we're having a PARTY! Join us at Central Library as we Celebrate Harry's (37th!) Birthday and the 20th Anniversary of J.K. Rowling's series. Activities include wand making, spellbook inscription, fortune telling, and a dramatic reading of scenes from Cursed Child by librarians and volunteers. You'll also get sorted into your Hogwarts House and learn how to care for your own Magical Creature! Can't make it to the event? You can still celebrate the day from home by making your very own…