Just prior to Thanksgiving (November 21, 2013) I wrote a Library Link that appeared in our local paper (The Colby Free Press). I write a column each week, but this one I wanted to share with you because you may be a friend from out of the area. The article was about helping others in our community have easy creative ways to share their memories and joys about the holidays. Here is what I wrote and appeared on November 21, 2013:
This is our last Library Link until after
Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and Christmas
are always a holiday time for sharing.
We at the library have been helping others to create stories with their
families or for others lately. This week we hosted Jo Ho the Storyteller. She
enthralled the middle school students during the day, and then we had her tell
stories to families in the evening. Many
of our attendees were student who dragged their parents to the evening program!
Then on Tuesday we had a large number of librarians in from the area to take
part in a workshop on storytelling and reading to children or others. The creative juices just flowed. On Wednesday, we decorated a table for the
Diplomats Luncheon to help inspire ways to incorporate stories during the
holidays.
One such suggestion was to take time and place
ribbons on your Christmas tree that had descriptions or questions that each
person attending dinner or family time had to answer. We also suggested placing ornaments in a
basket and having others tell their memory from the ornament.
Another way to get the story juices flying and
the dramatic individuals in your midst to share is to build a story. Have someone start a story by telling two or
three short sentences, then each person adds to the sentence till you reach the
last person who of course gracefully ends it.
Jo Ho the story teller gave us an idea that she
calls, “Built Up Story.” You think up a short story that you know. Tell it.
Then the 2nd person adds adjectives to the story for emphasis. The
third person adds the sounds. The fourth person does the story in silly voices,
and the fifth person tells it and adds actions.
I bet that by the end of this, your kids will be rolling on the floor
with you laughing because not only were they silly but the adults were
too. You’ll also get to see once again
where the brain trust is, the actors are, the shy but impressive thinkers are,
and the gentle souls!
We are also encouraging others to think about
giving of themselves. What if you
decided to give a gift of a story or tradition to your children or parents. Can
you write something down to create a memory as a gift. It does not take much. Paper, pen or pencil, computer, you
decide. Can you draw with the
story. Does it have a great or
proverbial ending. Like “always wear clean underwear,” or as Sandy & I
always say, that was “an adventure.” For Sandy & I, “an adventure is
discomfort recollected in tranquility.” And we have had lots of them! How about
you. Do you have lessons, adventures, warm remembrances that you can share?
A family can also check out picture books of
Thanksgiving, Christmas, or family themes that would be fun to read aloud. For
the older kids, is there a chapter book during the Christmas holiday you read
after dinner each night? Trade off who reads and enjoy the time. Some of my most memorable times growing up
was when I was read to or our family read a book together. I can still tell you
many of the books I was read to as a child. I can tell you where I was, who did
the reading, the smells, the day, temperatures, the food we ate, the
event. Your kids may never remember the
copious TV programs you watch with them, but they will remember the times of
reading.
If you are a digital person and love your
tablet or computer and you think you can’t read (which I doubt), you can share
others telling stories using the website Storyline supported by the Sage
Foundation (http://www.storylineonline.net). This website has famous people sharing their voices
while the story is shared on the computer/tablet screen
If you get tired of being indoors, the library
with the cooperation of local downtown businesses has put up what we call the StoryWalk®.
The goal of StoryWalk® is to help
build children’s interest in reading while encouraging healthy outdoor activity
for both adults and children. The walk begins at the Sunflower Bank where
flyer's will be available with a map and additional information. You are also asked to sign the “trail” book
if you participate. Following the map, you will find the direction you need to
take to read the book, If You Give a
Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff, as you stroll. If you cover the route 3 times, you will log
in nearly ½ mile. You can return to the
bank and write any comments you may have about the project in the “trail” book
at the conclusion of your walk. We have
great cooking, crafts and other activities that you can do with your children
once you have taken the walk. Simply go to our website, colbylibrary.com and
click on the picture book cover of “If You Give A Moose a Muffin.” This will
then take you to the link with all the activities (http://www.colbylibrary.com/storywalk.html).
Our fall hours remain: Monday-Thursday 9:00 am. - 8:00 pm; Friday 9:00 –
5:00 pm.; Saturday 10:00 – 4:00 pm; Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Come get information
on your new eBook and digital audio-book service. See you at your library!
