Re(a)d-headed Librarian

We’ve had a bout of autumn weather in Collingwood this week – overcast skies, a cool breeze and cooler temperatures. Some of the trees are just starting to show those autumn hues of gold, red and orange, and at least one of my coworkers has had their first pumpkin spice latte. These are sure signs that the seasons are changing. Last week one of my regular Story Time families told me they went apple picking (a personal favourite activity of mine) and then made a pie from scratch. They were the inspiration behind this week’s Story Time theme of everything apples!    Craft supplies: Paper plates Red, green, or yellow tissue paper   Brown construction paper for stems Green construction paper for leaves Glue Popsicle stick for worm Googley eyes, if desired Exacto knife – ADULTS ONLY!

It was back to school this week. I don’t know about other children’s librarians, but for me this means being asked for book not just about starting school for the first time, but also about bullying. It’s a really important topic and we have lots of picture books that deal with it directly or even as a secondary story. Jennifer Sattler’s aptly named book, Bully , just arrived at our library, which is about a bully of a bullfrog. She has a wonderful end page in this book – A Note about Kindness – which was the inspiration for this post. Books on bullying are really important because they help kids understand what bullying looks like and why it can happen. However, this post is going to be about reaching for those books that focus on kindness.  I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness , by Kerascoët A sweet story about a young girl who witnesses the bullying of someone else. She wants to help, but feels that she doesn’t know how. Be Kind , by P...