Baby's First Cell Phone

During a recent visit with my 10-month-old grand neice Allison, I was fascinated to see that she loves to play with a toy cell phone when she is in her car seat.

She presses the make-believe buttons, it rings and then she jabbers into it — just like her Mommy and Daddy do on their real phones.

Her parents commented that until they gave her the toy cell phone, Allison was always trying to talk on Mom's cell phone, and would (unknowingly) make calls to people. (All the other person would hear was baby talk, or heavy 'baby' breathing!)

So, I was interested to see this article from The New York Times on June 12, 2008 that has some good advice on when to introduce today's technological gadgets to your child. The author's advice is based on Piaget's developmental stages. It's well worth considering.

Roadside Reviews on NPR

I've long been a fan of audio books; and judging by our circulation numbers, a lot of our library card members are too. Last year over 257,000 audio books were borrowed from the Cumberland County Library System.

Now, National Public Radio has started a summer series called "Roadside Reviews" where truckers offer their recommendations of the best and worst books for listening. The first trucker interviewed loves murder-mysteries by Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell. The only problem is, he is renting them from truck stops. He could make his diesel money go a little further if he borrowed them from his local library!

Three of my own personal favorites from the past six months or so are:

• Lush Life by Richard Price, narrated by Bobby Cannavale -- This will definitely be on my list of Best Books for 2008. Richard Price's use of language and Bobby Cannavale's narration make this police procedural superb.
• Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig, narrated by John Bedford Lloyd -- For anyone who has ever read and loved Gone with the Wind, this is a wonderful re-telling of the story we all know, but from Rhett Butler's perspective. McCaig makes it possible, even in this day and age, to fall in love with Rhett Butler all over again.
• Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo, narrated by Arthur Morey -- This rich, complex story of life in a small town in upstate New York is one that I simultaneously read and listened to...a technique I recommend for getting through big books in time for your next book club meeting!...It will also be on my Best of Books of 2008 list.
  

Good News about Kids and Reading!

A new study, The Kids & Family Reading Report ™, finds that 75% of kids age 5-17 say that “No matter what I can do online, I’ll always want to read books printed on paper.”

One in four kids age 5-17 say they read books for fun every day and more than half of kids say they read books for fun at least two to three times a week.

That's pretty exciting news for book-lovers everywhere!

Looking to the future, two in three children believe that within the next 10 years, most books which are read for fun will be read digitally – either on a computer or on another kind of electronic device.

89% of kids say that their "favorite books are the ones I picked out myself.” One of the key reasons kids say they don’t read more often is that they have trouble finding books they like. Kids who struggle to find books they like, are far less likely to read for fun daily or even twice a week.

Stop the Summer Slide!

Many parents don't realize that kids can slide back -- drastically -- over the summer if they are not reading. In fact, studies show that the average student who doesn't read or engage in other learning opportunities can lose as much as 2.5 months of learning over the summer.

To prevent any learning losses, the Institute of Museum and Library Services offers these tips:

1. Visit your local library and sign up your kids for the Catch the Reading Bug summer reading program.
2. Read to and with your kids. Be an example to your kids by doing some reading yourself.
3. Use the library to explore your child’s interests. Ask your librarian how to find books, Web sites and other resources that will help nurture your child’s curiosity.
4. Plan low-cost, educational field trips to local parks, zoos, and museums.
5. Check out free programs and day camps at your local library or museum.

Cumberland County's public libraries are offering FREE summer reading programs for kids and teens this year. Check out all the wonderful offerings from your local library. There are prizes, games, programs, contests and BOOKS available from the library.

We hope to see you here soon!