Soma Mitra.
This month, NHFPL Young Minds Supervisor Soma Mitra discusses the library’s Early Literacy Backpacks, along with new book additions.
One of the newer additions to the children’s collection at Ives branch I am excited to mention is the Library’s Early Literacy Backpacks. These backpacks have high-quality early learning materials, books, and activity guides that make learning fun and interesting! All materials are developmentally appropriate for young children. The activity tip sheets provide easy-to-follow instructions, while promoting positive parent-child interactions through conversations.
The backpacks are organized by theme and contain two to three books, age-appropriate manipulatives and laminated activity sheets that promote the five early literacy skills of reading, writing, talking, singing and playing. The backpacks are suitable for children ages 1 – 5. Themes include alphabet, colors, cooking, counting, shapes, insects, seasons and more. The backpacks provide the perfect opportunity to support early reading.
We find that that the kids are excited to pick out a kit each time they come to the Library. It is so cute to see them walking out with the backpacks on. Based on the initial success of the backpacks we have continued to add more and are exploring more opportunities for multilingual early literacy. They are available for now only in the Ives Main Library Children’s Room.
To see some of our current Early Literacy Backpacks, check out the list in our catalog.
New on Shelf – March 2024 – Children’s
- My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages by Uma Menon
- Eyes that Weave the World’s Wonders by Joanna Ho
- Salat in Secret by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
- This is the Planet Where I Live by K.L. Going
- Luis y Caro Vs. Los Fantasmas de la Ciudad!: Espantosas Aventuras en el Centro Historico by Veka Duncan
- Check out our full list in our catalog
New on Shelf – March 2024 – Teen
- Out of Body by N.E. Davenport
- You’re Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
- These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang
- A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat
- Shut Up, This is Serious by Carolina Ixta
- Check out our full list in our catalog
New on Shelf – March 2024 – Adult
- Last to Eat, Last to Learn: My Life in Afghanistan Fighting to Educate Women by Pashtana Durrani
- My Side of the River: A Memoir by Elizabeth Camarillo Guitierrez
- The Fox Wife: A Novel by Yangsze Choo
- Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs by Benjamin Herold
- Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy by Keisha N. Blain
- Check out our full list in our catalog
Wonderful idea! Every young child should get a free backpack of developmentally appropriate books to encourage reading and learning about basic pre-K concepts like colors, shapes, the alphabet, numbers and counting, the seasons, feelings, and other positive lessons that will increase their readiness for kindergarten and their literacy.