School Library Storytime

Written by two elementary school librarians with 40 years of expertise between them, this practical book is a much-needed resource for library aides, paraprofessionals, and volunteers with little or no experience conducting storytimes. The introduction answers the question, "How do I read to students and keep them hanging on to each page?" with rock-solid and reassuring advice. Activities for kindergarten through second grade storytimes are arranged by month and feature school-year themes. Each lesson is based around a recently published picture book and provides a summary of the story, easy-to-follow instructions for the lesson, and materials lists for related activities. Many of the chapters include reproducible pages that help extend the lesson in meaningful ways after the story is read. Additional books cited at the end of each unit can be used as alteratives for the featured book. The birthdays of well-known authors are also listed, which may be used to create fun library displays. This book is the fourth installment in this series, designed to meet the training needs of library staff in schools without certified librarians. This accessible, easy-to-use guide will help storytime become a lively and enjoyable part of those programs.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN