World Book Day

Can I just say how much I love being a librarian?

It is funny how now that I'm not doing programs that often I let myself get all nervous and doubtful. When I was working at the library and did two storytimes a week minimum with possible branch visits, school visits, and auditorium programs on top of that I couldn't stress. It would have made me crazy. And today was a shining example of why I should not worry now: I'm good at this.

Through Libby, the library in Long Stratton asked me to come do storytimes today for World Book Day. I told them I would bring some of the American picture books from the Second Air Division Memorial Library collection and talk about how books can teach you about other parts of the world. They made arrangements for three primary school classes (ages 5-7) to come throughout the day.

My program:
* Sing "My Aunt Came Back"
* Read The Perfect Nest
* Talk about the accents the three birds in The Perfect Nest have
* Tell the story of "Mr Wiggle and Mr Waggle"
* Read Mama Don't Allow
* Sing the song "Mama Don't Allow" inserting instrument names suggested by the children
* Read King Bidgood's in the Bathtub with an introduction about how America has a president, but the American colonies had a king under England's rule
* Sing the "Hokey Pokey" after explaining that it is the American version of the "Hokey Cokey"
* Invite children to color

The children were all willing to participate and seemed to have a great time. They were very bright and answered even my more difficult questions like "Who is 'in charge' in America?" (I was looking for "the President," but some children actually said "Barack Obama.")

I had a break after the first two groups during which I walked to a local bakery to eat lunch. After I got back, the librarians were warning me about the last class because they both had children in there. Truth be told, the final class was a little rowdier than the first two. (Not due to the librarians' children, as far as I could tell.) But they were also the most interested in the books. Many of them spent the whole time that was alloted for coloring looking at books. I sat on the floor with a couple of boys looking at an atlas. I had to giggle because the boys on the couch had found the parenting section and had pulled out a book that had pictures of boobies. Their teacher didn't think it was very funny, though. Someone did drop a dictionary on my leg, which reminded me that being a librarian is a job that comes with a certain amount of risk. (In Athens, I once got headbutted in the pelvis mid-book. I kept reading without letting on that it hurt quite a lot.) But it was so sweet to see the kids so interested in reading and learning.

Basically, I had a fantastic day. I am so thankful that I have been allowed to volunteer, because I just don't know what I would do with myself otherwise. I may not be making money, but I'm keeping busy and I'm having a good time doing it.