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Welcome to the Highlands Library Media Center (LMC)

Please help your child find time to read daily. Establishing a common time to read will help your child develop a good reading habit.  Talk to your child often about reading and books.  Read together.  It is important for intellectual development, and it will be quality time spent together.


Find these and so many other great titles on Tumblebooks!

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October 1: International Music Day

TumbleBooks features lots of books about music! We have international best seller "The Man With the Violin", as well as "The First Music", "The Song of Middle C", "Pecorino's First Concert", "The Dance of the Violin", and "The Best Mariachi in the World".

On International Music Day, we decided to highlight, "Welcome to the Cypher". it is a jazzy book which celebrates the rhythm and community created by hip hop!

Be sure to check out our TumbleTunes as well!

 

October 3: Balloons Around The World Day

 

Balloons Around the World Day is a day to celebrate the whimsy and joy of balloons!

The TumbleBook "Once Upon A Balloon" is a great way to enjoy the day, and bring some color into your classroom!

 

October 5: World Teacher Day

Today's the day to celebrate how hard teachers work to educate classrooms of children every single day! They're up early, to help with breakfast clubs. They stay late after school with team sports. THEN they spend evenings marking homework and planning the next day's lessons!

Teachers guide and hold students accountable for their actions in class, as Rosie learns in "I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson's Blackboard". She tries to be neat... she tries to give the right answer in class... but when Mrs. Benson recognizes and acknowledges Rosie's artistic talent, magic happens!

 

 

October 7: International Frugal Fun Day

International Frugal Fun Day was created to encourage fun and family friendly activities that require little to no money to enjoy!

Whether you go for a picnic at the park, potluck with friends, enjoy a frugal and fun Saturday with family and friends!

"I'll Save You Bobo" is a lovely new book that highlights the joy of imagination and tech-free playtime!

 

October 10: Face Your Fears Day

Celebrated on the second Tuesday in October, Face Your Fears Day encourages you to face and overcome your fears!

Sometimes our fears are justifiable (like being afraid of hungry bears while you're out hiking!) but sometimes our imaginations get the better of us!

To a child's imagination, their own house can seem like the scariest place in the world: when the lights go out, every bump and creak is blown way out of proportion. "My House Is Alive" is a delightful story that helps kids understand what the noises in their house means, and why it happens.

 

October 11: It's My Party Day!

"And you'll cry if you want to"? Nope, not today!

Today's a day for "Why not?!" Have some fun and enjoy the company of friends and family.

(We hope you have some balloons left over from Balloons Around the World Day last week? And be sure to invite the animals from Music Day to DJ!

But don't let it get too out of hand. Like Moira. On "Moira's Birthday" she invited her WHOLE school to her party! True, that was very generous of her... but maybe she should have asked her parents first?!

 

October 12: Old Farmers' Day

Old Farmer's Day dates back to the mid 19th century. It's a day to honor the hard work and persistence of farmers around the world who work so hard to grow the food we eat.

Let's see what Old MacDonald - one of the best known farmers in children's literature and folk songs - is up to!

 

October 13-19: Earth Sciences Week

This week is Earth Sciences week!

Take some time out today to learn about how the world works and how it impacts your life.

Some great titles include:

"Lifetime": relating numbers to animals' lives, and enhancing your perspective on the diversity of life in the natural world.

"Reproduction in Plants": introduces children to photosynthesis and the symbiotic relationship between plants and animals.

"Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar": discusses the longevity of butterflies in the natural world, and the changes they'd have seen as a species living from the time of the dinosaurs to today.

"Trout are Made of Trees": is about ecology and the lifecycle of the natural world. How one thing's decomposition contributes to the nourishment of another: back and forth, in balance, forming an ecosystem.

"Our Seasons": shows the changes from season to season, and how the natural world - including us - adapts and changes.

"Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!": From titles that focussed on the environment and the earth as a whole, we now zoom in on a specific species... the sea turtle.

 

October 14: Thanksgiving (Canada)

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving annually, on the second Monday in October.

It's a day to give thanks and to show your gratitude for the bounties you've received this year, and to spend time with loved ones.

On the other hand, sometimes if you're a young, picky eater, Thanksgiving can be a bit of a horror show... What does Mom want me to eat now? Dad, do I really have to eat my vegetables?

It's all part of growing up: trying new foods, and deviously thinking of ways to hide food you don't want to eat! But beware... the food may not stay hidden for long, as Edgar, Allan, and Poe discover!

 

October 19: Born on this Day: John Lithgow (1945)

Happy 79th Birthday, John Lithgow!

Mr. Lithgow is a world-famous actor and writer. In the 1990s, he starred in the popular sitcom, "3rd Rock From the Sun" with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and recently he played the venerable Winston Churchill in Netflix's hit series "The Crown".

We're honored to have him as an author in our collection! He's written and narrated several books for Simon & Schuster, 5 of which appear in TumbleBookLibrary, including this favorite, "Mahalia Mouse Goes To College"!

 

October 22: National Color Day

We observe National Color Day annually on October 22. Color is a very powerful element in our lives. It has the power to influence our mood, to draw our attention, to communicate important messages, and even to cause alarm.

But what happens when your imagination runs amok with colors? Brigid knows! Enjoy the Munsch classic "Purple, Green, and Yellow!"

 

October 25: Born on this day: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Happy Birthday, Pablo Picasso!

If he were alive today, Picasso would be 143 years old.

Picasso was a world-famous artist, and I think perhaps it's fitting that his birthday is the day after International Color Day, because his work is often vibrantly colorful!

The story of "Pigasso and Mootisse" was inspired by the friendship between Picasso and Henri Matisse and shows how two people can be both rivals and friends, and inspire each other to greatness.

 

October 25: Frankenstein Friday

Frankenstein Friday is celebrated on the Friday before Halloween.

TumbleBooks' resident Frankenstein is Frank! A friendly little monster who just wants to dance... unfortunately his sewn-together body can't quite stand up to the pressure of Frank's enthusiasm!

*Note that while this TumbleBook is age-appropriate, some images might be a little frightening for some of our young and/or sensitive readers.

 

October 28: International Animation Day

Due to their ability to convey story and message with a flick of a wrist or the arch of an eyebrow, animation and illustration are very close-knit art forms.

And since International Animation Day is so close to Halloween, we are thrilled to present "Toopy and Binou: Funny Halloween" !!

As a classic children's cartoon, and now a TumbleBook staple, Toopy and Binoo are a delightful cartoon duo who's hilarious antics are a perennial favorite!

 

October 29: National Cat Day

 

Cats! They're mischievous, sassy, and very particular little characters!

None more so than Laverne. She lives with pug, Frank, and they see things very differently! After reading Laverne's side of the story, be sure to check out Frank's side for a different perspective!

 

October 31: Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Whether you go ALL OUT on your costume (zombie princess prom queen, anyone?) or you prefer the classics (white-sheeted ghost!) we hope you have a safe, and SPOOKY day!

If you decide to go Trick-or-Treating in your community this year, be sure to take every precaution.

Wear a mask! No not just your favourite Iron Man mask... but also a face mask that covers your mouth and nose! This will protect your friends and neighbours from your germs, and also protect you!

Wear reflective tape on your costume.

Wear comfortable running shoes with firmly tied laces so you don't trip.

Don't zig-zag across the street from house to house and ALWAYS look both ways when you absolutely must cross the street.

Only trick-or-treat with an adult.

Only visit houses with lights and Halloween decorations.

Carry a flashlight.

Bundle up against the cold! (As we like to say up north: there's nothing more Canadian than wearing a snow-suit under your Halloween costume!)

And finally, have your mom or dad inspect your candy before eating. Throw away any candy with damaged or ripped wrappers.

Stay safe and have fun!

 

 

 

Digital Citizenship is very important in today's technology-rich environment.  Help your child navigate the world of internet access and social media safely and responsibly. 

 

 

Click here to see digital citizenship lessons by grade level: www.comonsense.org 

I use the comonsense.org website (above) and teach lessons to students. 

A fun introductory activity is to take an internet safety quiz.  This quiz will help you see where your child stands.  Younger students will need help.  Grades 3-6 should be able to take the quiz independently.  Use the quiz as a springboard for productive conversations about digital citizenship. At the end of the quiz you will be taken to the safekids.com website, where you can find other resources.