Plenty of events during winter break at BPL

Friday, February 17, 2012

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Kristine Brock’s pop-art portrait of herself. Bring a photograph of yourself (size 8 inches by 10 inches preferred) and “pop-art yourself”on Monday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. For ages 6-13.

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Join Tom Poitras and Vinny Lovegrove for an afternoon of silliness and storytelling for the entire family! The Toe Jam Puppet Band wuill be at the Library on Thursday, March 1 at 2 p.m.

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Pam McKinney and Koda, left, and Ilani and Trish Thompson will be at the Brookline Public Library's READ program Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m.

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Bring your LEGOs and join the Brookline Public Library's Block Party during winter vacation week.

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Submitted photo
Kristine Brock’s pop-art portrait of herself. Bring a photograph of yourself (size 8 inches by 10 inches preferred) and “pop-art yourself”on Monday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. For ages 6-13.

Enlarge

For many Brookline children, school winter vacation means a well-deserved break from daily homework, bag lunches and getting up early, along with the occasional trip down south to escape the (usually) harsh New England winter.

Luckily for those children and their families remaining in town, the Brookline Public Library is sponsoring a number of kid-friendly activities and events during winter break. All events are free and registration is required (unless noted). Please sign up in the Children’s Room.

The BPL is featuring the following events and programs from Feb. 2-March 1:

Art with Kristine Brock! – Monday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m., for ages 6-13.

Create a pop-art-style portrait of yourself. Kristine Brock is a local artist and musician who has been leading themed art classes at the library for more than 10 years. She is extremely popular among Brookline kids and her classes fill up quickly, so register early. All materials are included, but please bring a photograph of yourself (size 8 inch by 10 inch is preferred) on the day of class.

BLOCK PARTY! LEGO Drop-in. Monday, Feb. 27, from 4-7 p.m.

Bring your favorite LEGOs and share. Themes and refreshments will be provided. No registration necessary.

What’s the connection between books and blocks? Plenty, according to a 2009 School Library Journal article “Block Party: Legos in the Library.” As author Abbie Klebanoff writes: Promoting play contributes to early literacy development by increasing attention span, memory, creativity, and language and vocabulary skills (and) lays the foundation for logical mathematical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving – things children will take with them throughout their school years, according to Dorothy Singer, a senior research scientist at Yale University’s Department of Psychology and Child Study Center. So bring your LEGOs and have fun while stimulating your brain.

Dog Day Afternoon: Come Read to a Dog! Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m., for all ages.

Come read to our Reading Education Assistant Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Koda and Ilani. Reading to a R.E.A.D. is a fun and therapeutic program ideally suited for beginning readers and children with reading issues. The program improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful (and furry) method: reading to a dog. Reluctant readers and children who experience anxiety and frustration when reading are encouraged to try this program, but the event is open to children of all reading levels. Koda and Ilani are frequent visitors to the BPL and have been helping Brookline children to read since 2008.

We invite your child to bring a favorite book and read to our most huggable and furriest volunteers for 15 minutes. Registered children will be ushered in to read to Koda or Ilani on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Toe Jam Puppet Band Returns on Thursday, March 1, at 2 p.m., for all ages. Upper Level, Brookline Town Hall.

Back by popular demand, silly guys Tom Poitros and Vinny Lovegrove return to Brookline to inject some hilarious “shtick” into the winter doldrums, after doing just that back in February 2008.

Formed in 2000, the Toe Jam Puppet Band offers a special brand of hands-on children’s entertainment that adults can actually enjoy. This Dynamic Duo is great with the kiddoes, but best when teachers or parents are having fun with the little ones. The performances are very active, encouraging kids and parents to sing and dance along with the band as they entertain with a unique combination of original songs, masterful shadow puppetry, storytelling and just plain old good fun.

Note: Due to fire safety and code issues for public venues such as Town Hall, registration is limited.

This is the fourth year the Brookline Public Library has sponsored events during winter vacation, such as art classes, magic shows, musical programs and special presenters including Wingmasters and the Vermont Puppeteers. The Children’s Room librarians Miss Vicky and Miss Pat thank you for your patronage and support of the Brookline Public Library, and hope to see you at Winter Break 2012.

Vicky Sandin is the children’s librarian at the Brookline Public Library.