Children's Room

CHILDREN’S ROOM

COLLECTIONS

The Children’s Room offers a broad range of reference material for children in second through eighth grade

and our Children’s/Young Adult Librarians are available to aid students in locating material for research

projects. The collection includes a selection of reference titles, books and magazines for pre-K through

eighth grade students, Books on Tape, videos, and a computer station loaded with games and educational

programs. A special Parent Corner has been established to facilitate parenting and includes resources to assist

in book selection, dealing with the emotional and physical needs of children, and on such topics as family

activities, adoption, death and dying, divorce.

In addition to our reference and recreational collections, the Library provides interesting and diverse

programs for children and young adults throughout the year. Recent programs include story hours, poetry

readings, arts and crafts workshops, an annual Monopoly tournament, Teen Read Week activities, book

swaps and prize giveaways. Schedules and brochures are available throughout the Library and via the

online calendar, and we invite you to contact the Children’s Librarians for further details.

STORY HOURS

Reading to children greatly enhances the development of their reading and language skills and we encourage

all parents to participate in Library Story Hours. Story Hours are held throughout the year and are open

to children accompanied by an adult, or caregivers with three or less children. Larger groups may make

special arrangements to visit the Library for a story at other times. Story hours include: Rhyme Time for Tots,

Stories for Twos, and Preschool Story Hour, and are held in three two month sessions from October through May,

with a six-week session in the summer.

Tune it to "Tell Me a Story" with host, Willy Jones. "Tell Me a Story" is a literacy-based TV show produced by

the Bennington Free Library, airing on CAT-TV Channel 16. Join Willy as he shares his love of books and

reading with pre-schoolers and children in the primary grades. Click here for the "Tell Me a Story" Activity Page.

YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMS

Young adult programs include: Afternoon Express: a series of after-school workshops for 7th and 8th graders.

Funded by the Vermont Community Foundation’s Paul Post Fund, and taught by local artists, the workshops are free

and held on Wednesdays and Thursdays from September through May. Workshops include: Rock and Roll Boogie

Woogie: students can dance to their favorite music with Barbara Roan; T-Shirt Expressions: students learn tie dye,

bleach resist, batik and other dying techniques, taught by Jane Alvarado; Printmaking: print your own design on a real

press with Julianna Garces; Getting your Act Together, a drama workshop with Willy Jones; and Clay Play: create

clay sculptures with Maggie Randall.