Meetinghouse Children’s Libraries: How to maintain a vibrant collection
Thanks to “Sparklers” Erika Mittag and Sally Farneth for leading the May Conversation Circles and sharing wisdom about book collections in meeting (and home) libraries.
More queries, guidelines, resources, and links in this presentation document!
Additional Resources Shared at this Conversation Circle:
– Choosing Books by and about Native Americans
– Books About Grief for Children & Teens
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CHILDREN’S BOOK MAY FORM THE FOUNDATION OF A LESSON PLAN, help a child sit quietly in Meeting for Worship, or serve as a way to connect with a child in the Meeting. There are so many beautiful children’s books that it is hard to make choices for the Meetinghouse library, especially on a limited budget. It makes sense to plan carefully, consider gaps in the collection, and examine the written and unwritten messages communicated by a book before making a purchase.
Join this conversation to learn from Friends who have deep experience with teaching children’s religious education using children’s books, including members of the Sparklers Working Group who developed Sparkling Still, a core Quaker curriculum based on children’s books.
QUERIES
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What are some considerations when choosing books for the Meetinghouse children’s library?
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What ages are the children and youth in your Meeting?
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What concerns of the Meeting would inform choices of children’s books?
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Is there a list of children’s books every Meeting should have?
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What about newer books that illustrate Quaker themes and practices?
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What principles and guidelines would help to evaluate and cull the current collection?
- What would make your books more accessible to children in the Meeting?
- How can we make Quaker aligned book recommendations to parents and grandparents?
- How do you find Friends to manage the Meeting’s children’s library collection?
CONVERSATION STARTERS
May 20: Erika Mittag, Austin FM, SCYM and Sally Farneth, Portland ME, NEYM
May 22: Erika Mittag, Austin FM, SCYM
RESOURCES:
- Sparkling Still: A Quaker Curriculum for First Day School or Home Use, ages 3-8, Sparklers working group, FGC
- Sparkling Still Library Thing, an online annotated children’s book catalog
- Choosing Books for First Day School: Guidelines for Selecting Books, by Erika Mittag, Sally Farneth and Susan Hopkins.
- 33 Multicultural Children’s Books about Peace, Colours of Us
- Brightly: Raise Kids Who Love to Read Book List
- Books and Music to Celebrate Earth Day, Anne Collins, Sally Farneth, Susan Hopkins, Erika Mittag
- Immigration Booklist from Social Justice Books (Teaching for Change)
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