Full schedule of storytimes begins again!

There is something for kids every morning!

This is the schedule of the on-going children’s programs at the Northfield Public Library

Mondays 10 –12   First Steps Early Literacy Center
A parent or caregiver-directed activity center where toddlers  and  preschoolers are surrounded by alphabet manipulatives,  concept books, board books and puzzles, all designed to be a fun learning experience. 

Tuesdays 10 –11  Patty Cake Infant Lapsit         
Infant Lapsit is specially designed to encourage  development of language and motor skills by  incorporating books with simple songs, rhymes and fingerplays.   For ages 6-18 months with  parent or caregiver.

Wednesdays 10 –11  Toddler Rhyme Time          
Is a time to encourage development of language and motor skills by integrating movement, songs, books and rhymes for kids ages 18 months to 3 years old with parent or caregiver.

Thursdays 10 –11 Story Time for 4’s and 5’s

Stories and a craft for the “just about ready for school crowd.” For children who are ready to sit and listen to a picture book, sing songs and create a small art project.

Fridays 10 am to noon   First Steps Early Literacy Center

Saturdays 10 to 11   First Steps Early Literacy Center

Saturdays 11 –12    Carleton Volunteers Story Hour TBA

Saturday morning stories and crafts. During Carleton’s school year.

Free and open to all!   All activities are held in the meeting room.

check www.northfieldmn.info or call 645-1804

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Thursday is the last READER of THE WEEK drawing of the summer!

Enter by noon on Thursday!!!  Sept. 1st.

Here's another Reader of the Week! Meet Brian!

Fun with trains at First Steps.

First Steps is open for fun and exploration on
Monday, Friday and Saturday mornings from

10 to noon. 

Here's Kailee!

September Calendar

***click on calendar to enlarge***

Here is another Reader of the Week! Stefany!

click to enlarge

Time for school! Here is a new book list to help the first timers!

Click on it to enlarge or print.

Did you see this on Northfield.org?

Click here!

Back to school specials at the library! FREE.



Click on flyer to enlarge

Summer Reading- it's not over yet!

Northfield kids are reading like crazy this summer!  Maybe it’s the rainy, hot and stormy weather. Something is making kids ages pre-school to high school read a lot this summer and I have been thrilled to watch it happen!  While it is my job at the library to encourage reading and library skills, this summer’s group of readers has been a bumper crop! 

The Teen Advisory Board created the library’s teen summer reading program. TAB members used money they earned from earlier fund-raising events to purchase to e-readers. They offered 2 Nooks as grand prizes and as a result, an average of 50 entry slips were put in the drawing every week.  To get an entry slip teens had to read 3 books with 150 pages or more.  The summer reading program was 7 weeks long. You do the math -  7 times 50 equals 350, 350 X 3 equals 1050 books!  Those kids are so smart! 

The younger children filled out a slip for every book they read , or if they were preschool age, they counted books that were read to them.  The volunteer Library Pages stapled the slips together every week and no one could believe how long the chains have been!

Before the chains went up we pulled one slip and honored a child as “Reader of the Week.”  We hung the slips from the ceiling as a testament to all the books kids read over the summer. Most years these slips have enough room in the children’s area of the library but this year they crossed in front of the circulation desk, around the video area, back behind the circulation desk, and over to the new- items room!

Reward coupons to local merchants were awarded to children who met their reading goals. The Friends of the Library, with some matching donations from the Senior Center’s popcorn wagon, Monkey See, Monkey Read Bookstore and Hogan Brothers gave out over $750 worth of coupons along with other prizes including punch balls, games, cards, cookies and magnet bookmarks. 

No matter how you add this up it means Northfield kids did a lot of reading. Children and parents know it’s important to keep up their reading skills over the summer and our official Summer Reading Program is over BUT we are continuing the Reader of the Week drawings, in fact we are expanding it to all ages, so any child can be the “Reader of the Week!” 

I invite you to come check out the library, it’s a hopping place!