The 2012 Summer Reading Program theme “Dream Big - Read” offers a wide variety of ideas for summer storytimes. We will cover a few each month, beginning with this issue, and continuing through February and March to give you plenty of time to prepare. Be sure to check out the themes Camping, and Bedtime, which are already listed.

Also check out the website for summer reading maintained by the California Library Association: www.cla-net.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=330 . They have the powerpoint presentations and handouts from a workshop on the 2012 SRP theme, held in November at the CLA conference. The children's presentation is listed first. Be sure to download the handout - it is 25 pages long so it takes a minute, but it is worth it. They have listed several storytime themes with craft ideas.

Moon is a great science-related theme even preschoolers can understand, since they can see it. If possible, have some telescopes outside to look at the moon if you are doing an evening storytime. For a craft project, make the Cow Jumping Over the Moon seen here: www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/space/morbit.htm .

Asch, Frank. MOON BEAR.
   Bear is worried that the moon is shrinking, so he decides to take action.

Banks, Kate. AND IF THE MOON COULD TALK.
   As evening progresses into night, the moon looks down at earth and sees a child get ready for bed.

Berger, Barbara. GRANDFATHER TWILIGHT.
   Grandfather Twilight walks in the forest, and magically makes the moon appear.

Berger, Barbara. A LOT OF OTTERS.
   A group of otters helps Mother Moon find her lost children.

Brown, Margaret Wise. GOODNIGHT MOON.
   In this classic, a little bunny says goodnight to the items in his room.

Carle, Eric. PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME.
   Papa obtains the moon for his daughter, but the moon waxes and wanes, changing in size.

Choldenko, Gennifer. MOONSTRUCK: THE TRUE STORY OF THE COW WHO JUMPED OVER THE MOON.
   A horse is skeptical that a cow can jump over the moon.

Curtis, Carolyn. I TOOK THE MOON FOR A WALK.
   A boy takes the moon for a walk through his neighborhood.

Duncan, Lois. THE BIRTHDAY MOON.
   This rhyming story describes the wonderful things you can do if given the moon as a gift.

Ehlert, Lois. MOON ROPE.
   In this bilingual folktale from Peru, Fox and Mole try to climb a rope to the moon.

Emmett, Jonathan. BRINGING DOWN THE MOON.
   Mole finds the moon so beautiful he wants to take it from the sky.

Henkes, Kevin. KITTEN'S FIRST FULL MOON.
   A kitten sees the moon and thinks it is a bowl of milk.

Schaefer, Carole Lexa. SOMETIMES MOON.
   A girl describes the different shapes of the moon.