Storytime Ideas for Books About Singing

By: Justine Ferrara, Union (NJ) Public Library Do you want to incorporate CLEL Bell books into your storytimes? Are you looking for some caregiver tips, rhymes, songs, and activities to freshen up an existing storytime? Read on for some ideas to plan and execute an engaging storytime all about singing! CLEL Bell Award Winners & …

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Announcing the 2025 Spanish CLEL Bells Shortlist

We are pleased to announce the shortlist titles for the biannual Spanish CLEL Bell Awards. The Spanish CLEL Bell Awards are an biannual recognition of five high-quality children’s books that provide excellent support of early literacy development in children ages 0-5. This shortlist of 25 CLEL Bell titles, five for each early literacy practice – …

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Authors and libraries — a perfect pair!

By: Kristin Jardien Like most people, I love moments of serendipity! When I learned that I am lucky enough to live near Denise Vega, author of Adela’s Mariachi Band, I knew I couldn’t ignore the message the universe was sending me. That message was “bring her to your library!” So, I did. However, if you’ve …

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Welcoming Caregivers as Creative Partners in Storytime

By: Holly Van Hoy Are you lucky enough to have caregivers and/or community members offering to volunteer at your library during storytime, but feeling unsure how to include them?  Here are a few ways that I have been able to welcome caregivers and community members as creative partners in my storytime sessions. Hand Them a …

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