Library offers fun kids' programs

     By Lynn Collier
     View staff writer
      Holiday is a busy time for Cheryl Parker and her family.
      Most of the time is spent attending school plays, concerts and family functions with her husband and five children.
      But there's still time to sign up for some of Green Valley Library's holiday programs for children.
      At a recent trip to find a book for her 13-year-old son, Coleman, she signed up the family to attend Seasonal Sounds, a holiday musical performance by the Greenspun Junior High Orchestra.
      Coleman was looking forward to the event because he's in the Greenspun band and it's his friends that will be performing.
      "It'll be a lot of fun," he said.
      Sandy Williams has been the Young People's Department Head at the Green Valley Library for two years. She said the best part of her job is not only helping children find books but getting them interested in events.
      "They're so grateful when you tell them about other things," she said. "And it's free. It's always nice to offer somebody something of quality for free."
      Her programs reach from 500 to more than 1,000 children each month. That number jumps to more than 3,000 when she and her three-member staff visit the schools with programs.
      Williams, who has spent a decade in the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District has seen the services and programs for children grow as the district has added more libraries and staff. Still, she thinks there was always plenty for children to do in the valley's libraries.
      "We've always done a lot for kids no matter what size the district has been," she said.
      The deadline to sign up for children's events is Monday. Also, winter story time begins Jan. 2 and parents should register their children this month.
      Upcoming events are:
      December
      n Seasonal Sounds, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. The event features classic holiday music performed by the Greenspun Junior High Orchestra. It's open to families and children of all ages.
      n Preschool holiday story time will be Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. This event is open for children, ages 3-5 and will feature songs, fingerplays, crafts and stories.
      n Play READ! will be held Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. The event is open to children ages 6-12 and will celebrate Bingo's 69th birthday with a library version of the game.
      January
      n Let It Snow will be held Jan. 6 at 4 p.m. for children ages 6 to 8. The event will feature stories about snow and crafts.
      n Two sessions of Tumbling Time, a gymnastics class, will be held Jan. 7. A session will be available for children ages 3-5 at 10:30 a.m. and another session will be held at 4 p.m. for children, ages 6-8.
      n A story reading hour featuring unicorns called "Do You Believe in Unicorns?" will be held Jan. 21 for ages 9-12 at 4:30 p.m.
      February
      n A black history film festival will be held Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. for children ages 6 and up. The event celebrates Black History Month with films such as, "Amazing Grace" and "Flossie and the Fox."
      n A winter sweet treat called "Crazy for Chocolate" will be held Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. for ages 6 and up. The event will discuss the history of chocolate and will feature stories and poems about chocolate.