Bedtime for Monsters -- 10/28/25

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual story time.

Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere
10 Spooky Pumpkins by Gus Grimly

Books:
Frankenbunny by Jill Esbaum
I Do NOT Eat Children by Marcus Cutler
Peanut Butter & Brains by Joe McGee
The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle
We're Going on a Goon Hunt by Michael Rex
Yeti, Turn Out the Light! by Greg Long

Craft: Zombie

- Template can be purchased from Etsy
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, feet, arms, head, eyes)

- Color pieces

- Glue pieces together to make zombie

Extension Activities:

- Plan a monster party.  What games would you play?  What music would you listen to?  What foods would you eat?  What would you wear to the party?

- Go over trick or treating safety rules before Halloween.

The Ugliest Monster in the World -- 10/21/25

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual story time.

The Ugliest Monster in the World by Luis Amavisca
Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry

Books:
Frankenbunny by Jill Esbaum
I Will Chomp You! by Jory John
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Wolfboy by Andy Harkness

Craft: Vampire Puppet
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (head, cape, bowtie)

- Color pieces

- Glue head to top of large craft stick

- Glue cape to back of craft stick centered at bottom of head

- Glue on bowtie below vampire's head

Extension Activities:

- After reading a monster book, poll your child(ren) for which monster is the ugliest, scariest, friendliest, etc.

- Ask your child to write their own version of Bunnies!!! with different animals and things for the monster to greet.

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If You're a Monster and You Know It -- 10/14/25

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual story time.

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler
I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon
If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca & Ed Emberley

Books:
Buddy and the Bunnies in: Don't Play With Your Food by Bob Shea
Give Me Back My Bones! by Kim Norman
Go to Sleep, Little Creep by David Quinn
Jeepers Creepers: A Monsters ABC by Laura Leuck
The Most Terrible of All by Muon Van
The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle

Craft: Skeleton
- Print skeleton outline onto colored paper
- Print skull onto white paper and cut out

- Cut white paper into short paper strips (1/2" x 1-1/2")

- Glue strips onto skeleton outline for bones

- Glue head to top of skeleton

Extension Activities:

- Learn about our bones and different types of skeletons.  Check out an informational book from the library to look at true skeletons.

- Talk about friendship and how we should treat out friends.

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Are You a Monster? Story Time -- 10/6/25

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual story time.

Are You a Monster? by Guilherme Karsten
Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette

Books:
Bye-Bye Big Bad Bullybug by Ed Emberley
The Monster at the End of the Book by Jon Stone
My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
Snow Beast Comes to Play by Phil Gosier
When a Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor

Craft: Ghost
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper
- Cut out ghost
- Color ghost if like
- Cut five strips of paper (1/2"x5")
- Glue strips to bottom of ghost
- Curl or accordian-fold strips if you like




Extension Activities:
- Make a ghost in a bag.  Draw a face on a ziploc bag with a sharpie.  Then add a small amount of shaving cream into the bag before sealing the bag.  Let the kids squish the bag to make ghost shapes.
- Have fun with some monster Mad Libs.


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Virtual Story Time -- October 2025

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.) 

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Quit Calling Me a Monster by Jory John

Books:
Benita and the Night Creatures by Mariana Llanos
I Do Not Eat Children by Marcus Cutler
A Monster Is Eating This Book by Karen Kilpatrick
One Chicken Nugget by Tadgh Bentley
Pretty Ugly by David Sedaris
Why Did the Monster Cross the Road? by R.L. Stine




Extension Activities:
- Have a Cookie Monster Day.  Enjoy activities such as baking cookies, cookie taste testing, and polling people for their favorite types of cookies.
- Make a fun craft monster.  Get out all your craft supplies (ex - paper, glue, colors, pompoms, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, sequins, etc) and let your child(ren) have fun making up the craziest monsters they can imagine.

Bedtime for Monsters -- 11/1/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere

Books:

Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by Jane Yolen

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Love Monster by Rachel Bright

The Monsters' Monsters by Patrick McDonnell

Sally and the Some-Thing by George O'Connor

Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie by Judy Sierra

We're Going on a Goon Hunt by Michael Rex

When a Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor

Craft: Monster Bags

- Print template onto paper and cut out pieces (eyes, horns, teeth/hair)

- Color brown lunchbag as monster's body/head

- Color facial pieces and glue to bag to make a monster

*** Craft can be made so can be a puppet or a treat bag

Extension Activities:

- Play a game of pin the features on a monster.  Tape the outline of a monster's head onto the wall.  Then blindfold the kids and have them tape the different monster facial features to the head.

- Make some monster toast.  Place a few drops of food coloring into a small amount of milk.  Then paint a monster onto a piece of bread.  Lightly toast the bread before eating.

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Ghost in the House -- 10/25

 Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette

Books:

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago

Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima

How to Haunt a House by Carolyn Crimi

Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett

The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo by Elanie Bickell

Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell

Craft: Ghost

- Print out template on heavy paper or cardstock and cut out

- Color ghost's features (eyes and mouth)

- Cut out strips of white paper and glue to bottom of ghost

- Curl or fold strips

Extension Activities:

- Make a Boonana for a snack.  Peel a banana and cut in half.  Stick three chocolate chips onto the top half of the banana for eyes and a mouth. 

- Ghost in the House introduces several different types of monsters.  Have your child act out how those monsters would walk, dance, speak, etc.

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Skeleton Hiccups -- 10/18/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler

Books:

Black and Bittern Was the Night by Robert Heidbreder

Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler

The Bones of Fred McFee by Eve Bunting

Give Me Back My Bones by Kim Norman

Samira and the Skeletons by Camilla Kuhn

Skeleton for Dinner by Margery Cuyler

The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle

Craft: Skeleton

- Print skull onto regular white paper

- Print skeleton guide onto colored paper making sure to leave room for skull to fit at top

- Cut white paper into small strips for bones

- Glue bones onto colored paper using the guide

- Glue skull to colored paper on top of bones

Extension Activities:

- Learn about the human body and the skeletal system.  Check out one of the nonfiction skeleton books from the library.

- Continue the skeleton craft fun by printing out some simple animal coloring sheets.  Then have your child draw or glue on white bone strips in what they think would be its skeletal system.

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Socksquatch -- 10/11/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Socksquatch by Frank Dormer

Books:
The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot! by Scott Magoon

Don't Squish the Sasquatch by Kent Redeker

Elwood Bigfoot: Wanted, Birdie Friends! by Jill Esbaum

Not Yeti by Kelly DiPucchio

On Top of Old Smoky by B.A. Hoena

Yeti, Turn Out the Light! by Greg Long

Craft: Socksquatch

- Color template of Socksquatch

- Cut black yarn into 1" pieces (you'll need about 20 pieces)

- Glue pieces of yarn to Socksquatch for fur

Extension Activities:

- Make a game out of matching socks together.  Ask your child to find the matching socks.

- Make a sock puppet out of an old socks.

Where the Wild Things Are -- 10/4/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

Books:  (Monsters)

Beware the Monster! by Michael Escoffier

Eat Pete! by Michael Rex

Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner

The Monster on the Bus by Josh Lieb

Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin

The Most Terrible of All by Muon Van

Quit Calling Me a Monster! by Jory John

Craft: Grover

- Print template, color, and cut out pieces (eyes, nose, mouth)

- Tear blue paper or tissue paper into about 1" pieces

- Glue blue paper/tissue paper onto a recycled cd-rom or cut out 4-1/2" circle to make Grover's head

- Glue eyes, nose, and mouth onto head to complete face

Extension Activities:

- Discuss common fear with your child (i.e. dark, monsters, storms, etc).  Then discuss ways to deal with those fears (i.e. night light, comfy to snuggle, etc.)

- After reading Where the Wild Things Are, have a Wild Rumpus with monster dancing, snacks, and games.

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Virtual Story Time: Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley -- 3/30/21

Join us weekly for an online story time featuring a book read by Miss Amy on Tuesdays at 10:00 am.  The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.


Click HERE to view the latest video.


Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
Love Monster by Rachel Bright

Books: (Monsters)

Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere

Beware the Monster! by Michael Escoffier

Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by Jane Yolen

Five Little Monsters Jumping on the Bed by Bill Cotter

If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley

Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner

Quit Calling Me a Monster! by Jory John

Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau
When a Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Craft: Big Green Monster

- Print out template and color

- Cut out facial featuers (hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth)

- Color small paper plate

- Glue facial features to plate to make monster

Extension Activities:

- Go Away Big Green Monster uses sequencing to tell the story.  Ask your child to tell a simple story using sequencing.  Stories could include the steps to getting dressed or making a snack.

- We have been reading stories about the color green all month.  Go on a green scavenger hunt seeing how many things your child can find that is the color green.

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Facebook Story Time: Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems -- 7/14/20

This is a weekly story time featuring a book read by Miss Amy on Tuesdays on Facebooks.  The video is available to watch on Facebook for one week before a new one is uploaded.

Go to www.facebook.com/JeffCoLibMo and click on Videos to view the latest video.


Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Books:
Beware the Monster! by Michael Escoffier
Eat Pete! by Michael Rex
I Will Chomp You! by John Jory
If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley
Love Monster by Rachel Bright
Marilyn's Monster by Michelle Knudsen
Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner
Monster Mama by Liz Rosenberg
My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie by Judy Sierra
When a Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor


TumbleBook Stories: (Available through www.jeffcolib.org by clicking on E-Content.)
Monster Hug by David Ezra Stein
Monster Mash by Mimi Maxwell
Ogre Fun by Loris Lesynski

Craft: M Is for Monster
- Draw a large M on a piece of paper
- Optional: Cut out the M
- Decorate the M with eyes, teeth, horns, sequins, etc.







Extension Activities:
- Practice letter recognition by having your child point out the "M"s in the story you are reading.
- Pretend play by acting as a monster.
- Watch a monster themed movie such as Monsters, Inc. or Hotel Translyvania.

Facebook Story Time: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - 6/2/20

This is part of a series of weekly story times offered on Facebook due to the current health crisis.  Each Tuesday, a recording of a story will be posted on Facebook.  It will be available to view for a week before a new story is posted.

Go to www.facebook.com/JeffCoLibMo and click on Videos to view the latest story.


Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Books:
Boy Soup by Loris Lesynski
Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance by Keith Graves
Monster Hug! by David Ezra Stein
          * Books available on Tumblebooks through www.jeffcolib.org.

Craft:  Paper Plate Wolf
- Draw child's face in center of paper plate
- Cut two tall triangles out of white paper and glue onto top of plate for wolf ears
- Cut or tear white tissue paper into small squares
- Glue tissue paper pieces to edges of plate to make wolf suit
- Glue black yarn or paper strips onto cheeks for wolf whiskers



Extension Activities:
- Ask your child what a "wild rumpus" is.  Then have a monster dance party.  Try dancing like different types of monsters (i.e. Frankenstein, werewolf, ghost, etc.)
- Have a discussion of behavior and consequences.  Ask what they think Max did to deserve being sent to his room.
- Watch the movie version of "Where the Wild Things Are".

Wild Witches' Ball: A Trick or Treat Story Time: October 29-30, 2018

Books:
10 Trick or Treaters by Janet Schulman
13 Ghosts of Halloween by Robin Muller *
At the Old Haunted House by Helen Ketteman
We're Off to Find the Witch's House by Mr. Krieb *
Wild Witches' Ball by Jack Prelutsky *

Craft: Witch Trick or Treat Bag
Children colored a cutout of witch legs and then glued to a brown paper lunch bag.  The bag was then used to go trick or treating in the library.

Literacy Extensions:
- Almost all of this week's books involve counting in some way.  Practice counting while reading the books by asking your child how many of certain type of monsters are on a page as you read through the book.
- Before going trick or treating discuss safety issues such as walking in the dark, stranger safety, etc.

Ghost in the House (Monsters) Story Time: October 15-16, 2018

Books:
Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette *
Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone *
Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner *
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie by Judy Sierra


Craft: Ghost Windsock
The children glued a white circle over a recycled CD and drew on a face.  They then glued on long strips of tissue paper to the bottom to make into a windsock.  Small white tissue paper squares could be glued around the face if they liked.


Literacy Extensions:
- Both Ghost in the House and Little Goblins Ten feature counting.  For practice, have your child count the monsters on each page as you are reading the story.
- Monster Boogie has two verses using different words for dancing (i.e. boogie, wiggle).  See if your child can add more verses to the song / book with other words for dancing.

Sally and the Some-Thing (Monsters) Story Time: October 9, 2018

Books:
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems *
Monster Trucks by Joy Keller
Sally and the Some-Thing by George O'Connor *
Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau *
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Craft: Frankenstein Head Monster
The children were given a Frankenstein head and hair to color.  The hair and four strips of paper were glued to the head for arms and legs.


Literacy Extensions:
- Both Sally and the Some-Thing and Leonardo the Terrible Monster are about friendship.  Ask your child why the monsters in the books would or would not make a good friend.
- Tickle Monster focuses on the different parts of the monster's body.  As you are reading the book, have your child point out the different body parts on their own body.


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Skeleton Hiccups (Monster) Story Time: October 1-2, 2018

Books:
Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler
Skeleton for Dinner by Margery Cuyler
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler *
The Skeleton in My Closet by Alice Schertle *
Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi *

Craft: Skeleton Picture
Kids glued a skull and small strips of paper (bones) to a simple skeleton outline on a piece of paper.


Literacy Extensions:
- Practice number recognition when doing the craft.  Write numbers on the strips of paper (bones) and have your child glue them to the picture in order.
- Monsters are a common fear for young children.  Discuss reasons we fear things and why we do not need to fear the monsters we are reading about.


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Underwear Story Time: February 16, 2016

Books:
Brief Thief by Michael Escoffier
The Frog Who Lost His Underpants by Juliette MacIver
Monsters Love Underpants by Claire Freedman & Ben Cort *
Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera *
Underpants Dance by Marlena Zapf
Vegetables in Underwear by Jared Chapman

Craft: Monster in Underwear
The children were given a cardstock cutout of a monster to color and then glue on a pair of paper underwear.  (Template for monster below.  I had to draw the template for the underwear.)

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Polar Bear's Underwear, have your child design underwear for various animals.
- Practice letter recognition by asking your child to identify the letters that make up the word "underwear".  Then ask them to find the various letters in the book you are reading.


Notes
Story Time was not held on Monday this week as the library was closed in honor of Presidents Day.

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Trick or Treat Story Time: October 27-28, 2014

Books:
Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane *
Monster Mash by David Catrow
Monster Parade by Shana Corey
The Night Before Halloween by Natasha Wing *
One Witch by Laura Leuck *
Wild Witches' Ball by Jack Prelutsky

Craft: Frankenstein Trick or Treat Bag
Our craft this week was based on the picture above.  We made our trick or treat bags out of brown lunch bags that the kids colored green.  They then glued on eyes and strips of black paper for the hair and neck bolts.  They could then add a mouth, nose and scars if they liked.

Literacy Extensions:
- Write your own version of "Over in the Meadow" using monsters (i.e. Little Goblins Ten)
- Discuss safety tips for trick or treating.

Notes:
We went trick or treating through the library after the story times this week.

Skeleton Hiccups Story Time: October 20-21, 2014

Books:
Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere
The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle *
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler *
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie: A Revolting Rhyme
              by Judy Sierra
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Craft: Skeleton Picture
Children glued cut out bones and a skull to paper with an simple line-drawing skeleton.

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk about why people have / need bones.  Check out a nonfiction, informational book about skeletons and look at the pictures of the different bones in the body.
- Pick a simple recipe and make it with your child - discussing the various steps as you do them (i.e. Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie)

Notes:
This story time is not for children with fears of monsters.  While the children found Skeleton Hiccups funny, several of the children were scared by The Skeleton in the Closet and Bedtime for Monsters.  I suggest reading the books yourself before sharing with your children.