Storytimes at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library will return in January 2012. During storytimes children listen to stories, do fingerplays, sing, dance, make new friends, and learn how much fun reading is and what a great place the library is. Bring your child and join the fun.

 Toddler Storytime (Ages 1-3) - Tuesdays from 11:30 - 12:00Noon .

 Family Storytime (All Ages) - Wednesdays from 4:00 - 4:30PM

 Family Storytime (All Ages) - Saturdays from 11:00 - 11:30

 Inclusive Storytime (Ages 2-8) Third Wednesday of the month from 4:00-4:30PM

All of our storytimes are also followed by a half hour of Stay and Play. During Stay and Play, toys are brought out for the children to play with. Parents are invited to play with their children or it is also a great time to interact with other adults, make connections and perhaps learn some parenting tips.

We invite children and their families to enjoy these storytimes at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.
 

 Happy 2012 to Everyone! A New Year and a New month means New Friday Fun Events at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Library. Friday Fun events happen each Friday at 4:00PM throughout the year and are a great way to start off the weekend. Here's what's happening in January!

January 6 : Environmental Craft: Decorate a Canvas Bag! In January the plastic bag ban goes into effect in San Jose. In this craft children will decorate a reusable bag with fabric paint that they can reuse when going shopping or even to carry thier library books.

January 13: Puppet Making for Families! Children love puppets and what could be more fun than making your own.Children will make puppets and then use their puppets to tell a story. Parents will also learn some tips on how to get their children through daily routines by using puppets.

January 20: The Art of Japanese Calligraphy with Hikaru! The word "calligraphy," means "beautiful writing," so come and let Hikaru teach you some. The children use ink and paper to turn their English words into Japanese. It's a fun class and all supplies are provided.

January 27: Lunar New Year Craft! Celebrate the Lunar New Year with your friends at the library as we create a Lunar New Year Craft.

Friday Fun at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is a program that takes place each Friday of the month at 4:00PM. Activities are for children and include crafts, Japanese Calligraphy, board games, nature programs and others. It's good fun and a great way to start off your weekend. Here's what's happening in December:

December 2 - Go Wild! Nature Program for Kids. Representatives from the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge will be at the library sharing information about different animals.

December 9 - Card Making for Kids: Do you want to create a unique card to give to friends or family for the holidays? Then this is the program for you. Children will be creating cards using lego blocks and other unusual items to make stamp art!

December 16 - The Art of Japanese Calligraphy: Hikaru, our talented volunteer, will be teaching children how to write different words and sayings using Japanese Calligraphy. The word calligraphy means beautiful writing so come and try your hand at making some. A fun program.

December 23 - Tabletop Holiday Crafts: This will be the last day of our Tabletop Holiday Crafts week. Each day starting on Monday December 19 there will be fun crafts for children to do. The crafts will be available from 11:00 - 5:00PM or until supplies last.

December 30 - Calendar Craft and Bingo! - It's time to make your own unique 2012 Calendar!

Children will decorate calendars with a variety of art supplies, and celebrating the New Year with a fun game of Bingo!

Does your child enjoy playing with Legos? The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is offering Lego Fun on Mondays at 5:00PM. We have legos of all sizes plus the large duplo blocks for those little ones. Children know that legos are fun to play with, but parents did you know that playing with legos also encourages creativity, sharing, development of fine motor shills and helps with concentration? Playing with Legos also builds self esteem and confidence because when the "creation" is completed the child is given a sense of pride and accomplishment. So as you can see Legos are not just for fun!

There will be fun hands-on chemistry experiments at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in the Children's Room from 10:00AM-1:00PM on Saturday, October 22. There will be a slime lab, snow making activities and other fun experiments. The Wheel of Chemistry Fortune will also be back spinning for all kids to win a prize. Don't miss this terrific Free Hands on Science Fun event. If all these experiments whet your appetite for more, remember the San José Public Library has many chemistry experiments you can try at home, with adult supervision of course.

It's a new month which means a whole new line-up of Friday Fun events at the Dr. Martin Luther, King Jr. Library. All Friday Fun events take place on Fridays at 4:00PM and are a great way to start off the weekend. Here's what's happening in October:

• October 7: Game Day - We'll bring out all the board games and puzzles; you play the games and have fun.
• October 14: Pumpkin Story and Craft - Get in the mood for Halloween at this fun program. Hear a Halloween Story and then create your own unique pumpkin.
• October 21: The Art of Japanese Calligraphy with Hikaru - This has become a popular Friday Fun program. Hikaru teaches children how to write words plus their own names in Japanese calligraphy using ink and brushes. All supplies are furnished. This month, don't be surprised if there is a Halloween theme!
• October 28: Annual Halloween Day Parade! Join us for our annual Halloween Parade throughout the King Library. Conroy the Cougar, the library mascot, will lead the goblins, princesses, super heroes and other characters as we go trick or treating on different floors of the library. Festivities begin at 3:00PM in the Children's Room with stories and the decorating of treat bags. Join the fun!