Laura Raphael

London

Author at TulsaKids Magazine

Articles

Color Your World with Magical Books

3 weeks ago | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

Back in my weekly storytime days as Youth Librarian, I occasionally struggled to come up with a theme for each session. Sometimes the books I wanted to read easily coalesced around one idea or another (bath time, bears, birthday parties) and, sometimes, my “theme” was just “These are books I’ve discovered recently that I just love, and you might, too!”Here’s my “Books” column equivalent of that non-theme theme.
Picture This: Great Picture Book Series

1 month ago | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

The world is a busy and complex place, no matter what age you are. Evolutionary scientists surmise that ancient humans living 10,000 years ago met, at most, 250 different people in their entire lives. Farthest distance they traveled from birth to death? No more than 20 or 25 miles.
Sophie Blackall: 2024 Books to Treasure Illustrator

Sep 24, 2024 | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

A picture is worth…Quick, what do you notice about a picture book? Well, obviously…the pictures. For young readers, the artwork in picture books is what captivates them the most – and what can be the biggest encouragement for them to learn how to translate all of the squiggly lines of text into meaning. In other words, to learn how to read. That’s the essence of the Tulsa City-County Library’s popular Books To Treasure program, which has been in existence for 21 years.
Move Over, Elephant and Piggie!

Jul 24, 2024 | tulsakids.com | Elise Gravel |Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

The school year is swiftly approaching, but summer isn’t over yet, and nothing makes summer reading better than summer reading with friends! Mo Willems created what is possibly the best pair of friends in a book (well, a long series of books) in Elephant & Piggie, who make taking naps, throwing balls, playing trumpets, having a party and, of course, being in a book so hilarious and heart-warming! If you’re looking to expand your circle of book friends to buddy pairs similar to Elephant &...
Favorite Books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

May 28, 2024 | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

If you are reading this on June 1 or after, the Tulsa City-County Library’s 2024 Summer Reading Program has already begun, and you and your entire family are invited to participate. Sign up at any of our 24 library locations or the bookmobile to start your reading adventure. You can earn great prizes and coupons for food and local recreation.
Adventure Begins at the Library This Summer

Apr 26, 2024 | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

As any good librarian knows (and I’m a good librarian!), some of the best adventures are reading ones. You get to stay safe in one place while getting the thrill of following fictional or historical characters as they climb mountains, race boats, face insurmountable challenges, get into scrapes and then get out again. This summer we invite you to all of the Tulsa City-County Library’s 24 locations – and the bookmobile – to start a reading adventure.
Raina Telgemeier Receives Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature

Mar 25, 2024 | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

When graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier discovered the comics page as a child (especially the realistic family strip “For Better or Worse” and the funny adventure philosophy strip “Calvin and Hobbes”), she felt like she’d found her happy place.
Connecting Fiction and Nonfiction: Dragons and Octopi

Feb 26, 2024 | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library |Sarah Davis |Children’s Area Supervisor

Did you know that reading fiction and nonfiction together is good for brains young and old(er)? The wonder of a fanciful story read alongside a fact-based tale is a perfect pair. Fiction and made-up stories help kids explore with their own imagination, and facts and true stories help kids feel grounded in the real world. Kids need both to grow into big, strong readers!Not sure how to pair up fiction and nonfiction?
Books with Rhythms, Moves and Beats

Jan 24, 2024 | tulsakids.com | Herve Tullet |Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

I’ve always loved the speculation by evolutionary biologists and other anthropology scientists that humans first used singing (or at least, musical tones and verbal sounds) to communicate. Only later did we realize we needed language with words to get across what we wanted others to understand. After all, our heartbeats bang a steady drum, and every baby can interpret their parents’ moods and intentions long before understanding a single syllable.
Recommendations from Tulsa City-County Library

Dec 27, 2023 | tulsakids.com | Laura Raphael |Tulsa city-county Library

When my niece was a toddler, she was obsessed with the family cat. (And all other cats, to be honest.) She loved watching Frankie prowl and sleep and eat, and she took our “gentle, gentle” petting directions well – for a 3-year-old!My sister and brother-in-law capitalized on this early interest in cats by taking her to the library to check out books about cats and with cats as characters.