Main Street Books has been a Minot staple for over 18 years, having first opened our doors in 2006. We’ve hosted all kinds of events over the almost two decades we’ve been open, but a weekly constant has been our storytimes. Currently, our affectionately named Storytime Lady is Miss Sara, a local theatre enthusiast who uses her thespian talents to lead interactive storytimes full of songs, dances, and fun stories where she utilizes all kinds of silly voices as she narrates. Like all of our children’s events, weekly storytimes at Main Street Books are free events. Each week features different themes, stories, activities, and sometimes snacks – all curated by Miss Sara.
Storytime normally begins with a call and response activity or song to get the children’s attention so they can be focused for the hour (as much as is possible for 3-6 year olds!). A consistent favorite call and response involves Miss Sara bringing out her baby bear puppet swaddled in a sleeping bag, followed by her encouraging the kids to shout “WAKE UP, BABY BEAR!” with much enthusiasm. Some stories are repeated more often than others, with “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” being an example of an interactive staple. Miss Sara has the kids get up and mime the actions of the book – venturing through tall grass, wading through a cold river, and more – before finally sneaking into a cave where they find a sleepy bear and have to hurry back through the previous obstacles to get to safety!
Miss Sara also has lots of educational props in her arsenal for group activities, including tapping sticks for fine motor skills and a big felt board she uses for memory games. Many of these activities also help with early social skills as well, like sharing, taking turns, and learning appropriate vocal volume for different settings. Storytimes are also often themed around major holidays – Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and more.
As someone who doesn’t lead storytimes but is always working during them, it always warms my heart to hear how excited the kids are for storytime and how much fun they have during it.
Storytimes at Main Street Books are on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11am, and are always free events. Sometimes we do additional, special occasion storytimes in evenings or on weekends, which are also always free. To stay up to date, follow us on Facebook @MainStreetBooksMinot and check out our website, mainstreetbooksminot.com. We hope to to see you here! Have fun and happy reading.
