Long before the days of Mario, Luigi and Donkey Kong, youngsters harkened to the likes of Fibber McGee and Molly, Dick Tracy and the Lone Ranger. Such were the stuff of the “Golden Age of Radio,” the era spanning from the 1930s through the 1950s.
Radios figured largely in the homes of families, a central feature in their living rooms and daily lives. Radios brought the world to households throughout the nation. Parents and children gathered around the radio to hear news, entertaining music and riveting and riotous story programs.
While radios thus informed and entertained, they also proved a source of both inspiration and comfort during the bleakest of times in our nation, spanning the Great Depression and World War II.
A recent study cited in “School Library Journal” found that audiobooks developed the same cognitive skills as reading print books. This affirms the views of Denise Johnson, an assistant professor of reading education at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, that audiobooks are of benefit to all children, including emerging and second language readers and those with reading disabilities such as dyslexia.
According to Johnson, audiobooks:
• Introduce students to books above their reading level.
• Model good interpretive reading.
• Teach critical listening.
• Highlight the humor in books.
• Introduce new genres that students might not otherwise consider.
• Introduce new vocabulary or difficult proper names or locales.
• Sidestep unfamiliar dialects or accents, Old English and old-fashioned literary styles.
• Provide a read-aloud model.
• Provide a bridge to important topics of discussion for parents and children who can listen together while commuting to sporting events, music lessons or on vacations.
The Patrick Heath Public Library provides patrons with several options for audiobook pleasure. In addition to books on CD, we also carry Playaways, preloaded audiobooks that are a great option for those without CD players. We also offer digital options through both our Cloud and Overdrive libraries.
Radio Storytime
The Golden Age of radio Is back!
Take a step back in time and relive those golden age of radio days when families gathered around the radio for stories, music and news. Tune in to Boerne Radio (KBRN FM 103.9) for a weekly Saturday storytime at 7:45 a.m.
Enjoy a dramatic reading of a quality story suitable for the whole family. This storytime is generously sponsored by Mathnasium of Boerne We are most grateful to Boerne Radio and Mathnasium of Boerne for this opportunity to bring the wonder of literature to the community.
Homeschool Hoedown
At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10, all homeschool families are invited to join us on our back lawn for a Wild West morning that will feature horseback riding, farm animal petting zoo and crafting. Learn about our library resources for families and share your ideas with Miss Constance for programs you would like us to do for you.
If any parents would like to provide some volunteer help for the morning, please contact Miss Constance at [email protected].
Staying informed
You can contact us at 830-249-3053 or visit our website at www.boernelibrary.org. Email us at librarian@boernelibrary. org. Track us down on Facebook, where you can like the library, or Boerne Library Children’s Corner. You can also follow us on Instagram.
To maintain your library account, go to www.boernelibrary. org and click on “My Account.”
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