An Activity Guide for Children's Librarians

Whether kids are watching the ARTHUR show, reading ARTHUR books, or visiting the ARTHUR Web site at PBS KIDS GO!, they are getting the message that reading is fun and exciting, and an important part of daily life.

Designed to help children's librarians use the popularity of ARTHUR to create programs that will attract and encourage kids and families to come to the library, this online guide includes activities, ready-to-use printable templates, and recommended books and shows.

You can download the entire guide (2.6 MB) and all the reproducibles (3.7 MB), or you can download the guide in individual sections as follows. You can also download Spanish versions of the guide's Story Starter Cards (648 K) and Story Picture Cards (242 K). And be sure to check out Let's Read!, a family activity booklet available below in English and Spanish.

You'll need Adobe Reader to access these PDF files.

Introduction (351 K)
Find out more about the Arthur at the Library activity guide.

Explore the ARTHUR Web Site (126 K)
In addition to being a fun and interactive site for kids, the ARTHUR Web site is also a terrific educational resource for librarians, teachers, and parents.

• The Top Ten (123 K)
  A top ten form for kids to fill out based on suggested topics.
• Party Invitation (793 K)
  A customizable invitation to an ARTHUR party.

• ARTHUR Story Picture Cards (648 K)
  Simple picture cards to help kids create their own stories.
  (Also available in Spanish.)
• ARTHUR Story Starter Cards (242 K)
  Intriguing beginnings to inspire young writers.
  (Also available in Spanish.)
• D.W. Gets Her Library Card (259 K)
  A reader's theater script for kids to perform.

Awesome ARTHUR Events (944 K)
Here are some innovative ways to add ARTHUR appeal to your activities, from celebrating Children's Book Week, to music activities, to creating a library Welcome Packet. The activities in this section make use of the following reproducibles:

• ARTHUR Certificate (477 K)
  A handy certificate to award kids for their participation in library programs.
• ARTHUR Library Bookmarks (210 K)
  Three different bookmarks to copy and distribute.
• ARTHUR Stationery (309 K)
  Stationery featuring ARTHUR characters to customize and use for flyers and handouts.
• If You're Arthur and You Know It! (133 K)
  Sing along to a new version of the familiar song.
• Shake that Shaker (330 K)
  Make your own musical instrument.
• ARTHUR Trivia (144 K)
  Use this fun, multipurpose quiz to add pizzazz to your programs.

Let's Read! An Activity Booklet for Families
From toddlers to teenagers, this family activity guide offers ideas and tips on how to support a child's love of books and reading. It contains an ARTHUR story, tips for encouraging children to read and write, information on how to start a parent-child book club, and plenty of book recommendations. In addition, the story cards are great for playing reading and writing games with kids. All materials are available in English and Spanish.

Let's Read! An Activity Booklet for Families available in:
English (1.5MB)
Spanish (1.5MB)

ARTHUR Story Picture Cards
Simple picture cards to help kids create their own stories.
English (648K)
Spanish (648K)

ARTHUR Story Starter Cards
Intriguing beginnings to inspire young writers.
English (242K)
Spanish (242K)

Credits and Funders (288 K)
Find out who created and supported the Arthur at the Library guide. (You can also see this information on the credits page.)

To learn more about classroom materials based on PBS programs, visit PBS Teachers.