3rd November World Jellyfish Day

 

Celebrating World Jellyfish Day makes sense as it is an invertebrate that has been on this earth for millions of years, longer than humans.

World Jellyfish Day has been slated to fall in the springtime in the southern hemisphere, as this is the season when jellyfish will begin their migration to the shores of the northern hemisphere. 

Jellyfish do not have central nervous systems. Instead, they use a loose network of nerves to sense touch, light, and changes in the water. Their bell-shaped body has only one opening that serves a dual purpose. They take in food and expel waste through the exact same hole.

As it is Nonfiction November I thought it would make sense to display all the wonderful information books about jellyfish. See these more recent ones:

And a biography

Maude Delap scoops a jellyfish out of the water and embarks on more than a year of observation of the animal, accomplishing something countless other scientists were unable to do: trace the life cycle of a jellyfish and understand the creature's metamorphosis from larva to adult.  Her painstaking observations of a compass jellyfish in 1899-1900 laid the foundation for research still ongoing today.

For more book titles see here.

For other blog entries about this day see here and here.

1st November Brush Day

In America National Brush Day is celebrated annually on1st November, immediately following Halloween, to promote good oral hygiene and remind children and families to brush for two minutes, twice a day. That's a good choice of day!

There are lots of opportunities in the year to think about oral hygiene and teeth.

National Dentist Day is 6th March.

World Oral Health Day is on 20th March.

Dental Health Week is celebrated in Australia at the beginning of August. This year 3rd - 9th August.

Then there's Tooth Fairy Day on 28th February and again on 22nd August and False Teeth Day on the 9th March.

There are so many board books for toddlers that focus on teeth brushing, but at the school library we have more scientific books about why brushing teeth is a good idea.

Last week in the run up to Halloween I read The Scariest Monster in the World  by Lee Weatherly to a preschool class and all they could talk about afterwards was the monster's green teeth. So many of them pointed out the fact that he needed to brush his teeth.

The newest book in the library about teeth brushing is this lighthearted one:

This book, My Toothbrush is Missing  by Jan Thomas is fun!

And this one,  A Tale of a Toothbrush  by M.G.Leonard has a much more serious message.

Nonfiction November

Founded by Adam Lancaster and organised by the Federation of Children's Book Groups, this annual event promotes factual reading for pleasure among children and young people. The whole month now celebrates all those readers that have a passion for information and facts and attempts to bring non fiction celebration in line with those of fiction.

This year’s theme is ‘Reading is an Adventure’. It will be encouraging children and young people to use non-fiction books in the outside world – not just to read them, but to use the information in a more practical way. For example, read a book about bugs and then be inspired to go on your own bug hunt. Another example could be to read about learning a skill and then doing the skill, or read about a place then go to it. The topics will be Bugs, Animals, People, Places, Nature, and Adventures at Home.

The Federation of Children's Book Group has a suggested reading list here, but you do not have to stick to their books. You can do a display that includes your own suggestions. Nonfiction books have changed greatly in the time I have been a teacher librarian. 

The internet has meant that there is less of the traditional nonfiction book that was used for research. They had short titles that told you what the book was about, photographs, contents pages, an index and a glossary. Now there is much more browsable nonfiction with superb illustrations. 

I have written about this month before here and made several suggestions as to authors and illustrators who do wonderful nonfiction. The Read and Wonder series, now known as Nature Storybooks are also examples of great nonfiction for young children.

Back to the bug theme...I'm going to include these in a display:

The Big Book of Bugs  by Yuval Zimmer

The Book of Brilliant Bugs  by Jess French and Claire McElfatrick

There are Bugs Everywhere  by Britta Teckentrup

Big Book of Bugs by  Theresa Greenaway

Leaf Litter  by Rachel Tonkin

Backyard  by Ananda Braxton-Smith and Lizzy Newcomb

and these

    

25th October Grandparents Day

Australia celebrates Grandparents Day annually on the last Sunday in October. This year that will be the 25th October.

NSW Grandparents Day celebrates the diversity of grandparent relationships across age groups, cultural backgrounds, and geographical locations.

Lots of New South Wales Libraries will be celebrating Grandparents Day. In  NSW there is an award for Local Grandparent of the Year, and official resource packs are available with posters and activities to do. The NSW government also puts together activities, posters and promotional material for you to use in your community. It even includes a picture book list.

Grandparents Day is not only about spending time with family but also about acknowledging what we can gain from grandparents, such as an understanding of our history, wisdom, and guidance.

At the school I teach at the Kindergarten students look at grandparents as part of a unit of inquiry and because the classes are very multicultural these books provide a focus:

• What Do You Call Your Grandma? by Ashleigh Barton

• What DoYou Call Your Grandpa? by Ashleigh Barton

• I Call My Grandma Nana by Ashley Wolff

• I Call My Grandpa Papa by Ashley Wolff

• My Nonno Loves  by Adelle Frittitta

• My Nonna Loves  by by Adelle Frittitta

  

• My Grandma's Guide to Happiness  by Andrew Daddo

• My Grandpa's Guide to Happiness  by Andrew Daddo

• How to Babysit a Grandma  by Jean Reagan

• How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan

and better still

• How to Read to a Grandma or Grandpa  by Jean Reagan

For more suggestions of picture books see Pinterest.

For a very special grandparent book that shows just how involved grandparents can be in family life find

We Go Slow  by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Aaron Becker. See review here at Momotimetoread .

For Grufflalo fans this has just arrived

• Gruffalo's Granny  by Julia Donaldson

October Coming Up

Coming up there is a lot to celebrate. All of these days I have written about before  so see what to read on these days.  

International Sloth Day 17th

World Okapi Day 18th

International Chefs Day 20th

Reptile Awareness Day 21st

World Earthworm Day 21st

Count Your Buttons Day 21st

International Wombat Day 22nd

International Stuttering Awareness Day 22nd

Nut Day 22nd

International Snow Leopard Day 23rd

24th - 31st October Global Media and Information Literacy Week

Theme of Global MIL Week 2026: “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People”.

The theme reflects the idea that advancing media and information literacy is a shared responsibility that relies on contributions from every part of society.

Global Media and Information Literacy Week was set up by UNESCO in 2021 to highlight the importance of helping people around the world become media and information literate citizens by providing them with the skills to:

• Search, access and critically evaluate information
• Use and contribute content wisely, both on and offline.

UNESCO is encouraging people and organisations around the world to think about what role they can play in strengthening media and information literacy.

That could mean an educator bringing MIL into the classroom. A content creator thinking carefully about the information they share. A parent helping a young person navigate the digital world. A journalist making complex information clearer. A researcher sharing knowledge beyond their own discipline. A community creating opportunities for people to talk, question and learn together.

Or it could simply mean each of us becoming a little more thoughtful about the information we encounter and pass on.

As well as Statement on School Libraries and Information Literacy, Australian School Libraries and teacher librarians have a Statement on School Libraries and Media Literacy to use as as starting points.

Britannica Education's site is also a good place to start.

If you are looking for picture books which can start discussions this is a great start.

And, your library might have these: