THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 28, 1995 TAG: 9502280044
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E4 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: MOMMY, I'M BORED
SOURCE: SHERRIE BOYER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
IT'S 7 P.M. at Barnes & Noble, the mega book store on Virginia Beach Boulevard, and there are children rushing through the parking lot - holding adult hands, of course.
They bump through the front doors and do the walk that's really a run down the green carpeted aisle, past the coffee shop, the shelves of computer books, the romances and the sofas.
Where the green ends and the pink begins, they break free and dash for the corner where Cindy Hostetter holds court on a tiny pink and blue stage, reading.
She's reading aloud, of course, about George Washington, and the children are giggling. George is surrounded by animals. In costume. Page after page. Hostetter pauses and looks at the audience.
``Do you think George Washington expected the pig to wear clothes?'' she asks, eyebrows up, mouth in a frown.
``No,'' the children scream. I wonder if the real George thought crossing the Delaware was this exciting.
Story hour at the local library or at Barnes & Noble is a great outing. The activity is different at every location, because at each there is a different story teller and different focus.
Some story hours include short films such as books on video, others include a craft or song. Each may offer your child stories he's never heard or perhaps just a new twist on an old favorite. Call your local branch library for times and a program description.
Some ask the children questions midstory, as at Barnes & Noble. Others read the text to a quiet group. And a few edit the books down for the very young.
But in any locale, you're bound to enjoy the story, even if one of you gets a little squirmy toward the end.
At Barnes & Noble this evening, Hostetter faces 40 children in sleepers, play clothes and puffy slippers. This may be billed as ``Sleepy Story Time,'' but only one child in the room is asleep. One girl in a blue chenille robe and sneakers wanders the rows of children sleepily, finally dropping by her father's lap, where she curls up to yawn.
Everywhere, children are wiggling upright, eyes glued to the storybook, mouths ready to shout in anticipation of another silly question. This is not just the typical preschool crowd either. There are some 9-year-olds here and other grade schoolers. They are as excited as the little ones.
Hostetter, supervisor of the children's department at Barnes & Noble, said half of the evening's crowd was regulars, children she knows by name.
The stage area is full but not overcrowded. The children sit on the floor or on three half-moon-shaped benches facing the stage. Parents tend to step to the back, where they won't block any child's view.
Hostetter offers a craft with the morning story hours and a snack (cookie, pretzel, etc.) mornings and evenings. Should parents be feeling sleepy, coffee is available at the store's restaurant and can be enjoyed during the stories.
Most libraries offer a 30-minute preschool story time. Check your local branch for details. Phone numbers are listed in the blue section of the phone book's white pages. You might want to try several libraries until you find the one that suits your child best.
Barnes & Noble offers story time every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m. The stories are the same for each three-day period. This week, the subject is lions and lambs, and next week, in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, story time will be a stack of his marvelous books. Upcoming themes include wind and spring. The store is located at 4485 Virginia Beach Boulevard in Virginia Beach. Call 671-2331 for information.
Next door is Planet Records. You can buy tapes of children's stories in many places, but this store has a very large selection of books on cassette. The children's section is child friendly, with tables for coloring and a television, which will help keep their attention while you pore over dozens of story choices. by CNB