With the recent outbreak of Hand, Mouth and Foot Disease (HFMD), a concerned library customer posed the above question to us. We decided to ask the experts and wrote to the Ministry of Health’s Communicable Diseases Division (www.moh.gov.sg). Below is the reply:

“There is no need to disinfect the returned books as enteroviruses cannot remain indefinitely in the environment. No special precautions are necessary for staff handling the books, but basic hand hygiene should be continued by all staff.”

For additional information on HMFD, a list of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) is available below at the Health Promotion Board’s website  (http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=865&aid=272&altid=0)

1. What is Hand, Foot and Mouth disease?

2. How is HFMD transmitted?

3. What is the incubation period of HFMD?

4. When is an infected child contagious?  When will the child stop to be contagious?

5. Is HFMD associated with fatalities?

6. Does HFMD affect only children?

7. What is the treatment for HFMD?

8. What is the HFMD situation in Singapore?

9. What should parents do if their child has HFMD?

10. Are there any precautions that parents can take to prevent transmission of HFMD?

Here are books on children’s diseases available in the libraries:

    1. The complete guide to children’s health/ Norman Saunders and Jeremy Friedman, general editors.  Call no.: 618.92 COM -[HEA]

    2. Baby & child health/ editor, Jane Collins.  Call no.: q613.0432 BAB -[HEA]

To check the availability of titles, please visit our online catalogue (http://vistaweb.nlb.gov.sg/)

Posted by Kweh Soon Huat,

Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

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ASK! about Family and Parenting 

When do you celebrate Mother’s Day? It was done on 11 May in Singapore this year, but if you know the ‘politically correct’ answer (of course you do), we should celebrate our Mother’s love everyday (like Valentine’s Day). Here are some little known facts about mothers and Mother’s Day:

How did Mother’s Day begin?
In the United States, the first known suggestion for Mother’s Day was made by Julia Ward Howe in 1872.

Nation-wide observance of Mother’s Day started with Anna Jarvis in 1907. She promoted celebration of the second Sunday of May for mothers, and churches in several areas soon followed suit thereafter. Anna Jarvis is recognised as the originator of Mother’s Day.

On 9 May 1914, the day was given official recognition by President Woodrow Wilson.

Flowers for Mother’s Day
Anna Jarvis wore a white carnation during her mother’s memorial service on 12 May 1907; thus started the association of carnations with Mother’s Day. White carnations signify that one’s mother has deceased. Coloured carnations mean that the bearer’s mother is still living.

When is Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day is celebrated in USA , Australia, and Canada on the second Sunday of May.  In UK, it is called Mothering Day and falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

What does M-O-T-H-E-R mean?

A 1915 tune by Theodore Morse and Howard Johnson explained “mother” in their first verse as:

M “is for the million things she gave me”
O “means only that she’s growing old”
T “is for the tears were shed to save me”
H “is for her heart of purest gold”
E “is for her eyes, with love-light shining”
R “means right, and right she’ll always be”

Reference:
- World book encyclopedia v20, Chicago: Field Enterprises Educational Corp., 1917-
- “Mother’s Day”, Encyclopaedia Brittanica’s Guide to Women’s History, http://search.eb.com/women, 21 May 08, http://search.eb.com/women/article-9389227
- The new Penguin encyclopedia, London : Penguin Books, 2002.
- Newman, S. and Fittipaldi, H., 15,003 answers: the ultimate trivia encyclopedia, New York: Random House Reference, c2007.

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,

Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

Just yesterday, some of my fellow colleagues brought to my attention on two newspapers articles from The Straits Times: “Caller ID shows 999? It’s not the police, it’s a fraudster” (1 Apr 2008) and “Court summons scam: 35 complaints filed“ (27 Oct 2007)*.

Essentially, these two articles tells us about the same story — That people (gullible perhaps) are falling victims to tricksters in swindling our money thru either telephone or Internet means.

It is by far and large, impossible to nab all of these fraudsters. One may be caught, but yet others will emerge very soon. The only realistic way of protecting ourselves against these scams is to be armed with the necessary knowledge of how the Internet works and of the various ways to prevent (or at least minimize) such security lapses.

We have prepared a pathfinder on ways to surf the Internet safely. Please feel free to download it but do note that the materials and their copyrights belong to NLB, and the downloads are for personal use only. Drop us an email at ask@nlb.gov.sg for further enquiries.

Safer Internet pathfinder
(downloadable)

In the meantime, do watch your back (or rather watch your front)!!!

If you have any enquiries or comments, please drop us an email at ask@nlb.gov.sg and we will reply within 3 working days.

*To retrieve the newspaper article, you can access the electronic database “Factiva” at terminals in NLB Library branches or also remotely from home. (Select the header “eResources” and the option “eDatabases” from NLB’s homepage)

Posted by
Mr Justin Tan
Librarian
Adult and Young People’s Services

ASK about Health & Fitness 

21 March has been officially earmarked by the Down Syndrome International (DSI) to be World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD).

Why 21 March? The inspiration comes from the genetic sequence of people with Down syndrome. Generally, an extra copy of chromosome 21 occurs, leading to three chromosome 21 (see picture above). Thus 21 March symbolises this phenomenon, called Trisomy 21.

Instead of 46 chromosomes, people with Down syndrome have 47.

This is just the scientific face of it, but what about the human and social aspect of the condition? Have you come across anyone with Down syndrome? What comes to your mind when you do? Do you really believe that they can lead a good life, or do you say it out of pity or political correctness?

Whatever you may feel, everyone is unique. There are many stories of Down syndrome individuals leading typical lives (you may have heard of one yourself). To get a glimpse of their lives, take a look at these blogs and websites:

- Blog for Down Syndrome  A blog by a parent whose child has Down syndrome and autism.

- Down Syndrome Life A parent shares stories of his family and his youngest child who has Down syndrome. He writes: “I have created the “Down Syndrome Life” blog in the hopes of sharing a father’s everyday thoughts and experiences of raising a family of four children, one with Down Syndrome. My contributions will be of the good, the bad and the ugly.” This blog, both personal and intimate, will move even the hardest hearts.

- World Down Syndrome Day Check out the congratulatory messages and links to other international websites for Down syndrome.

- Down Syndrome Association Singapore Look through this website for related programmes, facts, and publications.

Reference:

“Down Syndrome”, Medline Plus Medical Encyclopaedia, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html, 1 April 08, URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000997.htm

“Down Syndrome: Trisonomy 21, Trisonomy G”, www.merck.com/, Merck Manual Online Medical Library, 01 April 08, URL: http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec19/ch294/ch294b.html

Image from Mayo Clinic.com, Children’s health: Down Syndrome “The genetic basis of Down Syndrome, 6 April 2007, retrieved: 14 March 2008, URL: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/down-syndrome/DS00182/DSECTION=3

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,

Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

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Kids ASK! about Health & Fitness

We know that regular exercise is important for a variety of reasons, from being healthy to keeping fit and looking good. However, how important is it for children, who are by nature active and whose muscles have not yet fully developed? How advisable is it to cultivate an affinity for sports and exercise from a young age?

We hear of child geniuses who complete their degrees at the age of 13, or child prodigies who master their instrument at a young age, but seldom do we read of children who are able to compete alongside adults in the sporting arena. This raises the question of whether it is possible for a child to be destined to be great in sport – is sporting excellence an inborn talent or a cultivated skill?

The fact is, unlike mental capabilities which typically define if a child is gifted or has high IQ, sports has largely to do with a person’s physical and muscular development, which, unless the child is Clark Kent, is more a product of nurture than nature.

Some examples of famous sporting personalities who started training in their fields at a young age include Chinese diver Fu Mingxia and golf sensation Tiger Woods. Fu started diving training at age 8 after being deemed too old for gymnastics, and at age 11 won her first gold medal at the Goodwill Games in 1990 in Seattle. Woods on the other hand started playing golf as soon as he could walk and by age 6 had recorded two holes in one.

Then there’s the ugly side of exploiting the young into becoming sporting phenomena. Recently, it was reported that a boy from India became the world’s youngest marathoner after he completed a 65 kilometer run at the age of 4½ in 2006. Human rights bodies questioned whether this constituted child abuse. At the expense of his health, Budhia Singh completed the torturing run and in return gained numerous television advertisements and invitations to tour abroad. His coach claimed he did not pressure the boy and the boy wanted to run on his own, but there can be no doubt of the strain on the child’s little limbs doing a punishing distance that even adults have difficulty with.

With the inaugural Youth Olympics to be held in two years here in Singapore (see ASK blog post on the official announcement), our sporting profile is set to increase further and people should soon have confidence in sports as a viable career option.

For further reading on children and sports, you may wish to check out these publications:

How to teach your baby to be physically superb : birth to age six, by Glenn J. Doman
Publisher : Garden City Park, N.Y. : SquareOne Pub., c2006
Call No. : 649.1 DOM –[FAM]
Description : Explores the early development of mobility in newborns in playing a vital part of their future ability to learn and grow to full potential.

Why Johnny hates sports, by Fred Engh
Publisher : Garden City Park, N.Y. : SquareOne Pub., c2002
Call No. : 796.0830973 ENG -[REC]
Description : In his book, the author argues that children should be allowed to have fun and learn the fundamentals of the game without the pressures of overzealous parents, coaches, and administrators looking to mold the next Ken Griffey or Kobe Bryant.

A running start, by Rae Pica
Publisher : New York : Marlowe & Company, c2006.
Call No. : 372.86 PIC
Description : Young kids can spend their free time finger painting, playing in the sandbox, inventing games, and still turn out to be smart, talented, successful adults. In A Running Start, renowned educational expert Rae Pica looks at the many misconceptions under which today’s parents are laboring. Among them are beliefs that “earlier is better” when it comes to athletics and academics; achievement is more important than play.

Fit Kids : Smarter Kids, by Jeff Galloway
Publisher : Oxford : Meyer & Meyer Sport, c2007
Call No. : 613.7042 GAL -[HEA]
Description : A guide for parents, teachers and youth leaders on how to make exercise fun, with research showing how fit kids learn better and are more successful.

Children’s book of yoga : games & exercises mimic plants & animals & objects, by Thia Luby
Publisher : Santa Fe, NM : Clear Light Publishers, 1998.
Call No. : J 613.7 LUB
Description : Presents six complete yoga workouts designed for children from three to twelve years of age.

Sports Illustrated for Kids : Year in Sports
Publisher : New York : Scholastic, Inc.
Call No. : J 796 SIKYS
Description : An almanac for children for all that they need to know in sports, in the form of handy, concise sports facts.

Peak, by Roland Smith
Publisher : Orlando : Harcourt, Inc., c2007
Call No. : Y SMI
Description : An emotional, tension-filled story of a fourteen-year-old boy’s attempt to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.

All websites were last accessed on 19 March 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All images were extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.
Book summaries were taken from book descriptions listed at www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Posted by Galvin Soh
Librarian
Children’s Services

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The Librarian At Work!

Can you guess where this picture was taken?

It was shot by Roy, when he, Joycelyn, Cheng Soon, Peck Keong and I participated in the Disability Awareness Public Education (DAPE) 2007 fair at Sengkang Community Centre on 2 Dec 07. The cheerful lady borrowing the book is from Bizlink, one of the organisations at the fair.

DAPE was launched in 2006 with the aim of promoting the employment of individuals with special needs. The event on Sunday started off with a Thematic Walk. Though it was a really hot day, the walkers were undeterred by the sun, and arrived at the exhibition tent (where booths like ours were set up) boisterous and sweaty after the work out. Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean also took part in the walk and visited our booth.

What does NLB have to do with this fair? We are the middle man of information. The library is after all a treasure trove of information. We brought down books related to the employment and engagement of handicapped people which people can borrow and read. If you are interested in reading about the subject, below are some inspiring stories about these ‘extraordinary’ people:

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon
Call No.: Y English HAD
About a teenage with Asperger’s Syndrome who tries to solve the murder of a dog, and discovers strength in himself along the way. An award-winning book. Haddon himself has ever worked with Asperger children, which is perhaps why he is able to relate the story in such realistic light.

Reflections of a peacemaker: A portrait through heartsongs by Mattie J.T. Stepanek
Call no.: 811.54 STE
A moving collection of poetry by a child called Mattie since he was three. Mattie has been afflicted with a life-threatening muscular disease since birth, and has passed away in 2004. Before his death, Mattie asked his mother if he had ‘done enough’ in his life to contribute to hope and peace for the future. His optimism and motivation lives on in his Heartsongs, poetry he penned to express his life experiences, poetry he wrote as a gift to inspire others.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Call no.: Y English SPY
A classic about a swiss orphan leaves her grandfather and home to care for a wheelchair-bound girl in the mountains of Frankfurt, Germany.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Call No.: J English BUR / Y English BUR
A classic about an orphan child who meets a boy who thinks that he is destined to be a useless cripple.

Posted by Ang Mei Jun, Adult & Young People Services

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If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sg?subject=ASK_blog- instead of sending a comment.

Kids ASK! about Family & Parenting

[ASK! Editor speaks]

The recent dragon boat accident in Cambodia has left many shockwaves in our local community. The blogosphere has many tributes and discussions about how unfortunate this accident has been, to the victims’ families, friends and loved ones. A blog, http://rvhs2j2001.blogspot.com, has even been created in memory of Chee Wei Cheng, one of the victims.

All of these events got me thinking: How do people cope with grief? Are our children taught how to deal with these new and sad emotions? Does the public know where to go for resources on dealing with bereavement?

So, here are some books that you may like to pick up on dealing with bereavement.

For children:

Michael Rosen’s sad book by Michael Rosen ; pictures by Quentin Blake
Publisher : London : Walker Books, 2004
Call No. : J P 155.9 ROS

Our dad died : the true story of three kids whose lives changed by Amy, Allie, and David Dennison
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Free Spirit Pub., c2003
Summary: Three children, ages eight (twins) and four, describe how their lives changed when their father died suddenly two years earlier and offer practical advice for overcoming loss and moving on with life.
Call No.: J 155.9 DEN

Death and dying by Carol Antoinette Peacock
Publisher : New York : Franklin Watts, c2004
Call No. : J 155.9 PEA

What on earth do you do when someone dies? by Trevor Romain
Publisher: Minneapolis, MN : Free Spirit, c1999
Call No.: J 155.9 ROM

When people die by Pete Sanders and Steve Myers
Publisher : London : Franklin Watts, 2004
Call No. : J 155.9 SAN

For teenagers:

The grieving teen : a guide for teenagers and their friends by Helen Fitzgerald
Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, c2000
Call No.: 155.9370835 FIT

When a friend dies : a book for teens about grieving & healing by Marilyn E. Gootman
Publisher: Minneapolis : Free Spirit, c1994
Call No.: Y 155.9370835 GOO

Straight talk about death for teenagers : how to cope with losing someone you love by Earl A. Grollman
Publisher: Boston : Beacon Press, c1993
Summary: Suggests ways to deal with the grief and other emotions felt after the death of a loved one and to discover how to go on living.
Call No.: Y 155.9370835 GRO

The grief book : strategies for young people by Elizabeth Vercoe with Kerry Abramowski
Publisher: Fitzroy, Vic. : Black Dog Books, 2004
Call No.: Y 152.4 VER

There are also websites offering tips to children and young people on how to deal with death and bereavement. Below are a couple of recommended websites:

1) http://www.winstonswish.org.uk/ - “Winston’s Wish helps bereaved children and young people rebuild their lives after a family death. We offer practical support and guidance to families, professionals and anyone concerned about a grieving child.”

2) http://www.rd4u.org.uk - “RD4U is a website developed by Cruse Bereavement Care’s Youth Involvement Project which aims to support young people, after the death of someone close to them.”

All websites are last accessed on 3 Dec 2007. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All images are extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Posted by Ms Elizabeth Lee, Librarian, Children’s Services

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If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sg?subject=ASK_blog- instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Family & Parenting

[ASK! Editor speaks]
While i was doing a search on blogs, i came across a blog from an old time good friend of mine - someone whom i am guilty of not catching up with for a very long time.

When you read her blog entries at her blogging site, you cannot help feeling how insightful they are. More importantly, i thought they reflect a deeper part of life and its meaning - one which would have been overlooked by most of us living in a hectic and fast-paced society.

In this particular entry dated in July 2007 , she noted how parents perceive their children’s stress as unnecessary and minor. She even have some good suggestions on how parents should help their kids cope with study stress.

Well, at the end of her entry, she mentioned that “…There are many books in the library that able to share some brilliant idea of how to help the child with study stress. It will be good to search for them and read them…”

Jean, you still are a regular Library-goer after all these years… Yes you are right, there are some good resources on this subject which can be found in the Library for loan. I have listed a few of them as below:

Title: Kids under pressure : how to raise a stress-free and happy child
Author: Sullivan, Karen.
Publisher: London : Piatkus, 2002.
Call Num: English 155.418 SUL

Title: Raising stable kids in an unstable world : a physician’s guide to dealing with childhood stress
Author: Marks, David R.
Publisher: Deerfield Beach, FL : Health Communications, Inc., c2002.
Call Num: English 155.418 MAR

Title: KidStress : what it is, how it feels, how to help
Author: Witkin, Georgia.
Publisher: New York : Viking, 1999.
Call Num: English 155.418 WIT

If you are a premium member of the National Library Board, you will be able to borrow the below AV materials as well:

Title: Helping your children cope with study stress [videorecording]
Publisher: Singapore : Ministry of Community Development, Public Education and Sports Branch, 1998.
Physical Description: 1 videocassette (13 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.
Call Num: AV English 155.418 HEL

Title: How to help your children cope with stress [videorecording]
Author: Ang, Thiam Hong.
Publisher: Singapore : Ang Thiam Hong, 2002.
Physical Description: 1 videodisc (69 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Call Num: SING English 155.418 ANG

You can also search NLB’s online catalogue for more related materials.

And Jean, good work for your blogs and keep it up alright…

By Mr Justin Tan, Librarian (Adult and Young People’s Services)

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ASK! about Family & Parenting

Here are some book recommendations to help preschool educators or interested parents make learning more fun for the children.

Basic Montessori : learning activities for under-fives by David Gettman
Publisher : Oxford : Clio Press, 1997
Call No. : English 372.1392 GET

Preschool classroom management : 150 teacher-tested techniques by Laverne Warner and Sharon Anne Lynch
Publisher : Beltsville, MD : Gryphon House, c2004
Call No. : English q372.11024 WAR

Techniques for teaching young children : choices in theory and practice by Glenda MacNaughton & Gillian Williams
Publisher : Frenchs Forest, N.S.W. : Pearson Education Australia, 2004
Call No. : English q372.21 MAC

Total learning : developmental curriculum for the young child by Joanne Hendrick
Publisher : Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Merrill/Prentice Hall, c2003
Call No. : English 372.19 HEN

On becoming preschool wise : optimizing educational outcomes : what preschoolers need to learn by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam
Publisher : Mt. Pleasant, SC : Parent-Wise Solutions, 2004
Call No. : English 649.68 EZZ -[FAM]

Educating young children : active learning practices for preschool and child care programs by Mary Hohmann and David P. Weikart
Publisher : Ypsilanti, Mich. : High/Scope Press, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, c2002
Call No. : R English 371.39 HOH at Lee Kong Chian Reference Library only

The instant curriculum : 500 developmentally appropriate learning activities for busy teachers of young children by Pam Schiller and Joan Rossano
Publisher : Mt. Rainer, Md. : Gryphon House, c1990
Call No. : English q372.21 SCH

A curriculum for the pre-school child : learning to learn by Audrey Curtis
Publisher : London ; New York : Routledge, 1998
Call No. : R English 372.19 CUR at Woodlands Regional Library only

More toddlers together : the complete planning guide for a toddler curriculum, volume II by Cynthia Catlin
Publisher : Beltsville, Md : Gryphon House, c1996
Call No. : R English 372.21 CAT at Lee Kong Chian Reference Library only

Children tell stories : teaching and using storytelling in the classroom by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss
Publisher : Katonah, N.Y. : Richard C. Owen Publishers, c2005
Call No. : English q372.677 HAM (book and attachment available)

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Answered by Ms Azizah Osman, Librarian, Children’s Services

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ASK! about Health & Fitness

Recommended books on speech impediments and oral motor activities for children:
The late talker : what to do if your child isn’t talking yet by Marilyn C. Agin
Publisher : New York : St. Martin’s Press, c2003.
Call No. : 618.92855 AGI -[HEA]
Click here for item availability.