Grandparents who watch grandchildren

Grandparents who watch grandchildren should know what Ruth and Dave Halpern of Staten Island have discovered: The weekly children's programs at Holmdel Library at Town Hall are educational, entertaining, and best of all -- free. 

"This librarian, she's phenomenal," said Ruth Halpern, who watches over her twin 5-year old Holmdel granddaughters, Danielle and Sandra, on weekdays. Nelson was referring to Children's Librarian Alanah Mellin, who was on the carpet nearby, cheerfully cleaning up goop from a Dr. Seuss activity that had just ended on March 7.  "She has patience, and she motivates them," she said.

On weekly storytime days, families like the Halperns arrive early to browse through the picture books in the children's room. When the librarian signals the storytime will begin, the children take a seat on the carpet to hear the story read aloud and a related craft, if included. Unless noted they must stay, the adults can exit to the main library.

On this day the children listened to Mellin read Dr. Seuss' classic, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, about a boy that must save a kingdom from a gooey substance. Then the eight children actually got to make oobleck, from cornstarch, water and a few drops of green food coloring. For little people in the K-2 age demographic, this is an intensely joyful way to spend a Thursday afternoon. The adults who had not retreated to the couch to flip through People Magazine, observed through the big glass windows, grateful this was not a take-home craft.

Zhanna Vernikov of Morganville said she had tried storytime in three other libraries with her son Steven, 6, before coming to Holmdel. It was her first visit, and she said she was impressed by Mellin's gentle manner. Occasionally, the kids interrupted the story, or strayed from the craft, but they were always guided back to the lesson without drama.  "She seems to be the most patient," Vernikov said.

Mellin said she had not even noticed the distractions,  "Its a natural part of their development. They explore at this age, and you should be concerned if they don't," she said.