Porter Ranch Library Small Group Storytime, Nov. 4

Halloween is over, the candy's been rationed, and your toddler still has energy to burn. The Porter Ranch Branch Library has a gentler plan for Wednesday, November 4: Small Group Storytime, the branch's recurring midweek session built around a short stack of picture books and a circle kept small on purpose. For parents looking for things to do with kids LA can offer on a plain weekday, it's an easy one to put on the calendar.

The session shows up on the L.A. Parent events calendar. Porter Ranch is one of the Los Angeles Public Library's branches in the northwest San Fernando Valley, close to the foothills above Northridge and Granada Hills.

What a Small Circle Changes

In a packed storytime, the reader has to project to the back of the room, and the kids up front get most of the attention. Shrink the group and the whole thing loosens up. A two-year-old can point at the duck on page six and actually get an answer. A shy four-year-old who'd never raise a hand in a crowd might call out the next rhyme.

That's the real appeal here. Early November also means this series has been running on Wednesdays for a good stretch of the fall, so returning kids will likely know the routine by now. New families slot in fine, though. Little kids pick up a repeated song after hearing it once or twice.

The branch hasn't published a book list for the day, so we can't tell you what's getting read. With Thanksgiving three weeks out, a book about sharing a meal or giving thanks wouldn't be a shock.

Know Before You Go

The listing gives the date and the branch and not much else. There's no start time posted, no age range, no price and nothing about registration. Plenty of library storytimes cost nothing, but we couldn't confirm it for this one, so check the L.A. Parent listing or call the branch before heading over. A small group can hit its limit, so showing up a few minutes early is worth it.

A few tips from past storytimes:

• A library card lets you check out the books your kid liked on the way out.
• Toddlers who need to move are welcome to wiggle at the back.
• Fall mornings in the Valley can start cool, so bring a layer.

Getting There

Driving is simplest, and the lot gets busier when a kids' program is on. If you'd rather take transit, look up the branch on the LAPL site and map a Metro bus route from there.

Keep the Week Going

Our family events page tracks puppet shows, museum days and festivals, a handy list of family events Los Angeles parents can plan around. For more ideas across the city, head to the Los Angeles page. And if November 4 doesn't fit your schedule, this storytime has been a regular Wednesday fixture at Porter Ranch, so there's a good chance another date is close.