Preschool Story Time Tomorrow!

Just a reminder that we will be hosting our neighborhood Preschool Story Time tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. This regular story time session is intended for children ages 3-5 and includes stories, fingerplays, poems, songs, flannel boards and MORE stories! We will have a sand and surf beach theme tomorrow! We hope to see you there.

Silver Screen Book Club coming this Fall

This Fall I will be starting a Silver Screen Book Club for children and teens ages 10-14. There is a huge assortment of wonderful books that have been made into films and we will explore some of those. This will be a very enriching experience, noting differences between the way a story is told in the two formats and also seeing the benefits of each type of media.

This program will start in late September but right now we are looking for suggestions. If you have a favorite book that was turned into a film and it is appropriate for this age group (reading level wise and content wise) please let us know. I will be reading books and screening films throughout July and August so any suggestions would be helpful!

Art in the Afternoon

Its a beautiful day outside, but that shouldn't stop you from coming into the library! If you need to take a break from playing basketball, riding your bike, or playing video games, come over to the library for an impromptu session of Art in the Afternoon!

At 3:30 today I will set up the back table in the children's room with markers, crayons, pencils, and drawing paper. Use one of our many wonderful drawing books or come up with some sketching idea of your own and make some art. The artwork voted number one by today's artists and library customers will receive a small prize bag at the end of the day!

Teen and Children's Programs Tomorrow!

For those of you looking for something fun to do tomorrow, come check out what's going on at the library. You can sign up for summer reading and participate in our fun and creative programs. The Young Adult Librarian will be hosting karaoke for teens and I will be hosting an arts and crafts session for ages 4+.

Karaoke and Arts and Crafts (Crafternoon), both start at 2:00. Singing will be downstairs in the programming room and Crafternoon activities will be on the main floor in the children's section. We hope to see you then. Don't forget to bring in your completed reading logs for prizes or sign up for Summer Reading if you haven't done so already!

Be Creative Saturday!

Today starting at 2:oo pm we will have our "Be Creative Saturday" for June. For those feeling crafty we will be making pinwheel pencils. This craft is easy for children of all ages, but for those under 5, please make sure they are with an adult.

For those who don't feel like crafting but would rather draw or sketch, come check out our awesome assortment of drawing books. We recently received some new manga how to draw books as well as some books on drawing wizards, witches, and fantasy creatures. It will be a fun afternoon so stop on by for arts, crafts, and snacks.

Boardbook Spotlight: Mommy, Mama, and Me

With all the books that come across my desk on a daily basis, sometimes they all start to look the same. Covers blur. Storylines jumble. It's all a big bookish haze! Today however, a seemingly unassuming little boardbook jumped across my desk this afternoon with a big message. Love comes in all shapes and sizes. It comes from all types of people from all different places. Love is so beautiful in its simplicity.

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman is a boardbook about a little boy who receives lots of help, love, attention, and encouragement from his parents; Mommy and Mama. By removing all the hype around the oft discussed issue of same sex relationships we can see the most basic element that brings families of all sorts together -- love. Reading this with your child, I'm sure you will relate to many of the experiences the characters go through, from play time, to bath time, to sleepy time. These two parents are attentive and provide a strong sense of security for their little one, as I'm sure you strive to do. The text and phrasing, which relies on a simple cadence and rhyming scheme, make it a great book to work on your child's phonological awareness, which is their ability to recognize the sound structure, or phonological structure, of spoken words. Overall, this is a wonderful little book with a wonderful big message.

New YA Titles

Fresh out of the UPS box, get 'em while they're still free of mysterious residue!




Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

High school drama: one girl dissed a tough female basketball player, and now there's going to be a cat fight after school. Told from three girls' points of view in the course of one school day.




Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Madison died at her prom, but the Grim Reaper botched the job - she's still wandering earth and trying to find a way to come back to life. Maybe her guardian angel can help her.




Willow by Julia Hoban

Willow's parents were killed in a car accident - when Willow was behind the wheel. How can she live with herself after what's happened? A new guy at school might be able to help her deal.





The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

Sam's father is a Civil Rights leader. His older brother is a member of the Black Panthers. Which one of them is Sam going to join?





The Sorceress by Michael Scott

The third book in the Nicholas Flamel series.






Royal Blood by Ellen Schreiber

The latest in the Vampire Kisses series.

Summer Reading Special Performance Tomorrow

Tomorrow, as part of our Summer Reading Program, we will be hosting a special performance by Susan McNells. Her show, entitled "Oh Susannah!" encourages children to sing, clap, and tap along with her award-winning songs and guitar playing. Her show is an eclectic mix of the Waltz, Polka, Twist, and Charleston dances along with the musical sounds of Zydeco and bluegrass.

Program: Oh Susannah!
Date: Wednesday, June 10th
Time: 10:30 am
Ages: 4-9

Crafternoon Today!

I forgot to post a reminder yesterday...oops! I will be hosting crafternoon today at 2:00 as part of our "Be Creative @ Your Library" Summer Reading Program. Children 8+ and younger children with an adult are encouraged to attend. We will be making accordion comic books today! I will have the basic comic book frame pre-constructed so children of all ages are encouraged to attend. You can change it up if you like and make a flip book, picture story, or found art piece if you don't want to do a comic book. Art is flexible, you know? We have a huge assortment of drawing books and art books that will be available for check out.

I hope to see you today at 2:00!

Summer Reading Book Spotlight "The Art of Eric Carle"

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the magical and classic work of Eric Carle. Author and illustrator of many beloved children’s books, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, and The Grouchy Ladybug, to name a few, Carle’s work has been a story time staple, a bed time story favorite, and an altogether timeless presence in the field of children’s literature.

With a summer reading theme focused on the arts and personal creativity, I highly recommend the book The Art of Eric Carle. This book is a wonderful glimpse and exploration into Eric Carle’s life and work. With more than sixty full-color illustrations, artwork from his student days, and very personal anecdotes, essays, and stories, this book is a shining testament to the masterful art and endless creativity of Eric Carle.

This book is a great way to learn more about Carle. A nice idea is to borrow some of Eric Carle’s picture books and then before or after reading them, share some segments from this biographical piece with your children, your students, or whomever you like. This book is a great celebration of a classic author and it fits in perfectly with our “Be Creative” theme. I hope you will find it truly inspiring.