Book Displays- March 2014

We will have the following book displays for the month of March:

Let's get crafty- this display will have fiction and non-fiction books on crafts. 

If you liked the movie, you will love the book! Read the book the movies were based on.  

Author spotlight this month is Kevin Henkes.  

Miss Jacki's Drawing Spotlight for March is Shamrocks and Flowers. There will be how-to-draw instruction sheets and books available to check out for inspiration.

The Big Display Case by the Welsh Room is the Wizard of Oz. 

Cathy 

February Break Fun- Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party

We love books here at the library. We love programs based on books too! On Friday, February 21st we had a Diary of a Wimpy Kid party.  

There were games; Wimpy Clothes Relay Race, Cheese Touch Game and the Mummy Wrap. We decorated our own journals and made bookmarks

and we had a drawing for three copies of Diary of Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck. 

Here are some photos from the event:

  

Cathy

How important is the public library to you and your family? Action needed now!

Governor Proposes 4.7% cut in Library Aid 

The Governor released the executive budget yesterday and the news is not good for libraries. The core details are as follows:

• $81.6M in library aid
• $1.3M MTA tax reimbursement
• $14M library construction fund

The Governor broke with his own precedent and did not include the legislative add-back from the previous year’s enacted budget into the present year’s baseline aid (if included aid would have been $85.6M). In effect, he proposed a 4.7% cut from current funding levels.

In a year the state is allegedly so flush with revenues that the Governor is proposing both tax cuts and new spending programs, it is obviously frustrating that he would reverse his established practice and commitment to libraries.

There is a 21 day and 30 day amendments period – during this time, the Governor could decide to add the $4M back in, and that’s where immediate advocacy efforts are needed from you. 

You can help, click here to send a message in support of New York Libraries. Once at the site, click the Take Action button and an e-mail form will allow you to easily send message to our elected officials. 

Thank you for your support.

Cathy

2014 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award

February 2014—The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation in partnership with the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi announced today the winners of the 28th annual Ezra Jack Keats Book Award. Each year, a new writer and new illustrator are celebrated. 

“The Book Award provides an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate and encourage exceptional new writers and illustrators, who are rarely recognized early in their careers,” said Deborah Pope, Executive Director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. “These new artists have created books of beauty in the spirit of Keats that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family and the multicultural nature of our world.”

The 2014 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Winner Is: Ame Dyckman for Tea Party Rules . Cub has discovered a backyard tea party with cookies to boot. But before he can dig in, the hostess shows up with rules, rules and more rules for playing tea party! Cub tries, but it’s a lot for one bear to take. The two eventually become friends as they learn together about the give-and-take of playtime.

2014 New Writer Honor Books are:

• Pat Zietlow Miller for Sophie’s Squash 

• Linda Davick for I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! 

The 2014 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award Winner Is: Christian Robinson for Rain! by Linda Ashman. It’s a matter of perspective in Rain! when a high-spirited little boy sporting a green frog hat (“Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy!”) and a grumpy man (“dang puddles”) have very different experiences with the weather. Eventually crossing paths, the boy helps turn the man’s day around. Set in the city, the book’s vibrant cut-paper-style artwork brings the story to life.

2014 New Illustrated Honor Books are: 

• Tea Party Rules by Amy Dyckman, illustrated by K.G.Campbell 
• Take Me Out to the Yakyu written and illustrated by Aaron Meshon  
• My Grandpa written and illustrated by Marta Altes 

Cathy

Harriet the Spy Turns 50! Some classic and new mysteries to read.

This year Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh turns 50!

 This classic and ground-breaking coming-of-age novel, was originally published in 1964. Using her keen observation skills, 11-year-old Harriet M. Welsch writes down in her notebook what she considers the truth about everyone in and around her New York City neighborhood. When she loses track of her notebook, it ends up in the wrong hands, and before she can stop them, her friends read the sometimes awful things she's observed and written about each of them. How can Harriet find a way to keep her integrity and also put her life and her friendships back together? A timeless theme in children's literature.  

You may also want to read; Harriet Spies Again by Louise Fitzhugh.  Now "almost" twelve years old, Harriet tries to find out why her former nanny, Ole Golly, has returned to New York alone several months after getting married and moving to Canada. 

You might also like to read these classic mysteries:

The Westing Game by Raskin 
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by Konisburg 
Encyclopedia Brown books by Sobol
Nancy Drew books by Keene {J Series - Nancy Drew}
Hardy Boys books by Dixon  {J Series- Hardy Boys}

Current mysteries include;

Chasing Veremeer by Balliett
The Mysterious Benedict Society books by Stewart
The Puzzling World of Winston Breen books by Berlin 
The Wig in the Window by Kittscher 
Look into my Eyes by Child   {A Ruby Redfort Mystery- other books in this series}

Cathy

February Break Fun: Stuffed Animal Sleepover

This is one of our all-time favorite programs to do here at the library. Children ages 4-8 came to the library with one of their favorite stuffed friends for a story time. The read the following books;

Wash a Bye Bear by Thomas Docherty.

What Does my Teddy Do All Night? by Bruno Hachler.   

The Stuffed Animals Get Ready for Bed by Alison Inches.

Here are some pictures of the story time:



All tucked in the for the night!

Playing Pin the Bow Tie on the Teddy.



Everyone at the Story Time.

 

 



But wait...did they sleep while they were here?

 
 

 

Everyone came back on Wednesday and was reunited. We had a slide show of what everyone did at the library at night and the kids made a picture frame for one of the photos.

 

Cathy



Program Spotlight: Gnomes and Fairies

February Break is a fun time of year for us. We get to see lots of kids in the library. Our Gnomes and Fairies program Tuesday, February 18th was a big hit.

This is the Fairy Name Generator we used for the program (the staff had to all see what their Fairy names were too).

Some of the books we read were;

Pookins gets her way by Helen Lester
Fairy Houses by Tracy Kane

Here are some pictures from the event.

Cathy
(aka Gossamer Icefilter)

Wednesday Night Family Crafts - Dragon Puppets

Chinese New Year started Friday, January 31st. To tie in with this theme our Family Craft night celebrated by creating Dragon Puppets. It is really the year of the Horse, but Dragons were much more fun to make.

Hope you can join us on Wednesday evenings for a different craft idea each week. Please check the Program Calendar for more information.

Cathy

 

 

 

 



 

Valentine's Day Picture Books

Here are a few of my favorite Valentine's Day themed picture books:




My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall

A heart can be hopeful, or silly, or happy. A heart can be rugged, or snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and debut author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with a delicate touch.



Pete the Cat Valentine's Day is Cool by James Dean and Kimberly Dean

Pete the Cat thinks Valentine's Day isn't cool . . . until he realizes how many special cats there are in his life! Pete works hard to make valentines for everyone, and it turns out to be the grooviest Valentine's Day ever. But what happens when he realizes he's forgotten to make a card for a very important cat? Join Pete the Cat as he discovers just how special Valentine's Day can be!



Valentine's Day by Anne Rockwell

Mrs. Madoff's class make & send valentines to their friend, Michido, who is back in Japan and, on Valentine's Day, a package arrives from her filled with origami valentines.


Karen

CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards Announced

The Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy announced the winners of the first-ever CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards. The winners are:

Early Literacy Practice: Read



Open This Little Book, by Jesse Klausmeier.

Readers open the cover to discover five characters, each with their own little book, all within the pages of the first. Open This Little Book celebrates the pleasures of reading, sharing, and having a book of your own.

Early Literacy Practice: Write



The Things I Can Do, by Jeff Mack.

Hand-written text and exuberant collages illustrate this story of a boy who takes great pride in his accomplishments. Reading skills and writing skills develop together, and the format of The Things I Can Do invites children to see themselves as authors as well as readers.

Early Literacy Practice: Sing



Nighty-Night, Cooper, by Laura Numeroff. 

A small kangaroo requests song after song to help him fall asleep, and his mother obliges by making up her own words to familiar tunes. Singing songs together is a powerful way to build phonological awareness skills and vocabulary, and Nighty-Night, Cooper models how a parent can use songs to create a comforting bedtime routine with a child. 

Early Literacy Practice: Talk 



Moo! by David LaRochelle 

A very vocal cow commandeers the farmer's car and sets off on an adventure. The entire story is told with just two words: Moo! and Baa! The speech bubbles and the very limited vocabulary help children make the critical connection between the words we say and the print on the page. 

Early Literacy Practice: Play



Nino Wrestles the World, by Yuyi Morales.  

Nino takes on all the toys in his room with and amazing series of lucha libre wrestling moves. When his sisters wake up from their nap, they challenge him to a match, too! Who will be victorious? Nino Wrestles the World joyfully demonstrates the language-rich, open-ended play that contributes to a child's narrative skills. 


The five winning books consist of one title in each of five categories representing an early literacy practice; Read, Write, Sing, Talk and Play.  The books, in their content, theme, or design support caregivers' interaction with their children through early literacy practices. Research has shown that engaging children in these practices builds language skills and prepares children to become successful readers. 

For more information, visit the CLEL Bell Awards webpage where you can see the 2014 shortlists and see the full nominations lists.   

Cathy 

New Series Books to Read - January

39 Clues: Unstoppable by Various Authors


Nowhere to Run, Book 1

Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, are the latest guardians of the Clues. They think they've done everything right, but a tiny mistake leads to catastrophe. The serum is missing and Dan and Amy have to get it back and stop who stole it... before it's game over. New J Series- 39 Clues






Breakaway, Book 2





Now Dan and Amy are facing their greatest threat yet, an enemy who has found a way to use the  source of the Cahill family power against them. New J Series - 39 Clues







Dog Diaries - Togo

Dog Diaries - Togo

Small, feisty Siberian husky Togo - the overlooked sled-dog hero of the 1925 serum run to Nome - sets the record straight. New J Series- Dog Diaries

Galaxy Zack - A Galactic Easter

Galaxy Zack - A Galactic Easter

In this adventure, Zack and Drake venture to Gluco, the candy planet, for some Easter fun. Once there, the two friends decide to compete in activities, including an egg toss and a three-legged race. New J Series- Galaxy Jack