Library Policy Change

In case you haven't seen the announcement in the paper, I'd like to mention here that starting on Jan. 2, there will be a policy change at Allerton Library. Beginning next week, we will no longer be calling people to let them know that items are being held for them. We will also stop sending out paper overdue notices through the postal service.

We are encouraging everyone to sign up for the Library Elf service (I've written about it before--click here). The Library Elf will send you an email or text message if something is being held here for you, or if something is about to be due. You won't be automatically enrolled in it though, so make sure you go to our website at www.monticellolibrary.org, click Online Resources, and click Elf. Look for the Sign Up link on the left side of the page. You will need your library card number and your PIN (usually, the last 4 digits of your phone number).

Have a wonderful New Year, everyone! And please call us at the library if you have questions or problems with the Library Elf.

Best Children's Books of 2010

You might be looking for some holiday gift ideas, or you might just want to make sure you didn't miss anything spectacular this year. Either way, you should take a look at these Best of 2010 lists!

As a part of their Holiday Gift Guide, the New York Times made a list of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010, available here.

The Association for Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library Association) compiled a pretty long list of 2010's notable children's books. The list includes books for both younger and older readers. You can see it here.

Kirkus Reviews has a list (ordered not by age group, but by author's last name) of 2010's best children's books. Available here.

And finally, the Center for Children's Books at the University of Illinois (practically next door!) has put out their annual Guide Book to Gift Books in a PDF document. You can see the link on this page.

Happy shopping! Happy reading! And happy holidays!

Teen's Top Ten List 2010

YALSA (a division of ALA) has announced the Teen's Top Ten results for this year. Teens choose from a list of popular books, and the top ten are determined by vote every year. You can view the results page here. Yes, I know this post is a bit late, since the results have been up for a few weeks now. But better late than never!

Several of my favorite authors made the list. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins took first place, and Cassandra Clare and Ally Carter took 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The masterful Laurie Halse Anderson made the list, and so did Sarah Dessen. Hmm... I wonder if mostly female readers voted? I don't see any novels with male main characters. Guys, next year you need to get busy voting!

I've been trying to read the 3 books on the list I haven't read. So far I've finished If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (though I kind of had a tough time getting through that whole thing). And today I just started trying to read Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, which took 5th place. I don't think I'll be able to get through it, though--and I read about 80 pages of it. Too much like the bad parts of Twilight! Creepy, controlling male lead and weak, indecisive female lead--blech. Who liked it, and why? Who knows, maybe you can change my mind.

Holiday Crafts

As you know, we'll be doing some fun holiday crafts with kids here in the library, but why stop there? We have lots of books for you to check out if you are still in a crafty mood. For example, in the kids' nonfiction, we have Gifts Kids Can Make and More Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make.

You could also check out Family Fun (the magazine or the website, seen here) or Pack-o-Fun (website here) for great holiday ideas that will involve the whole family. I'm always looking through them for ideas for stuff to do in the library.

After Thanksgiving, we will also be offering take-and-make crafts to take home and do. So stop by the library and pick up a few craft packs and books!

Calling Manga Fans

I have expanded our Teen Graphic Novel section to include every volume of Fullmetal Alchemist I could get my hands on. This expansion prompted a young man in my Teen Book Club to declare, "Kristen, you are the Chuck Norris of librarians." That made me feel good. I kick butt!

I read the first volume and it turns out that I liked it quite a bit more than some of the other manga series I've read. It starts out right away with a couple of likable, complex main characters and a storyline I found easy to follow. This may seem basic, but I have found them lacking in many manga series I've encountered thus far (Ranma 1/2 and Azumanga Daioh occur to me as examples).

Anyway, I am thinking about adding another manga series, maybe One Piece? If you're a manga fan, weigh in on this please.

Pokemon Party & More

Join us this Saturday for a Pokemon Party at 2:30 p.m. for kids of all ages! Kids will be able to make and paint a clay model of their very own Pokemon character. They will also make a Pokemon card for their character. Everyone is encouraged to bring Pokemon cards or games to play or trade.

We're also going to have a Christmas storytime and craft on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. for kids ages 3+. This will be a great way to pass the time before the parade starts at 11:30 a.m. The kids will hear Christmas stories and make CD ice ponds and Christmas cards. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up beforehand!

And, in January we'll be having a CRAFT EXPLOSION here at the library, so stay tuned for more details on that.

Super Sequels

Recently I have read a couple of sequels from two teen authors I really enjoy: Scott Westerfeld and Brent Crawford. Westerfeld's new book is called Behemoth and it is a sequel to his action-packed, alternate history steampunk novel Leviathan. Behemoth picks up right where Leviathan leaves off, continuing the story, so readers will definitely want to start with the first one if they haven't read it yet. Anyway, the premise is that Europe is gearing up for war between the Clanker states (Germany and its allies, whose inhabitants depend on steampunk-like machinery for technology and weaponry) and the Darwinist states (England and its allies, whose inhabitants depend on genetically modified animals for technology and weaponry). The focus is on two main characters: Alec, who is the son of the Austro-Hungarian archduke whose assassination triggered the beginnings of war, and Deryn, a girl who posed as a boy in order to join Britain's air force and fly on the Leviathan, a gigantic airship-like beast. So far I've been enjoying the series, but not as much as Westerfeld's Uglies or Midnighters series.

I have also read Carter's Big Break, a sequel to Brent Crawford's first book Carter Finally Gets It. I loved seeing Carter again, mainly because he is hilarious. He's fourteen years old and his youth and raging hormones prevent him from thinking clearly a lot of the time, with extremely funny results. I laughed out loud A LOT while reading the sequel. The world Carter inhabits is true to the high school experience (meaning, there is mature content in the book), so kids who don't mind that but would like a funny, true-to-life novel with a great main character should pick this one up.

We're a Five-Star Library!

I am delighted to report that Library Journal has listed Allerton Library (under its other name, Monticello Township Library) as a five-star library in its ranking system, which compares libraries of similar sizes all across the United States.

Library Journal took four factors into account when ranking libraries: circulation, visits, program attendance, and Internet use (all per capita, and all based on 2008 numbers). You can see the main page here, and you can see us in the list here, with our per capita scores listed out. We circulated 14.6 items per capita, had 87.9 visits per capita, had .52 program attendances per capita, and .69 Internet uses per capita.

Of course, the article stresses that none of these numbers reflect the quality of library service or patron experience--they reflect quantity only. But we like to think people come in because they like it here. Let's keep it going, everybody!

Construction Party

Join us this Saturday for a Construction Party here at the library building! The City of Monticello is bringing a backhoe to the parking lot, and kids will be able to climb in it, with a demonstration following. There will also be construction-related crafts and activities, such as making paper tool belts, building Popsicle stick houses, creating buildings from boxes, and playing with pretend hammers and nails. Today is the last day to sign up if you want to be sure to get a spot. Call us at the library or stop by. See you Saturday!

Youth Literature Festival

Come see me at the Youth Literature Festival on Saturday from 10-4 at the Krannert Center in Urbana! I'll be there meeting authors, taking part in all the activities, and volunteering to help host picture book author Jim Aylesworth! The event is free to all, including free parking underneath the Krannert Center.

This event will be so much fun. There will be music, storytelling, puppets, activities like bookmark making and illustration activities, and lots more. I LOVE getting signed books so I'm really looking forward to this. And did I mention it's free??

More New Picture Books

Different things can make picture books appealing. Sometimes, like with Norbert Landa's offering The Great Monster Hunt, there are some really fun sound effects. Not only that, but The Great Monster Hunt also has that "piling-on" element that amplifies the action with each passing page, like in the classic folk tale The Old Woman and Her Pig. I'm looking forward to reading The Great Monster Hunt to a group of preschoolers.

Sometimes a picture book's great strength is in the illustrations. I love the artwork in Mo Willems's Knuffle Bunny books, and I laughed out loud several times while examining the newest and last in the series, Knuffle Bunny Free. He does a great job with facial expressions, while managing to keep the overall drawing from becoming too detailed or complicated.

I have read two touching picture books recently as well, both centering on a mother's love for her child. One is Jamie Lee Curtis's new book, My Mommy Hung the Moon. In Curtis's book, a child provides the narration, telling the reader all about the amazing things her mommy can do. If you are a fan of Curtis's other books, you will like this one too. I also read one called You Are the Best Medicine, which is designed to help mothers explain to their children what to expect when the mother is battling cancer. The book's tone is infinitely reassuring, and children facing this difficulty will benefit from it.

Library Use Controversy

I'm not sure if everyone has heard, but starting in November, the Champaign Public Library will no longer allow people with Mahomet or Tolono library cards to borrow any of Champaign's items. People with Mahomet or Tolono cards will have to go to the Champaign library and purchase a special $200 card if they wish to borrow items from Champaign, either in person or through the Lincoln Trail delivery system.

The Champaign library has created a news post about this, which can be viewed here. The reason for the policy change, they say, is "[it] will help us preserve access to library materials for our taxpayers, while allowing Tolono and Mahomet card holders the option to use our library if they help to fund it." The reasoning for focusing exclusively on Mahomet and Tolono is "[w]e focused on the communities that are the heaviest users of our library, compared to their home libraries.... Last fiscal year, for every 10 items Mahomet card holders borrowed from their home library, they borrowed close to 8 at Champaign (86,050 Champaign items). For every 10 items Tolono card holders borrowed at home, they borrowed 17 from us (167,259 Champaign items)."

There are some great articles available to read at the News-Gazette website about this. You can see the first article here, with follow-up articles here, here, and here. I found it especially interesting to read the comments that readers posted after each article.

In the last article, it says that the director of the Illinois State Library has asked the Champaign library to "'rescind this policy immediately'" and that it violates the state mandate "'to encourage the improvement of free public libraries and to encourage cooperation among all types of libraries in promoting the sharing of library resources.'"

What does everyone think about this policy change? You can comment here, or create an account at the News-Gazette site and comment there.

Monticello Celebration

I hope everyone will be able to come out and see us at the Monticello Celebration this Saturday from 10-4 on the square! We will have a booth in the kids' section where kids can decorate cardboard crowns. Everyone is welcome and the activity will be free--no tickets required!

For more info on the Celebration, click here.

By the way, I read Mockingjay and really liked it! I can't wait to see what Suzanne Collins comes up with next.

I requested a copy of Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard recently because I was curious about the series. It's really become very popular recently and I'm wondering what all the fuss is about. Has anyone read it who can tell me about it?

World Book Online

Kids are probably starting to really get into the swing of things at school, so because of all that new homework I'd like to introduce a new online information resource we're now offering at the library: World Book Online for Public Libraries. There are actually four different sites that make up this resource: World Book Online for Kids (for lower grades), World Book Online Info Finder (for middle grades), and World Book Online Reference Center (for upper grades). There is also a Spanish language version available.

In addition to encyclopedia articles, the sites include educational games for kids, printable and customizable timelines, state report information, research guides that include trusted Web sites, videos, pictures, sound clips, and (attention homeschooling parents!) teacher resources such as lesson plans.

To log on to World Book, go to our website (click here) and click Online Resources. Then click on World Book and use your Allerton Library card number to log in.

My All Time Favorite Picture Books

As I start preparing for my monthly storytime visits to Kairos and Monticello Christian Academy again, I have been looking forward to introducing some of my favorite picture books to new batches of kids. I like to start out with some books that are really short and sweet, like Clip Clop by Nicola Smee, or Bark, George! by Jules Feiffer. Bark, George is one of my all-time favorites though, because I can always get some good laughs from the kids when I'm reading it. I absolutely LOVE reading anything that makes me laugh, and it's such a joy to me to share that with an audience.

I also love reading anything by Margaret Read MacDonald, but especially Little Rooster's Diamond Button, Mabela the Clever, and The Squeaky Door. I usually have to wait until later in the school year to read them though, because they are quite a bit more wordy than Clip Clop or Bark, George!

Another favorite author of mine is Keiko Kasza. She wrote The Wolf's Chicken Stew, The Mightiest, Don't Laugh, Joe! and The Dog Who Cried Wolf, plus several other good ones. She is so good at twists and surprise endings, and her illustrations are wonderful and expressive.


I have already devoted an entire blog post to Amy Krouse Rosenthal, so I won't go into much detail here, but she is always worth a look or three.

Happy reading!

Library Elf

I'd like to introduce everyone to a very helpful elf: the Library Elf!

It's a free service that will send you reminder notices, via email or text message, whenever your library books are about to come due. It will also tell you when your holds are ready to be picked up. You can choose how early and how often you receive messages.

You can also add multiple library cards to your Elf account, so your whole family can avoid overdue fines and never miss a hold pickup again!

Ready to sign up? Go to our website first. Then click on Online Resources, and click Elf. Follow the sign-up instructions, and be sure to click the link in the registration email it sends you.

Sign up today if you are a frequent email user or if your phone has unlimited texting. You'll be glad you did!

Recent Reads

As I wait for the 3rd Hunger Games book, Mockingjay, to come out (1 more week!!!), I have been occupying myself with some other teen literature in the past month or so. I finally read the most recent Ranger's Apprentice installation, titled The Kings of Clonmel. These adventure stories are always really fun and quick to read. The pacing is really well done, the cast of characters feels very real, and there's amusing dialogue sprinkled throughout the books to keep everything from getting too serious.

Right now I'm reading Rick Riordan's latest book, called The Red Pyramid. It's the beginning of a new series called The Kane Chronicles and it focuses on the gods of ancient Egypt rather than the Greek mythology of the Percy Jackson books. I'm about halfway through, and so far I think it's pretty good but not as great as The Lightning Thief. Red Pyramid is easy to put down; I haven't been "grabbed" like I was with the Percy books. Maybe that will change before I get to the end of the story.

I have been feeding my book on CD addiction with the first three Princess Diaries stories, which are new editions narrated by Anne Hathaway. I thought Anne did an AMAZING job with the books, and I laughed so hard while I was listening! So those audiobooks are a good choice if you want something light, fluffy, funny, and girly to listen to in the car. They're also good for the car because you don't have to concentrate on them too much to keep up with the plot.

Who else is desperate for Mockingjay? I can't wait!!

Back To School

Join us this Saturday at 10 a.m. for a Back-To-School storytime! Kids will hear school stories and do a craft. Please call or stop by the library to sign up.

Once school starts, please keep us in mind for all of your report-writing needs! We're in the process of adding a link on our website to World Book Online, which is an excellent resource. We're always purchasing new nonfiction for kids and teens, so if your report is on animals, inventors, famous people, Native American groups, or any other common topic, stop by and see us.

Teen Nonfiction

We have a new teen nonfiction section here at the library! So far it's very small but we made a little room to grow. We'd like to support teen interests in this section, as well as academic needs. So you'll be seeing some good books for browsing like Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and other B.S. by Alex Buese, as well as stuff to help teens in school like Danica McKellar's new math book, Hot X: Algebra Exposed. Right now we also have some resources to help kids in college and career planning, such as College Planning for Gifted Students and the Career Discovery Encyclopedia.

If you would like to suggest a title or subject for our new section, speak up! I am extremely interested in what you have to say.

Bluestem Books

There is a new book display in the library for our collection of Bluestem Award books for kids in grades 3-5. It's behind the chapter book section, next to the Halloween and Christmas books. I have read most of the books on the list and I have really enjoyed most of them. You can view the entire list here, after clicking on "Master List 2011" (you must have a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat installed). My favorites so far are No Talking by Andrew Clements and The BFG by Roald Dahl. I haven't yet gotten to Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, Being Teddy Roosevelt, or Dodger and Me.

Summer Reading is Ending Soon

Tomorrow we will have gone through 7 weeks of our 8-week summer reading program! I hope everyone has had as much fun as I have. Next week we will have crafts on Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon, one last read-a-thon on Thursday, and then Friday the 30th is the last day of the program! If kids are still marking off squares on their reading logs, Friday is the last day for that. Kids can turn in their logs any time between now and Aug. 8 to be considered for the Top 15 Reader prizes, and will be able to collect regular prizes as long as supplies last. However, be warned that we're quickly running out of ghost prize bags (200 min. or 20 books) so if you've reached that goal and haven't brought in your log sheet yet, the sooner the better!

Join us next week for paper plate spiders and monster hands crafts. And keep on reading!

Live Animals at the Library

Don't miss Monday's "Un-Lovables" animal program, starting at 10 a.m. and presented by the Macon County Conservation District! See and learn about snakes, insects, mice, toads, and other creepy crawly animals. Registration is required.

You can read about animals in the library as well. A great picture book on this subject is Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk. A small mouse who lives in the library is suddenly inspired to write his own book. The mouse is shy, but kids who see the mouse's books are desperate to meet the author. What will the mouse do?


Another story about animals in the library is Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story. This book tells the tale of a tiny kitten some librarians found in the book drop on one cold winter morning. The librarians decided to adopt the kitten and call him Dewey, after the inventor of the Dewey Decimal system. The kitten grew up to be a nationally famous cat.

Spider Bookmarks, Germs, and Plans

Summer reading events are continuing here at the library! Monday we'll start off with a Spider Bookmark craft at 10 a.m. Then we'll probably do the Hokey Pokey and Hello Joe songs, and maybe use up the rest of the Scooby Doo puzzle packs to round out the half-hour.

Then on Tuesday there will be a Germs program at 2:30. Kids will do a Kleenex race, a Band-Aid race, and design their own germs from construction paper and craft foam shapes. Then on Wednesday and Thursday, the Teen Book Club and Readathon will take place as usual.

This week I'm starting to think about August and the rest of the year. I have a few Saturdays when I'll be working but I'm not sure what kinds of events to schedule. Should I do a gamer's meet-up? A Wild West program? A No-Bake Cooking program? Alice in Wonderland? Pokemon? What do you think?

Scooby Doo and Scary Stories

We're off to a fabulous, roaring start for summer reading here at the library! We're close to breaking registration records, and a bunch of you have been coming to our programs. I've been so glad to see everyone here!

Next week we're having a Scooby Doo party and a Scary Stories & Edible campfires program. At the Scooby party, kids will construct and balance Monster Sandwiches, try to guess how many Scooby Snacks are in a jar, and make Scooby collars. And the Scary Stories program is exactly what it sounds like--kids will listen to selections from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, and snack on edible campfires (go here to see approximately what it will look like!) We're having lots of storytimes too, so there's something for everyone here. Keep on scaring up good books, everyone :)

Summer Reading Is Here!

You've heard about the programs, and now's the time to sign up! Come to the library for the reading program this June and July. Count books or minutes and get prizes for completing your log sheet! We're offering lots of great prizes like toys, coupons for free pizza and ice cream, and more. Stop by the library or call us for more details.

We're also offering lots of great crafts and activities for kids in June and July. We'll have lots of storytimes, as well as programs that go along with our theme of "Scare Up a Good Book." We'll make monster hands, do a Band-Aid relay race at our Germs program, hear scary stories and make edible campfires, and much more. Pick and choose which activities sound interesting to you!

HarperCollins, the book publisher, has been sending me Advance Review Copies (ARCs) of some of their books. I'm thrilled to be able to look at some of the titles they'll be offering! One of them is called Goodnight Moon ABC: An Alphabet Book. It's based on Margaret Wise Brown's classic story, with pictures by Clement Hurd. I think parents and children who enjoy the original story will really like the illustrations, and this new book leads nicely into sleep as well. The letter "X" was approached in a novel manner: the children are prompted to find it within the illustration, rather than trying to stretch the text to accommodate the letter.

I got an ARC of Meg Cabot's Insatiable as well. Though it's not really for kids, and will go into our adult section rather than our Teen section, I'm sure that older teen fans of Cabot's will eagerly devour this offering, which is one part Dracula, one part Queen of Babble, and one part The Devil Wears Prada. I inhaled it in one sugary gulp! Cabot consistently offers a fun story with a likable main character and some laugh-out-loud moments, and this one is no exception.

New Books This Summer

There are lots of exciting books coming out this summer for kids and teens. One that will definitely generate a lot of interest is Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. Amazon.com says, "Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits."


Kids will also see the latest addition to the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer: The Atlantis Complex. And, Suzanne Collins's much-awaited third Hunger Games book will be out in August. It is called Mockingjay, and you can get on the waiting list for it now if you want.



For the smaller kids, we are looking forward to another Fancy Nancy book, called Spectacular Spectacles. Mo Willems is also coming out with a couple next month, including the incredibly well-reviewed City Dog, Country Frog. I know I'm really looking forward to these books! Make sure to come to the library this summer so you don't miss out!

A Hasty Opinion

Ok, so I may have judged the 2011 Rebecca Caudills a little too soon, and too harshly. I have found quite a few in this batch that I like. I've already mentioned The Hunger Games and Schooled. Jordan Sonnenblick's Notes from the Midnight Driver and Mass's 11 Birthdays are definitely worth a look. Carl Hiaasen's Scat and Ingrid Law's Savvy will really appeal to kids. I would have LOVED a book like Savvy when I was 11 or so. It kind of reminds me of David Lubar's Hidden Talents.

I have now finished the whole list, and while I feel like there are more stinkers on this one than in previous years (Fablehaven! So promising, yet such a disappointment! And the writing was truly bad in The Alchemyst) I shouldn't have despaired.

School Visits

I will be going to visit schools during the next couple of weeks to talk to the kids about the summer reading program. This is always really fun and exciting, because I love talking about library programs and answering kids' questions. We are going to have so much fun here this summer! It won't be hard getting kids excited about Scooby Doo, Goosebumps, gross food, and monster games. I can't wait! The summer reading program starts June 7, so don't forget to sign up starting at the Luau on May 22!

It's Luau Time!

On Saturday, May 22 we will have a Library Luau in the ballroom above Allerton Library from 2-4. It is open to kids of all ages. At the luau, we will paint suncatchers, and do activities like coconut bowling, a bean bag toss, fishing, and hula hooping. Snacks will be served and there will be a drawing for Mark My Time bookmarks. Kids will also have a chance to pre-register for summer programs.

If kids sign up in advance for the luau, they can pick a prize from our treasure box in the library. So stop by soon to get your prize!

Picture Books With Sound Effects

Books with sound effects can be really fun to read (and fun for kids to listen to!). I have encountered a couple of them lately that I really enjoyed.

The first is The Seven Sneezes by Olga Cabral. Imitating the sneezes is the most entertaining part, but kids are also amused at the mix-ups the sneezes cause, when barks, meows, ears, shoes, etc. fly off and land on the wrong owners. Kids might not know what a "rag man" is (the book was originally published in the '40s) but a 30 second history lesson at the beginning or the end won't hurt.

The second is Push Button by Aliki. The sound effects from all the button-pushing are so much fun that toddlers and preschoolers will imitate the reader enthusiastically. The illustrations are also really bright and appealing, with great use of color and white space. Aliki really captures the joy and busy activity of toddler play.

Stay tuned for announcements concerning the upcoming luau and summer programs!

Great Baseball Books

There are lots of sports books out there for the elementary school crowd, and recently I've read a couple that stand out. These books would be great for a rainy day when it's impossible to actually be at the ballpark.

The first one is Top of the Order by John Coy. Jackson, the main character, and his friend Gig are on a baseball team that needs another player for second base. When Gig's sister Sydney joins up, she quickly demonstrates how good she is at baseball, but Gig is furious. Jackson's not sure whether he should be supporting his friend or supporting Sydney, which is better for the team. There are enough descriptive baseball sequences in the story to keep ball fanatics interested, and the story moves along well.

Another one I read recently was Dan Gutman's Roberto and Me. This is the latest in his Baseball Card Adventures series, where Stosh, the main character, has the ability to travel through time using old baseball cards. In this one, he tries to go back in time to save Roberto Clemente, the famous baseball player and humanitarian, from dying in a tragic plane crash. There isn't as much action centered around the game of baseball itself, but the idea of traveling through space and time and meeting famous people will appeal to kids who used to be Magic Tree House fans but have grown out of that series.

Spiderwick Chronicles Party

Remember, you have one more week to sign up for our Spiderwick Chronicles party! It will be on Saturday, April 24 at 2:30 p.m., and registration closes on Thursday, April 22. At the party, kids will try Sprite Bowling, make anti-fairy charms and mermaid bracelets, and make their own seeing stones from clay. Snacks will be served and kids will be able to enter a drawing for Spiderwick books. Recommended for kids ages 5+.

Great Audiobooks for Kids

I have become completely addicted to listening to audiobooks in the car. I am enjoying myself so much that sometimes I'll arrive at my destination and just sit there in the car for a few more minutes, to hear what happens next.

The narrators make a huge difference in whether or not I'll like the story. And sometimes, the audiobooks are recorded with a full cast, with different people reading different characters' dialogue and a separate reader doing the narration. At first, I preferred the one-voice technique because that's how the Harry Potter books are done. But after listening to almost all of Kristin Cashore's Graceling, I'm starting to appreciate the full-cast method as well.

So far, in addition to Harry Potter and Graceling, I've listened to The Hunger Games, most of Fudge-A-Mania (scratched discs), and The Golden Compass. All of them are good, but my least favorite was The Hunger Games. I felt that the narrator's voice was too girly for Katniss, and that it probably would have benefited from a full-cast approach.

Thoughts on full-cast vs. single narrator? What are your favorite audiobooks?

This Year's Rebecca Caudill Books

I've been working my way through the 2011 Rebecca Caudill Master list, and so far I can't really say I've been enjoying myself. Does anyone else feel the same way or is it just me? Here's what I've read lately:

The Boy Who Dared. Very sad and tragic WWII story.
The Great Wide Sea. A grieving family sails around the Caribbean. Anger, misery, and tragedy abound.
The Mailbox. The kid's uncle dies at the beginning, and he doesn't want to tell anyone because he's afraid of ending up in an abusive foster home situation... again.
Scarlett. A girl's parents are divorced and she spends most of the novel angry, confused, and lashing out at people who try to help her.
Trouble. A boy's brother is severely injured in a car accident which brings racial tensions in his small town to a head. Tragedy, bigotry, guilt, and loss are the main themes.
Yellow Star. A harrowing story of how one girl survived the Lodz ghetto.

You see? None of these books were badly written; on the contrary, all of the authors are very skilled storytellers. But I have not been enjoying myself at all! I can hardly wait to be done with this batch, and I think I'll have a hard time when kids ask for recommendations from this year's list.

Junie B. Jones Party and More

This Saturday at 2:30 we're having a Junie B. Jones party for kids ages 3+. At the party, the kids will make stupid smelly buses, play carnival and field day games like the penny toss and hoop jump, do Junie B. coloring pages, and enter a drawing for Junie B.'s books. Please register by the end of today (March 25) if you are interested.

Next month, on Saturday April 24, we're having a Spiderwick Chronicles party at 2:30 for kids ages 5+. There will be crafts and games relating to the popular Spiderwick Chronicles books and movie. Please register by April 23 if you are interested.

In May, you can expect to see another Library Luau, and I am busy planning out the summer reading program activities for June and July. The theme for the summer is "Scare Up a Good Book," so expect some spooky fun!

Library Closing This Week

The library will be closed this week from tomorrow (Tuesday March 16) through Thursday (March 18). We are having new furniture delivered and installed, and the electrician and computer tech guys have to come and reconfigure outlets and cables and such. It will be a big undertaking but it'll be wonderful when it's done. So stock up today on books and movies, and come back Friday or next week to see our new stuff!

Cynthia Lord's New Book

Does everyone remember when Cynthia Lord, Newbery Honor-winning author of Rules, came to Monticello? I sure do! It was a great day, full of school visits, restaurant meals, and presentations. I got to drive a Newbery author around in my car!!

Anyway, she has just come out with a new picture book called Hot Rod Hamster. We have two copies here at the library, and one of them is signed--both by Cynthia and by the illustrator, Derek Anderson. (Derek does illustrations for Lauren Thompson's Little Quack books too.) Derek even drew a little hamster doodle next to his signature. The book itself is wonderful, and invites the children listening to participate in the story, which also makes it a great choice for storytime. You'll be hearing it at the library this spring!

In September, her new book for middle grades will be out. The title of that one is Touch Blue, and a large part of it is based on the superstition, "Touch blue and your wish will come true." I can't wait to read it!

You can visit Cynthia's blog here to get updates on her writing and other school visits, signings, and presentations, plus a really interesting window into her life. I like to visit every day.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Join us Saturday, Feb. 27th for a Percy Jackson & the Olympians party here at the library! The party is based on the award-winning book The Lightning Thief and its sequels. It starts at 2:30 and is recommended for kids ages 7+.

At the party, kids will write their names in Greek and do crafts at four different stations, each devoted to a different Olympian god or goddess. There will also be miniature chariot racing, a raffle for Percy Jackson books, and snacks. If you are interested, please register by Feb. 25.

2011 Rebecca Caudill and Monarch Books

The 2011 Rebecca Caudill & Monarch book lists have been released! Check the Caudills by clicking here and then clicking the View Now link. You can see the Monarch list by clicking here and then clicking "2011 Master List."

I was really pleased and surprised to see The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on the Caudill list. The story is incredibly fast-paced and vivid, but I think some parts are a bit dark for the average 4th or 5th grader. Basically the premise is this: in a twisted future society called Panem, twenty-four children between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen from the districts each year to participate in the Capitol's Hunger Games, where they are forced to fight to the death. (Collins got the idea from the myth of Minos's treaty with Athens, where 14 young Athenian teens were sacrificed periodically to the Minotaur.) See the book trailer here.

As far as the Monarch list goes, my favorite book by far is Margaret Read MacDonald's The Squeaky Door. That book is just oodles of fun and absolutely perfect for reading aloud. When Little Boy spends the night at Grandma's house, he is scared by the squeaking sound the door makes when she closes it after saying good night. So, Grandma asks if he would like to sleep with the cat... then the dog... then the pig... and then the HORSE... until finally the bed breaks. The next morning Grandma has to get out her tool chest, fix the broken bed, and oil the squeaky door. Repetition, sound effects, and a frequently encountered bedtime situation (fear in an unfamiliar spot, or of a strange noise) mix together to make a fantastic picture book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party

Join us for a Diary of a Wimpy Kid party this Saturday the 30th at 2:30 for kids ages 5+! Kids will play a Cheese Touch game, answer trivia questions for Mom Bucks, do milk jug weight lifting, make their own comics, and make their own journals. There will be snacks, and Wimpy Kid books will be raffled off. If you are interested, please register by Jan. 28.

Award-Winning Books

The American Library Association has just announced the 2010 Newbery and Caldecott award winners. You can see the entire list here. The winner of the Newbery Medal is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I read it a few months ago and thought it was quite good.




The Caldecott Medal (for illustrations) went to Jerry Pinkney's book The Lion and the Mouse. The Geisel award (for beginning readers) went to Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes. The Seibert Medal (for nonfiction) went to Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone.


We own copies of all of these books at the library, but they're being scooped up fast, so you should reserve a copy if you want to read any of them in the near future!

Homework Help

Face it--some questions just can't be answered by Google. So that's when you need to visit your library! We have lots of great help available for any homework assignment. We have fairly large nonfiction sections for both kids and adults, and a good reference section that can be used while the library is open. We also have some online databases for people who are doing research, and one of them, Grolier Online, is especially for kids. Grolier Online ties together lots of different resources, like America the Beautiful (for those ever-present state reports), Encyclopedia Americana, Lands & Peoples, and more. Older kids and adults may want to look at the Gale Virtual Reference Library, which provides access to hundreds of books, encyclopedias, and journal/magazine articles.

If you have Internet access at home, logging on is easy. Just go to our homepage at www.monticellolibrary.org, click on Online Resources (in the upper right corner) and then click on Grolier Online (or Cengage Learning if you want the Gale Virtual Reference Library). Type in your Allerton library card number and you're in!

And, if you are stuck, or aren't sure where to start, ask a librarian! We are always glad to help people with research or homework questions. Don't be afraid of interrupting us--we'd much rather be helping you than stamping cards or typing on the computer.

Some things to remember:
1. Sometimes research takes time! If you wait until the last minute to do your assignment, we might not be able to get the stuff you need before your due date or deadline.
2. Always have your library card with you. If you don't like to carry it around with you, memorize your number. We can only do so much for you without a card!
3. In addition to your library card, it's a good idea to bring change for photocopies and printouts. They cost 15 cents a page.