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!