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!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
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!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
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.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
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.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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!
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