Wednesday, October 26, 2011

100 Years of Peter Pan




It seems that 100 years have passed since Peter Pan first appeared in novel form (did you know that the book is actually based on the play?). You may have first explored the world of Neverland by way of the novel, or a stage production, or even the Disney animated film, but however you were introduced, the chances are you still have vivid memories of Tinkerbell, Peter, Captain Hook, and the other unforgettable characters of Peter Pan.
We have several different editions of the classic tale, from the picture-book version based on the Disney characters to the novel, published in different forms w/ various illustrators. There are also books which are based on the Peter Pan characters, but written by modern authors. My favorite of these is the Peter and the Starcatchers series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
So, if it's been a while since you've taken a look, celebrate 100 years of Peter Pan by checking out one of these books---you'll be glad to make another trip to Neverland!

Monday, October 24, 2011

HIDE AND SEEK in Amherst---geocaching fun!!!




This Saturday, our group of adventurers (and their parents!) got together at the library to talk about Hide and Seek by Katy Grant, the book we've all been reading. This book involves a real-life outdoor treasure-hunting game, known as GEO-CACHING. We had a spirited and insightful discussion of the book, talked about the basics of geocaching, and then we headed out to the woods with our GPS devices, to see if we could locate some caches right here in Amherst.
We had a blast!!! We had 5 parent/child teams, each looking for a different cache in the Pond Parish Conservation Area. When we met up again in the parking area, all but one team had found their cache, and everyone wanted to go back and look for more (the second time around, team 5 found their cache...). What a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors on a gorgeous fall day---I'm ready to go out hunting for more! If you'd like to know more about geo-caching, visit www.geocaching.com. Maybe you'll want to try this wonderful family activity. And, by all means, check out the book---it's a thrillling read!