SCHOOL VACATION WEEK---Feb 28-Mar 4

For those of us who AREN'T someplace warm this vacation---let's forget about the cold, and have a VACATION CELEBRATION!---

On:

· MONDAY, FEB 28 ISLAND MOVIE MATINEE
1:00pm “Lilo & Stitch” classic Disney, set in Hawaii!

bring a pillow, and we'll provide the popcorn, the punch, and illusion that we're all in Hawaii!!

· Tuesday, Mar 1 TROPICAL
10:00am DANCE PARTY

Ages 2-6---come to think of it, we don't care HOW old you are, as long as you're in the mood to dance! We'll pass out the grass skirts and do some hula, some limbo, and just have fun!

· Wednesday, Mar. 2 "BEACH PARTY" for all ages
w/ STORIES, SONGS, & SMOOTHIES!

2:30 pm

Put on your sunglasses, bring your flip-flops and your beach towel, and come to the library! We'll blend up some fresh fruit smoothies to slurp while Miss Sarah gets you up and dancing to some original songs, and tells some sunny stories. Everyone will get to choose a colorful lei to wear and keep, and we'll raffle off some of the tropical decorations! Come and join the fun--we PROMISE you'll feel warmer by the time we're done! Sign-up is not required, but will help us estimate numbers.

· THURSDAY, MAR 3 "CRAFT CLUB"
2pm MARCH LION PILLOW--- if March comes in as a lion, will it go out as a lamb? Ages 8 and up. Registration required

ALL WEEK LONG!!!!

MAKE-IT/TAKE-IT CRAFT TABLE: "Wavy Beach Scene" materials will be available all week long for you to make your own beach pictures!

AND:
"Tropical Train Table" Miss Sarah will bring in her wooden train tracks and trains for the week!--You can bring in your favorite trains to run on her tracks, too, but if you do, remember to put your name on them!

Black History Month

The month of February is Black History Month. For me, it's an opportunity to reflect on the long, difficult battle that African Americans had to fight in order to secure themselves the basic human rights that other Americans took for granted. How indomitable, how brave, how patient these citizens had to be in order to succeed! Come on in to the Children's Room to find a wonderful collection of books, both fiction and non-fiction, that chronicle the history of our African American citizens.

Learning to Walk at the Library!!!

Yes, it's true---not only can you find the great stories and information that you need, but the Children's Room at the library is a wonderful place to practice walking!

Betsy has been visiting the library with her sister, Sarah, since before she could crawl, and look at her now! GO BETSY!!!!!!

We know it won't be long before she's reading, too....

We Love Books!

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Here in the Children's Room, we're reminded of how much we love our collection of Valentine books--Whether you're looking for an Arthur picture book, a Turtle and Snake adventure for beginning readers, or a chapter book, we've got a wonderful assortment to choose from. So come on in, and check some out----

And, of course, if you bring chocolates, the librarians won't complain!!!

What's new in Audiobooks?

We've got a whole new bunch of books-on-CD here in the Children's Room. If you haven't tried listening to an audiobook lately, you're missing out on a great thing. Over the years, the quality of production and performance has improved by leaps and bounds. Even a passionate book-lover like myself has to admit that there are a few favorite books I've never actually read--just listened to! Here are some of my favorite new arrivals:
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Okay, here is one of my absolutely-tops-best-favorite audiobooks. In fact, I'm going to admit that I'm not even sure if I've read any of the books!! My family and I discovered this series on audio, and Nathanial Parker does such an amazing job of narrating that I jumped at the chance to listen to each new audio in the series. If you love Artemis Fowl, you'll love this audio---if you've never read any of the books, you'll love getting to know them by listening!


Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
This was one of my favorite books last year, and I thought that it just begged to be read aloud. Janet Song's narration comes highly recommended, so I'm really looking forward to listening to it!









The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine

One of my sixth-graders recommended this book to me last year, and it's one of those stories that just sticks with you long after you finish reading. It's the story of a white boy and a black girl in a small Alabama town before the days of the Civil Rights Movement. By turns funny, sad, poignant, and suspenseful, I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.I'm going to take this one home this weekend!

Come on in and check out some of our new audiobooks for yourselves!

READ UP A STORM!

Well, winter is really here....and it's time for curling up with some good books! For our special display this month we've gathered a whole collection of books that relate to winter in some way--snow books, ice books, stormy books---come on in and check some out!
Speaking of curling up with a good book or two, I spent most of my holiday vacation doing just that! Some of my favorites?--
Sugar and Ice, by Kate Messner
This is the story of Claire, who loves to skate, and has been skating w/ friends on the cowpond behind her home since they were old enough to walk. When she is offered a scholarship to study with an Olympic coach at Lake Placid, she is able to take her skating to new levels, but are the sacrifices she and her family must make worth it? I'm not much of a skater, but I really enjoyed this one--it has the excitement of competition, the challenges of new friends and not-so-nice teammates, and the struggle of a likable character to find out where she fits in the world.


Hide and Seek, by Katy Grant, features another likable character.This time it's a boy, Chase, who lives in the mountains of Arizona. When out "geo-caching" one afternoon (do you know what geo-caching is? If you don't, you will after you read this book---I want to try it!) Chase discovers a note asking for help, and the mystery begins---Who left the note? Where are they? Why are they hiding? Chase is a good kid who wants to do the right thing, but sometimes it's hard to figure out just what that is...Hide and Seek is a great suspense/adventure story.
Speaking of suspense, there are definitely some scenes that will have you chewing your nails in Black Radishes, by Susan Lynn Meyer. Set in France during World War II, this is the story of Gustave and his family. As the story opens, they are living in Paris, and just becoming aware of how precarious their position is, as members of the Jewish community. The story follows them on their journey into the French countryside to escape detainment, and their efforts to make their way to America. This book does a particularly good job of describing Gustave's life as just an "ordinary kid" and his feelings as his life becomes defined by his Jewishness. Lots of food for thought here, but it's also just a good adventure story.
After all of this realistic fiction, I needed something fun and fantastical! The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle was just the ticket.
Poor Prunella is a "bogwitch" who doesn't seem worthy of the name. The few curses she's been able to set just haven't turned out right---instead of harming people, they've helped them! Determined to redeem herself, she sets off on a quest, and is soon teaming up with Barnaby, a young man who is searching for the magical Mirable Chalice. Although we may suspect from the beginning that Prunella and Barnaby will end up achieving things that are very different from the goals they set out with, it's great fun watching the story develop. There are giant alligators, nasty spiders, evil queens, and lots of magic--what more could you ask for?

If you're looking to curl up with a good book---give one of these a try!

COMING UP ON FRIDAY!!

HOLIDAY STORYTIME AND COOKIE SHARE
Friday, Dec. 17, at 3:30
Help us celebrate the December Holiday Season!!
Bake up a batch of your favorite holiday cookies (for those of you who have totally run out of time---we won't turn store-bought cookies away) and bring a plateful to the Children's Room to share---if you want to, include a card telling us what kind of cookies you made, and who made them. Miss Sarah and Miss Emily will provide the juice, the stories, the songs, and a simple craft. We hope to send you home filled with holiday cheer!