HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year, everyone! 

The library will close today, Friday, Dec. 31 at 5 PM, and will be closed tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 1 for New Year's Day.

We'll see you next year!

Kids Bored? Check out Tumblebooks!

It's December vacation - are the kids bored already? Take a look at TumbleBooks (just click on the word)!

Tumblebooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books by well-known authors and illustrators. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing books and adding sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which children can read, or have read to them! Kids will also like the book-related puzzles and games, and parents will appreciate the fact that TumbleBooks is completely commercial-free. In addition to enjoying TumbleBooks at the library, the books can be accessed at home by going to the Children’s Room section of the library website (www.CoventryPL.org) and clicking on the Tumblebooks icon.

(Requires the Flash plug-in to view and hear the animation.)

CARRY OUT A GOOD BOOK! Winter Reading Program

Begins Dec. 28 and ends Feb. 26.

 

Carry out a good book and join our Winter Reading Program! Add toppings to our giant pizza for time spent reading or being read to. Prizes for all who participate. For all ages (including pre-readers)! Pick up a Reading Log in the Children’s Room or download one (beginning Dec.28) at www.CoventryPL.org. It’s easy – as pizza pie!

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS

 

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS:

Closed Friday & Saturday, December 24 & 25
Closing at 5 PM on Friday, December 31
Closed Saturday, January 1, 2011

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

DECEMBER VACATION @ THE MOVIES!

Beat the school vacation doldrums and drop in for a movie! 
Bring your own popcorn/munchies. 
No registration is necessary.


MOVIES BEGIN @ 2 PM

Tuesday, Dec. 28: We're showing Toy Story 3 (Rated G).
Wednesday, Dec. 29: We're showing Ramona & Beezus (Rated G).
Thursday,  Dec. 30: We're showing Nanny McPhee Returns (Rated PG).

Perfect Piggies and Amazing Cows!

Yay! Sandra Boynton's newest and zaniest books ever have arrived at the library: Perfect Piggies: A Book! A Song! A Celebration! and Amazing Cows: Udder Absurdity for Children.

Perfect Piggies! is a perfect board book, in which piggies rock! Did you ever see noses so wonderfully round? Where else could these curly little tails be found? Zany fun (and a downloadable song, too!)

Amazing Cows is a 96-page, lavishly-illustrated, exuberant miscellany of bovinely-inspired stories, jokes, poems, a song, a myth, and even a vintage Amazing Cow comic book (entitled"Trouble on Zebblor 7.")

If you're in the MOOd for inspired silliness, these books are for you!

THE GIVING TREE

Help those less fortunate this holiday season by decorating our "Giving Tree" with NEW mittens, scarves, hats and gloves (for both adults and children). Non-perishable food items, as well as NEW toys and books, are also welcome.

Donations will benefit Coventry Human Services. The "Giving Tree" is located in the Children's Room, and donations will be accepted until Dec. 15.

Reading Rockets: Early Literacy Videos

The Reading Rockets website offers strategies, lessons, activities and ideas designed to help young children learn to read. They have some great multimedia resources about early literacy, like the video below, as well as an entire section devoted to helping parents help their children become better readers.  I encourage you to check out their site!

ONLINE STORYTIME: The Mitten by Jan Brett

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Just a reminder: the library will be closed Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be open on Saturday, Nov. 27 our regular hours.

While the turkey is cooking, kids can have fun with this Thanksgiving-themed activity sheet from FamilyFun! Just click http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/pdf/printables/thanksgiving-activity-page-printable-1009.pdf to open & print!

Thanksgiving Fun

It's almost Thanksgiving!  Do you know how and when the holiday known as Thanksgiving started? What did they eat at the harvest feast that inspired the holiday? Find the answers to these questions and more at the National Geographic Kids site !

 For Thanksgiving crafts, printables, games, stories and recipes, take a look at Kaboose's Thanksgiving Activities for Kids.

Halloween Party Photos!

I know it's almost Thanksgiving, but I finally found time to upload our Halloween Party photos! (I've been a very busy dragon)!  Take a look - the costumes are great (no dragons, though)!

LETTERS TO SANTA

It's time to write your letters to Santa! A special mailbox is located in the Booth & Dimock Library Children's Room, and will be accepting your letters for delivery to Santa (remember to include your address so Santa can write you back) until December 3!

HOLIDAY GIFT BAG CRAFT

DATE: Wednesday, December 8.
TIME:  4:10 PM

Decorate a festive holiday gift bag! For grades K+. Registration is required and begins Nov. 24. Call 742-7606 or register online.

BABYGARTEN!

Babygarten is a fun and exciting program for children ages 0 to 2 and their caregivers! 

Babygarten will run in multiple 6-week sessions during the year, and will require registration for each session. The first 3 days of registration are for Coventry residents only, then registration opens up to everyone. Space is limited!

• The next 6-week session begins on Tuesday, Dec. 7 - the dates are as follows: Dec. 7, 14, 21, Jan. 4, 11, and 18. Registration begins Nov. 30. Call the library at 746-7606 or register online.

What is Babygarten?

• Infants and their caregivers will share nursery rhymes, songs and books, but also get a chance to make fun projects that demonstrate the children's developmental milestones - usually a homemade toy or a baby book item.
• Many projects and activities will emphasize the importance of reading to babies and parents will learn how to do this most effectively.
• The class concludes with a free play period.

The program includes:

Nursery Rhymes and Songs – Infants in the womb are soothed by the ever-present beat of a mother’s heartbeat. Babies of all ages still respond to a steady beat no matter what form it takes – rhymes, music, windshield wipers, dishwashers, etc. Rhymes also provide interesting repetition of the sounds we use in everyday language. Using familiar rhymes on a regular basis encourages your child to make sounds and eventually form first words.

Book Sharing – We’ll read books in unison (yes, the same ones over and over!) and the librarian may recommend books that are most popular with babies. For infants, a book represents the closeness of being held and the soft sounds that come from a familiar person. Eventually, they will understand how a book “works” and that the black squiggles somehow correspond with the sounds the reader makes. These are all pre-literacy skills that better prepare your child for a lifetime of learning.

Parenting Information – Questions about infant development and parenting often arise during the Babygarten program. We welcome your questions and will do everything we can to help you find answers. Sometimes the best source is the person sitting next to you on the floor!

Handmade Toys and Mementos – The playthings that babies enjoy most are always the least expensive ones. You’ll have the opportunity to construct simple, effective toys from items we all have around the house. Also, to help you remember the fleeting moments of your child’s babyhood, we’ll make some items that are perfect for grandparent gifts or the baby book.

Free Play Period – At the end of each session, we’ll do what we THINK comes naturally to all caregivers. Playing is how babies learn and your involvement can enhance their enjoyment and enlightenment. It’s fun to see how other people play and how babies respond to each other. This is where some of your best discoveries will originate – either through observation or conversation (with babies and adults!).

***BABYGARTEN made possible by funding from the 2010 Book Sale.***

New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead

Great gift ideas! Check out the link below for the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010. My favorite is A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead. What's yours?

http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2010/best-illustrated-childrens-books-2010/slide-show.html?page=1

Closed for Veteran's Day, Nov. 11

Just a reminder...the library will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 11 for Veteran's Day.

Wimp Yourself!

Wimpified!

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney comes out next week. How to pass the time? You've read all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid read-alikes in our booklist - what next? Wimp Yourself!

Visit http://www.wimpyourself.com/ where you can create a cartoon version of yourself in Wimpy Kid style (like the cartoon on the right).

The library's copy of The Ugly Truth should arrive next week - first come, first serve! Put your name on the reserve list now!

Pinkalicious!

Love Pinkalicious? And Purplicious and Goldilicious, too? If you love the books by Victoria Kann then visit the Pinkalicous Website where you'll find all things pink (and purple, and gold). You can listen to a story read by Pinkalicious herself, play some games, view a picture gallery,     send e-cards, and learn how to host your own Pinkalicious Party!

Don't forget to check the books out of the library:
Pinkalicious
Goldilicious
Purplicious
Pinkalicious and the Pink Drink
Pinkalicious: School Rules!

Take-Home Backpacks, Theme Bags & Puppets

The Booth & Dimock Memorial Library Children's Room has more than just books! Check out our Take-Home Backpacks, Theme Bags, and Puppets.

The Take-Home Backpacks are filled with fun, hands-on activities and books that reinforce basic skills, from counting to nutrition. The Theme Bags contain books and puppets, as well as other manipulatives, to help teachers and parents enliven story times. Visit the Children's Room and take a look!

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure

From The Library of Congress' Read.gov site:

Ever heard of an Exquisite Corpse? It's not what you might think. An Exquisite Corpse is an old game in which people write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold it over to conceal part of it and pass it on to the next player to do the same. The game ends when someone finishes the story, which is then read aloud.
The "Exquisite Corpse Adventure" works this way: Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, has written the first episode, which is "pieced together out of so many parts that it is not possible to describe them all here, so go ahead and just start reading!" He has passed it on to a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who must eventually bring the story to an end.
Every two weeks, there will be a new episode and a new illustration. The story will conclude a year from now..."This story starts with a train rushing through the night...." No one knows where or how it will end!

Visit Read.gov to get started!

HALLOWEEN PARTY!

Thursday, October 28 from 4-5 PM

Will you join us on the Eve

When Jack-0’lanterns flair?

Ghosts and goblins all

Insist that-you-be-there!

Come in costume for crafts, games, face painting and unBOOlievably yummy munchies. A costume parade is the grand finale! Bring food/beverages to share. We'll be decorating cupcakes - bring plain, unfrosted cupcakes, if you wish! For all ages. Registration is required and begins Oct. 14. Call 742-7606 or register online.

ONLINE STORYTIME: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

HALLOWEEN MASK CRAFT

Wednesday, October 20
@ 4:10 PM

Decorate a blank papier-mache mask any way you want! We'll provide markers, crayons and embellishments - you provide the creativity! Great for a Halloween costume. For grades K+. Registration is required.
Call 742-7606 or register online (www.CoventryPL.org/kids.asp).

The Familiars by Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson

In the new book The Familiars by Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, a young wizard chooses a cat named Aldwyn as his familiar, but trouble is brewing. Can Aldwyn and his trusty friends, Skylar the bluejay and Gilbert the treefrog, defeat the evil queen and save the day? Soon to be a major motion picture! The book is recommended for ages 8 and up. Check it out from the library! But first, watch the book trailer below...

Bob the Alien Discovers the Dewey Decimal System

Do you know how to find non-fiction books (facts, true stories) in the library? Watch this quick video and let Bob the Alien show you how!

WE'RE ON FACEBOOK!

We hope you'll "like" us!
We're just getting started, but we'll be posting information about events, new books, photos, videos, and other fun stuff! If you have a Facebook account, we hope you'll "Like" us!

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID READ-ALIKES

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney (#5 in the series) is coming out on Nov. 9, 2010. Can't wait? You might like some of these titles:

Doodlebug: A Novel in Doodles
By Young, Karen Romano

Moving is tough. But the hardest thing of all about the move that Doreen "Dodo" Bussey's family is making is that she suspects it might be because of her. Her mother gives Dodo a blank notebook, which she uses to chronicle the move and the first days in a new city. 

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
By Angleberger, Tom

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. 

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself
By Peirce, Lincoln

Inspired by Peirce's "Big Nate" comic strip, this first book in a six-part series introduces Nate Wright: sixth grader, class clown, self-described genius, and the all-time record holder for school detentions. Illustrations. 

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt + Julie Graham-Chang
By Ignatow, Amy

Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang are best friends with one goal: to crack the code of popularity. Lydia's the bold one: aspiring theater star, stick-fighting enthusiast, human guinea pig. Julie's the shy one: observer and artist, accidental field hockey star, faithful recorder. In this notebook they write down their observations and carry out experiments to try to determine what makes the popular girls tick. But somehow, when Lydia and Julie try to imitate the popular girls, their efforts don't translate into instant popularity. 

The Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
By Russell, Rachel Renee

This hilarious novel follows eighth-grader Nikki Maxwell as she chronicles through text and sketches her thoughts on friendships, crushes, popularity, and family. Illustrations.  

Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff
By Holm, Jennifer L. 

Told entirely through notes, grocery receipts, report cards, bottle caps, newspaper clippings, and other pieces of a young girls life, Newbery Honor winner Holm delivers the story of Ginnys seventh-grade year using all the things that "really" matter. Full color. 

Drooling and Dangerous: the Riot Brothers Return!
By Amato, Mary; Ill. by Ethan Long

Orville and Wilbur embark on new adventures as spies, movie stars, and insect flingers, wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting world!

Max's Logbook
By Moss, Marissa

Clever, curious Max, a budding scientist, begins a logbook to record his hilarious experiments and ideas for inventions. In a journal-like style, his logbook also introduces us to his school, friends, family, and an inventive comic strip, Alien Erasers. 

Regarding the Fountain: A Tale, in Letters, of Liars and Leaks
By Klise, Kate

The hilarious chronicle, in letters, cards, transcripts, and other documents, of the nefarious doings in the town of Dry Creek, as collected by Mr. Sam N.'s fifth-grade class. A highly original work of middle-grade fiction that's a visual and verbal delight on every page, from the cast of characters to a variety of subplots. 

Never Underestimate Your Dumbness
By Benton, Jim

The wedding between Jamie's aunt and Angeline's uncle is nearing, and they will be joined together until death--or a much-wished-for divorce. Now, three of Jamie's most dreaded nightmares are about to be combined into one unbearable event. Illustrations. 

FALL IS HERE!

Fall officially begins with the autumnal equinox, the date in September when hours of day and night are roughly equal. It arrives tonight at 11:09 PM, and for the first time in 19 years, it comes on the same night as a full moon, the one known as a Harvest Moon!

Of course, just because Fall is here doesn't mean that New England will have cool temperatures right away or that the leaves will suddenly change color! To find out more about why leaves change color, visit the Environmental Education Center for Kids.

And for good measure, if we have clear skies tonight, you will see an unusually bright star right near the moon. It's actually not a star at all; it's the planet Jupiter, at "opposition," coming closer to the earth than at any time since 1963!

BABYGARTEN!

 

We are very excited to introduce Babygarten, a fun and exciting program for children ages 0 to 2 and their caregivers! 

Babygarten will run in multiple 6-week sessions during the year, and will require registration for each session. The first 3 days of registration are for Coventry residents only, then registration opens up to everyone. Space is limited! Families who attend at least 4 of the 6 dates in each session will receive a library tote bag.

• The first 6-week session begins at 10:15 AM on Tuesday, Oct. 12 - the dates are as follows: Oct. 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9, and 16. Registration begins on Sept. 28. Call the library at 746-7606 or register online.

• The second 6-week session begins on Tuesday, Dec. 7 - the dates are as follows: Dec. 7, 14, 21, Jan. 4, 11, and 18. Registration begins Nov. 30. Call the library at 746-7606 or register online.

What is Babygarten?

• Infants and their caregivers will share nursery rhymes, songs and books, but also get a chance to make fun projects that demonstrate the children's developmental milestones - usually a homemade toy or a baby book item.
• Many projects and activities will emphasize the importance of reading to babies and parents will learn how to do this most effectively.
• The class concludes with a free play period.

The program includes:

Nursery Rhymes and Songs – Infants in the womb are soothed by the ever-present beat of a mother’s heartbeat. Babies of all ages still respond to a steady beat no matter what form it takes – rhymes, music, windshield wipers, dishwashers, etc. Rhymes also provide interesting repetition of the sounds we use in everyday language. Using familiar rhymes on a regular basis encourages your child to make sounds and eventually form first words.

Book Sharing – We’ll read books in unison (yes, the same ones over and over!) and the librarian may recommend books that are most popular with babies. For infants, a book represents the closeness of being held and the soft sounds that come from a familiar person. Eventually, they will understand how a book “works” and that the black squiggles somehow correspond with the sounds the reader makes. These are all pre-literacy skills that better prepare your child for a lifetime of learning.

Parenting Information – Questions about infant development and parenting often arise during the Babygarten program. We welcome your questions and will do everything we can to help you find answers. Sometimes the best source is the person sitting next to you on the floor!

Handmade Toys and Mementos – The playthings that babies enjoy most are always the least expensive ones. You’ll have the opportunity to construct simple, effective toys from items we all have around the house. Also, to help you remember the fleeting moments of your child’s babyhood, we’ll make some items that are perfect for grandparent gifts or the baby book.

Free Play Period – At the end of each session, we’ll do what we THINK comes naturally to all caregivers. Playing is how babies learn and your involvement can enhance their enjoyment and enlightenment. It’s fun to see how other people play and how babies respond to each other. This is where some of your best discoveries will originate – either through observation or conversation (with babies and adults!).

***BABYGARTEN made possible by funding from the 2010 Book Sale.***