Introducing COZY CORNER Storytime Theme Packs

New! Check out Scholastic's Cozy Corner Storytime Theme Packs! There are 10 different themed packs, and each one contains a Big Book, 2 read-aloud books, 1 Putumayo music CD, a storytime plan that includes action rhymes and read-aloud tips, and character cards to help children act out the stories. The packs are specially designed for toddlers and preschoolers ages 2-4 years old. Each pack can be checked out for 3 weeks, and can be found hanging up with our other theme bags.

The themes are:
   Up, Down, All Around
   Jump for Joy
   On the Move
   Snap, Crackle, Moo!
   Munch A Bunch!
   1,2,3! Repeat After Me!
   Beep! Beep! Vroom!
   Splish! Splash!
   Rain or Sun, Stories are Fun!
   Imagine That! Bears!

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day!

No kidding - Jan. 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day! In honor of our furry friends, take a look at some of my favorite books about squirrels! But first, a joke: How do you catch a squirrel? Climb a tree and act like a nut!

The Scaredy Squirrel series of picture books by Melanie Watt are hilarious! The titles are:

Scaredy Squirrel
Scaredy Squirrel Makes A Friend
Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach
Scaredy Squirrel at Night

Acorns Everywhere by Kevin Sherry is about a very forgetful squirrel.

The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri is about, well, a very busy squirrel!

In Earl the Squirrel by Don Freeman, Earl learns to gather acorns on his own.

Squirrels by Peter Murray introduces readers to different species of squirrels and discusses their behavior, diet, and relationship with people.

2010 ALSC Award Winners!

The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books for children - including the Caldecott and Newbery Awards. It's like the Oscars for children's books!

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is the 2010 Newbery Medal winner. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The 2010 Caldecott Medal winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney. The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!, written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes is the Geisel Award winner. The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is awarded to the most distinguished beginning reader book.

The Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children was awarded to Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, written by Tanya Lee Stone.

For a complete list of award winners (including Honor Books) visit the ALSC Website.

January 16th is Appreciate A Dragon Day!

Hooray for Dragons! January 16th is Appreciate A Dragon Day!

Things to do on Appreciate A Dragon Day:

Visit the library and look for a book about dragons! The library has a lot of books about dragons. Some of my favorites are: Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke; Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight by Ogden Nash; Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology by Dugald A. Steer; The Dragon Princess by E.D. Baker; Eragon by Christopher Paolini; The Dragon Slayer's Academy series by Kate McMullan; & The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo. Don't forget to say Hi to the library dragons!

Draw your own dragon! Visit the Dragon Tutorial site for instructions on how to draw dragons.

Print and make your own dragon by visiting  Dragon Hall and downloading a template.

My favorite dragon quote: "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup." Anonymous

NEW Magic Tree House Book!

It's here! The latest Magic Tree House book, Leprechaun in Late Winter, by Mary Pope Osborne, has arrived (click on the title to see it in our catalog/reserve it)! In their latest adventure, Jack and Annie travel back to nineteenth-century Ireland to inspire a young Augusta Gregory to share her love of Irish legends and folktales with the world.

Not familiar with the series?  Check it out! Jack and his little sister Annie are just two regular kids from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. That is, until they discover a mysterious tree house packed with all sorts of books.

As Jack and Annie soon find out, this is a magical tree house and the books have the power to transport them to any place in history or the future. From ancient Egypt to outer space, all the kids have to do to go someplace exciting is turn a page and make a wish. What started out as an ordinary old summer is turning out to be the adventure of Jack and Annie's lives! (Recommended for kids ages 5 and up.)
 
See a complete list of books in the series, as well as activities and games,  at the Official Magic Tree House Site.

It's Amelia Earhart Day

On this day in 1935, aviator Amelia Earhart begins a trip from Honolulu to Oakland, California, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean. For her full biography, visit the Amelia Earhart Official Website.

Want more? Take a look at the book Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride: Based on a True Story by Pam Munoz Ryan.

VOTE FOR NUTMEG BOOK AWARD 2010

Vote for your favorite 2010 Nutmeg Book Award nominee in January! The Nutmeg Children’s Book Award (Intermediate Level) encourages children in grades 4-6 to read quality literature and to choose their favorite from a list of ten nominated titles. Ballots will be available in the Children’s Room through January 30. Click here to see the list of titles in our library catalog. You can also visit the Nutmeg Book Award website.

You don’t have to have read all ten books to vote! The nominated titles are:

Archer’s Quest by Linda Sue Park
Attack of the Turtle by Drew Carlson
A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray  by Ann M. Martin
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Drita, My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard
The Ghost’s Grave by Peg Kehret
Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan
Rules by Cynthia Lord
The Stumptown Kid by Carol Gorman and Ron Findley
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

Make A (Virtual) Flake!

Check out this beautiful virtual snowflake I made at Make-A-Flake! Once you get the hang of it, you can make some very cool snowflakes - then email them, download them to your computer, or print them!