Happy Easter

Hello.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Easter.

 
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

 
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Happy Thanksgiving (and a gift to my readers)

So it's three days early but I want to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving and keep reading!!


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And now a small gift for my readers...

Ten years ago, director Robert Zemeckis brought Chris Van Allsburg's classic holiday book to the big screen with Tom Hanks as five different characters and the music of Josh Groban and Steve Tyler. The result was... mixed ( while  computer animation/ performance capture is amazing  it tends come out creepy-looking. Yes, those elves are creepy-looking.) Still, it has become a Christmas classic like Rudolph and It's A Wonderful Life ( and will be airing numerous times on ABC Family next month). Here is my favorite scene from the movie, "When Christmas Comes to Town"(actually it's fan-made, because there are some additional winter/holiday pictures mixed in between the clip). Enjoy!!!

Happy Halloween!!

Although it's three days early, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween.    



 
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Bookworm List: A Month for Pumpkins and Spooky Nights

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It's October, and it's my favorite time of year. Why? Because it's time for cozy sweaters, pumpkin coffee and monsters ( Muhahahha)! So of course, we have lots of books ( picture books, nonfiction, and chapter) celebrating autumn and Halloween on display in our ABC and READ boxes.

Here are some of the titles you might find on display-

• Real Mummies Don't Bleed: Friendly Tales for October Nights by Susan Whitcher

•  Halloween Good Night by Doug Cushman

• Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex 

• A Dark Dark Tale by Ruth Brown

•  Froggy's Halloween  by Johnathan London

•  Nuts- Paula Gerritsen

• Cake Girl by David Lucas

• It's Halloween, Dear Dragon by Margaret Hill

• Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

• Cranberry Autumn by Wende and Harry Devlin

BTW, for those coming to Monday's Storytime for 2 and 3 yr olds, we will celebrating autumn in the forest ( That's Monday, October 6 at 10 am)

Happy Autumn! Happy Halloween! Keep Reading!

Bookworm List: Happy Grandparents' Day!!

Did you know today is ...



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Have you hugged your grandma ( or grandpa) today? Or better yet, why not stop by the library and get a book about grandparents ? ( We're open from 12-4 pm) Here are some suggestions:

• Baking Day at Grandma's by Anika Denise "NEW"
• Lots of Grandparents by Shelly Rotner
• Grandma, Grandpa, and Me by Mercer Mayer
• My Grandparents by Mary Auld
• Tea with Grandpa by Barney Saltzberg  
• Sleepover at Gramma's by Barbara Joose

Happy Grandparents' Day! Keep Reading!! 
 

Bookworm List: Shark Week!!

A big thanks to all that took part in this Summer Reading Program. It was fun and there's more fun to come this fall. But now... it's Shark Week!!



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Yes, we now have on display books about sharks, big and small, for Discovery Channel's week of sharks.  First held in July 1988, it was developed to raise shark awareness. ( For more info and list of shows, visit the official website.)

Did you know...

( courtesy of Sharks-Science for Kids)

• Sharks do not have a single bone in their bodies. Instead they have a skeleton made up of cartilage; the same type of tough, flexible tissue that makes up human ears and noses.

• Sharks have outstanding hearing. They can hear a fish thrashing in the water from as far as 500 metres away!

• A pup (baby shark) is born ready to take care of itself. The mother shark leaves the pup to fend for itself and the pup usually makes a fast get away before the mother tries to eat it!

• Great whites are the deadliest shark in the ocean. These powerful predators can race through the water at 30 km per hour.

• A shark always has a row of smaller teeth developing behind its front teeth. Eventually the smaller teeth move forward, like a conveyor belt, and the front teeth fall out.

Want to learn more? Here are some  shark books that on display:

• The World Strangest Sharks by Victor Gentle and Janet Perry
• Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies
• A Shark Pup Grows Up by Pam Zollman
• Tough, Toothy Baby Sharks by Sandra Markle

Most of our nonfiction shark books are under the call number 597.3 For stories featuring sharks, search " Sharks-Juvenile Fiction" or " Sharks-Fiction".

Happy Shark Week! Keep Reading!!

Happy Fourth of July!

Here's to a safe and happy 4th of July! Enjoy a weekend of family, fun (and fireworks!!) and we'll see you all on Monday!


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Happy Easter!!

Hello,

Wishing everyone a fun and wonderful Easter!

 
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Bookworm List: Egg-cellent Reads ( plus movies!!)

Well, I'm hoping Tuesday was the last time we'll see snow (or else the Easter Bunny will be wearing a coat and boots to hide the eggs and deliver the baskets of jellybeans, chocolates and Peeps. I have the new Birthday Cake Peeps, good to add to coffee! Or yes, explode in the microwave but what a mess!)

So after the egg hunts and gathering with family for ham ( or lamb) and bunny cake, you'll probably want to wind down with some Easter and spring-related books. Here are a few recommendations, which you might find on our display shelf by the front desk or the ABC box by the New Book Elephant (which might also have some new Easter/spring books):

• *NEW* Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly and James Dean- Pete the Cat helps the Easter Bunny decorate the eggs and hide them ( plus dress like a bunny. A cat dressed like a bunny, now that's funny!!!)

• The Easter Bunny's Assistant by Jan Thomas-The Easter Bunny has a new assistant named Skunk and he's going to help decorate the eggs. But when he gets excited, it....stinks!!

• *NEW*Here Comes Peter Cottontail by Kristen Depken- Picture book adaptation of the  1971 Rankin-Bass cartoon.

• Easter Parade by Irving Berlin ( illustrated by Lisa McCue) Picture book adaptation of the classic Irving Berlin song from the movie Easter Parade ( lyrics included at the back. Kind of wished it came with a CD for those not familiar with the song, especially because it features the lesser-known opening verse.)

Now, the kids might also want some Easter/ spring related movies. This... might be hard because unfortunately, most people think religious ( most of which are too much to handle due to subject material and length. The classic Ten Commandments, airing this Saturday on ABC is 4 hours long!!!). And of what there is bunny and eggs, very hard to find ( there were about 10 or so special back in my 80s-90s childhood, like Peter and the Magic Egg and Family Circus Easter. Plus ABC used to air the Walt Disney Easter Parade, featuring Southern Belles and a sing-along to Peter Cottontail or Easter Parade. Check the Youtube). So here is my best recommendations that I can think of:

• It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!- Love Snoopy and the dancing bunnies ( plus Patty's attempt to teach Marcie to die eggs.) It will be airing this Sunday on ABC at 6 pm ( along with a Charlie Brown baseball cartoon)
• Here comes Peter Cottontail- Based off the book The Easter Bunny that Overslept, it's the story of how the Easter Bunny came to be (and sort of a sequel to Santa Claus is Coming to Town because it features the mailman voiced by Fred Astaire.)
• Prince of Egypt- For those that want Moses but not the long movie, there is 1998 Dreamworks musical cartoon featuring the voices of Val Kilmer and Patrick Stewart. 
• Alice in Wonderland- The Disney 1951 animated movie (or the lesser-known 1985 CBS TV-movie with Carol Channing, Sammy Davis Jr., and  a bunch of big stars, which we have over at Dyer, Hobart, Lake-Station, and Munster ) are my favorite takes on the Lewis Carroll tale ( and actually I am using the Disney soundtrack for my Easter program this Monday). The 2010 Tim Burton is okay ( but more appropriate for Halloween because of Burton freakiness).

I am also recommending a few movie musicals that take place during the 1800-1900s, like Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady,Gigi, Mary Poppins, Newsies and of course, Easter Parade. ( Why? Because the Victorian/Edwardian clothes and designs show up in a lot of Easter decorations and some of the songs from these musicals, especially " Easter Parade" and " Put on Your Sunday Clothes" are used alot in Easter parades.)


 We will be open tomorrow and Saturday at our normal hours but closed Sunday due to the Easter holiday.
Happy Easter!!

It's National Library Week!!!

Did you know that this week is National Library Week? Created in 1958 by the American Library Association (ALA) to increase awareness of the library, it's usually falls during the second week of April.  For more information, check out ALA's official site.


We at the Merrillville Library have lots of stuff going on this week. ( All the other branches have National Library Week stuff, too, please check the calender.) On the main level, we  have a " Guess the Numbers" contests where we are asking our patrons to guess how much we have in books, CDs, etc. On the upper level, we have a photo booth ( no, not an actual photo booth, but a fun little area with props and speech bubbles where you can take a "selfie" celebrating your love of the library.) And down in childrens, we have a contest where children can guess the storybook characters featured in our Programming Room ( yes, we have a mural,and it's LOVELY!!!) and if they can name them all, they win a prize. We will also be having this Thursday, April 17, at 4 pm-


Celebrate National Library Week! Children in grades K-5 are invited to celebrate National Library Week with us! At this special program, participants will learn about how awesome the library is, hear some great stories and make something cool to take home. PLEASE REGISTER

 So come out and celebrate your library!

 Keep Reading!!

Bookworm List: Heart's a Flutter... in the Snow.

February starts this weekend, a month full of love and ... snow. ( Yes, more snow is on the way. Just think summer... and how hot it is unfortunate going to be.) So of course, on display are books about Valentine's Day and books about snow.

Here are some recommended Valentine's Day titles:

• The Valentine's Day Mix-Up by Laura Dower
• The Story of Valentine's Day by Clyde R. Bulla
• Valentine's Day by Alice Flanagan

Here are some recommended winter titles:

• Snowy Days by Trudi Truiet
• Hello Snow by Wendy Lewison
• The Snowy Day by Komako Sakai

February is also African-American History month, so we have a small display of fiction and non-fiction books centered on the people and culture of African-Americans. Here are some featured titles:

• George Crum and the Saratoga Chip by Gaylia Taylor
• Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, JR! by Elenora E. Tate
• Something Beautiful  by Sharon Wyeth

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Happy February! Keep Reading!

Book Review(s): Three Books for a Winter's Night

As the snow begins to fall and the nights begin to get colder and blustery, here are three books that celebrate winter with royal chickens, beautiful snowflakes, and everyone's favorite snowman.

Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella by Jan Brett- The tale  Cinderella has been told in many different ways ( even in stage plays and film, from Disney to Cinderfella with Jerry Lewis). In this version, author-illustrator Jan Brett brings in chickens, silver eggs, and a snowy Russian landscape. I especially love the big fold out page toward the middle a fairy Silkie watches  chickens and other fowl-feathered creatures dance in a moonlit ice palace.

Snowflakes Fall by Patricia Maclachlan- Children are like snowflakes, no two the same but all beautiful. Maclachan's simple tale, along with Steven Kellog's whimsical illustrations, portray a winter season that celebrates nature's joys, sorrows, and beauties. Also worth noting is that this book was written as a tribute to the communities of Newton and Sandy Hook, Connecticut (it's mentioned in the author's and illustrator's notes at the beginning of the book) and that Random House has made a donation to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund with the publication of this book.

 Frosty the Snowman by Steven Nelson and Jack Rollins- Most of us know the song " Frosty the Snowman" ( or seen the 1969 cartoon with " Happy Birthday" or read the 1950 Little Golden Book by Ann Bedford). For the 2013 book, illustrator Wade Zahares ( Red are the Apples and Window Music) illustrates Frosty's blue and white world with reds, yellows, and an orange sunset. Great for storytime,especially if you can get the kids to join you in on the " Thumpy,thump,thump." It also comes with a 3 song CD from Kenny Loggins ( he performs " Frosty" plus two other songs that are catchy and toe-tapping but not really Christmasy.)



Cinders: a Chicken Cinderlla by Jan Brett
Age  Range: 3-7


Snowflakes Fall by Patricia Maclachlan
Age Range: 3-6

 Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson
Age Range: 3-6
Lexile: 770

All: ***** ( 5 stars)

I mentioned the new Frosty comes with a 3 song CD from Kenny Loggins ( known best for the 80s' movie soundtracks of Footloose and Top Gun). In 1998, he released his own Christmas CD, December, which features a mix of classic and new songs for the holidays(It's one of my favorite holidays albums I like to put on each November-December). Here is one of the tracks, " Bells of Christmas". Enjoy!

Let's Get a Movie: Holiday Movies for All Ages

Last month, I mentioned some family movies of the not so scary kind of Halloween . With Thanksgiving this Thursday ( which all the branches of the Lake County Public Library will be closed that day), I decided to do a list of family friendly movies(and some TV specials) for the holiday season ( some of which may be airing between now and Christmas. I even added one Thanksgiving and one for New Year's). While  all are family friendly ( and I even put in the ratings), please view them ahead of time if you feel it might be a problem for the children.

1. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving ( 1973)- Since I haven't seen Free Birds, I'm not recommending it, and most of the Thanksgiving movies that exist are not child-friendly ( I love 1995's Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr, but not really good for the under 7 crowd.) You can't go wrong with Charlie's last minute attempt at Thanksgiving with toast, pretzels, and jelly beans. ( ABC will be airing it Thanksgiving night, along with a Lady Gaga/Muppet special.) Rated G

2. A Christmas Story ( 1983)- A Hoosier holiday classic, this year marks the 30th anniversary of one's boy's hope for a Red Ryder BB gun ( if only the adults would stop telling him " You'll shoot your eye out!") I look forward TBS's annual Christmas Day marathon (and those who really love the movie, the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond presents a big exhibit each year, featuring contests and more. They even added a statue this year of Flick and the flag post. For more info, see http://www.southshorecva.com/achristmasstory/) Rated PG.

3.Elf (2003)- Christmas ten years ago gave us two great Christmas films, this one and Love Actually  (also a favorite of mine, but  unfortunately is rated R, unless you catch it on basic cable, where they edit out the foul language and adult themes. ) I'm not really a Will Ferrell fan, but this is one of his good ones. He stars as Buddy, a orphan who was raised by elves but comes to New York to seek out his real family. A few years ago, this was turned into a Broadway musical.Rated PG

4. Polar Express ( 2004)- The elves are little creepy, but I really love this computer-animated adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's classic book about a young boy's magical train ride to the North Pole. Rated PG

5. Hallmark Holiday Movies- Nothing says Christmas like the sappy, happy TV movies of the Hallmark Channel ( or Hallmark Movie Channel, ABC Family, and Lifetime. Yes, Lifetime steps away from the ripped from the headlines movies during November-December). Most of the older movies are available on DVD. ( My favorites are 2008's Most Wonderful Time of Year with Henry Winkler and 2011 's A Princess for Christmas with Roger Moore of James Bond fame.) Not rated.

6.White Christmas (1954)- Inspired by the 1941 song by Irving Berlin ( which was introduced in the film Holiday Inn and won the Oscar for Best Song the following year), this holiday classic stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as former WWII soliders/entertainers who, along with pair of singing sisters, plan a Christmas show at a Vermont inn owned by their former general.

7. Mickey's Christmas Carol ( 1983)- Over the years, there have been many takes on Charles Dicken's Christmas classic ( and many interesting takes, from the computer-animated Disney movie with Jim Carrey to Michael Caine and the Muppets.) But this version featuring the appropriately-named Scrooge McDuck in the lead role and many Disney character, is my favorite.

8.Santa Claus The Movie (1985)-This underrated gem of the 80s was a favorite as a kid (in fact, it might show up once and awhile on AMC or WGN).  The film follows how a woodcutter named Claus becomes the legendary man in the red suit with flying reindeer and how he saves Christmas from a greedy toymaker (and fuchsia pops that make people fly.) Rated PG

9. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)- I still try to catch this and Frosty every year.  Charlie Brown is depressed about the over-commercialization of Christmas till asked by Lucy to direct to the school's play. Will it put him in the Christmas spirit,or does he need the help of Linus and a little tree? I really love when Lucy asks Snoopy to be the animals ( even a penguin!)

10. New Year's Eve ( 2011)- There are a few kid specials ( like Happy New Year Charlie Brown and Rudolph's Shiny New Year) but for a full film about the last day of year, check out Garry Marshall semi-sequel to Valentine's Day. A plethora of stars from Bon Jovi to Sarah Jessica Parker celebrate love, hope and new beginnings 2012 will bring  in New York on New Year's Eve. Rated PG-13

For my runner up, I going to recommended any popular classic family movie ( like Wizard of Oz), any Disney movie, or any popular movie series ( How about instead of watching the annoying New Year Eve countdown shows with one hit acts, do a Star Wars marathon or Harry Potter marathon?) I'm also adding the Doctor Who Christmas specials ( thank you British television for giving us something new instead of repeats, movies, and last-minute holiday shows).

Happy Holidays and good viewing!

Happy Thanksgiving!( Plus a small gift to my readers).

Hi boys and girls. I know it's  one week early but just felt like wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and keep reading!

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And now a small gift to my readers....

By Halloween, everyone is getting ready for the holidays that we tend to ignore fall and Thanksgiving ( which is maybe why there are very few Thanksgiving movies. TV has seemed to do a better job of Turkey Day, such as A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The Bob Newhart Show, and Friends.)For me, the ultimate Turkey Day episode (and the  one everyone talks about) is the 1978 WKRP episode, "Turkeys Away". On this episode, radio manager Mr. Carlson decides to a big Thanksgiving promotion... by dropping live turkeys from a helicopter. The result is not pretty. Here is a clip from this classic episode, enjoy!

Storytime for 2 and 3 yr olds: Thanksgiving with a Twist

Today we  celebrated Thanksgiving one week early ( also, we did a little bit of  Hanukkah because this year the first full day falls on Thanksgiving and this is one and only time this is happening in this lifetime.Don't ask, all has to do with the Jewish calender slowly becoming slower than ours.) Our small group of 4 kids and 4 parents got to hear three stories ( Thanksgiving is Here by Diane Goode, My Very First Look at Sizes by Christiane Gunzi, and Happy Sparkling Hanukkah by Elizabeth Spurr.) We also did a little bell  ringing and made a turkey handprint.

Here are some of the songs we did for today-

Over the River
Over the river and thru the woods,
to Grandmother's house we go.
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
thru the white and drifting snow, oh.

Over the river and thru the woods,
o how the wind does blow.
It stings the nose and bites the toes
as over the ground we go.

Five Little Turkeys added 11-3-98 Original Author Unknown

Five little turkeys by the barn door,
One waddled off, then there were four.
Four little turkeys out under the tree,
One waddled off, then there were three.
Three little turkeys with nothing to do.
One waddled off, then there were two.
Two little turkeys in the noonday sun,
One waddled off, then there was one.
One little turkey - better run away!
Soon will come Thanksgiving Day.

If You're Thankful added 11-7-98 Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "If You're Happy & You Know It"

If you're thankful and you know it clap your hands
If you're thankful and you know it clap your hands
If you're thankful and you know it
Then your face will surely show it
If you're thankful and you know it clap your hands!

( add what actions you want, like stomping, hugging, gobbling, etc) 


Our next two story times for 2 and 3 yr olds are Monday, December 2 and 16 at 10 am. We're going to be getting into the holiday spirit.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays. See you soon!

Bookworm List:Pass the Sweet Potato Latkes, Thanksgivukkah coming!

This month, as you shop for your turkey and all the trimmings of Thanksgiving, you might all see pumpkin driedels and menurkeys. Say hello to Thanksgivukkah!

This year (and this year only) the first night of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, falls on... Thanksgiving (okay, it's starts sundown on Thanksgiving Eve, but the first full day is on Thanksgiving. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar. This holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.)  Yes, this year, we'll be seeing turkey-shaped menorahs ( created by a nine-yr old in New York), recipes for pumpkin challah bread and other Jewish/Thankgiving food and a giant driedel in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade ( which I'm find very interesting, I might be working into my 2 and 3 yr old story time just this once. I'm not even Jewish!)

 According to a lot of articles on the web ( including Wikepedia), this is only the second time to ever happen ( the first time was 1888, but it may have happen way before Thanksgiving was declared a federal holiday by President Lincoln in 1863.) The next time this will happen ... might be a long, long time ( possibly the year 79811). Why? Well, the Hebrew calender and the Gregorian calender do not always calculate the same way ( and I'm not going to try to explain here, so have fun looking up yourself.)

Here are some websites to help you get in the  Thanksgivukkah spirit ( even if you're Jewish or not):

Thanksgivukkah- The Offical site of all things turkey and Yiddish, including how the two holidays were combined to create Thanksgivukkah.

Thanksgivukkah: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Holiday-A Pinterest board of recipes, images, and all Thanksgivukkah.  

Menurky-Learn the story of a how a nine-yr old New York boy , with the help of Kickstarter, created this blue turkey-menorah ( which you can also buy from this site)

Thankgivukkah-David Paskin- Cute song created by a Boston Rabbi ( also a page of lyrics).

And here are some Hanukkah books to check out-

The Hanukkah Hop  by Erica Silverman

Happy Sparkling Hanukkah by Elizabeth Spurr

All the Lights in the Night by Arthur Levine

On Hanukkah  by Cathy Goldberg

 Happy Thankgivukkah!!

Happy Halloween

 Have a safe( hopefully nice) and Happy Halloween! Keep Reading!
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Storytime for 2 and 3 yr olds- It's Halloween Fun!

Today we celebrated Halloween one week early ( and we had a big crowd today. So big some didn't get a chance to make name tags and I had to "sweep" the book to make sure everyone saw the pictures.) We heard three stories ( Click Clack Boo: A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin, Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage, and We're Going to Find the Witch's House by Mr. Krieb). We also got some treats, one more visit from the Five Little Pumpkins ( they have one more stop tomorrow for the 4 and 5 yr Costume Parade and Storytime at 10 am, costumes and treats optional, NO PEANUTS PLEASE!), and made a cow jumping over the Halloween Pumpkin with orange glitter glue.

Here are some of the songs we did today-

Pumpkin, Pumpkin added 7-29-98 Original Author Unknown
Pumpkin, Pumpkin sitting on a wall,
Pumpkin, Pumpkin tip and fall,
Pumpkin, Pumpkin Rolling down the street
Pumpkin, Pumpkin Trick or treat


Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said " Oh my, it's getting late!"
The second one said "There are witches in the air".*
And the third one said " We don't care."
The fourth one said " Let's run, run, run."
And the fifth one said " It's Halloween fun"
Then Woooooo went the wind, and out went the lights.
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

* In case one feels the use of "witch" is going to be a problem, I have changed it to " There's a chill in the air".




 The next Storytime for 2 and 3 yr olds will be  Monday,November 4 and  Monday, November 18, both at 10 am. 

Happy Halloween!!