Review-Calli Be Gold-Michele W. Hurwitz

 

Calli Gold is the youngest child in a family of over-achievers. Her older siblings are involved in sports, whereas she has tried everything, from tennis to origami, to fit the family's motto, " Be Gold!", but fails every time. But when paired with a new kid named Noah for the school's peer program, she soon learns that even being ordinary has much to offer.

This is a very good read for middle schoolers, particularly with a very likable  character. I also like that it teaches an important message that  being true to one's self is an achievement in  itself.

Calli Be Gold by Michele W. Hurwitz
Age Range: 8-12
Lexile: 700
***** ( 5 stars)

By the way, the author has her own website. She can be found at www.micheleweberhurwitz.com

Music Review-Lullaby Round-up ( Part 3)

This is week six of Dream Big-Read. We still have about 3 ( or 2 1/2 half ) weeks of programs and turning in books for prizes ( today's program-Midnight on the Moon, 4 pm, for grades K-5.)

Back in June, I started a few reviews of lullaby CDs the library has to offer. For this final entry, I decided to list a few CDs with traditional lullabies, along with a list of instrumental CDs ( some in children's, some in the regular AV section, along with what kind of music is featured) I'm also listening a few keywords for searching our catalog  for  these and other CDs.

Again, anything in bold is regular AV.

Traditional lullaby songs:

• Quiet Time-Raffi
• Lullaby-Jewel
• Deliah presents Heartwarming Songs of a Parent's Love-Various Artists
• Barney's Sleepytime Songs-Barney
• Wee Sing for Baby ( Note-This CD comes with a song book.)
• Lullaby Themes for Sleepy Dreams- Susie Tallman

Instrumental Music

•  Baby Einstein series ( Classical music, music-box style)
• Kids Classic series ( Classical music, piano)
• Sleep Well ( New age, relaxation)
• Natural Sleep Inducement (New Age, relaxation, nature sounds)
•  Rockabye Baby series( Pop/rock music, music-box style)
• Love Songs and Lullabies-Jim Brickman ( Piano music, some vocal)
• Wish Upon a Star:a tribute to the music of Walt Disney-Jenny Oaks Baker ( Disney music, classical style featuring violin)

 Keywords to  for searching:
-Children's songs-Juvenile sound recording
-Lullabies-Juvenile sound recording
-Lullabies
-New Age music
-Music for relaxation-Sound recording
-Piano music
-Classical music, arranged
-Instrumental music-Juvenile sound recording

Keep the tunes going, enjoy the golden slumbers.

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July!!




glitter-graphics.com

Bookworm List-Dream Big, Read!!

This year's Summer Reading Program theme is Dream Big, Read!! For four weeks in June ( and four weeks coming next month), we have been doing programs on night-related topics, from things that go bump in the night, traveling to the moon and beyond the stars, and going to bed. We even have a program on the Twilight series ( going on  today at 4 pm, grades 3-5.)

We also have by the front entrance of the department night time-related books ( and a few lullaby CDs) for your check out pleasure. Here are some recommended titles:

• Arthur's Dream Boat by Polly Dunbar- One night, Arthur has an amazing dream about a pink and green boat with a striped mast and dotted sailes, a golden flag and pretty figurehead. And he tries to tell his family, but no one is listening ( or sees the actual boat on his head!!) But soon the waves comes in, and the end result is amazing . NEW!!!
• Cindy  Moo by Lori Morganstein- When a bunch of cows hear the nursery rhyme about the cow who jumped over the moon, Cindy Moo proves that it can happen. NEW!!!
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak- The classic tale of Max, the boy in the wolf suit, who travels to the place where the wild things are. 
• Froggy's Sleepover by Johnathan London- Froggy is excited about his first sleepover at Max's. But weird sounds and other things send Froggy and Max back and forth between houses, preventing them from sleeping.
• Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osborne- Part of The Magic Tree House series, Jack and Anne travel to the moon. ( A research guide on space is available, call # 520 OSBO.) 
• Sleepover at Grandma's House by Barbara Joose- A girl has a great time sleeping over at her grandma's house.
• When the World is Ready for Bed by Gillian Shields- As the world gets ready for bed, so does a bunny family by having supper, cleaning up, and sharing one last story. 
• Sweet Dreams Lullaby by Betsy Synder- A little bunny dreams of soothing colors, shapes, and sounds of nature.
• Goodnight Goon  by Adam Rex- A funny spoof of Goodnight, Moon featuring monsters.
• Newton by Rory Tyger- When Newton the bear hears scary noises at night, he reassures his toys that everything is alright.
• Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davis- Follow a mama bat as she wakes up for her night time adventure. 

Want more suggestions? Try these keywords-
Fear of the dark-Juvenile fiction
Bats- Juvenile fiction ( or literature for non-fiction)
Owls-Juvenile fiction ( or literature)
Moon- Juvenile fiction ( or literature)
Dreams-Juvenile fiction
Sleepovers- Juvenile fiction
Bedtime-Juvenile fiction
Monsters-Juvenile fiction
Night-Juvenile fiction
Lullabies

Keep Reading!!

Book Exchange on July 27

We have one more program in July that I forget to mentioned on the programming entry. On Fridary, July 27, from 2:30 pm to 4: 30 pm, we will be having a book exchange. It is open to all ages ( and no registration is required). We ask that patrons bring up to  4 gently-used books with them for trading. For more information, contact the Central Branch at 769-3541, ext. 360.

Hope to see you soon.

Review- Seriously, Just Go to Sleep- Adam Mansbach

 

Last year, author Adam Mansbach released an illustrated bedtime book for adults, called Go the (Bleep) To Sleep. A instant hit ( and according to Wikipedia, supposedly optioned for a movie), some parents actually wanted to read this to their kids. So Mansbach and illustrator Richard Cortes went back and released a G- rated version, Seriously, Just Go to Sleep ( which I first heard about this, I figure " Cool, this  would be perfect to use for story time for  SRP since the theme this year is about  night-related activities.")

I'm a little disappointed. While the illustrations are still beautiful ( including some new ones, such as a cameo by Samuel L. Jackson, who did the audio of the original) and is bigger ( the original one is the size of a candy box), the new, family-friendly language is... not so great. At times it works, but other times it is a bit choppy. It also lacks the humor of the foul-mouthed original, and I'm not really sure how well kids will get the gist of it. If you're curious about how it sounds without the bad words, check it out. Otherwise, just get the original, unrated version ( which is catalogued under "poetry") and read it once the kids are in bed.

Seriously, Just Go to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
Age Range: 6 and up
**1/2 ( 2 and a half stars)

Music Review- Lullaby Round-up ( Part 2)

In last week's entry of   lullaby CD reviews, I mentioned children albums from Kenny Loggins, Jewel, and two CDs from the  Rockabye Baby series. In this entry, we have a jazz singer/actor, a collection of singing actors, and a folk singer who has the nickname "Lady Lullaby".
Again, anything in bold can be found in the regular AV section.

Songs I Heard ( Harry Connick Jr.)-Released in 2001, Connick sings songs from movies of his childhood , such as Wizard of Oz  and Sound of Music, in a  jazzy-New Orleans style.  Fun, fun, will have you  wanting to sing these songs ( and see the movies) over and over.
Favorite Track(s)- From Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, two clever mash-up tracks- " Pure Imagination/Candy Man" and " Golden Ticket/ I Want it Now" . Also good is " Maybe" from Annie.
Songs I Heard ***** ( 5 stars)

Unexpected Dreams ( Various Artists)-This one I am mixed about recommending. Released in 2006 to benefit the educational program " Music Matters", it features 15 stars of stage and screen singing non-traditional lullabies. Some stars, like Jeremy Irons and Tarji  Henson, are quite good. Others, like Marissa Winokur and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, not so good ( yes I know Winokur is a Broadway singer, but the song she sings on this CD is not great.) With this one, I would say get out of curiosity and then decide if you want to use as a lullaby CD.
Favorite Track(s)-Who knew the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Garner would have amazing singing voices? Johansson's version of " Summertime" is really amazing, as is Garner singing " My Heart is So Full of You."  Also amazing is  Irons's bluegrass-like take on Bob Dylan's " To Make You Feel My Love."
Unexpected Dreams-*** ( 3 stars)

Midnight Lullaby (Jane Roman Pitt)- I'm not familiar with this  independent folk singer/songwriter, but according to her website, Pitt started playing guitar at 15 and has a degree in music history and composition. On this album, she performs songs from Sade, Bob Dylan, and other well-known artists ( plus two original songs) as soothing, sweet-sounding lullabies. Vocal-wise, she reminds me of Judy Collins or Joni Mitchell, and I recommended this CD for those who do want to use nursery or traditional lullabies for going to sleep.
Favorite Track(s)- At the close of  the album, she combines two Beatles songs into one: "Golden Slumbers" and "Goodnight" ( and they fit perfectly together).
**** ( 4 stars)

I have one more entry planned, some recommendation of  instrumental CDs, coming soon.As for any future CD reviews, wait and see.

Keep the tunes going

Dream Big, Read!!-July Programming

Here are some programs that will happening next month in the Children's Dept at the Central Library. Please visit Library Events for information and to register.The last day of the Summer Reading Program is July 28.

Mother Goose on the Loose - Tuesdays, July 3 and 17 at 10 am or 2pm.
Audience: Infants 6-23 Months and caregiver.

Story Time for 2 and 3 yr Olds- Mondays at 10am or 2pm.
July 2- Twinkle, Twinkle
July 16-Goodnight, Summer (Note- Children may attend this program in their pajamas)
Audience:2 and 3 year olds and caregivers.

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr Olds- Tuesdays at 10 am or 2pm.
July 10-Night Animals
June 24-Blast Off!
Audience: 4 and 5 year olds.

School-Age-Thursdays at 4pm.
July 5-Lantern Tales
July 12-Midnight on the Moon
July 19-Moonlit Night
July 26-Starry, Starry Night ( Note-Because there is painting involved, patrons are asked to wear old clothes)
Audience: K to 5th grade and families



Family Movie Day ( Wednesday at noon)
Patrons can bring a lunch or snack. No red or dark colored drinks!
July 11-Puss in Boots
July 18-The Muppets
July 25- Happy Feet 2
Audience: All Ages.  Children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older.

Other Programs:
Tuesday, July 17 at 4 pm- Lego Club ( Grades 2-6)
Wednesday July 18 at 6 pm-Gaming Night ( Teens 12-17)

Note-
July 3- Open 9am-5pm
July 4-Closed
Hope see everyone soon. Happy Summer!!

Music Review-Lullaby Round-up (Part 1)

For the blog's first music review( or in this case, reviews) , I've been listening to various lullaby CDs of the children's and AV department to use as background music for my programs ( since this summer's theme is "Dream  Big-Read!" In fact, I have found so many good ones that I have to divide this entry into two, possibly three parts). However, I know there are some parents that may tire of hear Barney, Mickey, and the odd but hip Yo Gabba Gabba ( especially if they have listened to them all day. I know my parents did, so they would play Perry Como records to lull me to sleep). So here is part one  of  some reviews of a few CDs worth falling asleep ( perfect for little ones and their parents and even adults who do not have kids.)

Note- Any title in bold can found in the regular AV section.

Return to Pooh Corner and More Songs from Pooh Corner( Kenny Loggins)- Known in the 80s' for providing songs for the movies Footloose and Top Gun, Loggins, who is a father of five,  released Pooh Corner in 1994.  The songs range from traditional lullabies ( " All the Pretty Little Ponies","To-Ra-Loo-Ra") to  contemporary songs like " Rainbow Connection" and the John Lennon classic " Love ." A second album, More Songs from Pooh Corner, was released in 1998 and features " You'll be in My Heart", " Inchworm" and " Beauty and the Beast".
Favorite track(s)- On Pooh Corner, I like the "Neverland Medley" ( which is a mash-up of " Somewhere Out There, Pure Imagination" and " Never Never Land"). From More Songs, my favorite track is " Baby Mine" from Dumbo( I've tried to use the song a couple of times when I did MGOL for a while, but I usually do one verse before I end up in tears.)
Both Cds-***** ( 5 stars)

The Merry Goes Round(Jewel)-Yes, the gap-toothed Alaskan songtress known for " Who Will Save Your Soul" put out a children's album ( two actually.) Merry is her second album with Fisher Price that came out last year ( haven't had a chance to hear 2009's Lullaby but plan to), and features traditional and original tunes for wee ones. It's a little bouncy than typical lullaby CDs, but it's very sweet and soothing.
Favorite track(s)-"Supermarket Song" ( It's very catchy, and instantly a little cartoon image of a baby in a shopping cart following grocery food popped into my mind). Also good is the dreamy " Just Like Penguins Do."
***** ( 5 stars)

Rockabye Baby series-  For parents that do not feel like playing the traditional lullabies like " Hush Little Baby" and "Rock-a-bye Baby", they should check out this CD series. Rockabye Baby takes the music of popular artists like No Doubt and Coldplay and turns them into music-box sounding lullabies. Last week, I checked out the U2 edition, and currently, I have the lullaby renditions of the Beatles , and both are pretty good. The library has 12 CDs in the series.
The official website is  http://www.rockabyebabymusic.com/.
Favorite track(s)- From U2, I liked "One". As for Beatles, if I had to pick one track, it's " And I Loved Her."
Lullaby Renditions of U2-*** ( 3 stars)
Lullaby Rendtions of Beatles ***** ( 5 stars)

Stay tuned for Part 2.
Keep reading (or in this case, keep the tunes going.)

Review-Cindy Moo-Lori Mortensen

 
Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat and the fiddle.
The cow jumped over the moon.

When the cows on Diddle farm hear this rhyme one night, they wonder, can a cow really jump the moon? A brave cow named Cindy Moo is determined to prove it can happen, no matter what.

This is a cute, clever take on the familiar nursery rhyme ( with a good lesson on not giving up.) The illustrations of Cindy Moo and her bovine friends are udderly delightful. I would love to see a doll ( or more books) of this character.

Lori Mortensen, by the way, has her own website, which features information on her books and a blog.

Here is the book's official trailer. Enjoy!
 
Cindy Moo by Lori Mortensen
Age Level: 3-7
***** ( 5 stars)