Upcoming Programs in November

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 register.


Story Time for 2 and 3 yr olds- Monday, Nov. 4 and 18at 10 am- Audience: 2 and 3 year olds and caregivers.

Mother Goose on the Loose-Tuesday, Nov. 5 and 19 at 10 am-Audience: Infants Birth to
23 months and caregiver (s).

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr olds- Tuesday, Nov. 12 and 26 at 10 am- Audience: 4 and 5 year olds.

Board Game Fun-Wednesday, November 6 at 6:30 pm-Audience: 2-6th grade

Gaming Night- Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6 pm- Audience: 12 to 17 years old.

Lego Club- Monday, Nov. 18 at 4pm- Audience: 2nd to 6th grade.

Celebrate LCPL Children's Book Week with the New Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book!-Thursday, Nov. 14 at 4pm-Audience: K-5 and families

Also this November-
*NEW*
KidsArt Club- Thursday, November 21 at 4 pm
   Children in grades 2-6, will learn how to draw and paint in this one hour, monthly art club.
*NEW*

COMING IN DECEMBER-STUFFED ANIMAL SLEEPOVER !!!


See you s-o-o-n!

Book Review- Click, Clack, Boo!: A Tricky Treat-Doreen Cronin

 

Farmer Brown does not like Halloween. So every year, he places a bowl of candy on the porch, draws the shades and locks the door. But at the barn, the cows, the pigs and the duck are ready to party.

For those that love Click Clack Moo and Thump, Quack, Moo, this is a cute addition to the series. Cronin and illustrator Betsy Lewin provide great, not-so spooky tale for Halloween, especially the "crunch, crunch, crunching" and " tap, tap, tapping" ( plus the " quack, quack, quackle".) I'm a little confused by the ending, overall it's a fun read





Click, Clack, Boo!: A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin
Age Range: All Ages
**** ( 4 stars)

Story time for 2 and 3 yr olds: Autumn Woods

glitter-graphics.com

Today was the second 2 and 3 yr old story time  of the fall. It was a fall trip to the forest. I had about 11 participants. I read two stories ( Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky and Owlet's First Flight by Modarressi). We also had an early visit from the Five Little Pumpkins and did a cute baby owl craft ( because cute owls are featured everywhere, like pillows, clothes, dishware, etc.)

Here are  some  of  the songs that we did -




Owl in the Tree
Owl in the Tree goes Who, Who, Who
Owl in the Tree goes Who, Who, Who
Owl in the Tree goes Who, Who, Who
Owl says Who are You?

( This is usually done with an owl puppet. From past experience, some kids may by shy in greeting the owl, other will hug him, which the owl will say " Thank you, but I have to see the other boys and girls now. Bye)

Pretty Leaves are Falling Down added 9-9-98 Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "London Bridge"

Pretty leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.
Pretty leaves are falling down, all around the town.
(wiggle fingers)
Let's rake them up in a pile, in a pile, in a pile.
Let's rake them up in a pile, all around the town.
(make raking motions)
Let's all jump in and have some fun,
have some fun, have some fun.
Let's all jump in and have some fun, all around the town.
(jump into circle)

The Wide Eyed Owl added 9-30-98 Original Author Unknown

There's a wide-eyed owl,
with a pointed nose,
with two pointed ears,
and claws for his toes.
He lives high in a tree.
When he looks at you
he flaps his wings,
and says, "Whoo, Whoo, Whoo."



The next Storytime for 2 and 3-yr olds will be Monday, October 21 at 10 am.  We will be celebrating Halloween a few weeks early.


Happy Autumn, see you soon!

Let's Go Get a Movie:Not-so Scary Movies for Friendly, Fearful Nights

It's the first week of October and the bewitching hour is upon us. Hopefully everyone is coming for some spooky boooooooks ( I am, I'm currently rereading Meg Cabot's   YA series, The Mediator ).

Besides being the time for  spooky and pumpkiny tales, this is also the time for scary movies . However, not everyone is into Saw or Halloween ( including yours truly). I much prefer old-fashioned haunts or silly and scary. So, here are some of my favorite not-so scary movies( a bit of a different bookworm list) to check out. Most can be found on DVD, but they also be playing this month on TV ( or you can always Netflix or Youtube). While these are mildly scary, it's best to screen ahead of time before showing it to the kids.

• Hocus Pocus ( 1993)- Directed by Kenny Orgeta ( High School Musical), this frightfully fun Disney movie of twenty years ago stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as three witches that return on Halloween to seek out the souls of children to gain immortality. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll go "amuck, amuck, amuck." (Best line of the movie!) Rated PG.

• Haunted Mansion ( 2003)- After the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney decided to turn another beloved attraction into a movie, this one featuring Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Tilly. It wasn't successful as Pirates, but if you are a fan of the actual ride, you'll enjoy all the nods to its elements, from singing busts to Madame Leota.Rated PG.

• Adams Family (1991)  and Adams Family Values (1993)- Possibly one of the better TV to movie adaptations, both ghoulishly fun movies feature Anjelica Huston as Morticia, Christina Ricci as Wednesday, and the late great Raul Julia as Gomez. I actually like Values more because of the summer camp that features perky counselors, the Harmony Hut ( a shed filled with oh so adorable stuff where Wednesday, Pugsley, and another misfit are forced to watch Annie and other oh so cute movies) and the inaccurate Thanksgiving pageant with Puglesy the singing turkey ( "Eat me!")  Both are rated PG-13.

• Casper ( 1995)- After playing Wednesday Addams, Christina Ricci starred in this wonderful cartoon/live action film of the friendliest ghost. It's silly, it's sweet, but you will need lots of tissues toward the end. There are also a few direct to DVD sequels, but I don't anything about them ( other than Casper and Wendy has a young Hillary Duff.) Rated PG.

• The Wizard of Oz (1939)-Because of witches and costumes (oh my), I think Oz is perfect during this time of year ( plus they are starting their 75th anniversary celebrations a bit early). For a triple feature, I am also recommending the Disney-inspired sequels, 1985's Return to Oz ( which features a lot of characters from the Baum books, like Ozma and Tik-Tok) and this year's Oz the Great and Powerful ( which is bright and beautiful, and features the most awesome transformation scene of the Wicked Witch of the West.) Rated G.

• Any Tim Burton film- Well, not Sweeney Todd ( a bit too violent.) For younger kids, I would go with Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride. For older kids, check out Beetlejuice, Alice in Wonderland, and Sleepy Hollow. ( Rating vary from G to PG-13.)

• Women in Black (2012)- This is just good old-fashioned jump in your seat horrors, starring Daniel Radcliffe in his first non-Harry Potter role. Set in Edwardian era, a young lawyer (Radcliffe) travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals. Very good thematic elements, lots of loud noise (so you know the scariness is coming), but not so nuts about the ending. ( Note-Radcliffe is starring another horror-like movie coming out next year is  Horns. Having seen some of the early pictures, I'm looking forward to this). Rated PG-13.

• The Good Witch series (2008-)  Only  the first movie, The Good Witch, is available on DVD. For the rest of the series, you might want to try Youtube or check the Hallmark Channel website to see when the movie(s) are airing. A mysterious woman (Catherine Bell of JAG) causes a stir when she moves to a small town and begins having a strange effect on those around her, including the town police chief and his family. Being that this is from Hallmark, this and the five other movies are cute and sappy and enjoyable. A new one, The Good Witch's Destiny, will air the weekend before Halloween ( and there will be a marathon of all the movies before this one). No Rating
•  Harry Potter  movies ( First two movies of the series are rated PG, later movies in the series are rated PG-13.

• Twilight movies ( All five movies are PG-13.)

I am also going to recommending anything involving a character (s) that could pass for a costume. In other words, any Disney movie, any superhero movie, Spongebob, Indiana Jones, Scooby-Doo, etc. 

And not to forget, there's always It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. 

 Happy Halloween and good viewing!

Book Review- Awesome Autumn- Bruce Goldstone

 

Why do leaves change color in the fall? How does frost form?  These and more questions are answered in Awesome Autumn, a book that looks at all aspects of fall, from the changes in animals to the sights, sounds and shapes of autumn.

I love fall, and this book does a great job of reminding us of how "awesome" autumn is. This book is filled with wonderful information ( plus wonderful pictures) on everything from viewing the seasons from different senses ( love the use of big print and photos in the words for the sounds of autumn) to the two major holidays of the fall- Halloween and Thanksgiving. We also get some art activities (plus the instructions) at the end.

A perfect read aloud for all ages.

Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone
Age Level- All Ages
Lexile-690
***** ( 5 stars)

Bookworm List: Leaves and Pumpkins and Monsters, Oh My!

Leaves and Pumpkins and Monsters, oh my! Fall must be here.

Yes, the books that celebrate autumn and Halloween are slowly creeping into the book display area ( still have some back to school books to check out). Time for wooly sweaters and pumpkin lattes, apples and monster masks.

Here are some recommended reads-

• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert-A man made of leaves travels the autumn landscape. Made on die-cut pages, this is a great book for preschool reads.
• I Know It's Autumn by Elieen Spinelli- A rhyming celebration of all the things the autumn season brings, from acorn puppets, hay rides, and more.
• Nuts by Paula Gerritsen- A young mouse braves an autumn storm to collect nuts for the winter.
• Sara Squirrel and The Lost Acorn by Julie Skyes- When Sara goes to look for acorns, her friends want her to bring back stuff, too.
• Leap Jumpers by Carole Gerber-Illustrations and  rhyming text describe different leaves and which trees they come from. Includes information about why leaves change color in the fall. 
• Bear's Trick or Treat by Janelle Cherrington- Bear gives Pip and Pop a special Halloween treat--fish- and clam-shaped chocolates. The otters then decide to trick Bear into loading up their bags with candy. Will their master plan actually work?
• Click, Clack, Boo! by Doreen Cronin-  Farmer Brown does not like Halloween, but the animals hold a Halloween party in his barn. *NEW*

• What Will You be for Halloween? by Mark Todd -Rhyming text describes a variety of Halloween costumes and characters, from venomous vampire and hairy werewolf to mysterious mummy and warty witch. 

Happy fall! Keep reading!

Upcoming Programs in October

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 register.


Story Time for 2 and 3 yr olds- Monday, Oct. 7 and 21 at 10 am- Audience: 2 and 3 year olds and caregivers. ( Note-Children can wear costumes for the Oct. 21 program if they want.)

Mother Goose on the Loose-Tuesday, Oct 1 and 15 at 10 am-Audience: Infants Birth to
23 months and caregiver (s).

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr olds- Tuesday, Oct 8 and 22 at 10 am and 2 pm- Audience: 4 and 5 year olds. ( Note-Children can come in costume for the Oct 22 program if they want to.)




Board Game Fun-Wednesday, October 2 at 6:30 pm-Audience:

Gaming Night- Wednesday, Oct 16 at 6 pm- Audience: 12 to 17 years old.

Lego Club- Wednesday, Oct 21 at 4pm- 2nd to 6th grade.

Fall Fun-Thursday, Oct 24 at 4pm-Audience: K-5 and families

Hope to see you soon!

Book Review: The Beatles were Fab (and They were Funny)-Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer

 

Once about a time, there were four lad from Liverpool who loved to sing and make music. But they were also four friends who loved to laugh. Follow John, George, Paul and Ringo, as they go to "toppermost of the poppermost", always with silliness and laughter.

This is a great book for Beatle fans, whether young or old.  The book follows the Beatles chronologically, from the formation of the band in 1960 to their last live concert in 1966. Fun facts and stories are sprinkled throughout , such as Paul's father asking the group to change "yeah, yeah, yeah" in " She Loves You" to a polite "Yes" (they don't) and American fans, unable to find the English candy jelly babies, pelting the group with hard jellybeans ( and John's solution: Eat them.)

The illustrations  by Stacy Innerst are bright and quirky, especially the bobble-head caricatures of the Beatles (  Paul is cute, but  Ringo and his big nose  are  the best!!) Also included is a timeline ( which even features each member's birth and Lennon's and Harrison's death) and list of recommended books and websites.

A must-have for Beatle fans or those wanting to learn about the Beatles!!

The Beatles were Fab (and They were Funny)-Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer
Age Range: 6-9
Lexile: 860
***** ( 5 stars)

Storytime for 2 and 3 yr old-The Last Hurrahs of Summer

For our first 2 and 3 yr story time session of the fall, we had a farewell to summer program. We listened to two stories ( Ice Cream by Dana Rau and At the Boardwalk by Kelly Fineman) and met the Color Birds. We also went on a bear hunt at the beach and made an ice cream craft.

Here are some of the songs we did at today's program-



Waves at the Beach added 5-20-01 Submitted by: Louise Dawson

Sung To: " Wheels on the bus"

The waves at the beach go up and down, up and down, up and down,
the waves at the beach go up and down, all day long.

The crabs at the beach, crawl back and forth, back and forth, back and forth,
The crabs at the beach, crawl back and forth, all day long.

The lobsters at the beach go, snap, snap, snap; snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap
The lobsters at the beach go snap snap snap, all day long

The clams at the beach will open and shut, open and shut, open and shut,
The clams at the beach will open and shut, all day long.

The jelly fish go wibble, wobble, wibble; wibble, wobble, wibble, wibble, wobble, wibble,
The jelly fish go wibble, wobble, wibble, all day long

Ice Cream Poem added 7-26-00 Original Author Unknown

I like ice cream. Yes I do!
One scoop for me?
No! Make it two!
Hmmm two scoops of ice cream,
I want more
How about three?
No, make that four!
1, 2, 3, 4,
Splat! "oh no! It's on the floor!"


Here is a video for the song, " A Sailor went to Sea". Enjoy!

 Our next storytime for 2 and 3 year olds are Monday, October 7 and October 21 at 10 am.

See you soon!

Book Review: The Enchantress Returns( Land of Stories 2)-Chris Colfer

 

Last year, Chris Colfer of the TV show Glee added "author" to his resume with the publication of his first book, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, in which two children enter a world where fairy tales come to life. Named as one of " Best Books of 2012" by Barnes and Nobles (and a number one best seller on the children's chapter book list of the New York Times), the adventures continue in The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns.


I loved Wishing Spell ( so much that I used for a program) and have been waiting for the sequel. And the wait was definitely worth it. Once again, Colfer creates a magical world that at times reinvents the fairy tales or stays true to the fairy tales (with wonderful illustrations from Brandon Dorman featured at the start of each chapter). Many characters from Wishing Spell return, but with bigger roles to play in the story. Froggy, Queen Red, Golilocks, and Jack ( of the beanstalk) team up with the twins on a greatest villain quest to save their mother and the fairy tale world. We also get a lot of new characters, like  a ghost called the Lady of the East,  Mother Goose,  Rumplestikin, and Emzia, an dark and evil enchantress who plots to take over the fairy tale world ... and beyond.

For those that love fairy tales or loved the first Land of Stories, it's a good read. It is a bit heavier and darker in plot ( especially the final half of the story, which is amazing) and the ending is bittersweet. I'll probably buy  myself a copy and reread it  a couple of times for a possible  program in the future. And I really hope we haven't seen the last of Alex and Conner or Land of Stories.

The Enchantress Returns ( Land of Stories 2) by Chris Colfer
Age Range: 8-12
Lexile: 730
**** 1/2 ( 4 and half stars)


For more information on The Land of Stories, visit the official website.