Happy New Year !

It's the last  day of 2012!! It's been fun, but we're really exciting about all the new stuff coming to the library in 2013. So, from all of us at Lake County Public Library (including your lovely blogger)....



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Keep Reading!!

Bookworm List: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

It's snowing outside and it's snowing in Children's. Okay,it's  not literally snowing in the department but we have winter and snowman books on display for you to check out.

Here are some recommended titles-

•  The Snowman by Raymond Briggs- When his snowman comes to life, a little boy invites him home and in return is taken on a flight high above the countryside. 
• Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehler-  A child imagines what it would be like if a snowman, made of magical snow, could be a companion throughout the year.     
•  A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann- As four kittens who have never seen winter watch the seasons pass, three of them declare the reasons they will dislike snow when it arrives, while the fourth cannot wait to experience it for himself. 
• Snow by Manya Stojic- As snow approaches and begins to fall, Moose, Bear, Fox, and other forest creatures prepare for winter.      
• Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling- Depicts the ways various animals spend the cold months of winter, from bats sleeping in caverns to fish swimming deeper in lakes where the water is warmer.     

Want more? Here are some keywords to use on our catalog ( or ask a librarian):

• Winter
• Snowmen
• Snow
• Seasons

Correction- For those signing up for next month's events ( and I think I mention in the comments next to the posting about January programs), we have a new calender.Click on Library Events and check it out ( and come to the programs!!)

Keep warm and keep reading!!

From all of us at Lake County Public Library...

From all of us at Lake County Public Library.....


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Upcoming Programs in January 2013

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.

 Note- All programs will now be held in the NEW Children's programing room, located in the NEW Children's Department on the lower level.


Story Time for 2 and 3 yr olds- Monday, January 14 at 10 am- Audience: 2 and 3 year olds and caregivers.

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

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr olds- Tuesday, January 8 and 22 at 10 am- Audience: 4 and 5 year olds.

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

Lego Club- Monday, January 14 at 4pm- Audience: 2nd to 6th grade.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King!!- Monday, January 21 at 4pm- Audience: K-5

January Jitters-Thursday, January 24 at 4pm-Audience: K-5 and families

Scrabble F-U-N!- Wednesday, January 30 at 6:30 pm-Audience: 2nd to 6th grade. ( Children may bring a parent or caregiver to be a team if they would like.)

Coming in January 2013-

• Read-a-thon ( More details to come)

 Happy New Year! See You in 2013! 

Book Review-Return to the Willows-Jacqueline Kelly

 

So 104 years ago, Scottish author Kenneth Grahame wrote The Wind in the Willows. Set on the riverbanks in an English countryside, it told a tale about a rat and a mole, a gruff but wise badger, and  a kind but spoiled toad obsessed with motor cars. It has been loved by young and old, and has had many adaptations ( including a ride that ran  from 1971-1998 at Walt Disney World, still available at Disneyland).

This year, author Jacqueline Kelly and illustrator Clint Young revisit the land of J. Thaddeus Toad and friends in Return to the Willows. Still  set in the turn of the century , the story starts with Rat and Mole enjoying an afternoon boat outing and talking about Toad's latest obsession, hot-air balloons. Later on in the story,Rat falls in love with a female rat named Matilda, Toad plays with some fireworks that leads to turning into an egghead (and a job at an university), all leading  daring rescue involving birthday cake and weasels and stoats ( short-haired weasels).


I loved this book. Kelly does a great job of  introducing Grahame's characters,plus  a few new ones, to a new generation. Along the way, she provides little footnotes that describe words not familiar to American readers and commentary to the story ( my favorite is on the first page, telling the reader if they have not read Wind in the Willows to put the book down and ask a librarian for the original tale or come along but do not complain if they are lost.) Young's illustrations are wondrous and rich as something you would see in an animated film. ( By the way, Young has a neat book coming soon called Toast, about a little pig. You can preview it on his blog ).

Return to Willows is worth a read, for young and old, for new and familiar fans of Toad and friends.

Return to the Willows by Jacqueline Kelly
Age Range: 9-12
Lexile: 890
***** ( 5 stars)

Storytime for 2 and 3-yr olds: Happy Holidays!!!

Today was our Happy Holidays program. We got into the holiday spirit with three stories ( It's Christmas by Tina Burke, Who Will Guide my Sleigh Tonight? by Jerry Pallotta, and I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by John Rox), rang some bells, and made a Christmas Hippo ornament using our name tags.

Here are a few songs that we did-

5 Little Christmas Trees added 11-30-98 Original Author Unknown

5 little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their heart were very sad
'Cause they hadn't found a home.
Then chop went the ax
And down fell the tree
And off they went with a happy family!
(continue from 4-1 Christmas Trees)
No little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their hearts were very happy
'Cause they all found a home!!!

Gingerbread Man  added 10-29-01 Original Author Unknown

Stir a bowl of gingerbread       (stir as in bowl)
Smooth and spicy brown

Roll  it with a rolling pin
up and up and down               (Pretend to roll)

With a cookie cutter,             ( pretend to cut out)
make some little men.

Put them in the oven             ( place in oven)
till half past ten!

 To anyone wondering where I find some of these songs, I use a site called Preschool Education.  They provide a lot of useful items, like theme ideas, songs, and crafts for preschoolers.

Storytime for 2 and 3 yrs olds will start again next year on Monday, January 14th at 10 am. 

Happy Holidays, see you in 2013!! 

 

Book Review: The Christmas Parade- Sandra Boynton

 

Boom Biddy Boom Biddy Boom Boom Boom!!!


What's that noise filling the room? It's the Christmas Parade. There's 10 chicken with silver bassoons, tons of drumming hippos ( and a drumming cat), even a little bird with the Loudest tuba one ever has heard. There's even holly confetti and a rhino dressed as Santa Claus!!!  Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

I used this book a few weeks ago toward the end of  my 2 and 3 Thanksgiving program to kick off the holiday season. Very cute artwork (and cute ending, too).  A very easy holiday  read for  the little ones.

The Christmas Parade  by Sandra Boynton
Age Range: 2-4
***** ( 5 stars)

Bookworm List: The Holiday Books are Here!

I'm looking across from the front desk of the Children Dept. and guess what? The holiday books are out!! ( Yes, the green, red, white, and sometimes blue books of the holiday season are now available for checking out. Before the move, they took up the most room in our workroom, five shelves and counting. I think now it's many, many boxes, so be patient as we slowly  put them out as books leave the shelves.

Here are some recommended titles:

•  Together at Christmas by Eileen Spinelli- Ten little mice, huddled together in Christmas snow, go off one by one to find warm places to sleep, but soon decide they would rather be together celebrating the special night.    NEW!!
•  Christmas at the Top of the World by Tim Coffey-: On Christmas Eve, a young reindeer travels through the woods leading a procession of animals to the top of the earth, where a special old man awaits.    
• I Want  A Hippopotamus for Christmas by John Rox- An illustrated version of the popular 1950's Christmas song about a child who wants a hippopotamus for Christmas.
•  The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg- A boy takes a magical train ride to the North Pole to get a special gift from Santa. A Christmas classic.  ( Great to read on Christmas Eve.)  
• Christmas at the Toy Museum by David Lucas-One very special Christmas Eve, Bunting the stuffed cat and the rest of the toys in the museum  gather around the tree and give themselves at presents. NEW!!
•    On Christmas Eve by Margaret Wise Brown-Unable to sleep on Christmas Eve, four children creep downstairs to see the tree, their stockings, their wrapped gifts, and to hear the singing of the carolers. 
• Christmas Lights by Ann Fearington- On Christmas night the Merriweather family drives into town to see all the displays of lights. 
• Clear Moon, Snow Soon by Tony Johnston- On Christmas Eve, a child anticipates the arrival of Santa Claus.
• Puppy's First Christmas by Steve Smallman- A warm and fuzzy look at a puppy's introduction to the magic of Christmas.NEW!!!
• Noel by Tony Johnston- The sounds of Christmas bells call people young, old, and very cold to come together and celebrate a very peaceful holiday.

Want more? Suggested keywords to use with "juvenile fiction", " juvenile literature", and " fiction" include:

• Christmas
• Christmas trees
• Santa Claus
• Kwanza
• Hanukkah
• Snowmen
• Jesus Christ--Nativity
• Christmas stories

Happy Holidays and keep reading!!

Happy Holiday 2012 Programs

Here are our last programs of 2012 that will happening next month in the Children's Dept at the Central Library. Please visit Library Events for information and register.

Note- All programs will now be held in the NEW Children's programing room, located in the NEW Children's Department on the lower level.

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

Mother Goose on the Loose-Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 10 am-Audience: Infants Birth to
23 months and caregiver (s).

 Lego Club- Monday, Dec 10 at 4 pm- Audience: Grades 2-6

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr olds- Tuesday,  Dec 11 at 10 am - Audience: 4 and 5 year olds.

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

Crafts, Cookies, and Cocoa-Thursday, Dec 20 at 4 pm- Audience: K-5

Stay tuned for our January-February programs of 2013.


Happy Holidays and see ya soon!!!

Happy Thanksgiving... and a gift to my readers

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


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I also felt like posting a little treat to all my readers ( besides the dancing turkey).

So five years when I first got hired by the library, I did a holiday Mother Goose on the Loose program. But the next year, I did the holiday program for the preschoolers. One book that I did for the kids  is an illustrated version of the John Rox song, " I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."  ( Note- When Santa came in to visit the kids that day, one little girl asked for a Christmas hippo.) I still do the book for the 2 and 3 yr-old holiday program ( like this year, coming up Monday, Dec. 3 at 10 am) and do  a Christmas hippo ornament, which uses the child's name tag as the base ( because what else can they use the name tag for after Fall/Winter 2 and 3 program is over?)


Here is a lovely video featuring the original recording, enjoy!