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.

Cool Kids is Coming ( So is Ollie!)

September is right around the corner, and so is National Library Sign-Up Month! In the Children's Dept, we call it Cool Kids have A Library Card ( because having a library card is cool!!). This month, children who show us their library card  get a sticker and enter a drawing for a free book. They will  also get a free prize, too.  To those who dont' have a library card, don't worry. It's free and easy to do, just have Mom or Dad show their driver's license or something with your current address at the Circulation Desk, and you get check out 2 items for 2 weeks, and after 2 weeks, 50 ( yes, this is true. But I don't  know anyone who has actually checked out 50 items).

We'll  also be having a program, " Cool Kids: Meet Ollie" on Thursday, September 5 at 4 pm. Ollie the Post Tribune dog  and his owner, Victoria, will spend time with the kids talking about owning a pet. It is open to grades K to 5th grade and families. (Please sign up via our  Library Events online calender.

Keep Reading!

Book Review: Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Bird-Sy Montgomery

 

On a small island off the southern coast of New Zealand, there lives the bird called the kakapo ( pronounced KAR-ka-poe). Known as the "night parrot",  they are flightless, heavy birds that smell of honey and making booming or growling sounds. Once numbered in millions, there are only ninety left in existence. Join author Sy Montogomery and photographer Nic Bishop to Codfish Island to meet these rare and unusual parrots and the team of volunteers working to save them.

Being a fan of wild life programs like Wild America, I immediately loved this book ( and actually want to see a kakapo!!) Montegomery and Bishop do such a great job of presenting this trip, it feels like I'm actually there, seeing  these amazing birds. Filled with vivid pictures and amazing facts and stories, one will learn that life on Codfish Island is filled with happy and sad moments, triumphs and tragedies. Part of the great Scientists in the Field series, this is an amazing read you won't forget.

 Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Bird by Sy Montgomery
Age Range: 10-14
Lexile: 940
***** (5 stars)

To learn more about the Kakapo Recovery Team and their continuing efforts, visit their website (where you also hear sounds and see videos of the kakapo.)

Book Review:Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy-Jan Thomas

 

Okay boys and girls (and cows). The Brave Cowboy going to sing a lullaby. Time to rest your heads, time to go to bed. Time to sleep so tight, time to.... eekkkk, is that a spider?

This is another really cute book from Jan Thomas. It is very colorful and bright, filled with very big print.It is also very laugh out loud funny ( especially toward the end.) I've used some of her books for programs and the kids like them ( so I can't wait to see how they react to this one).

Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
Age Range: 3 and up
***** (5 stars)


By the way, if you visit the the author's website, you can download a copy of a song.

Upcoming programs in September

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.

Mother Goose on the Loose-Tuesday, Sept. 3 and 17  at 10 am-Audience: Infants 6-23 months and caregiver (s).


Board Game Fun-Wednesday, September 4 at 6:30 pm-Audience: 2 to 5th grade

Cool Kids  Meet Ollie- Thursday, Sept 5 at 4 pm- Audience: K to 5th grade and families

Lego Club- Monday, Sept. 16 at 4pm-Audience: 2nd to 6th grade

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr olds- Tuesday Sept 10 and 24  at 10 am and 2 pm- Audience: 4 and 5 year olds.

Gaming Night- Wednesday Sept 18 at 6 pm- Audience: 12 to 17 years old.

Story Time for 2 and 3 yr olds- Monday, Sept  16  at 10 am- Audience: 2 and 3 year olds and caregivers.



See You Soon!!