Back to School

It's time to go back to school, that most complicated of seasons...excitement, joy, anticipation, nervousness, dread, sadness, longing....so many feelings for all involved. Ah.

As always books can help. Come into the library and check out the "Back To School" books in the bins at the front of the library. Grab a lollipop or candy while you're there as your back-to-school sweet treat. Here are some of the books you may be interested in:


- I'm Your Bus, by Marilyn Singer. With rhyming text and bright illustrations, this cheerful and fun book make the already-exciting first bus rides to school even better.

- Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick with hilarious illustrations byDaniel Jennewein. I love this new book. It's so sweet and funny and delivers a great message...that kindergarten is a place for everyone, and it's okay to be who you are.

-Welcome to Kindergarten, by Anne Rockwell. Rockwell is well-known for her quiet, gentle, books. In this one, a boy and his mother are introduced to kindergarten routines and activities so that the boy greets his first day feeling reassured.

Storytime Hours: A Question

It's that time of year again, time to sign-up for Storytime! Here is the schedule at this point:
2 years old: 10:00 on Monday or Thursday
4/5 years old: 10:00 or 1:00 on Fridays
3/4 years old: 1:00 on Monday or Thursday
12-23 months: 10:30 on Wednesday (in October only)

HOWEVER... a patron has requested an earlier time for 3 year olds to accommodate nap-time. In the past we've tried switching the 2s with the 3s one day a week but the 1:00 hour was even worse for napping two year olds and we had very limited enrollment. This year we are contemplating a new arrangement whereby we would have a session for 3/4 at 11:00 a.m. on either Monday or Thursday. My concern is that a.m. kindergarten ends at 11:20 and we wouldn't end storytime until 11:45 and would complicate things for some parents. I'd hate to put aside time for a storytime session and have no one show up. Our fearless leader, Nancy W., wouldn't be too happy either.

So, if you read this and have a 3 year old and would like a earlier storytime time let me know. And ask your friends. Until then, we'll keep our storytime schedule as is.

BTW, Ms. Eileen and I are working on an after-school storytime for "storytime alumnae" in grades 1-2.

Ice Cream Social

We put the cherry on top of a delicious sundae of summer reading events with an ice-cream social on Monday, August 23 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It's free for everyone so stop by and share a sweet treat and tell us what you liked about our summer reading program and what we can improve upon. Did you have a favorite event? A favorite reading prize? Did our drop-in storytime days and hours work for you? What kinds of events would you like to see next summer?

And while you're here check out the photos of our Starfish Readers. (Not everyone who read all summer long was here to have their photo taken, but we know who you are and are proud of you!) Great reading everyone.

New CDs!

Are you and your kids listening to the great CDs we have to offer at the library? Seriously good stuff. Here's a run-down of some of our newest acquisitions:

- Rock and Roll Playground, featuring various artists, put out by Putomayo World Music. This CD features rollicking, lively tunes by such favorites as Bill Harley and Dan Zanes.

- Giggling and Laughing, Silly Songs for Kids, featuring various artists, put out by Music for Little People. New and classic silly songs like Raffi's "Shake Your Sillies Out", and "The Mice Ate My Rice", by Buckwheat Zydeco

- Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, performed by the Sydney Symphony. Classical music never made you smile this much. It's classical music with a Looney Tunes twist, a great introduction for your children to the beauty of symphonic music.

Frogs and Starfish Readers

This is the final week for reading prizes at the library. The weekly prize is one of these great inflatable frogs, (Ms. Eileen's favorite).

For those of you who have read all summer (as indicated on your reading log) you get to become one of our Starfish Readers! As a Starfish Reader we will take your picture and post it in the library. In addition, you get to add your name to a book in the library...just choose a book you like, sign your name on the "Starfish Reader" bookplate and you become a permanent part of the Richmond Memorial Library.

Stories in the Shade recap

We finally had the picture perfect day for Stories in the Shade on Friday. As you may know, usually these are theme-less events so I can share stories, songs, and action rhymes new and old that tickle me. However, I found myself with a theme this past Friday as we shared all beach related books, including these two. "How Will We Get to the Beach" is a charming guessing-game of a book as mom Roxanne has 5 things that must come with her to the beach but has to find a way to get them all there (btw, no sunscreen or towel or snack, go figure, but a turtle is one of the must haves!), by Brigitte Luciani and illustrated by Eve Tharlet. "Miranda's Beach Day", written and illustrated by Holly Keller, is charming in its simple tale of a girl's day on the beach with it's hot sand and waves that make her sand castle disappear. The beautiful closing words of the book sneak up on you with their emotional message.

Don't forget next week is our last Stories in the Shade, with special guest reader Ms. Eileen!

We Love New Books

Two new books to highlight today: "Lola Loves Stories" and "The Cow Loves Cookies". Anna McQuinn and illustrator Rosalind Beardshaw bring back Lola from "Lola at the Library". Lovable Lola details her Saturday visits to the library and how each new book inspires her imagination. Whimsical and delightful. Another favorite author, Karma Wilson, brings us a book with new illustrator Marcellus Hall. Farmer feeds all the animals what they love and the cow loves cookies. Told in rhythmic prose with sweet, humourous ink and watercolor illustrations.