Penguin Webcam

Some have asked about the penguin webcam I shared at storytimes this week.  It's from the California Academy of Sciences and here's the link: Penguincam.  In addition to the super cute penguins, there's lot of great information and another webcam for other sea life.  Enjoy!

A Day in NYC

Yesterday, Ms. Eileen and I had the distinct pleasure of spending the day with several other Connecticut librarians in New York City.  We took a tour of the new Children's Library Discovery Center at Queens Library which is a cutting edge combination of a science/discovery museum and children's library.  It's truly a remarkable place where scientific exploration is made super fun!  All of us oohed and aahed and had fun playing with the many unique exhibits (dozens of them!).

Check out some of the wonderful things you'll see there by clicking here: Discovery Center.  And remember, it's a public library, so it's free!  If your holiday plans take you anywhere near NYC definitely go check it out.  Hours of fun for all. Meanwhile, Ms. Eileen, and I, and the other librarians are thinking about how to incorporate these principles and practices into our libraries.

After lunch we toured the wonderful exhibit of children's book illustrations at the Society of Illustrators.  The art in children's books is superlative, truly, and it seems to get better each year.  The opportunity to see the original, beautiful and whimsical art in full-size form was wonderful.  Again, if you head to Manhattan for shopping or holiday fun head over to 63rd Street to the Society of Illustrators Museum (clickable link).

Winter Stortyime Week 3: Penguins!

Oh who doesn't love those little tuxedo-ed fellows.

This Week's Books:
Lost and Found, by Oliver Jeffers
Up and Down, by Oliver Jeffers
Little Penguin's Tale, by Audrey Wood
A Penguin Story, by Antoinette Portis
Penguins 123, by Kevin Schafer
Penguins ABC, by Kevin Schafer


This Week's Action Rhymes:
1 Five little penguins standing still
One little penguin slides down the hill
Where did he go? I don't know
(Four, Three, Two, One)
Oh, I know
All five penguins playing in the snow!

2 Five perky penguins stood on the shore
One went for a swim and then there were four
Four perky penguins looked out to sea
One went swimming and then there were three
Three perky penguins said, "What can we do?"
One jumped in the water and then there were two
Two perky penguins sat in the sun
One swam off and then there was one
One perky penguin said "This is no fun"
He dove in the water and then there were none

This Week's Art: A super cute craft paper penguin

Books for Holiday Giving

The Connecticut Library Consortium has published its annual lists of books for holiday giving for children in all age categories.  Librarians throughout the state contribute their suggestions and they are compiled into these handy, printable,brochures that you can access online.   Click here:  Books for Giving.  You'll notice that both Ms. Eileen and I contributed our suggestions to these lists.

Puff Paint

In this week's craft for 2s and 3s, and in the past for other groups (and in the future, I'm sure) we've been using our own "puff paint" to create the illusion of fluffy snow.  Many have asked the secret of this very cool product.  It's simple.  It's just shaving cream and Elmer's glue.  The tricky part is the proportion of each, but I tend to like a mixture that has more shaving cream and less glue which tends to stay puffier and looks more like whipped cream when dry.  I would say it is roughly 2 parts shaving cream to 1 part glue by volume. The greater the proportion of glue, the harder and more compact the end result will be, so many recommend equal parts glue to shaving cream.  Experiment!  Add food coloring or powdered tempura paint.  Add glitter because glitter makes everything better!  Have fun.

Winter Storytime Week 2: Winter in the Woods

Are we getting back on track with storytimes? I hope so.  This is Week 2 of our Winter Storytime session, we have 2 more weeks for our disaster-shortened session.  This week's theme is Winter in the Woods.

This Week's Books:

No, by Claudia Rueda
Who is Sleeping, by A Rookie Reader
Here Comes Jack Frost, by Kazuno Kohara
Time to Sleep, by Denise Fleming
Stranger in the Woods, by Carl R. Sams, and Jean Stoick
Let's Go Home, Little Bear, by Martin Waddell, ill. by Barbara Firth

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1. Here is the cave
And here is the bear
When the snow starts to fall
He hides in there
Snow covers the cave
Like a fuzzy white rug
Inside the bear sleeps
All cozy and snug

2.(to the tune of Where is Thumbkin)
Where is the bear
Where is the bear
Here I am
Here I am
How are you this winter?
Very very sleepy
Go to bed
Go to bed
(do with racoon, skunk, bat, chipmunk, snake, etc.)

This Week's Art/Craft: A winter tree hanging with puffy "paint" and pine cones

Storytime Week 1 1/2: Thanksgiving

On Monday, 11/21 I'll do a storytime for my regular Monday 2's, but if anyone is reading this blog and is a regular storytime attendee, please feel free to come as well.

Ms. Eileen and I have decided to do storytimes until the week of December 12. Note the schedule on the right side of this page. Most storytime sessions will NOT meet this week...Thanksgiving week...HOWEVER, I can't bear to go yet another week without seeing my storytime friends, so I'll do a Monday morning 10:00 group. Again, this is the usual scheduled Monday 2 year old group, but I'll leave it open to any Thursday attendee as well.

So, for this one time only storytime we'll focus on Thanksgiving. Boy, don't we have a lot to be thankful for!

This Week's Books:
Thank You Thanksgiving, by David Milgrim
Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks, Margaret Sutherland, ill, by Sonja Lamut
Thanks for Thanksgiving, by Julie Markes, ill. by Doris Barrette
Albuquerque Turkey, by B. G. Ford, ill, by Lucinda McQueen
What is Thanksgiving, by Harriet Ziefer, ill. by Claire Schumacher

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1 The turkey's tail is wide and big
He swings it when he walks
His neck is long, his chin is red
He gobbles when he talks!

 2 One fine Thanksgiving Day
Two little turkeys came out to play
One turkey says, "We'll play hide-and-seek,
I'll go hide, and you don't peek"

Will he hide high, will he hide low
Will he hide far, I don't know
Will he hide left, will he hide right
Or will he hide back out of sight?

The other little turkey then looks around
But his turkey friend can't be found
Did he hide high, did he hide low
Did he hide far, I don't know
Did he hide left, did he hide right
Or did he hide back out of sight

"Aha, I found you! Come on out!"
"Gooble Gooble Gooble!" both turkeys shout.

A Flannel Board Game:
Turkey wore his red feather, red feather, red feather.
Turkey wore his red feather, all day long!
(Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple)
Last line: Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers. Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, all Thanksgiving long!

This Week's Art/Craft: A turkey hat!

Storytimes Start on Monday!

Oh my goodness...what a few weeks it's been; what with the storm, the power outtage, the flood, the repairs, and my lingering illness and asthma acting up big time, it seems like forever since we've had a storytime. Happily, on Monday Nov. 14 we will be open and ready for storytime. Unfortunately, we won't be able to be in the storytime room, but we'll meet upstairs. Our theme for this week is Mother Goose and I'll share traditional Mother Goose rhymes as well as some modern books that use the rhymes as a starting point. We'll make Humpty Dumpty stick puppets and sing some songs, and play a flannel board game or two. I'll post a more detailed list later, but for now plan on storytimes all this week! YAY!

FYI, I'm still a little breathy...so I may ask some parents to help read...would that be okay with you?

Ms. Patty

Library Still Closed

It's Monday, November 7 and our library is still closed. Heavy sigh. Sob. The damage is being repaired but currently we are without working toilets and thus we can't be open to the public. Nancy Wood, fearless director, is unclear when we will open, we are at the mercy of plumbers, sheet-rockers and such. Still, hope remains high that we will be open this week at some point.

In the meantime continue to enjoy any materials you have out and know that they are not accumulating fines.

As to storytime, we will resume at some point. I promise.
Ms. Patty

Oh My Goodness!

Well, today is Sunday, November 6 and, at my home in Glastonbury, we just got power last night. What about you? Seems like Marlborough did better with this storm than with Irene. Hopefully all of us will back to civilized living soon; We can turn on lights, drink clean water, wash with hot water...ah, luxury. It certainly makes me think of those around the world who live without these basic things every day.


As if the storm didn't wreak enough havoc, Richmond Memorial Library, is still suffering the ill-effects of water damage. Yes, again! Remember last winter?! So, we're replacing sheetrock and drying out shelving and walls. My fingers are crossed that we open as scheduled tomorrow, Monday November 7.


What about storytimes? Well, of course we will extend the storytime sessions to give everyone 5 classes. Normally, on Sundays, I post about the storytime theme for the week (for my 2s and 3s), however today I'm not sure what exactly is happening, so IF the library is open tomorrow there WILL be storytime with a relaxed theme. If the library is open don't forget the DROP-IN STORYTIME AT 1:00.

I hope to see all you soon! I miss storytime!
Ms. Patty

Fall Storytime Week 5: Apples and Pumpkins

We'll end Session I of our fall storytimes with that classic fall theme: Apples and Pumpkins.

This Week's Books:
Spot's Harvest, by Eric Hill
Dappled Apples, by Jan Carr, ill. by Dorothy Donohue
Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch, by Mary Peterson and Jennifer Rofe
Apple Farmer Annie, by Monica Wellington
Red Are the Apples, by M. Harshman, C. Ryan, ill. by W. Zahares
The Pumpkin Path, by Elizabeth King

This Week's Songs:
Apple Tree, by Justin Roberts
Pick a Bag of Apples, by Liz Buchanan
Apples and Bananas, by Raffi

This Week's Action Rhymes:
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said, "oh my it's getting late"
The second one said, "we don't care"
The third one said, "there are leaves in the air"
The fourth one said, "I'm ready for some fun"
The fifth one said, "Let's run and run"
Whoosh went the wind
Out went the light
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

This Week's Craft: Apple Printing

Fall Storytime Week 4: In the Kitchen

We've been to the woods and the farm with our new storytime friends, so now let's head into the kitchen!

This Week's Books:
Apple Pie ABC, by Alison Murray
In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
All for Pie, Pie for All, by David Martin, ill. by Valeri Gorbachev
Mouse at Night, by Nancy Hall, ill. by Buket Erdogan
Meeow and the Pots and Pans, by Sebastien Braun
Cows in the Kitchen, by June Crebbin, ill, by Katharine McEwen
Dancin in the Kitchen, by W. Gelsanliter, F. Christian, ill. by M. Priceman

This Week's Music:
Cooking Breakfast for the Ones We Love, by Maria Muldaur
The Cookie Bakers of the Night, by Laurie Berkner
Shoo Fly Pie, by Andrew and Polly

This Week's Action Rhymes:
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake
Baker's Man
Bake me a cake
As fast as you can.
Roll it and pat it (Roll and clap hands)
And mark it with a B (Trace B on palm)
And put it in the oven (extend both hands)
For baby and me (point to Baby and Self)

Two fat sausages sizzling in a pan
One went pop! And the other went bam!

Mix a pancake, stir a pancake
Pop it in a pan
Fry a pancake, toss a pancake
Catch it if you can!

This Week's Art/Craft: Playdough!

New Books Thanks to the Grange

We have an influx of wonderful new books in the children's area thanks to the generosity of the Marlborough Grange. These books help us celebrate Marlborough's rural and farming roots, just as the Grange celebrates its agriculture heritage while working to strengthen communities and families. Our local Grange has been extremely supportive of our library through the years and, as these books educate and delight, I know I speak for the entire library staff and patrons when I say "THANK YOU!!!"

Here's a sampling of some of the many fine books paid for by the Grange:

"An Edible Alphabet: 26 Reasons to Love the Farm" by Carol Watterson, ill, by Michaela Sorrentino: Facts, farm lore, games, and gorgeous illustrations make this a perfect book for your child who is always wanting to know more. Why are egg yolks yellow? How do bees and ladybugs help farmers? What about those ants? Use the book as a storybook and then read it again for all the great facts. Find this book with the children's new non-fiction, JE 630 Watterson.

"Meow Said the Cow" by Emma Dodd: Not just another farmyard sound book! A mischievous, magical cat turns the barnyard upside down and confuses the other animals when the "wrong" sound comes out of their mouths. A silly, comically-illustrated book that's fun to read, you'll find this with the new picture books, JE Dodd.

"Grandpa's Tractor" by Michael Garland: With gorgeous illustrations and a touching story, I love this picture book as a grandfather shows his grandson what used to be. The grandfather relates his memories before houses were built on the old farm and when the rusty tractor in the weeds was once the star of the farm. A treasure of a book, you'll find it with the new picture books, JE Garland.

"Jobs on a Farm" by Nancy Dickmann: I shared this lovely non-fiction book in storytimes last week and the kids loved it. With great, clear photographs and simple text, children are introduced to the many jobs on a farm from taking care of animals, to planting, to fixing buildings, and using big machines. A terrific overview of the work of farming. Find this with the new non-fiction, JE 630 Dickmann.

Fall Storytime, Week 3: Into the Woods

All of this week's stories take place in the woods.

This Week's Stories:
Animal Tracks, by Arthur Dorros
Big Bear Hug, by Nicholas Oldland
Blackberry Banquet, by Terry Pierce, ill. by Lisa Downey
Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell, ill, by Patrick Benson
Looking for a Moose, by Phyllis Root, ill. by Randy Cecil
Good Job, Little Bear, by Martin Waddell, ill. by Barbara Firth
Every Autumn Comes the Bear, by Jim Arnosky
Mama's Little Bears, by Nancy Tafuri

This Week's Music:

This Week's Action Rhymes:
Little Bunny Foo Foo

Here is our world, our big round world
Here are the mountains high
Here are the fish that swim in the sea
And here are the birds that fly
Here is the sun, the bright warm sun
And here are the leaves that fall
All in our world, our big round world
Go explore and see it all!

This Week's Art: A woodland picture with sponge brushes
Plus a flannel board game

Storytime Updates

We have a variety of storytimes each week. Because I, Ms. Patty, keep this blog I tend to highlight my 2 year old (Monday, Thursday) and 3 year old (Thursday) storytime themes. But I will also update you on Ms. Eileen's themes for her multi-age storytimes (3-5 on Wednesday, 4-6 on Friday).

In addition, Ms. Eileen meets with babies and their caregivers on Friday mornings and I do a drop-in storytime for 2-6 year olds on Monday at 1:00.

The drop-in storytime does not usually have a theme, so even if you come to one of the registered storytimes during the week, please feel free to add an extra 1/2 hour or so to your weekly library time and come see me on Mondays.

I'll try to keep everyone up-to-date on all the storytime happenings.
Ms. Patty

Fall Storytime Week 2: On the Farm

This Week's Books:
Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown, ill. by Felicia Bond
Barn Sneeze, by Karen Winnick
Farmer Will, by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Jobs on a Farm, by Nancy Dickmann
Noisy Barn, by Harriet Ziefert and Simms Taback
On the Farm, by David Elliott, ill. by Holly Meade
Meow, said the Cow, by Emma Dodd
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss, ill. by Tiphanie Beeke
Sally Goes to the Farm, by Stephen Huneck

This Week's Music:
Old McDonald Had a Farm, sing-a-long
Old Straw Hat, by Maria Muldaur
Dueling Banjos, by the Big Kidz Band
Cows, by the Seldom Herd

This Week's Action Rhymes:
Mice are creeping, shhh, shhh, shhh
Mice are creeping, shhh, shhh, shhh
They do not make a sound
As their feet touch the ground
Mice are creeping, shhh, shhh, shhh

Down in the barnyard, early in the morning
See the little animals all in a row
See the farmer giving them their breakfast
Quack, quack, quack, quack
Off goes the duck
Neigh, neigh, neigh, neigh
Off goes the horse
Pig, Chicken

This Week's Craft: A big red barn
Plus a flannel board game

A Fond Farewell To Lee

Do you know Lee Phillips? She's the one who gets everybody their materials from other libraries. If you're in a book club here in town, Lee's the one who helps you get your book without having to leave Marlborough. Lee is also the person who issues our checks (Nancy signs them of course). Lee has been with Richmond Memorial Library for many years (25? more?) and it's time for her to sail off into retirement.

I am unbelievably sad about Lee leaving. I know she will stop by often for a good mystery and to bring us some baked goods and the update on her incredible grandchildren, but I will miss seeing her at work. I will REALLY miss her competency and efficiency here at the library. I'm sure many of you will miss her too. Wednesday is her last day, so if you're in the library be sure to wish her well on her newest adventures. First up, a trip to the nation's capital with her good friend and another ex-RML librarian, Ann Grybko.

Happy Retirement Lee!

Fall Storytime, Week 1: Friends

Welcome to Storytime! Our first week of storytimes this Fall focus on Friends.

This Week's Music:
I Had a Friend, by Laurie Berkner
You and Me Are Gonna be Friends, by Jack Johnson
Somebody Come and Play, from Sesame Street

This Week's Books:
Hi, Harry! by Martin Waddell, ill. by Barbara Firth
My Friend is Sad, by Mo Willems
I'm the Best! by Lucy Cousins
Owen and Mzee, Best Friends, by Isabella Hatkoff, ill by Peter Greste
A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip Stead, ill. by Erin Stead
Me Hungry, by Jeremy Tankard
Will You Be My Friend? by Nancy Tafuri

This Week's Action Rhymes:
I see an apple, red and round
It falls from the tree onto the ground
I pick it up, I wash it, I cut it in two
Half for me and half for you

This Week's Craft: A paper-doll friend

Plus, Two Little Blackbirds
and a flannel board game

It's Storytime!!!

Storytimes begin for the season on Monday 9/19. If you haven't yet registered, please do so, there's still room in all sessions. Note on the side of this blog the days and times for each age. We've tried to accommodate as many different schedules as we could. Also note that starting in a couple of weeks we'll have a drop-in storytime on Monday afternoons for all ages.

New Books

Our summer reading program is over, but there are more great books just arriving in the library to continue your reading adventures. Check these out:

"Everything I Need to Know Before I'm Five" by Valorie Fisher is a beautiful, deliciously photographed collection of letters, numbers, and shapes. I bet most of our storytime kids know everything in this book and will be delighted to show-off their knowledge.

"Bee and Bird", by Craig Frazier is another gloriously illustrated book that tells a poignant story completely without words. Beautiful patterns and colors will grab your child's eye and together you can verbalize the story. Recent studies point to the power of wordless books in developing literacy. Plus, it's fun!

"A Butterfly is Patient" by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long is yet another incredibly illustrated picture book. I love their previous books, "A Seed is Sleepy", and "An Egg is Quiet" and can't wait to get my hands on their newest which details with scientific accuracy and an artist's eye the lives of butterflies. As a child, this is the kind of book I would have spent hours poring over.

"Bailey" by Harry Bliss is a favorite I've been waiting to share with the RML public. I met Harry Bliss in May and he signed his book for me. Unfortunately, it wasn't officially released until this month so I had to hold the book until now. This book is so sweet and so funny, as Bailey the dog goes to school as if he is just one of the children. He excels at painting with his tail and digging holes when planting flowers, delighting all and making the reader laugh along with his classmates. Charming illustrations and a dog you'll fall in love with.

These and more new books are just waiting for you.

Storytime Survey

In our ongoing effort to bring storytime joy and happiness to everyone :) we created a very short survey. The survey is only 5 questions long and should take about 5 minutes (if that). Your answers are anonymous and will help us better tailor storytime days/times and content. Take a moment, won't you, and give us your feedback.

Click Here: Storytime Survey

Thanks.

Our Global Blog

I am able to see some interesting statistics about this blog and today I noted that this week alone we've had blog-visitors from Australia, Germany, Canada, Phillipines, Brazil, Slovenia, Ukraine, India, and Singapore (and the US, of course). Wow! Most seem to be looking for storytime ideas and I am more than happy to share. Imagine Ukrainian children doing one of our action rhymes or crafts!

This summer's reading theme, "One World, Many Stories", has been lots of fun and I know that I have learned a lot more about our world. I suspect many of our young readers and their parents have too. Our world is so much more connected now; it's a wonderful thing and our youngest patrons will grow up thinking nothing odd about being connected so easily with people from all over the world. I hope we can continue to learn more about other cultures even once summer reading is officially over. For example, if you haven't had a chance yet this summer, check out (literally) the great country backpacks Ms. Eileen assembled for this summer. Each backpack is full of information, fun, books, pictures, and little things to handle and play with.

And hello, ola, hallo, vitayu, zivjo, and g'day to our international visitors.

Global Citizens

I was away for the week up in Maine, camping and hanging out at the beach. Sure, I should be putting away the tents, washing the towels, and shaking sand out of my books, but instead I wanted to check in on the blog and say hi. Hi. :)

On Monday at 6 p.m. we have a family program focusing on our global community and what we can do, even the youngest of us, to help. Ms. Eileen has identified a worthy project or two for us to help with and we'll share stories of people who have made a difference. Registration is required and the event is best for families with children age 5 and up. Call in on Monday to see if there is still room. I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

In other news, our summer reading program is wrapping up. You'll have this week to finish up your passport and get your final stamps.

Yay, Summer!

I was in the library briefly this morning as families worked on their Russian nesting dolls, known as "matryoshka" dolls, and everyone seemed to be producing beautiful work! It got me thinking about the fun and unique programs we've had so far this summer, from our kick-off Frisbee show, to the safari-in-the-library, yoga, our butterfly program, all the drop-in storytimes, and drop-in crafts. And everyone seems to be enjoying their passports! There's still more to come, but I hope all the families that are enjoying the library this summer will remember to keep coming to see us in the Fall. We understand that working families might find it hard to come in for regular storytimes, especially ones that occur during the day; so let us know what we can do to accommodate you. At some point we'll circulate a survey to get your input, but until then if you see Nancy or Eileen or me (Ms. Patty) let us know. We enjoy seeing you all so much in the summer, we don't want to have to say goodbye in September.

Stories in the Shade: A Hot One

We're supposed to hit 105 tomorrow, but that won't stop my intrepid stories-in-the-shade-kids! It will be cool under the trees at 10:30 in the a.m., so have no fear, our storytime will be comfortable. And afterwards you can spend some time in the cool, cool library. I'll share some more of the new picture books in our library, some summer day stories, and a game. See you there.

Did You Miss These?

We have so many wonderful pictures books coming into the library lately that I think it's possible you may have missed some.

"Disappearing Desmond", by Anna Alter is charming. Desmond and his entire family like to disappear into the background. They blend in and fade into Anna Alter's beautifully patterned illustrations. Desmond takes shyness to a new level until Gloria, the new kid (rabbit) in school takes notice of Desmond and brings him out of his shell. I have a fondness for books about moving from timidity to confidence, and about friendship, making "Disappearing Desmond" one of my new favorites. Best for 4 and up.

"Chicken Big", by Keith Graves is one of those books that will make both parents and children laugh. The illustrations, side-comments, and great expressive language in this twist on the Chicken Little story make this a book to read over and over. Fans of Mo Willems will appreciate its quirkiness and I think everyone will appreciate it's subtle message of acceptance. Best for 3 and up.

A Beautiful Day for Stories

It's Stories in the Shade this morning at 10:30 and what a beautiful day it is. We will be outside so bring a blanket (although there are some available). Today's stories will feature some of the new books just arriving at our library including the adorable "How Big is the World", by Britta Teckentrup. Little mole asks the question to all he meets and finds some surprising answers. Ms. Teckentrup lives and writes in Germany so this book hits on our "Many Stories, One World" theme in two ways.

Also I'll share Mo Willem's newest Elephant and Piggie adventure!

Our Wonderful World and Beautiful Earth

On Friday, Stories in the Shade did start in the shade but ended up inside when the thunder came. It was an adventure. Thanks for all who came out and joined in the fun. We had a wonderful group with new and old friends, so thank you.

Our books centered around our wonderful world, our beautiful earth, including the gorgeous "All the World" by Liz Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee. The words literally choke me up and the pictures are beautiful and expansive. Books featuring photography are always a big hit at storytime and "You and Me Together", by Barbara Kerley and the National Geographic Society was no exception. This book is a great way to share the universality of families with your child.

Let's see what next week brings, but hopefully NOT rain!

Earth Friends Discovery Yoga

Excuse while I finish my salutation to the sun. Ohmmmmm. That's better. I enjoy yoga and I know many of you do too. If you haven't tried it, now's your chance. This Monday, we host our special guest, Jen from Earth Friends Discovery, to share yoga and stories. Here's what Jen has to say:

The practice of yoga can be a cherished gift in the lives of earth friends of any age. EFD strives to bring this ancient art to those who think it is something serious and mysterious. Wild imaginations and listening ears are the only prerequisites to explore the world of Earth Friends Discovery Yoga.

Come and have fun, Monday at 10:00. Best for ages 4-10
This event is sponsored by the Marlborough's Women Club. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and namaste!

Stories in the Shade

Stories in the Shade start tomorrow. Bring a blanket (although we do have some available) and come sit in the cool of the shade as we share stories and songs. We've been lucky enough to have good weather the last few years for most of the time. If it is rainy though we meet inside.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all Friday at 10:30.

One World, Many Stories

Here is a link to the Connecticut State Library's very excellent summer reading page. There you'll find book suggestions and fun games, as well as other goodies. Our librarians at the State Library do wonderful things, most of it behind the scenes, to serve the community of librarians and readers. This is just one example. Click HERE FOR CT SUMMER READING and have fun!

World Crafts

Ms. Eileen designed several global crafts as part of her "Lunch Bunch" storytimes in June. If you missed the storytimes, you can still make the crafts. The supplies and instructions for the various crafts are set up in the storytime room. As the summer progresses, we'll be adding new craft projects as well. Drop-in anytime and have fun. You'll find some beautiful and interesting things to make. Just the thing for a day when you need to spend some time in the air conditioned splendor of the library!

Where Has the Time Gone?!?!?

I can't believe it's July and I never posted in June. What happened, Ms. Patty!? Well, it was a busy month with our fantastic summer reading program kicking off and my son graduating from high school. But now we're ready for a great summer of library fun and I'm back on the job, blog-wise.

Ms. Eileen has out-done herself this year with our fantastic summer reading program featuring a passport to adventure. Each week "visit" another continent and earn your passport stamps and a prize. You can read a book, listen to music, learn about a country and its traditions and history, you could make a recipe or draw a picture of a native animal or famous landmark...it's up to you. Just be sure to cover all the six major continents throughout the summer and come see us each week.

There are also many fun activities this summer. We had our first event, "Safari Kids", which was a great success. In our safari adventure we read some fun books, made a unique craft, and traversed the library on the hunt (with our own binoculars) for African animals. What fun.

Look for more updates soon, but for now, hello again.
Ms. Patty

The Magic's In Me and You

We had a wonderful Friday the 13th at RML. Even with the internet down all day (!), somehow Ms. Eileen and I were able to go over her plans for this year's summer reading program. Wow, does she have a lot of fun things planned for us as we take our reading passports and head out around the world. Fun! Plus we put the finishing touches on our Not-Too-Old-For-Storytime session next week.

But the best part of the day, of course, was our visit from Christina the Magician! Wasn't she great?! Were you as amazed as I was by her tricks? Were they tricks, or was it real magic?! Even after the show, Christina stuck around a bit, visited with the children, and continued to amaze us. By the way, Christina will be back at RML this summer to give a magic workshop, as well as a balloon animal workshop to older kids (8 and up), so keep that in mind. I certainly feel the magic in me after her show, and hope you do too.

(BTW, that's the wonderful Lucille Ball in the photo doing her impression of Ms. Patty at Magic Show.)

Bedtime Stories and Mom's Club

Back-to-back storytimes this week as we held Bedtime Stories Wednesday night, and hosted a Mom's Club storytime this morning. Our Bedtimes Stories featured "Wow! Said the Owl", by Tim Hopgood about a young owl who stays up to experience daytime and is delighted by the beautiful colors. In "Aunt Nina, Good Night", by Franz Brandenberg with illustrations by Aliki, a patient aunt helps her nieces and nephews fall asleep and ultimately has a great bonding moment.

This morning we held Mom's Club storytime outside under the trees while the chimes rang (for a full half hour!). We shared books about friends who hold different ideas about fun, including "Mac and Cheese", an easy reader by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Jane Manning, and "Hello, My Name is Bob", by Linas Alsenas.

Both events featured a flannel board game with rocketships! Thanks to all who came.

Loud!

I can't help it, I'm loud. I grew up in a family with 5 siblings, all very close in age and we had to talk over each other to be heard. We talked loudly and made music loudly and played loudly. Recently I was reminded that I do work in a library and probably should try to not be so loud. So it made me laugh when I saw a new book by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska, collaborators of "The Quiet Book", called "The Loud Book".

Just like their previous book, "The Loud Book" is beautifully illustrated with a cast of friendly animals done in gentle pencil and brush strokes. There is humor and charm as the animals make and experience loud noises, like alarm clocks ringing, things dropping, and even whistling. (You know how I love to whistle!) As the book states, "Just like there are lots of quiets, there are also lots of louds." I look forward to having this book in the library and sharing it at storytime.

(And by the way, if you hear me being loud just remind me to use my "library voice". Thanks. Ms. Patty)

Children's Choice Book Awards

Last week was National Children's Book Week and the Children's Book Council announced the winners of their annual Children's Choice Book Awards. Over 500,000 children across the nation voted for their favorites in several categories. Here are the winners:

Author of the Year
Rick Riordan for The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) (Disney-Hyperion)

Illustrator of the Year
David Wiesner for Art & Max (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year
Little Pink Pup by Johanna Kerby (Putnam/Penguin)

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year
Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf/Random House)

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year
The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion)


Teen Choice Book of the Year
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (Dutton/Penguin)

We have "Art & Max" at the library and will be getting "Little Pink Pup" (it looks so cute!).

Bedtime Stories

Bedtime Stories, a drop-in storytime for children ages 2-6, has begun and continues every Wednesday in May at 6:30 p.m. We met last week on a rainy evening (it always seems to rain for Bedtime Stories!) and had a lovely time. We shared books with characters coming and going in and out of the book, including "The Character in the Book" by Kaethe Zemach, and "More Bears!" by Kenn Nesbitt. After an impromptu singing of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and a flannel board game with umbrellas, we finished up with quiet stories and low lights. Some even lay on the floor with their stuffed animals and started to doze!

Thanks to all who came and see you next week.

Kindergarteners At the Library

Ms. Eileen and I were lucky enough to host the annual kindergarten visits this week. Each year the kids walk down from the school with their teachers for some stories and a quick tour of the library. It is always a wonderful pleasure for us to see such bright, interested, well-behaved children and to share our love of books with them. Ms. Eileen and I do some things a bit differently; Ms. Eileen, for example, shared a "draw-and-tell" story and I played a quick song on the ukulele. But we both shared some of the excellent JE-ER (Easy Reader) books available at RML, as well as read stories about books and libraries including some of those shown here.

The Lovely Month of May

There is a lot going on in May to look forward to:

- Every Wednesday in May at 6:30 p.m. join me (Ms. Patty) upstairs at the library for Bedtime Stories. We'll share songs and stories to end your day. This is best for children 2-6, but parents often stick around as well. I'll be in my jammies, so feel free to come in yours too.

- Monday, May 2nd at 10:30 a.m. we have a special Wonderful Ones session in honor of Children's Book Week. For children ages 9-23 months with caregiver, Ms. Eileen and Ms. Patty will share stories and games. Please register in advance. (We have give-aways!)

- Friday, May 13th at 4 p.m., one of my favorite performers joins us at RML for a Magical Event! Christina the Magician will delight us all with sleight of hand in her charming and gentle way. This will be fun for all ages,but please register in advance so we know how many to expect. (I've been trying to get Ms. Eileen to book Christina for two years, so I'm hoping for a big turn-out!)

- Friday, May 20th, at 1:15 p.m., Not-Too-Old-For-Storytime: Spring Edition. Storytime alums and others in grades K-2 are invited to join Ms. Eileen and Ms. Patty for stories, games, a craft, and an afternoon snack. This is an early dismissal day and we will meet the kids at the school and walk them to the library. We often need a few adults to help safely collect the children and guide them to the library, so let us know if you'd like to help. You must register for this popular program, and kids who haven't come before are given first preference.

Hoping to see a lot of you all in May at RML.

(P.S. I somehow forgot to post about our last storytime sessions two weeks ago; our theme was Bunnies and we made bunny ears that were very cute.)

(P.P.S. It's necessary to end registered storytimes early because we need to use the storytime room to store collected books for the book sale. Another example of our limited space at RML, and one more reason to support the upstairs renovations.)

Snapshots!

April 13 was Snapshot Day at libraries around CT. The purpose is to capture the impact that CT libraries have on their communities in a typical day. Here is the link to check out Snapshot Day:

http://snapshotctlib.wordpress.com/

So we have busy snapping pictures around here lately - and not just for that day. So I thought we would share a few here on the blog because of course, we have pics of storytime!

Here's one of Ms. Eileen's 4&5's and their Spring Chicks!!

Here's a great crew of girls (and dolls!) at our American Girl storytime during vacation week.

Finally, Ms. Patty's 2-yr-olds with their great 'kite' windsocks. Ms. Patty made a fun new flannelboard set of kites and clouds for storytime last week.

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunny days we are having between the rain! And if you are hunting for eggs this weekend, GOOD LUCK!!!