Janet's Top 10 Graphic Novel Picks for 2012

In no particulary order (just alphabetical) here are my top 10 children's graphic novel picks for 2012:

1. Adventures in Cartooning: Christmas Special by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost

In this companion to Adventures in Cartooning, The Magic Cartooning Elf and his friend the Knight join forces to make a Christmas comic for Santa to give to all the boys and girls in the world.

2. Dance Class: So You Think You Can Hip-Hop? by Beka and Crip

Best friends Julie, Alia, and Lucie take ballet classes together at a local dance studio where they prepare for their upcoming performance of Sleeping Beauty while dealing with their vain classmate, Carla, who thinks she should be the star of the show.

3. Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going. 

4. Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch

Following Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, Mirka returns to take on a misguided meteor who's been set in motion by the troll and turned into Mirka's twin by the witch. Doppelganger Mirka is out to best the real girl. The heroine will have to beat her own other self in a three-park challenge ... or be banished from Hereville! 

5. Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson

Hilda has always had a knack for making friends with mysterious creatures, until invisible elves try to evict her and her architect mother from their beloved, cozy mountain home

6. I'm Not a Plastic Bag: A Graphic Novel by Rachel Hope Allison

Allison's debut graphic novel brings to life the plight of our oceans in a moving fable about beauty, loneliness, and hope. It illuminates how our behavior as consumers is slowly destroying our beautiful oceans, and shows us how each person has a role to play in protecting the planet we call home.

7. Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

In this second installment of the Zita the Spacegirl books, Zita is determined to find her way home to Earth, but her exploits have made her an intergallactic megastar, and as her true self is eclipsed by her public persona, she faces a robot doppelganger, unsure of who she can trust.

 8. Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Andrés Vera Martínez and Na Liu

A young girl describes her experiences growing up in China, beginning with the death of Chairman Mao in 1976.

9. The Three Stooges: Bed Bugged and Other Stories by George Gladir
The knuckleheads try their hand at sumo wrestling, bug extermination, selling ice cream, and tackle other adventures in this first installment of the new Three Stooges series.

10. Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Hope Larson

This graphic novel adaptation of the classic tale in which Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. 

You Are Stardust

Looking for a non-fiction picture book that is an enjoyable read-aloud? I suggest You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey. This book is an introduction to ecology for preschoolers. Kelsey’s prose reads like poetry, creating great imagery. The diorama-like illustrations add visual playfulness. While the illustrations are not designed to be a seek-and-find kind of experience, you'll discover new details in the artwork with subsequent readings.

Science News You Can Use!

Arlene Weible, Electronic Services Consultant from the Oregon State Library has put together this list of online science resources from the U.S. Fedral Government that children, teens, parents, and educators may find helpful.  Take a look!

Science Education
Scienceeducation.gov  connects teachers and students to free, federally-funded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education resources. Educators, students, and the public can go to ScienceEducation.gov and search via a single query and use (for free) the STEM education offerings of several leading science and technology agencies. Searches can be filtered by grade level and resource type. Another neat feature is the social networking aspect of the site. Members can actively enhance the site by “tagging” with subject terms; providing new content; providing general guidance and comments on the resources and rate the materials on the site. Members also have access to social media resources related to the site.

Science
Science.gov  is celebrating its 10 year anniversary and it is a great time to become acquainted with this powerful tool for locating free and authoritative science information from federal and state government agencies. At its core is the science.gov search tool. It indexes over 55 scientific databases across all science disciplines. The content it searches includes everything from peer-reviewed journal articles to social media sites from 13 federal science agencies. Other features on the site include up-to-the minute science news, the ability to browse science web sites by general subject, and a great site featuring science sites focused on Science Education. There is also a Spanish version of the site.

Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress
http://www.science.gov/browse/w_133A.htm
This index answers questions like “Can it rain frogs, fish, and other objects?”, or “Does your heart stop when you sneeze?” with science facts and other science web resources.

NASA Kids Club http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
Great graphics, games and contests on space topics.

NIH Curriculum Supplement Series http://science.education.nih.gov/customers.nsf/WebPages/CSHome
Includes teacher’s guides to lessons on the science behind selected health topics. They combine cutting-edge biomedical discoveries with state-of-the-art instructional practices.

Great Websites for Kids for 2012

The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association has announced that it has updated its Great Websites for Kids page, adding 28 website links that have kid appeal.  Great Web Sites for Kids are those considered the best web sites for children ages birth to 14, outstanding in both content and conception. As applied to web sites for young people, “great” should be thought to include sites of especially commendable quality, sites that reflect and encourage young people’s interests in exemplary ways.  Additional selection criteria can be found at: http://www.ala.org/alsc/greatwebsites/greatwebsitesforkids/greatwebsites

ABCya!
www.abcya.com
Make learning fun with a variety of educational computer games for kids. Learn new skills and improve old ones in areas such as math, language arts, and typing.

All About Birds
www.allaboutbirds.org
Learn all about birds in this website created by the Cornell Lab of Orinthology. Bird names, species, location and history are all featured. Also included are bird songs and videos.

Bedtime Math
www.bedtimemath.org
Modeled on the bedtime story tradition, Bedtime Math is a daily blog that offers daily math problems instead of stories. Math problems are offered in three levels of challenge (preschool, kindergarten through first or second grade, and second grade and up).

The Brown Bookshelf
www.thebrownbookshelf.com
The Brown Bookshelf is a blog that shares great books for all ages written by African American writers. Its mission is to increase awareness of the many African American voices writing for young readers.

Butterflies and Moths
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org
An extensive and growing resource about the types of butterflies and moths that are found in North America, as well as where they are found. You can also learn how to identify butterflies and moths, find a list of which species live in your area, and report ones that you see in your backyard!

Chess Kid
http://chesskid.com
In a safe environment, discover the rules and strategies of chess. Improve your game, memorization skills, patience and sportsmanship with free online games, tournaments and club matches with kids around the world.

CIA for Kids-Games
www.cia.gov/kids-pages/games/index.html
Find out what the CIA is all about, play games, and solve puzzles. Resources for various audiences including parents and teachers.

Climate Kids
http://climate.nasa.gov/kids
Climate Kids offers kids clear answers to questions on global climate change through sections on weather, air, the ocean, fresh water, carbon, energy, plants and animals and technology. Includes educational games, activities, crafts, videos and information on green careers.

Computer Science Student Network (CS2N)
http://www.cs2n.org
The Computer Science Student Network (CS2N) is a resource with engaging activities designed to teach students of all ages on how to program robots, animations, web pages, and games. CS2N is a collaborative research project between Carnegie Mellon University and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The site is designed to attract students who plan to pursue advanced Computer Science and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CS-STEM) degrees.

Eyes on the Solar System
http://eyes.nasa.gov/index.html
Control space and time with real NASA mission data. You can fly with NASA's Voyager or even hop on an asteroid all from the comfort of your own home or classroom.

Frabroom
www.fraboom.com
Fraboom is the world's first LIVE interactive online children's museum. The site, which is ideal for children ages 6-12, specializes in engaging educational content that can work to strengthen the bonds between parents and kids through books, cartoons, classroom materials, websites, live presentations and interactive programming.

Fred Rogers Early Learning Environment
http://ele.fredrogerscenter.org
Early Learning Environment (Ele) helps parents and caregivers utilize media as a tool for PreK learning. The site offers a large number of learning activities in a variety of formats including songs, games, books, videos, and more.

Generation on Youth Advisory Council
www.generationon.org
Whether you are looking for something to do after school or to fulfill a service requirement, you'll find inspiration to change the world around you here. This interactive website has a volunteer position search, blogs full of personal stories, and offers project tips from young people like you!

Jet Propulsion Laboratory
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/videos
This NASA site has videos, games, and projects about outer space, the solar system, and space exploration.

Judy Schachner, Skippyjon Jones
www.skippyjonjones.com
Fun, festive, and full of fantastic resources, this author webpage includes interactive stories, games, print-outs, and educator resources.

Kids.gov
www.kids.gov
Kids.gov is the official kids' portal for the U.S. government. We link kids, parents and teachers to U.S. government information and services on the web from government agencies, schools, and educational organizations, all geared to the learning level and interest of kids.

KidsThinkDesign
www.kidsthinkdesign.org
Everything that people create or construct needs to be designed first--and whether the product is clothing or buildings, books, graphic art or gardens. This site offers just the tools to get young designers going on projects of their own. Those tools include design news, interviews with working designers in ten fields, suggestions for starter projects and even an online showcase for original work.

Money As You Grow
http://www.moneyasyougrow.org
Learn important lessons about financial responsibility for all ages. This site was developed by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability.

The New York Times Education
www.nytimes.com/learning
The New York Times Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on NYT content. It includes lesson plans and resources for teachers as well as quizzes and activities for students 13 and older.

Olympic: The Official Website of the Olympic Movement
http://www.olympic.org
Find the winners of every event in every Olympics since 1896--along with slide shows and videos, career profiles of renowned athletes, virtual exhibitions about the ancient and modern Games, Olympics news, and descriptions of each sport.

PBS Kids Raising Readers Kids Island
www.pbskids.org/island
Helps children develop and practice basic reading skills through online games and activities with their parent, teacher or caregiver.

Poisson Rouge
http://www.poissonrouge.com
This is an online play environment for the youngest of computer users. Learn vocabulary, shapes, numbers, music, time and much more. Poisson Rouge is structured in a way that makes it easy for very young children to navigate. There is a very broad scope of content.

Poptropica
www.poptropica.com
Created by Jeff Kinney of "Wimpy Kid" fame, this virtual world invites young gamers to create a character and to undertake age-appropriate quests on over a dozen "islands" based on themes from history, nature, and human culture.

The Science Kids
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts.html
Science kids provides fun and interesting information on science and technology, searchable by grade level. Find games, projects, activities and more!

SciJinks
http://scijinks.nasa.gov
SciJinks offers information for kids on the subjects of weather, the seasons and earth's place in the solar system. Includes facts, videos, and printable posters and bookmarks.

Seymour Simon
www.seymoursimon.com
Called by The New York Times "the dean of [children's science] writers," Simon offers information about himself and his books (over 250 and counting!) on his official site, along with study guides, science news and videos, a science dictionary and more.

TurtleDiary
www.turtlediary.com
Aimed at children from Pre-Kindergarten to second grade, this site offers over a thousand educational puzzles, games, projects, worksheets and more in areas from math and science to ESL and arts and crafts. Both paid and guest memberships are available.

We Give Books
www.wegivebooks.org
We Give Books enables children to read a book online and after doing so, a physical book will be donated to a child in need through literacy programs around the world. Created by the Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation, it combines the promotion of literacy, both to the child reading online and the giving of books, and the concept of giving.



All Ages Anime

On Saturday, December 29 from 2-4 we'll be celebrating one of my favorite traditions here at the library: All Ages Anime. I love screening Japanese animation for teens, and every winter and spring break I get to screen a fabulous anime film for everybody. Please bring the whole family to enjoy Studio Ghibli's Secret World of Arrietty (rated G). In this film, the Borrowers are tiny people that live among us in secret, but when tiny Arrietty meets human Shawn, the secret is out!

We'll also be providing Japanese snacks, games and crafts. Be there!

LEGO Construction Zone

Our next LEGO® Construction Zone will be held on Sunday December 283rd, from 1:30-3 p.m. in the Puett Room. Ages 5 and up are welcome to drop in to work on their own creations with other LEGO fans. We'll supply the building blocks; you bring your creativity! It's gonna be a ton of fun!!!

December 22 Movie Matinee

Tigard Youth Advisory Council and Tigard Public Library present

 

HOLIDAY MOVIE MATINEES
for the whole family!
Saturday, December 22
2-4 p.m., Burgess Community Room, All Ages
Santa's youngest son Arthur uses his father's high-tech operation for an urgent Christmas Eve mission. Get in the holiday spirit with this joyful PG-rated movie and festive snacks.

More Resources to Help Your Child

On Friday December 14th we posted a blog about resources to help you help your child during the wake of tragedy.  Today marks one week since the tragic shooting at the Clackamas Town Center.  We would like to offer you some additional resources that may be helpful to you when speaking to your child regarding tragic events.

American Academy of Pediatrics
Resources to Help Parents, Children and Others Cope in the Aftermath of School Shootings

PBS
How Do You Explain the Newtown Shooting to Kids

National Education Association
School Crisis Guide

Connecticut Education Association
Talking to Children About Violence

Save The Children
How to Help Children Cope with a Crisis

John Jensen Feels Different

In this quirky story from Norwegian author Henrik Hovland, we find John Jensen, a crocodile who wonders why he feels different in the world. He spends several pages trying to change how he feels by changing how he looks. An unfortunate accident sends him to the emergency room where a doctor reassures him that feeling different in the world is perfectly normal. I liked this book because the message of accepting the things about yourself that make you different is one worth repeating. Those who have enjoyed the Lyle, Lyle Crocodile books, might enjoy this one, too.

Mary, Mary quite contrary how do your Readers Grow?

"The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery."  Erik H. Erikson.

As a child, my friend and I passed our free time at home doing what looked like nothing much at all.  Laying around in the grass, collecting wild flowers, rocks, sticks, pine cones, assorted snakes and hundreds and hundreds of woolly bears!  Which by the way, got out in my bedroom!  But that’s another story. 

Truly one of our favorite childhood summer wanderings involved making mud pies.  One summer we meticulously made and decorated  hundreds of chocolaty colored mud confections with my father's shaving cream.  We added flowers from my mother's garden and the most perfect rocks and sticks from our collections carefully adorned each gooey top.

We discussed everything about our beautiful creations. How many layers they should have? Should we use her father's worm mix?
Or better yet, his worms for the filling!  Should we hire the neighborhood boy we had a crush on for help? Who should be in charge of turning off the hose and digging the dirt? And of course, who should be the boss of the shop?



Our freewheeling unencumbered play allowed us to construct the most successful neighborhood bakery in summer vacation history! As we added each delicious ingredient to our make-believe play: imagination, concentration, cognitive skills, internal verbalization, conversation, persistence, problem-solving and growing task building skills we made up our own rules.  

We sold our sunbaked goodies to the neighbor kids who paid with marbles, cool colored rubber bands
and gum wrapper chains. Social networking at its finest. 

Our bold entry into the business world was constructed with endless scenarios and conversations that lasted all summer long.

Little did we know that as we surmounted each challenge of our imaginative enterprise, we were learning how to self-regulate our own behaviors which is an essential pre-literacy ingredient.  We enthusiastically contributed to the foundation of our own house of higher learning and ultimately our ability to read.

Who knew you could do all this playing with mud pies!

Suggested Reads:

A Child's Work: the importance of fantasy play by Vivian Gussin Paley

Imagine Childhood: exploring the world through nature, imagination, and play by Sarah Olmsted

Talking to your kids about tragedy

While we have observed some unfortunage tragedies in the news this week, perhaps your child may be asking you questions that may be difficult to answer.  We would like to help you share two websites that offer tips in talking to your kids:

PBS Parents: Mister Roger's Neighbor Hood, Helping Children with Scary News:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/rogers/special/scarynews-thoughts.html

Addresses issues such as helping children feel secure, limiting your own television veiwing, talking and listening to your child, and helpful hints.

University of Minnesota Extension Service:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/youthdevelopment/components/7414-05.html

Offers pointers on how to talk to your children about violence against kids.  This is from their Preventing Violence in Our Scools Webpage. 

Weekend Adventure: Candy Cane Crafts

Join us in making some Candy Cane Crafts!  Drop in anytime on Saturday, December 15th from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the Puett Room, to get creative with a favorite seasonal confection, the candy cane! Make your own googly-eyed reindeer, beaded candy cane ornament, and a curly-tailed mouse. Squeak squeak!

Writing Workshop For Teens

Registration had already begun for a writing workshop for teens that will meet for four sessions, January 8, 15, 22 and 29. Do you have a teen in your life (in grade 8 and up) who loves to write, could use some guidance on a story or character, and would like to learn more about the writing process? They should Register now for a four week writing workshop taught by Kate Ristau, a folklorist, author and writing instructor at Western Oregon University. In the final session, we will publish a journal of the finished writing projects. Registration required. Stop by the Children’s Reference Desk or call 503-718-2656 to register.

Super Tuesday Magic Show

Join us on December 11th at 7 p.m.
for
The Parlor of Wonders Magic Show with Tim Alexander, Master of Marvels
in the Burgess Community Room!

Do you know what prestidigitation is? Find out at a magic show filled with wonder, laughs, music and authentic prestidigitation! You won’t believe your eyes as Alexander, Master of Marvels, makes objects appear, vanish, then reappear! Be amazed as the Master of Marvels himself performs the awe-inspiring library trick! You won’t want to miss this one, folks.

And the honor goes to...

...Jan Thomas!!!

Up to this point, my story times all center around a certain theme. But I have some favorite authors, and so I decided to plan some author story times. So Jan Thomas has the great honor of being the first. And she deserves it. I think I have probably blogged about her before, but she is GREAT! Her books are so much fun for ages 2 to 6. They really encourage active participation by your child which is a great way to develop the early literacy skill, print motivation, or in other words, enjoyment of books.

I just have to share the Rhyming Dust Bunnies that the kids created to hang on our bulletin board in the story time room.

Seasonal Concert

Popular rock/pop violinist Aaron Meyer will perform a rare FREE holiday concert featuring music from his holiday CD's on Monday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.  The concert is open to all ages and will be quite a memorable musical performance not to be missed!  To learn more about Aaron, visit www.aaronmeyer.com/

16th Annual Mitten Tree

December 1-31

in the Puett Room

Throughout the month of December, the Mitten Tree will be up in the Puett Room and ready to be decorated with donations of  new scarves, hats, and mittens.

For the past 15 years, library patrons have kept hands and hearts warm by donating over 2800 items to the Good Neighbor Center in Tigard!  Items donated will be distributed to people experiencing homelessness in Washington County.

Let's give our neighbors the gift of warmth this season!

The Mitten Tree is provided by the Friends of the Tigard Public Library

Want to discover e-readers?

Does your family have an e-reader?  Or is it thinking about giving or receiving one?  Library staff will offer a program that will introduce patrons to all the free books they can access through the library's Library2Go program. This program on discovering e-Books will be held in the Technology Room on the second floor of the library on Saturday, December 1.  Drop in any time between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to discover the world of downloadable books!  The Library2Go program also offers downloadble videos and audiobooks too!

The Man from the Land of Fandango

This is the latest offering from the team of Margaret Mahy and Polly Dunbar. The rhythmical rhyming of the text is so much fun, you'll be begging your kids to read it over and over. The illustrations are light and cheerful. The wimsical faces of the animals will put a smile on your face. Those who delighted in the antics of The Cat in the Hat, might also be entertained by The Man from the Land of Fandango.This book has some wonderful vocabulary as well: calico, trousers, bangles, din and of course, Fandango!

The Impossible Rescue

The Impossible Rescue: The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure by Martin W. Sandler tells the story of how eight whaling ships were ice-bound in Arctic waters off the coast of Point Barrow, Alaska, the most northern point in the United States in 1897.  That year the winter storms came early and it caught 300 sailors off their guard, locking the ships in thick ice with no way to escape.  The sailors had limited provisions to last themselves for what turned out to be nearly a year of being trapped.

The book goes on to tell how three men were appointed by President McKinley to go rescue the trapped sailors by trekking on land over 1500 miles through horrific terrain and freezing temperatures in the dead of an Alaskan winter using reindeer, sled dogs, and native peoples to carry thousands of pounds of provisions to Point Barrow before the sailors stave to death.  It was truly a race against time.

Sandler takes readers on every step of the journey providing first hand accounts of the rescuers, their journal entries, and vivid descriptions of raging blizzards, ice peircing cold temperatures, injured rescuers and animals, and the test of man's strength.  The book also includes black and white photographs throughout giving readers visual accounts of the men and women who were involved in the heroic rescue.  This is definately one unfortettable impossible journey!

Mega Craft Workshop

Sunday, November 25
1:30 - 4 p.m.
Burgess Community Room
All Ages

Create fused glass art with Rae Campbell, one-of-a-kind jewelry and much more.  Make gifts for friends and family . . . and yourself!  There's no age limit on creativity.  Adults, turn your inspiration into art.  Kids, make a construction pit stop at the LEGO table.

Story Time Break Nov. 19-23

This is a reminder that we are on a story time break for the week, November 19-23.  Being on a break this week will allow us to offer story times during the end of December when local schools are closed for the winter break.  However, please stop by the library this week to check out books to keep the kiddos busy during the holiday weekend!  Or why not try an audiobook for that long drive?  Librarians are here to help you!!!

Captain Underpants in 3-D!!!

I came across an article from School Library Journal that Captain Underpants will be hitting theaters with an animated 3-D movie!  No word yet on when this movie is to be released.  According to the Internet Movie Database, the film is being categorized as being "in development".  The film is in the development stages, so no word on when it will be coming out.  In the mean time, why not read the 9th book in the series: Captain Underpants and the terrifying return of Tippy Tinkletrousers.

Love is in the air???

Tuesday November 13th will be the release of the seventh Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, The Third Wheel. Abrams, the publisher of the popular book series has been promoting that "Love is in the air--but what does that mean for Greg Heffley?  Find out...11.13.12".  To celebrate the occasion, stop by the library and pick up a special magnet displaying the new book cover, while supplies last of, course!  And be sure to get your name on the waiting list for the book too!  I know I've been waiting MONTHS for this new release!!!  I can't wait for Tuesday!!!

Coby's Picks #2

You may notice it's been a long time since I posted the first Coby's Picks. Yes, I am very busy, but Coby's tastes didn't change much since the last time I posted, so I really haven't had much to report. That is something important to remember. Babies (and actually, preschoolers, too) like the same books OVER and OVER and OVER again. That is developmentally appropriate, and you should just humor them. If they want the same book OVER and OVER and OVER again, then read it to them OVER and OVER and OVER again. That is how they are learning! So here are his favorites right now:

Peek A Baby, by Karen Katz
Daddy & Me, by Karen Katz
Where Is Baby's Belly Button, by Karen Katz
Curious George to the Rescue: A Slide and Peek Book, by H. A. Rey
No No Yes Yes, by Leslie Patricelli
The Birthday Box, by Leslie Patricelli
How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors?, by Jane Yolen
How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?, by Jane Yolen

Jim Gill Family Concert

Join us on Wednesday November 7th at 7p.m. as we cheer on early literacy with award-winning author and musician Jim Gill, as he'll be traveling all the way from Chicago!  Music and play have never been so fun. We'll have a clapping, jumping, dancing good time. Be ready to move to the groove! All ages are welcome.  The program will be held in the Community Room.  Not Failiar with Jim Gill?  Why not check out and listen to his award winning A Soup Opera.  It is a personal favorite of mine!

November is National Picture Book Month

November is the second annual National Picture Book Month.  Why not celebrate in the joys of reading picture books by stopping by the library and checking out a book today!  We've got a display of staff picture book favorites that you can choose from to check out, take home activities and coloring sheets.  And a contest is on it's way too!  Stop by the library today!

One Year in Coal Harbor

Did you or someone you know read Everything on a Waffle?  Well, it's been 10 years since the book was published and won a Newbery Honor Award.  Now Primrose is back as Polly Horvath follows a year in her life after the return of her parents who were thought to have been lost at sea in One Year in Coal Harbor.  Primrose befriends a foster child, plays matchmaker with her uncle, and tries to save trees from being cut down from a logging company that comes to town.  This is one delightful year spent in a small fishing town in British Columbia...plus the added bonus of lots of recipes that Primrose is trying out for her cookbook too!

LEGO Construction Zone: October 28

Our next LEGO Construction Zone will be held on Sunday October 28th, from 1:30-3 p.m. in the Puett Room. Ages 5 and up are welcome to drop in to work on their own creations with other LEGO fans. We'll supply the building blocks; you bring your creativity! It's gonna be a ton of fun!!!

Costume Parade 2012

Thanks to everybody for coming out to our 3rd Annual Family Story Time Costume Parade! It was great fun! Tiger baby I'm holding is mine.

 Little Shaun White with the red wig in the front center is also mine.

 Rick Samuelson, Washington County's youth librarian, and his son, Fritz, (Dad with tiger baby) made an appearance!

Two little bumblebees who also happen to be library babies (their parents work here!). And they didn't even call each other to plan what they were wearing! Great minds think alike!

All Hallows Read

Neil Gaiman, he of the shaggy hair, dark clothing, prolific authorial genius, and spectacular wife, has invented a new literary holiday. Why? Because he's Neil Gaiman, he does what he wants!

Celebrating All Hallows Read is simple: just give someone a scary book on October 31st. That's all. You can even recommend a library book. Check out the video below of Gaiman explaining the whole thing in a zombie-ridden graveyard that looks remarkably like the cemetery where I used to eat lunch in high school. And here are some recommendations of spooky reads:

For Kids
Bunnicula by Deborah Howe
Pets are not always what they seem to be...

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
The title says it all, but the pictures are worth a thousand thrills.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline is bored with her parents, but when she meets her Other Mother she is lost in a creepy parallel world from which she may never return.

For Teens
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Mackie is one of the children left behind to replace a stolen baby. But he is the only one who has ever survived into his teenaged years. And he's not quite human.

I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
John Wayne Cleaver has fought his whole life to keep his darkness under control. When brutally slain bodies begin turning up in the neighborhood, he feels he is uniquely suited to investigate the crime, only to find out that the killer is unlike anything he has encountered before.

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
Helen has been haunting people for over 100 years, and for the first time even she has found someone who can see her. But will this teenage boy help her solve the mystery of her death?

Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Rory witnesses a murder by a Jack-the-Ripper copycat killer and becomes involved in a very unusual investigation.

Rot & Ruin  by Jonathon Maberry
In a post-apocalyptic world, there are zombies and there are people. Mostly zombies.

3rd Annual Costume Parade

Join me for the 3rd Annual Costume Parade during Family Story Time, Friday, October 26 at 10:15 or 11:15 in the Puett Room. We will do a regular story time and then go trick-or-treating around the library and show off our costumes. For just this date, participants will not be limited. I can't turn away a kid in a costume! Look how cute they are! Can you blame me? Just as an aside, in the picture on the top, the little dolphin in the front is my big guy, and the little cow I'm holding is my little guy.

Dia de los Muertos

We're looking forward to our Day of the Dead celebration on Saturday, October 27 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.! Bring the whole family to see an altar set up by the Spanish National Honors Society of Tigard High, munch on traditional pan de muertos, decorate a sugar skull, get your face painted, learn the skeleton dance, hear some stories and much, much more!

Learn More About Homeschooling in Oregon

Do you want to know more about homeschooling?  Join us for a FREE presentation by the Oregon Home Education Network, featuring a panel of experienced homeschoolers.  Panelists will provide an overview of homeschooling in Oregon and answer questions.  Participants will receive a handout with a list of homeschooling resources.  Join us in the Puett Room on Tuesday October 23rd from 7 to 8:30 p.m.  This event is open to adults only.

Scream Free Parenting

I have found myself losing my temper with my 4-year-old recently, and I do NOT want to get into the pattern of yelling at him. A friend recommended Scream Free Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids By Keeping Your Cool, by Hal Edward Runkel. And now I recommend it to you.

A more appropriate title would probably be "Emotionally Reactive-Free Parenting" but that doesn't quite roll off the tongue as well as "Scream Free." Basically, Runkel uses the word "scream" to represent any kind of uncalm reaction toward your child, be it screaming, avoiding, overcompensating, giving in, etc.

 

He posits that by focusing on yourself, you can become a better parent. Focusing on yourself means looking at how you can change your behavior to remain calm in a situation with your child that would normally cause you to scream. It also means creating space for yourself, separate from your child. It also means taking care of your own mental and physical health.

 

Within this framework, he gives tips for how to set and enforce consequences but use empathy at the same time. He uses a few personal examples and lots of examples from families he has worked with in his counseling practice.

 

Very helpful and very practical.

It's International Ivy & Bean Day!

Last Saturday was the first National Star Wars Reads Day.  Now today, Saturday the 13th is the first INTERNATIONAL Ivy and Bean Day!  Stop by the childrens' room in the library today to check out an Ivy and Bean book, pick up some activity sheets and a book related goodie while supplies last!

Poppin' Popcorn

Did you know that October is Poppin' Popcorn Month? What better way to celebrate than to make crafts out of popped and unpopped popcorn and stuff our faces with everybody's favorite snack from an old-fashioned popcorn machine? Join us Sunday, October 14 from 1:30 to 3:00 in the Puett Room.

BJ's Coming!!!

Everyone's favorite clown is coming to the library!  All ages are welcome to attend our next SUPER TUESDAY event with BJ the Clown and his Traveling Comedy Show on Tuesday, October 9th at 7 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.  He'll dazzel us with an exciting evening of comedy, magic, juggling, music, storytelling and puppetry.  It's sure to be a fun night for the whole family!

National Star Wars Reads Day

First graders on up are invited on Saturday October 6th to help make history as we celebrte the future during the first ever National Star Wars Reads Day!  Make galactic crafts, taste cosmic treats and answer trivia questions about those characters from a galaxy far, far away. Be sure to come dressed as your favorite Star Wars character.  Join us in the Puett Room from 2-4 p.m.  And may the Force be with you!

Governor Kitzhaber Proclaims October Information Literacy Month in Oregon

On June 26th, 2012, Governor Kitzhaber proclaimed October to be Information Literacy month in Oregon.
The National Forum on Information Literacy is leading an effort to encourage all states and U.S. territories to submit requests to their governors’ offices to proclaim October as Information Literacy Month. With a signed proclamation in hand, Oregon is ahead of many other states in the Information Literacy proclamation initiative.  Read the Governor's proclomaton here.  For ideas and tips on increasing information literacy in your family, visit the library!  We also have tons of resources you can take home to develop early literacy in your child to help prepare them to get ready to read too!

Banned Books Week, September 30 to October 6

Hundreds of books have been either removed or challenged in schools and libraries in the United States every year. According to the American Library Association (ALA), there were at least 326 in 2011. ALA estimates that 70 to 80 percent are never reported.


Celebrate the FREEDOM to read in this country by reading a banned book during Banned Books Week, September 30th through October 6th.  Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. It highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.  Come to the library and check out a frequently challanged/banned book today.  We've got a display of children's books that have been freqently challenged.  Or take a look at this list of frequently challenged books from the 21st Century.

Sock Hop TONIGHT!

Rock (and Roll) the Night Away TONIGHT at the Library Sock Hop with DJ Scott Tom!

Calling all bobby soxers and daddy-o's! Dust off your poodle skirts and polish those saddle shoes. We're going to the Hop! Join us for a fun night of classic oldies and dance. Legendary DJ Scott Tom will help us rock the night.

Be there or be square!

Join us in the Burgess Community Room, Friday September 28 from 7-8:30 pm. 

LEGO Construction Zone: September 23

Our next LEGO Construction Zone will be held on Sunday September 23, from 1:30-3 p.m. in the Puett Room. Ages 5 and up are welcome to drop in to work on their own creations with other LEGO fans. We'll supply the building blocks; you bring your creativity! It's gonna be a ton of fun!!!

Also--stop by the childrens' room and take a look at the lego creations on display just outside the Puett Room!

Splendors and Glooms, by Laura Amy Schlitz

How do I even begin to describe this book? Like other books I've read and enjoyed, it has magic, grief and loss, suspense, creepiness, some pretty scary bad guys, and some nice kids just trying to get by. That's not new. But unlike any other book I've read, it combines all those things in a unique way while adding puppetry to the mix, and it becomes so much more. The ultimate creepiness for me is children being changed into little marionettes; they are completely paralyzed, and completely conscious, relying on others to give them movement. This is not a book for the faint of heart. Though the story is nothing like Harry Potter, for me it still brings that series to mind. If your child has read Harry Potter, then he or she is ready for Splendors and Glooms, by Newbery Medal Winner Laura Amy Schlitz.