All Ages Anime

We're welcoming the New Year on Friday, January 2nd from 2-4 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room with Japanese animation, snacks and crafts for all ages! Join us for a screening of Studio Ghibli's classic My Neighbor Totoro. If you haven't yet explored the amazing world of Ghibli films and books, please do. The movies are fantastical, beautiful, creative, and much more gentle than the typical American kids movie. Grown ups love the films too, for their sense of wonder, nostalgia and cultural information. Check out one of our offerings, and join the fun!

Lego® Construction Zone

Maybe you're a future engineer. Maybe you're a kid who likes to build. Or maybe, you're just looking for something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon! Drop by the Puett Room December 28 and build amazing creations. We’ll supply the blocks, you bring imagination. The fun begins at 1:30 and lasts until 3:00.

I Spy Pete the Cat

What is blue, has two pointy ears and says, “It’s all good”? Pete the Cat of course!  He’ll be moving along and singing his song in a new spot every day beginning December 21, 2014 through Sunday January 4, 2015. Your skills of observation will earn you a small prize!

Let it Shine!

It's getting dark out there!
Light up the darkest days with something shiny! Join us this Saturday from 1:30-2:30 to make shining star ornaments, sparkly beaded necklaces & shimmering snowflakes. Or spend the whole hour with a stapler, making the longest paper chain in history!

Hooray for Unicorns!

Kids today are so incredibly lucky that so many wonderful books have been published within recent years that cover a multitude of topics.  I remember growing up thinking that Unicorns were special creatures containing a lot of magic and mystery.  Unfortunately there were no books available on the subject of unicorns (that I was aware of) that shared this same sense of wonder.  But now, I am pleased to share some fun and AWESOME unicorn books that do just that!  Check these out today!  (You'll be glad you did!)

  Unicorn Thinks He Is Pretty Great (Picture Book)
by Bob Shea
If you've got a youngster at home who loves unicorns and rainbow colors AND sparkles, this is the perfect book! At first, Goat envies Unicorn because he goes around acting like a show-off.  But then Goat Admires Unicorn and eventually the two become friends.

Uni The Unicorn (Picture Book)
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Uni the Unicorn believes that little girls are real, despite her unicorn friends and family insisting that don't exist.  Fun retro style illustrations mimic that of vintage Golden Books while giving Uni beautiful grace.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn: A Heavenly Nostrils Chronicle (Juvenile Graphic Novel)
by Dana Simpson
Phoebe has no choice, but to believe in unicorns in this brand new and adventurous graphic novel. Lots of reviewers are comparing this friendship to that of Calvin and Hobbs.  I couldn't agree more!







Lily The Unicorn (Picture Book)
by Dallas Clayton

Lily the unicorn teaches her new pal, Roger the penguin, that it's fun to try new things.  Dive right in to experience a lot of fun!

Celtic Winter Solstice

Embrace the warmth of the season with The Stomptowners, a dynamic group featuring traditional Irish instruments, voice, and foot percussion.  They will dance and play ancient carols and traditional tunes of the Celtic winter solstice.  All ages are welcome to come join in the fun on Tuesday December 16th, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.

This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Tigard Library.

STEAM Saturday

Did you know that solving puzzles strengthens cognition abilities? Being able to solve puzzles is the same part of the brain that works math and music as well. So, to celebrate this fact, here's a puzzle for you.

'We eat what we can, and we can what we can't.'
Can you explain who could make this statement?

To find out the answer, check out the book The Puzzle Emporium Presents Amazing Brain Teasers: mathematical diversions, lateral thinking puzzles, riddles, conundrums, and more by Erwin Brecher.

Staff Picks Are Coming to a Library Near You!

A great thing about working at the Tigard Public Library is working with a staff full of readers. Coworkers are always sharing interesting titles with each other.  Now, we want to share them with you!  Beginning today, Wednesday, December 10, find out what books have enthralled, entertained and energized library staff.  Look for the staff picks displays in the Children’s Room and on the second floor near the top of the stairs. The selections are as diverse as the staff!  Read a staff pick today!

Super Tuesday: The Curt Show

Want to witness come SERIOUS funny juggling?  Look no further!  Local juggling mastermind Curtis Carlyle will be here on Tuesday December 9th at 6:30 p.m. to combine some very serious juggling with a giggle-worthy comedy show.  Need to warm up your funny bone?  So stopy by the Burgess Community Room and warm up your insides!

What Fun Washi Tape

Looking for some fun that will stick? Join us December 7 from 1:30-2:30 for What Fun Washi Tape! We’ll make bookmark people, garlands, decorate journal covers and much more! This program is best for ages 5 and up.

Annual Mitten Tree

This year we are celebrating the 18th annual Mitten Tree here at the library!  Throughout the month of December, bring new hats, scarves and gloves to decorate the branches of the tree, located inside the Puett Room. The Good Neighbor Center will give them to homeless families in Washington County. The Mitten Tree is Generously sponsored by Friends of the Tigard Library.

2014 Mega Crafts Workshop

Come one, come all, to our annual crafting extravaganza!  Projects will abound for all ages, from cards and decorations to crafts suitable for gift giving. Join us in the Burgess Community Room Sunday, November 30 from 2-4 p.m.

Generously sponsored by Friends of the Tigard Library

Mustaches for Movember

It turns out that November, or I should say Movember, is a good month to highlight some fairly new books we have about mustaches.  There's not too many kids books out there on the topics, so here's some fun ones to enjoy:



Mo's Mustache by Ben Clanton (Picture Book)
Monster Mo shows off his big, beautiful mustache to all his friends.  It then inspires all of his friends to copy his style by growing fabulous mustaches of their own, leaving Mo to wonder how he will continue to distinguish himself.  This book makes for a great read on learning about being true to yourself and accepting other's differences.






Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos (Picture Book)
Baby Billy was born with a mustache.  His parents must figure out if it's a Good-Guy mustache, or a Bad-Guy mustache.  You'll never see a mustache on a baby quite like Billy's!










Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger (Juvenile Fiction)
Lenny Flem Jr. is the only one standing between his evil-genius best friend, Casper, and world domination as Casper uses a spectacularly convincing fake mustache and the ability to hypnotize to rob banks, amass a vast fortune, and run for president.  A perfect read for reluctant readers as this is packed full of humor and laughs.

Fall Story Time Break

This is just a reminder that we will be on a one-week story time break November 24-28, 2014.  You and your little ones are still welcome to stop by the Puett Room and play with toys!  We will be back in session starting on December 1st!  Click here to see our winter story time schedule!

Lego® Construction Zone

Future engineers and mathematicians! Drop in to work on your Lego® creations with our builders and give our race track a spin. We'll supply the building blocks; you bring the creativity.
This all ages event begins at 1:30 and lasts until 3:00.

Tree News

Last week we unfortunately lost our large pine tree outside the front library doors in the windstorm late at night on Veteran's Day. (See our Facebook post on November 12) However, to cheer readers up from the loss, here's some fun tree books that just might bring on some happy faces and provide opportunities to learn about trees.

This Tree Counts by Alison Formento
Before they begin planting new trees, Mr. Tate tells his students to listen closely as the lone tree behind their school counts out ten ways it serves the needs of different animals.

Cat Up a Tree by John Hassett
With rapidly increasing numbers of cats stuck in her tree, Nana Quimby asks for help from the firehouse, the police, the pet shop, the zoo, the library, and even city hall, but no one will help rescue the cats!

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
An interactive book that invites the reader to tap, rub, touch, and wiggle illustrations to make an apple tree bloom, produce fruit, and lose its leaves.  This book will provide lots of continuous fun!








Maple by Lori Nichols
A nature-loving little girl's favorite playmate is her maple tree, until the day she's surprised with a baby sister.











A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry
This Caldecott winning book describes the value of a tree

And if you are still sad, there's always The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, as a tree is a gift that keeps on giving!

STEAM Saturday

Meep, meep!
Have you ever watched the Looney Tunes cartoons with Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner?
Poor Wile E.! He tries to outsmart the Road Runner with all kinds of contraptions that never work. Why don't they work? Sometimes it's a combination of his impatience and the laws of physics!
And what a fun way to learn about physics. Take a look at these books

Smash!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With Simple Machines by Mark Weakland
Splat!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With States of Matter by Suzanne Slade
Thud!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With Forces and Motion by Mark Weakland
Zap!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With Energy by Suzanne Slade

Then, the next time you enjoy some of his cartoons, you'll appreciate that he is a physical science genius.

Ziptang!

International Games Weekend

Join us Saturday, November 15 and Sunday, November 16th for an all day, all ages event.
Games are taking over the library! Bring your friends or the whole family and play self-service board games and more.

Two Hot New Titles!

I'm super excited about two fabulous books I read this week.  Now I know neither of these two books don't need any extra promotion, but for those of you out there who haven't heard the news, I've gotta let you know about them!  The holds lists are growing, so be sure to place your holds now before the wait gets longer!!!

Elephant and Piggie are back in their latest installment in Waiting Is Not Easy!  Piggie is sooooo excited to share a BIG surprise with Gerald.  And of course, Gerald is too excited to wait for the surprise, and keeps tormenting Piggie to give it to him right away.  Piggie insists that Gerald must wait and wait and wait.  After the agonizing wait, Gerald is met with a wonderful surprise that even the reader will be truly surprised!  Want to know what it is?  I can't tell you.  You must wait!  And believe me, it is worth the wait!  All of us in Youth Services are super excited about this book!  Miss Jaime says, "It was deliciously awesome.  Just when I thought the Elephant and Piggie books couldn't get any better, they did!" This title will be a perfect read for those of you out there who have kiddos who need a little encouragement in learning the art of patience. 

The other awesome book I read this week was book 9 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  We all know that Greg Heffley needs no introduction as he's wiggled his way into the hearts of many elementary school readers.  In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Mom Susan insists that the family take a road trip for everyone to spend some quality bonding time together.  While the trip starts off with good intentions, it ends up with one problem after another.  Bad gas stations, unbearable hotel rooms, seagulls, lost keys, a piglet, no cash, and a trip to the vet weren't what the Heffley family had in mind, but one page after another is guaranteed for some belly bursting out-loud laughs!  I'm surprised no one around me complained about my laughing while I was reading...it was just that funny!

Authentic First Person

I think some authors are more successful than others at really capturing the voice of children in the first person. I have been fortunate enough to read three great examples recently. What I particularly love about all three of these books is that they cover some very serious issues and in no way dumb it down or try to protect the reader from these very difficult situations.

• Pack of Dorks, by Beth Vrabel. Fourth grader Lucy knows what it is like to be one of the most popular kids in school, and thanks to her former best friend and former boyfriend, she now also knows what it is like to be a dork. But is it really so bad being part of a pack of dorks? Sometimes. A very poignant story of bullying and true friendship.
• Kinda Like Brothers, by Coe Booth. Jarrett is used to his mom fostering babies that have been through horrific situations, and he tries not to become attached, because they come and go and there's nothing he can do about it. But then his mom just can't stand to separate baby Treasure and her older brother Kevon, so Jarrett gains a new brother(?)/enemy(?)/friend(?). Sharing his mom with these needy kids, and now having to share his friends, activities, and worst of all his room with Kevon, Jarrett learns a lot about abuse, family, and friendship.
• Rain Reign, by Ann M. Martin. Rose (rows, roes) lives with her dad and her dog, Rain (Reign, Rein). Her dad found Rain on a stormy night (knight) and brought her home as a gift. There aren't a lot of happy times in Rose's life other than the time (thyme) she spends with her dog and the time she spends with her uncle. But what happens if Rain isn't actually Rose's dog after all? And what happens when her dad just can no longer handle her Aspergerish need to call out homonyms every single time she hears one (won)?

SUPER TUESDAY: Komedy 4 da Kids

Angel Ocasio will be here to present his Komedy 4 da Kids show on Tuesday November 4th at 6:30 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.  A master physical comedian, Angel will present a high-energy one-man variety show combined with comedy, jokes, juggling and magic.  Be ready to experience an interactive show full of hilarious antics!!!  You won't want to miss this perennial favorite guest of the library!

5th Annual Costume Parade

Despite my original post about the costume parade, the title of this post is correct. I guess I just got ahead of myself. This was not the 6th year. I can't not share pictures from the 5th Annual Family Story Time Costume Parade, so here are a few highlights.



Crazy Cat Lady and I'm pretty sure Dwight from the Office

Princess and the Frog



Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos

Join us Sunday, November 3 from 1:30-2:30 in the Burgess Community Room!
Celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed on. listen to stories, make mini altars and skeleton puppets, decorate sugar skulls and make tissue paper marigolds. Enjoy hot cocoa and pan de muerto, too!

Domingo, 2 de noviembre, 1:20-2:30pm
Burgess Community Room
Para todas las endades

Celebremos y recordemos a los seres queridos que han fallecido. Van a escuchar cuentos, hacer mini altares y títeres de esqueletos, decorar calaveras de azúcar y hace caléndulas de papel de seda. iPodrán disfrutar de chocolate caliente y pan de muerto, también!

El Deafo: A New Young Superhero

Stuck with meningitis as a four year old, Cece Bell was left without her hearing.  Growing up, she dealt with annoying hearing aids and feeling different from all the other kids around her.  Now an award winning writer and illustrator (and not to mention, Tom Angleberger's wife!), Cece takes her personal story and turns it into triumph through her new-found superpowers in El Deafo.  Here she transforms people of her past into rabbit characters to tell her childhood memoir in this delightfully illustrated, touching and empowering graphic novel for kids.  Even kids who do not have disabilities will make a positive connection with the characters in this book.

5th Annual Costume Parade

Come one, come all! The 5th Annual Family Story Time Costume Parade just so happens to fall on Halloween itself this year! Join us on Friday, October 31 at 10:15 or 11:15 for a fun-filled Halloween story time to be followed by a costume parade throughout the library. This is the one day a year that I do not limit the amount of people who attend. Who's going to turn away a kid in a costume? Not me!

Lego® Construction Zone

It's time for another Lego® Construction Zone where kids can discover their inner-engineers. It's all about the fun of creating and assembling. Find out how well you can design a speedy vehicle and give it a run down our race track.
The fun begins at 1:30 and lasts until 3:00.
This is an all ages program!

STEAM Saturday

It's STEAM Saturday, once again, where we give you ideas to incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics into your daily activities.
Remember David MaCaulay's The Way Things Work? It's exciting to know that some of the content from that book has been repackaged as Non-fiction Early Readers, making the concepts accesible to the beginning reader crowd. The books are full of MaCauley's signature detailed artwork.
The series is called How It Works.

It's Book Sale Time!

It's time again for the fall Friends of the Tigard Library Book Sale!  Three days of book bargains you won't find anywhere else!  Come stop by the Burgess Community Room during these times:

Friday October 17, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday October 18, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sunday October 19, 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  *Bag Sale*

 

And be sure to stop by the Circulation Desk to pick up your 50 cent off coupon!





 

PlayFoam Program

Did you miss the PlayFoam sculpture program? We sure had fun! 
Take a look at some of the creations that were made.

Goodbye, Zilpha Keatley Snyder

I am feeling so sad today after learning of the death of Zilpha Keatley Snyder. I have fond, fond memories of curling up with The Egypt Game and The Gypsy Game as a child. Although I do not remember the entire plots of the books, I still remember very vividly some of the scenes she created in her stories, almost as if they had happened to me. I feel cozy just thinking about them. RIP, Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

STAR WARS READS DAY!

Two years ago the library celebrated the first ever national STAR WARS READS DAY!  We are super excited that we will be celebrating again and this year it's going to be bigger and better, as this national party has turned into an international celebration!  Join the huge party at the library in the with games, crafts, trivia, prize drawings, giveaways, plus watch The Cone Wars on the big screen!! Also, costumes are encouraged, so come dressed in your favorite Star Wars character.  AND...members of Cloud City Garrison (a legion of dedicated fans wearing film-authentic costumes) will be here dressed as Star Wars characters, so be sure to bring your camera, as there will be lots of photo ops!  The party is open to all ages and is on Saturday October 11, 2-4 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.

SUPER TUESDAY: Hobey Ford's Golden Rod Puppets

Hobey Ford's Golden Rod Puppets will be presenting the show: Migration on Tuesday October 7th at 6:30 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.  This spectacular puppet show tells the story of Beatriz, a girl from Mexico whose journey follows the migration of the monarch butterfly.  Beatriz finds her home in the world through the stories of animals who must migrate to survive. 

The show is open to those in first grade and up and will be performed in a darkened room.

PlayFoam Sculpture

Become a sculptor Sunday, October 5 from 1:30-2:30. Start with satisfyingly squishy PlayFoam, then and chenille sticks, googly eyes, feathers and much more. Take your creation home to display or
re-design. This 3-D art adventure is an all ages event.

More e-books!!!

In case you haven't heard the news, WCCLS has launched a new e-book platform.  I'm pleased to announced 3M Cloud Library.  This news service is in addition to the Library2Go service which the county already offers, which is also available to Oregonians state-wide.  The 3M Cloud Library is a service specific to just Washington County library patrons!  So now you can download popular e-books for all ages quickly and easily using the 3M Cloud Library app on your tablet, phone, PC or Mac. You can get access to great e-books, anytime, anywhere! And it's sooooo easy to use!  Click here to get started!