Think Spring!

It sure feels like Winter outside, but Spring will be here before we know it! To get into the "Springy" mood, why not check out some Spring-time books? Two fun new titles that we just added to our Spring Booklist are:

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox
by Wendy Pfeffer









AND

How Mama Brought the Spring
by Fran Manushkin










See you soon at the Library!

Fabulous Fridays Homeschool Book Club

The Fabulous Fridays Homeschool Book Club will meet again on Friday, March 7, from 1:30 - 2:30. Our titles will be:

• Early Reader Roundup (Grades K to 2): Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
• Reading Rocks (Grades 3 to 6): Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff

Pick up your copy in Children's Services today!

Fort Wayne Ballet presents selections from Giselle

On Tuesday, March 18th @ 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. the Fort Wayne Ballet will present a family friendly mini-performance featuring beautiful dancing and music from Giselle. Seating is limited for this FREE performance. All groups (such as schools and daycares) must pre-register.
Don't miss this exciting program!

Spring Preschool Puppet Show!

The Spring Preschool Puppet Show is coming soon! Mark your calendar for one of these amazing performances:

• Sunday, March 16th @ 2 p.m. (Dress Rehearsal)
  
• Monday, March 17th @ 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, March 18th @ 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, March 19th @ 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 20th @ 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

If you are with a school or daycare, please remember that shows fill up quickly, so register your group now. Families do not need to register - just come and enjoy the fun!

Happy Snowy Day!

It is a beautiful snowy day at the Library! Click here to see photos of ACPL in the snow.

If you like to take photos, be sure to participate in our upcoming photo survey "A Day in Allen County". To participate, just take photos between midnight and 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2008. Then email your photos to ACPL and they will be added to the Community Album. For more information click here.

To look at photos from "A Day in Allen County" April, 26, 2006 click here.
To look at photos from "A Day in Allen County" February 27, 2007 click here.

The Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest

Kids in Grades K to 3 - enter the Young Writers and Illustrators Contest by March 7, 2008. For official rules and more information click here.

Art Out of the Box: Mail Art

Check out photos from the Art Out of the Box: Mail Art program on Flickr.

You can see the art pieces that kids from across the country sent to ACPL and the response pieces that the kids from ACPL sent back.

It's a fun and learning filled day in the Early Learning Center.

Dad plays with baby Catherine as Muriel looks on.















Mom and Rigell enjoy reading together.











We love it when grownups and their children read, play, and learn together in the ELC!

Kids love the Reading Tower

The Reading Tower is a popular reading spot for children 7 to 12 years old.

Count the shoes -- and divide by two -- to see how many kids were reading in the Tower.

Toddler Time

This morning's Toddler Time program was so much fun! We read about moons and stars, we sang, we jumped, we danced with scarves and we shared books. Check out more photos of the program on Flickr.

Join us next Friday at 9:15 a.m. for Baby Storytime and 10 or 10:45 a.m. for Toddler Time. See you there!

At Your Library! sung by Bill Harley

Bill Harley's songs and stories are engaging, energetic, and excellent for parents and children to listen to together. Ask your librarian to help you find some of his CDs.

Here's a fun song all about libraries performed by Bill Harley. Make sure your computer has speakers, turn up the volume, and enjoy! At Your Library by Bill Harley © 2005 Round River Records, used with permission http://www.billharley.com/

Early Learning Center Mailbox

Another piece of mail from the Early Learning Center mailbox.

Keep those wonderful letters coming!

A Child's Book Review

Maybe A Bear At It! by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley was reviewed by 3-year-old Helena:

Can you read it again? I LOVE that book!


Submit your child's book review to me via email and you may see it in a future "A Child's Book Review" blog post.

Weather Channel Kids

I just discovered another cool website - Weather Channel Kids! It lets you see your local forecast and play weather related games; it includes great resources like a weather encyclopedia and a weather glossary; it tests your weather readiness for a variety of weather conditions; and, it has a parent and teacher section for all you grown-ups out there. Check it out at http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/.

National Library Week Bookmark Contest

Design a bookmark! Visit any Allen County Public Library location to pick up a bookmark template, or get it here! Contest ends February 29, 2008.

Early Reader Roundup: Hi, Fly Guy!

Yesterday the Early Reader Roundup (Grades K to 2) kids met for our Fabulous Friday Homeschool Book Discussion. We talked about pests and pets as we discussed the book Hi, Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold. We each made our very own Shrinky Dink pet to take home. Then we created awards for our pets, because every pet is special and deserves an award!

Check out the creative pets and pet awards that we created on Flickr.

Join us on Friday, March 7th at 1:30p.m. to discuss Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish. Stop by Children's Services to pick up your copy of the book.

Art Out of the Box: African American Art

Yesterday afternoon the Art Out of the Box kids met to discuss African American artists. The art box contained a variety of beautiful and interesting art pieces.

After looking through the box, we talked about African American picture book artists and looked at many picture books. Ashley Bryan's Beautiful Blackbird was the inspiration for our collage project.

To see more pictures of the program, including all of the collages, visit Flickr.

We need YOUR help!

The Allen County Public Library has begun work on the 2007 Annual Report and wants your help! We'd love to include some great stories about how the library has helped our customers. How has the library helped you, or someone you know, with memorable and outstanding service?

• Were you able to gather materials for a college assignment on children's literature by using the Custom Collection service?
• Did you find an answer to what you thought was an impossible question by using Ask a Librarian?
• Did your family bond while painting a car or participating in a rocket launch on the Plaza or at another library activity last year?
• Did you use booklists to help your child learn about a particular subject?
  
• Is your homeschooling more successful because of Library resources?
• Have you watched your child learn as you play together in the Early Learning Center?
• Did your child celebrate turning 7 because it meant he could (finally!) go up in the Reading Tower to read?
  

We want to hear your Library success stories! Email your stories; we're waiting to hear from YOU! (But hurry! The deadline is Friday, February 22nd.)

Valentine's Day Craft

Visit the Children's Services Department today and make a silly Valentine's Day craft that is sure to make you giggle!

--All ages, younger children will need adult help

Pet Photo Contest Winners!

The winners of the 2008 Your Reading Pet photo contest are:

Ginger

1st place
0-5 age group

submitted by:

Jadon I.

Starlight

1st place tie

6-12 age group

submitted by:

Sarah H.

Putt-Putt

1st place tie
6-12 age group

submitted by:
Jacob S.

Scout

1st place
18+ age group

submitted by:
Megan F.

The winning photos will be on ACPL bookmarks, which will soon be available in the Children's Services department.

Congratulations to the winners!

Frogs & Flowers & Friends & Fish & Feet & Farm & Feelings & Fun

Tomorrow is Letter Play Day at the Library, featuring our fantastic friend, the Letter "F." We hope you and your preschooler will join us for storytime at 10:30 and then stay to learn and play together -- all about the letter F -- in our Early Learning Center.

Early Learning Center Mailbox

The mailbox in the Writing Center is a favorite feature of our 2,200 square foot Early Learning Center.

Stop by the Early Learning Center and discover and learn with your preschooler today. Be sure to drop a letter or drawing in the mailbox while you are here. We would love to hear from you!

Art Out of the Box: African American Art

Homeschoolers in grades 2 to 6, join us for Art Out of the Box: African American Art on Thursday, February 14th at 2 p.m.

You will have the chance to interact with pieces of art, talk about art techniques, learn about a few artists and hear about some great books. Then you can create a piece of art to take home.

Art Out of the Box meets every second Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. through May 2008.

Future topics:

March: Traditional Crafts

April: Wood Art

May: Photography

For more information about this program send an email or call Children's Services at 421-1220.

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

The 2008 Special Edition of Ripley's Believe It or Not! is here.

Believe it, or not!

Pet Photo Contest - Vote Now!

There's still time to vote for your favorite pet photo contest pictures! Visit the Children's Services department at the Main Library by 5 p.m. Sunday, February 10th to view all the entries and cast your vote.

Hugs and Kisses! Baby & Toddler Storytime

Our theme for Baby & Toddler Storytimes this week is
Hugs and Kisses!

Here's a fun rhyme you and your youngster can do together:

The Kissy Game
Kissy, kissy fingers,
Kissy, kissy toes,
Kissy, kissy baby
On your kissy, kissy nose!

I love to kiss your fingers!
I love to kiss your toes!
I love to kiss my baby
On your kissy, kissy nose!

Join us for Babies and Books, every Friday morning at 9:15 a.m.
and
Toddler Time, every Friday morning at 10:00 and again at 10:45 a.m. in Children's Services.

A big "THANK YOU" to our IT Services department!

Thanks to the great folks in our IT department, the Main Library now has a virtual tour online! Check out the Children's Services portion! We love it! Thanks Sean and Violetta and everyone else involved.

We love visits from elementary school classes!

Yesterday we enjoyed a visit from Miss Quick's 4th grade class at Central Christian. The kids enjoyed exploring, researching, reading, and using the new self-check machine at the Library. We hope they'll come back soon!

If you want to schedule a class visit to the Library, just give us a call at 260-421-1220. Now is the time to schedule your end of school-year visit!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Today is Mardi Gras. But the celebration started in Children's Services on Saturday, Jan. 26, when we made masks, shakers and shoebox floats and held a Mardi Gras parade in the Great Hall of the Library! Click here to see more pictures.

The Everything Kids' Environment Book

Learn how YOU can help the planet in The Everything Kids' Environment Book. In this title you will also find several puzzles, experiments and amazing facts all printed on recycled paper.

Get involved!

A Date with Coretta Scott King

In honor of Black History Month 2008, Condra Ridley will portray champion of human rights, Coretta Scott King, the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

She will share stories of her childhood, education, marriage, work in the Civil Rights Movement and lifelong nonviolent activism after Dr. King's death.

This portrayal will reveal a woman of strength and grace who kept "the Dream" alive. You know the great man: now meet the great woman who stood beside him - Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

Wednesday, February 13th at 2:00 p.m. for homeschoolers and 7:00 p.m. for families. Both performances are FREE and open to the public. Join us at the Main Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

You're a Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day

Carl fans, now you can find 6 classic Carl books all in one volume!

If you enjoy looking at wordless books and making up the stories, check out the books on our Wordless and Nearly Worldless Booklists.

Self-Check Machine in Children's Services

We are excited to announce that the Children's Services department now has a self-check machine on a trial basis. If you have books to check out, you and your kids can check them out without taking them to the check-out desk in the Great Hall. The Schaffer family (pictured) really appreciated the convenience! At this point, the machine will only allow you to check out books. If you have videos, CDs, videogames, or other nonbook items, they must be taken to the check-out desk in the Great Hall.

Let us know what you think of this addition. We think it will be particularly useful for families with young children. We hope it will be well-used.

HOMESCHOOLERS! Mark this date on your calendar, now!

We are excited to announce that on Friday, March 14th, we will have the first (hopefully annual) Homeschoolers' Sneak Preview so you can learn more about some of the amazing educational (and fun) resources and programs available from area organizations.

Dozens of organizations will be represented, including The Allen County Public Library, Science Central, Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Harold W. McMillen Center for Health Education, The Lincoln Museum, and many, many more. The program will begin at 9:00 am at the Main Library in downtown Fort Wayne. Parking is easy and FREE if you have an Allen County Public Library card.Publish Post

Many organizations will have tables with information for you to browse explaining their services and resources. Many will also offer 20 minute interactive "sneak previews" for the whole family. The program is free and all participants will be eligible to receive a door prize offered by participating organizations.

Tell your friends! We hope to see you there!

Explore Winter

Look outside and you'll realize that now is the perfect time to Explore Winter! This interesting book includes 25 winter projects, activities and experiments. Spring will be here before you know it, don't miss your chance to learn about winter! Want more books about winter? Check out this list!

If you just can't wait for Spring, be sure to join us at our Groundhog Day program on Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 in the afternoon. Will we have six more weeks of winter, or will we have an early spring? If the groundhog sees his shadow on Saturday, February 2nd, folklore says we can expect six more weeks of winter weather. If there is no shadow, it is a sign of an early spring. Check out the official website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club for more ideas of activities you can do to "celebrate" Groundhog Day.