Early Learning Center Mailbox

Another wonderful drawing from the Early Learning Center mailbox.

Tell your child a story about this picture and you will help her to develop her narrative skills. Or have her draw one of her own and tell YOU a story.

Honk, Honk, Goose!

Have you ever wondered about the families of Canada Geese that you see all over Fort Wayne? Honk, Honk, Goose! is a wonderful new book by April Pulley Sayre all about these interesting birds. In this book you can see the geese meet, build a nest, lay eggs and start a family. Check it out!

Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival

Cherry Blossom Festivals are held all over Japan in spring every year. Hanami is the Japanese word for cherry blossom viewing parties. At hanami parties, people have fun, drinking, eating, and singing during the day or night. It is like a picnic under the trees. Usually, people bring food, do BBQ, or buy food from vendors for hanami parties.

People of all ages are warmly invited to attend a Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival right here at the Main Library, May 31st from 12:00 - 6:00 PM.
There will be Japanese food, traditional dance, a bonsai exhibit and a karaoke competition among other activities.

A Good Thing About Construction!

If you know a child who loves everything construction, the library is the place to be!

In the Children's Department of the library, we have great fiction and non-fiction books about construction vehicles and our librarians will be happy to show you where they are shelved.

But the best thing is our very large windows that let your child view the real life construction going on right outside!

Believe it or not, the construction is a limited time engagement - so get here before they are gone!

Pre-Vacation Reads

Whether you're planning an out-of-town vacation this summer, or just going to stick around the good 'ol state of Indiana, here's a suggestion -- read up on the places you're going to visit before you go!

Here at the Library, we have non-fiction books about the states, biographies of famous people, and lots of picture book and chapter book stories set in real places. Before you take your trip, check out some of these books and familiarize yourself with the area and the people!

Here are some suggestions if you're planning a "stay-cation" here in Indiana:

H is for Hoosier: An Indiana Alphabet
by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds








The Best of Fort Wayne, Volumes 1 and 2
by George Mather










The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts
by Richard Peck










If you're going out of town, ask us for some pre-vacation suggestions -- we love to help!

Hurrah! It's Easier to Get to the Library

Wayne Street, which had been closed near the library for several weeks during city sewer work, has been reopened! This will make it a lot easier getting to the library.

Ewing Street is still closed -- currently north of Jefferson, to Wayne Street.

Memorial Day

The Library is closed today for Memorial Day.

To learn more about this holiday check out some children's books like "Let's Get Ready for Memorial Day " by Douglas Lloyd.

Fort Wayne Soccer Great

Today is the 27th birthday of soccer great, DaMarcus Beasley. He was born and raised in Fort Wayne and attended South Side High School. He currently plays for the Scottish Premier League Rangers and the United States soccer team. If you are interested in learning more about this Fort Wayne native or other soccer players, stop by the library and let a librarian help you.

Indy 500 Tomorrow

Fast cars, drama and a three day weekend - what's not to love about the Indianapolis 500?
The Indy 500 is an Indiana tradition that has been around for over 50 years!
The history of the race is fascinating and the library has many books for you to take home.
Did you know that the fuel mileage of an IndyCar Series car is less than 2 miles per gallon?
Amaze your friends and family on Sunday with this and other race facts!

Birds for Spring

Kevin Henkes is a fantastic illustrator. He won the Caldecott Award for illustration in 2005 for Kitten's First Full Moon. But he wrote the words in his latest picture book and the illustrations were created by Laura Dronzek. She did a great job. The color and movement found in her pictures are the perfect accompaniment to Mr. Henkes' story of a girl who admires birds from her window and discovers something that she has in common with them. Check out this book, look out your window, and draw a picture of the birds that you see.

Mrs. P's Storytelling Site

If you are in the mood to listen to a good story, but can't make it to the Library, try out Mrs. P. Mrs. P tells stories on a wonderfully interactive site for children and their grown-ups. Listen to some fairy tales, play games, or write a letter to Mrs. P. The first page of the site has information about what you will find on the site. Just click on ENTER THE MAGIC LIBRARY to visit Mrs. P's storytelling world. There's plenty of online reading and story fun for a wide range of ages and interests!

Bug Pizza for Dinner?

As it says on the first page of Bug-a-licious, by Meish Goldish, "One eater's 'yuck!' is another eater's 'yum!' More than 1,700 kinds of insects are eaten in over 100 countries around the world." Check this book out and learn where to hop on a plane and travel for a taste of Wasp Crackers, a handful of Honey Ants, or a crunchy snack of Dried Stink Bugs. And you may be surprised to find out that you don't have to go very far to lick a Cricket Lollipop.

Get Graphic!

Graphic novels are great options for young readers - they offer fast-paced action, conflict and heroic endeavors - all things young readers embrace!
Graphic novels also provide a perfect bridge for young readers transitioning from picture books to text-only books.
Many of the issues that emerging readers have traditionally struggled with can be eased by graphic comics' simple and inviting format.
Stop in the library and take a graphic novel home today!

Positive Discipline

Adults! Join is on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 6:00pm at the Main library in Meeting Room A for some positive parenting tips from S.C.A.N ( Stop Child Abuse and Neglect).

This presentation will include ways of managing stress in a busy household during tough economic times by incorporating positive discipline techniques and healthy forms of communication.

-Parents and other adults who work with children

Summer Journals

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney, and its sequels, are so popular that the books, CDs, and Playaways are nearly always checked out here at Children's Services. If you enter the word "journal" in the advanced search card catalog and also enter Children's Services in the location search box, you will find 214 other books that have something to do with journals. Many are chapter books. If you're waiting to read one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, maybe you would like to read one of the other journal books. And whether or not you're a "wimpy kid," maybe you'd like to keep a diary of your own this summer. Look at this website for some ideas: http://kids-indoor-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/keep_a_summer_journal

Winners of the 2009 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards

On April 28th, 2009, the Jane Addams Peace Association announced its 2009 Winners:

Books for Younger Children:

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
written and illustrated by Claire A. Nivola

Honor Books:
The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos
by Lucía González, illustrations by Lulu Delacre
Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad
written and illustrated by James Rumford

Books for Older Children:

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom
by Margarita Engle

Honor Books:
The Shepherd's Granddaughter
by Anne Laurel Carter
Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry, by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson



The Jane Addams Childrens Book Awards are given to books that "effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence."
--Jane Addams Peace Association http://www.janeaddamspeace.org/

Have Fun With Words

Take advantage of every opportunity to play with words!

Playing "I Spy" with your children is a great way to increase vocabulary in a fun and interactive way.
You can play it anywhere - the grocery store, the doctor's office or the carpool line. Not only will your children learn, but it will make waiting and shopping more fun for everyone!

Reading Rocks! Wrap-Up

The Reading Rocks! Homeschool Book Club for 3rd through 5th Graders wrapped up its last meeting of the school year on Friday, May 8th, with a discussion of Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

This book received an overwhelmingly positive review from those in attendance, with comments like...

"...there wasn't anything I didn't like about this book..."

"...it was funny..."

"...my favorite part was when Ralph was stuck in the trash can with the motorcycle..."

Are YOU a Beverly Cleary fan? Try out the Trivia Quizzes on her official website, and test your knowledge!

What is Happening This Week @ Your Library!

Want to know what's happening at the Allen County Public Library this week? Melissa, one of our IT librarians, puts together a spiffy video breakdown of our Library happenings every week.

Check out this week's video entry!

C-SPAN's Civics Bus is coming to the Library

The C-Span Civics Bus is coming to the Library!

Today from 1:30 to 3:30, the 45-foot mobile production studio and demonstration center will be at the downtown Library at 900 Library Plaza.

Hosted by Comcast, the bus will be open to the general public for tours and will share some of C-Span's educational and civic resources.

A Child's Book Review: Little Bear's Visit

Little Bear's Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak was reviewed by 6-year-old Fiona:

I read Little Bear's Visit to my sister and Mama. I especially like the last part when Little Bear thought he wasn't tired and then he fell asleep. I think that is funny!

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.

Follow That Car! Talking & Reading to Infants & Toddlers

Did you know that talking and reading with very young children is one way of getting them ready to read? Encourage your child to get involved with books by using the CAR method:

Comment and wait

Ask questions and wait

Respond by adding a little more

(Waiting at least five seconds after commenting or asking questions gives the child time to respond.)

Ask your librarian for more ideas or visit
our Everybody Reads page for more ideas.

It's never too early! Start Now!

Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires!

Want to learn more about how forest fires start and how they can be controlled? Smoky Bear Kids is a website that helps kids learn more about forests and the fires that can destroy them. Take a look at this website for information and fire-fighting games.

Mother's Day Flower Pot

Join Us Tomorrow for a Craft

Flowers that last forever - created with love! And just in time for Mother's Day! Children of all ages are encouraged to stop by the library Saturday May 9 anytime between 1:00 and 6:00 pm to create a gift of love for that very special someone.

No pre-registration is required. We will have art stations set up in the Children's Department.

This craft is designed to meet Indiana Academic Standards.

Fairy Tales!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears...









The Gingerbread Man...











Rumpelstiltskin...










...these are just a few of the fairy tales that you may have heard or read. But did you know there are LOTS of different versions of these old, old stories? Take a look at our Fairy Tale Booklists, and check out some of the books - you may find some new favorites!

Early Learning Center Mailbox

We really enjoy the drawings children complete when they visit the Early Learning Center. The writing center is just one of many activities for little ones and their grown-ups to enjoy together. Designed for children age six and younger, the ELC is open from the time that we open Main Library until one hour before closing, Monday through Thursday. It's open all the time during our weekend hours. Children must be accompanied at all times by an adult. Because the ELC is designed for interactive play between caregiver and child, we ask that computers and cell phones be used elsewhere in the library.

A Child's Book Review: The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog, by Dav Pilkey

The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog, by Dav Pilkey, is reviewed by 4-year-old Robert:

I like when Big Dog eats the mud and drinks the puddle. I like the skunk.

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

Listen As You Read

Children's Services has a new collection. When you want to listen to a book, check out a Playaway. It's a pre-loaded digital book. The iPod-size "player" comes in a library case that looks like a video case. Just plug in your headphones and listen while you walk, or listen while you ride in the car, or listen while you read along. We have short stories, chapter books, and even some non-fiction. Type Playaway into the library catalog and find a title you like.

Sol-Fest 2009

Celebrate the sun by visiting Sol-Fest this Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd and 3rd, between 12:00p.m. and 8:00 p.m.



This event will be held at Fox Island County Park.

Stop by the Children's Services table between 12:00pm and 5:00pm to pick up a calendar of free activities at the downtown library and to
do a creative craft to take home!



$5 per person, kids 11 and under are FREE!

Birth to Baby Fair

Visit the Main Library this Saturday, May 2nd between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00p.m. for the third annual "Birth to Baby Fair"!

Birth to Baby is a FREE event featuring seminars, workshops and exhibitors that support the needs of growing families in our community.




Check out our Birth and Babies Booklist to find great titles in Children's Services about breastfeeding, siblings, new babies, and other baby related books for kids.