Memorial Day

All locations of the ACPL are closed today for Memorial Day. The Main Library will be closed on Sundays for the summer. Sunday hours will resume after Labor Day.

To learn more about the Memorial Day holiday, check out Memorial Day by Lynn Hamilton.

Summer Hours

The Main Library is now closed on Sundays for the summer. Sunday hours will resume after Labor Day.

Looking for something to do on Sundays? Check out an ACRES Landtrust nature preserve, or explore a new Fort Wayne Park.

Lifetime Sports Academy

The Lifetime Sports Academy is open to boys and girls ages 8-18 and offers free group lessons in the lifetime sports of golf, tennis and swimming. The program begins June 14 in McMillen Park and operates Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Group lessons in golf, tennis and swimming will focus on skill development, training, and participation and will be taught by certified coaches and highly trained professionals and volunteers. The Lifetime Sports Academy is funded by the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department and is offered to area youth FREE of charge.

Pre-register on-line through May 31, on Opening Day, or at the McMillen Park Pavilion at any time during the program. A Lifetime Sports Academy brochure with schedules, registration form and detailed information is available on-line or by calling 427-6000. Beginning June 14, you may call the Academy at 427-6760 or stop by the pavilion in McMillen Park.

Thank you Sierra Club

Today is the anniversary of the Sierra Club which was founded by the famous naturalist, John Muir in 1892. The Sierra Club promotes conservation of the natural environment by influencing public policy. It has been especially important in the founding and protection of our national parks.

The caterpillars are here!

We are so excited to present our annual butterfly program. This is a program that begins today with the arrival of our furry friends, the caterpillars and ends with the release of butterflies on June 28th. There are changes that happen everyday in the "butterfly bungalow" located in the Children's Services department and you won't want to miss a thing. The caterpillars are busy eating and preparing for their metamorphoses! We invite everyone to stop by and spend some time watching nature at it's best.

Yucky Worms

Who would want to be friends with a wiggly, slimy, yucky worm?
You can't even tell which end is which!
But there's more to these lowly creatures than meets the eye. Find out where worms live, how they move, and why gardeners consider them friends in this humorous and informative look at the unappreciated - and fascinating - worm.

Greatest Day in Track and Field (in 1935!)

During the Big Ten Championships at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Jesse Owens, representing Ohio State University, broke three world records and tied a fourth in the space of 45 minutes ~ from 3:15 to 4:00 pm! The "Buckeye Bullet" (who was suffering from an injured back) set records in the running broad jump, the 220-yard dash and the 220-yard hurdles and tied the record for the 100-yard dash.
An amazing day in sports history!

Lifetime Sports Academy

The Lifetime Sports Academy is open to boys and girls ages 8-18 and offers free group lessons in the lifetime sports of golf, tennis and swimming. The program begins June 14 in McMillen Park and operates Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Group lessons in golf, tennis and swimming will focus on skill development, training, and participation and will be taught by certified coaches and highly trained professionals and volunteers. The Lifetime Sports Academy is funded by the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department and is offered to area youth FREE of charge.

Register on-line through May 31, on Opening Day, or at the McMillen Park Pavilion at any time during the program. A Lifetime Sports Academy brochure with schedules, registration form and detailed information is available on-line or by calling 427-6000. Beginning June 14, you may call the Academy at 427-6760 or stop by the pavilion in McMillen Park.

New York Public Library Opens!

The main branch of the New York Public Library opened to the public on this day in 1911.
Follow the link above to visit their website for kids!

Alien Baby??

From the pages of the New York Times and the pen of Printz Award winner Gene Luen Yang comes a tale of math, aliens, and new siblings.Thaddeus doesn't like his new sister (she's not that smart and she gets all the attention). He likes her even less when he discovers that she's an inter-dimensional conduit for peace-loving aliens (who are totally lame all they want to do is knit socks for the homeless and have sing-a-longs!). But what's even worse is that no one will believe him about any of this! How is he ever going manage to grow up to become the President of Earth?First serialized in the New York Times Magazine, Prime Baby is a laugh-out-loud look at sibling rivalry.

New Picture Book: Born Yesterday: The Diary of a Young Journalist

Move over Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Now we have

Born Yesterday: The Diary of a Young Journalist!
by James Solheim
illustrated by Simon James

In this hilarious picture book, a baby tells about his experiences -- like being born without"... wearing so much as a hair ribbon..." and discovering the "thingy hanging over my crib..." His big sister can do so many things, he thinks "she may secretly be a genius..."

Kids of all ages will appreciate this picture book -- including those with baby brothers and sisters. Have you read this book? What did you think?

Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic!

Today is the 78th anniversary of Amelia Earhart's historic flight across the Atlantic. The 2,026 mile flight took 13 hours and 30 minutes. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
Stop in the Children's Services department and check out a book about this amazing person.

Photo Riddle Books

We just received a GREAT new series! In Mystery Animal Tracks, there is a photo of the animal tracks & a riddle - you figure out the answer. Here is one of the riddles:

Sneaky Stalker
On shadowed trails I sneak and prowl.
A creature comes near, a tasty snack.
I press my wide paws to the ground.
I pounce! I grab! I drag it back.
WHO AM I?
(from Mystery Animal Tracks: A Photo Riddle Book by Kelly Barnhill, page 19)

Also check out, Camouflage Clues: A Photo Riddle Book by Megan Cooley Peterson & What's That Shadow? A Photo Riddle Book by Christopher Harbo.

A Question for Mr. McKissack

Last week we collected an interesting question for Fredrick McKissack, Jr.

Dear Mr. McKissack: How long does it take to write a novel? - Lettie

That's a very good question, Lettie. It's hard to say because all books are different. The short--and unhelpful--answer is that the book is done when it is done. What it comes down to is the author knowing the work is ready for an editor. One of my favorite books is Frederick Forsyth's "Day of the Jackal". The actual writing took about 35 days, but he said he spent 12 years on research. Elizabeth Kostova's bestseller "The Historian" took 10 years to write. The first draft of Shooting Star was done in two months, but there were numerous drafts and rewrites before it was good to go. It was a year-and-a-half process. I worked on a comic/graphic novel a few years ago, and the time from first draft to finished manuscript was four months.

Again, great question. Thank you Lettie.

Do you have a question for Fred McKissack, Jr.? Send it to me.

Turtles & Snakes, Oh My!

Natalie, a naturalist from Fox Island visited the library on Saturday with her reptilian friends. The kids enjoyed meeting the turtles and trying on snakeskin. Check out more photos here.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Have you always wanted to be involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization, but thought you didn't have the time? Well, there are a variety of ways to make a difference in a child's life with just one to two hours a month! There is the Lunch Buddy Program, the Sports Buddy Program, the Arts Buddy Program or the First Friends Program. Being a mentor impacts a child's life in so many positive ways! Don't keep a child waiting any longer ~ do it! Call 456-1600 today to ask about a program that will fit into your schedule!

If you liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid...

Try the Popularity Papers. Ignatow's hilarious scrapbook-style debut novel follows two best friends on their quest for popularity in junior high. As the girls write their own story, their friendship evolves in touching and relatable ways.The story is told in a notebook format, this heavily illustrated title shows their research in dramatic handwritten entries and colorful, funny drawings.

2010 Children's Choice Book Award Winners

On Wednesday, May 12th, the winners of the
2010 Children's Choice Book Award Winners
were announced, as part of
Children's Book Week.

They are:

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
Lulu and the Big Chick
by Paulette Bogan

3rd - 4th Grade
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
by Jarrett Krosoczka

5th - 6th Grade
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
by Rachel Renee Russell

Teen Choice
Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins

Author of the Year
James Patterson, for Max

Illustrator of the Year
Peter Brown, for The Curious Garden

Congratulations to the winners!

Our Green Trail

Sponsored by the Boston Children's Museum,
Our Green Trail
is a website for families to learn about environmental issues and responsible choices they can make everyday. Registration is free, children must enter their parent's email address, and then parents can activate the membership by responding to the email.

Members work on "challenges" that are real-world activities, such as finding recyclable objects in their junk drawer and taking them to a local recycling center. Points are gained for every challenge met.

Check it out at http://www.ourgreentrail.org/ .

Congratulations!

We are the proud recipients of the We the People "A More Perfect Union" Bookshelf!
This grant is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The NEH issues a We the People Bookshelf each year on themes related to American ideas and ideals. We are proud to have received this grant and will be using the books awarded in a variety of ways. Click on the link to see the collection for this year's "A More Perfect Union" Bookshelf.

Happy Birthday Michael!

Michael has been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting to turn 7 years old. Why was he so anxious to be seven? Because he wanted to read in the Reading Tower, of course!

Happy Birthday Michael, we hope that you enjoy hanging out in the Reading Tower for the next 5 years :)

Happy Mother's Day!

We hope that you enjoy this Mother's Day!

Not only is today a day to remember and celebrate our mothers, but in Northeast Indiana, the last frost usually happens before Mother's Day. That means that the weather is warm and it is time to plant a garden!

Happy Mother's Day to you!

2nd Saturday Family Storytime at the Library!

What could be a better start to your Saturday than a visit to the Children's Services department for a fun-filled story time? Join us at 11:00 am today for stories, rhymes and music ~ our story times are perfect for children of all ages!
After story time (or before!), you can visit our amazing Early Learning Center or our enormous fish tank! The library is a great place for families!

STAMP OUT HUNGER TOMORROW

The National Association of Letter Carriers will hold their 18th annual "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive TOMORROW, May 8th. This is the largest one day food drive in the nation. It is easy to participate: just fill the bag, provided to you by your postal carrier, with canned food and other non-perishable items. Leave it out by your mailbox TOMORROW, May 8th! That's it! Help the NALC reach its goal of ONE BILLION POUNDS of food collected!

Popular Science Archives

Oh, what a fascinating archive to explore! Popular Science & Google have teamed up to bring us 137 years of Popular Science magazine for free. Here are a few fun things that I stumbled across:

• An application to sign up for the first moon flight from August 1952
• The First Successful Color Movie from February 1923
• What Radio Set Shall I Buy? from October 1924
• Planet X is Now Pluto from August 1930
• Who Was the Iceman? from January 1993

Be careful - once you start browsing these archives it is difficult to stop!

New Picture Book: Hattie the Bad

Hattie the Bad
by Jane Devlin
illustrated by Joe Berger

Fans of Ian Falconer's Olivia and Kay Thompson's Eloise will appreciate the humor of Hattie, who so enjoys making mischief, but finds that it doesn't always work out for the best -- but, then again, sometimes it does!

Super Moms! Family Storytime

Bring your special someone to the Library this Saturday, May 8th, for Family Storytime! We'll be celebrating the wonderful ladies in our families -- moms, grandmas, aunts, and others. Storytime starts at 11:00!

Four Questions for Fred McKissack, Jr.

Over the last two weeks we collected four questions for ACPL Writer in Residence Fredrick McKissack, Jr.

1. I would like to know how you get the names for the people in your books. - Anonymous

I sometimes use first names of people I know, and I do use last names from my own family. However, what I try and do is find a name that works for the character, a name that resonates with me and, hopefully, the reader. There's a logic to it. In Shooting Star, Jomo's parents gave him that name because of the respect that have for the great Kenyan leader Jomo Kenyatta. Given his parents' political and social leanings, the name makes sense. I've changed the names of characters because the name didn't sound right. For me, it comes done to what feels and sounds right.

2. What do you do when you can't think of anything to write about? - Gabriel

Oh, that rarely happens. I have too many ideas--not all of them are good. The real problem is getting to the best idea, and even then a publisher or editor might not like the idea as much as I do.

3. What is your favorite book written by your parents? - Josie

That's a hard one, but I love Flossie and the Fox. It's a timeless story, and Flossie is a brave character that all children can identify with and root as she outwits the fox.
Thanks for the question, Josie.

4. Which of your books did you enjoy writing the most? - Kim

I really enjoyed writing Shooting Star. It was a long, but fun process of going from basic idea to a complex story with multi-dimensional characters. Black Diamond is high on the list, too. One of the great benefits about writing non-fiction is how much you as the writer learn in researching a subject. I thought I knew baseball, but working on that book really opened my eyes and mind to the past struggles of African-American baseball players.
Thanks for the question, Kim

Do you have a question for Fred McKissack, Jr.? Send it to me.

May is National Bike Month!

May is the perfect month to dust off that bike and hit the trails! The next time you visit the Library, ask us to help you find some fun bike stories, or books about bike safety or different kinds of bikes.