ACPL Mock Newbery & Mock Sibert 2009 Results!

ACPL Mock Newbery 2009 Winner:
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

To see the honor book visit the ACPL Mock Newbery blog.

ACPL Mock Sibert 2009 Winner:
Ain't Nothing But a Man: My quest to find the real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson

To see the honor books visit the ACPL Mock Sibert blog.

Kwanzaa Begins!

Kwanzaa begins today and lasts for seven days.

My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz is a nice introduction to the holiday for very young children. For older children, check out Paper Crafts for Kwanzaa by Randel McGee. This title is full of creative projects to make in celebration of Kwanzaa.

Happy Kwanzaa!

Happy Birthday Indiana!

Today the state of Indiana is 192 years old! Happy Birthday Indiana!

Celebrate the day by learning something new about this great state. ACPL has a lot of interesting books about Indiana, including H is for Hoosier: an Indiana alphabet by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds.

Hurray for the Hoosier state!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you would like to read an interesting new book about the history of Thanksgiving, check out Thanksgiving: The True Story by Penny Colman. Did you know that there was a "first thanksgiving" celebrated in Texas 80 years before the Plymouth celebration? If you didn't know this you are not alone, I learned a lot from this book - it is not just for kids!

The ACPL is closed today, we'll see you tomorrow at 9am.

An Autobiography

This hysterically funny autobiography is brought to you by none other than the first National Ambassador of Young People's Literature: Mr. Ambassador AKA Jon Scieszka.

Jon grew up with 5 brothers and in Knucklehead:Tall tales and mostly true stories of growing up Scieszka, he shares a lot of their adventures and mis-adventures. But even better than that - this book might answer the question: "How did Mr. Ambassador get so funny?"

If you like Jon Scieszka, or if you just like funny, or if someone told you " you have to read an autobiography", or if you like to read, or if you don't like to read, check out Knucklehead. I bet that you'll like it.

Election Day!

Today is Election Day!

Looking for a good election book to read while you wait in line, or perhaps for a way to explain the democratic process to a young child? Check out the titles on our Election Booklist.

Bugs are Insects by Anne Rockwell

So what are bugs? Do you REALLY know what makes a bug, a bug? Did you know that not all insects are bugs, but all bugs are insects?

If you are a little unsure about the answers to these questions, check out Bugs Are Insects by Anne Rockwell. This book is a Stage One Let's Read and Find Out Science Book, so the facts are explained so that preschool & kindergarten children can understand them. I learned a few things from this book, maybe you will too!

True Green Kids: 100 Ways to Save the Planet

I just saw this brand new book and had to tell someone about it!

True Green Kids, by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin, has tons of easy things anyone can do to help save the environment -- at home, at school, on vacation -- anywhere! And it also provides plenty of resources, so you can keep learning about this important issue.

For even more books and resources for kids about the environment, take a look at our Recycling and Environmental Issues Booklist.

Cool Stuff Exploded: Get Inside Modern Technology

What is better than cool stuff? Cool stuff exploded, of course! Cool Stuff Exploded: Get inside modern technology by Chris Woodford is overflowing with amazing 3-D computer generated images of, well, cool stuff! Included is an animated CD-ROM featuring some of the images.

Have you ever wondered what is inside of your microwave? Check out pages 110 & 111. What about a watch? The watch on pages 144 to 149 is made of 140 tiny pieces!

Don't miss this book!

Parenting Read: Last Child in the Woods

I just finished reading Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv and I would recommend that every parent and educator take the time for this enlightening read.

Louv's compelling title showcases nature and the numerous positive benefits that children (and adults) can gain from spending time outdoors - including increased attention span, physical fitness and stress relief.

The 2008 edition includes "100 actions we can take" which range from simple activities for kids and families to suggestions for transforming communities.

Remembering September 11th

We have many books about the events of September 11, 2001 in the Children's Services department, including this lovely title by Maira Kalman. Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey shares the true story of a retired fireboat launched into emergency service.

Exciting FREE opportunity

We don't usually promote information for older kids, but here's some information we just received which talks about a program which could be great fun for classes and homeschooling families with older kids (middle school) to think about 'attending':

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt invites teachers, librarians, booksellers, and reading groups to participate in a special live webcast with David Macaulay on October 7 at 10:00AM EST.

MacArthur genius and Caldecott Medalist David Macaulay is beloved by teachers, librarians, and readers around the world for his ability to explain just about anything. Now he has turned his attention to the most complicated structure of all: the human body.

Register today to watch David talk with middle-school students about his new book, The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body (available 10/07/2008). Participants viewing the webcast online can email questions for him to answer in real time. Macaulay will also discuss how he creates his books, his career, and other popular titles including The New Way Things Work, Mosque, Cathedral, and Black and White.

Webcast details:
Tuesday, October 7
10:00AM EST
Free

To register, and for more information on David Macaulay and his books, visit www.thewayweworkbook.com

After registration, you will receive guidelines for hosting and viewing the webcast.

If your class or homeschool family participates, we'd love to hear about it!

Fun Nature Website!

Check out eNature.com for lots of information about wildlife.

Tonight I read about

• what happens to birds in a hurricane
• how to identify what animals are in the area by their scat
• how much scientists don't know about dragonfly migration

and

• what plants, animals, and birds might be living in my backyard

Check it out! (And then come to the Library for more books on these subjects!)

Happy Labor Day!

The Library is closed today for the Labor Day holiday. Wondering what Labor Day is all about? Check out one of our books on the topic.

Don't think of Labor Day as the end of summer, there are still three weeks left of the season. Fall doesn't truly begin until the Autumn Equinox on September 22nd. So there are still a few weekends left for picnics, bbqs and trips to the lake!

See you at the ACPL when we re-open tomorrow at 9am!

Saxton Freymann at work

Saxton Freymann, the artist behind the books How Are You Peeling?, Dr. Pompo's Nose, and Dog Food, creates amazing art using food!

Hit this link to go to Teaching Books.net to watch a 4 minute video about Freymann's food creations and his books. In this video Freymann shows how to transform regular food into food with a mood. Take a look!

Teaching Books.net is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers and kids looking for author websites, book guides or booklists. Check it out today!

A Child's Book Review: Time to Pee

Time to Pee by Mo Willems was reviewed by 3-year-old Robert:

I like to pee and go potty. I like the mices in this 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.

It is the Summer Solstice!

Today is the longest day of the year!

Celebrate by reading Under Alaska's Midnight Sun, a book about Barrow, Alaska where the sun stays out for 83 days!

Or read Ellen Jackson's non-fiction book The Summer Solstice to learn more about the longest day.

Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost

Don't miss this beautiful new picture book by local author Helen Frost. The lovely illustrations by Leonid Gore are the perfect compliment to the poetic text.

Calling All Racing Fans!

It's May, and you know what that means...the Indianapolis 500 will be here before we know it! Don't forget to stop by the Library and check out some of our great books about race cars and drivers! Here are two of the newest titles you can find in Children's Services:

This is My Racing Car,
by Chris Oxlade












Danica Patrick,
by Jeff Savage

A Child's Book Review: Here Comes Mother Goose

Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells was reviewed by 2-year-old Nora:

Rhymes. Yes. We can read it every day.

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.