Happy Screen-Free Week!

Screen-Free Week is a national celebration where children, families, schools, and communities spend seven days turning off entertainment screen media and turning on life.  It's a time to unplug and play, read, daydream, create, explore, and spend more time with family and friends.

This week, why not turn off the TVs and computers in your house and grab a book instead?  Need some other ideas of ways to fill your screen-free week?  Check out this list of 101 Screen-Free Activities or stop by the library!

A Day in Allen County

Grab your cameras!!

It's time for the
Day in Allen County Photo Survey!


Kids and adults are invited to participate -- on Saturday, April 16, 2011, simply go out, wherever you are in Allen County, and take some photos of what you see. Then email them to the library and we'll put them all together for our Spring 2011 edition in the Allen County Community Album.

To see last year's entries, click here.

PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest

 

Are you in Kindergarten through Third Grade?

     Do you like to write? 

          Do you like to create original art? 

Have you entered the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest? 

Kids in Kindergarten to Grade 3 are invited to write and illustrate a story for the PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest. Entries will be accepted at the Woodburn Branch or the Main Library until 6:00 pm on Friday, April 15th.

Check this link for complete rules, an entry form, and a list of other participating locations.

Kids LOVE Graphic Novels

This is what the graphic novel collection looked like after a busy Saturday. So many books were taken home that the rest were falling over. We love to see books go home with kids. We hope that you will come back next weekend and take home MORE books!

April is National Poetry Month!

Jack Prelutsky -- Shel Silverstein -- Douglas Florian
Lee Bennett Hopkins -- Karla Kuskin -- J. Patrick Lewis

What do all of these people have in common? They're children's poets! Now is the perfect time to read -- aloud -- some poetry. We have plenty here for you at the library. But you can also look online. Check out some poets' websites, like Jack Prelutsky's, where kids can read some of his fun poems, and grown-ups can find activities and lesson plans.


Or, try this page from Scholastic.com, in which Jack Prelutsky leads children through the process of writing their own poetry. At the end, kids can even publish their poetry online, and read poems that other kids have written!

Who is your favorite poet?

Spring Break Smorgasbord!

Looking for something fun to do during Spring Break? Check out the Spring Break Smorgasbord events in Children's Services. We'll have a different activity each day from 2 to 4pm. Don't forget our Art Room is available for you to use anytime the library is open - this Spring Break stop by to create a fantastic collage.

Monday, April 4th 2 to 4pm - Letterboxing at the Library
Tuesday, April 5th 2 to 4pm - Do You Like Legos?
Wednesday, April 6th 2 to 4pm - Games Plugged and Unplugged
Thursday, April 7th 2 to 4pm - Art Room Extended
Friday, April 8th 2 to 4pm - Swashbucklin' Search

We hope that you will spend some of your Spring Break with us!

What is happening on the Mock Caldecott blog?

The discussion has started already over at the ACPL Mock Caldecott blog. New, wonderfully illustrated books are being released every day! Check out the blog to see the best of the best & join the discussion.

My favorite illustrated book (so far) of the year, is not on the blog yet, but I am going to suggest that the moderator add it. Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Vicky White is absolutely gorgeous! Be sure to suggest some of your own favorite books too.