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!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
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!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
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
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
New Picture Book: Hattie the Bad
Hattie the Badby 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!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
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!
Monday, May 3, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
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.
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