Halloween Story Time

It's that time of year when everyone is looking for something a little spooky.  I try to have some fun not-too-spooky stories for the younger set - ages 4 - 6 children.  Some of my favorites are:

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams  which has lots of opportunity for participation.

Mrs. McMurphy's Pumkin by Rick Walton  in which a nasty pumpkin get's it's comeuppance from a farmer.

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman in which some spooky creatures try to pick a huge pumkin off a vine.

Song fun songs to dance to can be found on Kidz Bop Halloween.  I also do an adaptation of "If You're Happy and You Know It."  You can name various costumes such as if you're a skeleton and you know it wiggle your bones, if you're a ghost and you know it just say "Boo", etc.  You could tailor it to the costumes of the children at story time, or just pick 3 basic ideas. 

Several fun games are "Pass the Witch's Broomstick" and "Witchy Witchy Where's You're Broom."  For the first you need a broom (I found one at Michaels).  Have the children stand in a circle and carefully pass the broom around as you sing :

"Pass the witch's broomstick round and round the room.
While the music's palyig quickly pass the broom.
Anyone is out if the broomstick drops
Or the one who has it when the music stops!"

The children who are out get to sit in the middle of the circle and be stirred into the witch's brew.  This works best with children ages 4 and up.

For the 2nd game, you need a small broom that can be hidden behind the children's back.  One child sits on a chair in the middle of the circle with the broom underneath.  The 'witch" closes their eyes while the group chants:

 "Witchy, Witchy where's your broom?
Someone has it in this room. 
Who could it be?"

You silently tell one of the circle to take the broom and hide it behind their back.  Everyone in the circle puts their hands behind their backs and when the chant is over the 'witch' opens their eyes and gets 3 guesses as to who took their broom. Then the child with the brrom takes over as the "witch."

Happy Halloween!!!

Children's Authors to visit the Ames Free Library

Wow!  Summer is over and school is back in session, but that doesn't mean the fun ends at the library!  We have 3 exciting author visits coming up in the fall.

First, on Saturday, October 1, we will be welcoming Steve Cotler the author of Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything.   This was a really fun book that I highly recommend.  Mr. Cotler lives in California, but the book is set in Gloucester, Massachusetts so he is paying a visit to the east coast and we are lucky enough to have him visit our library for a reading and book signing.  Cheesie Mack will appeal to kids who like funny stories like The Wimpy Kid series.  Ronald "Cheesie" Mack is an 11-year old who recounts his escapades in 5th grade: sneaking mice into the school assembly, devising a point system for sibling rivalry with his older sister June "the Goon", and planning a fun summer at camp with his best friend Georgie.  Along the way there's a haunted house, a mystery and lots of new words - Cheesie loves to invent new words and asks readers to do the same.  The book is very entertaining and interactive - readers are encouraged to go to the website http://www.cheesiemack.com/ for more jokes, games, facts, surveys and a way to communicate with Cheesie! I posted a comment online and that is how I got in touch with the author!  I have ordered additional copies for the library and you could reserve one online.  It promises to be a fun visit!

On Saturday, October 8, Easton's own Leo Landry is hosting an open mic comedy afternoon to celebrate his picture book Grin and Bear It.  In the picture book, Bear dreams of performing stand-up comedy, but he has stage fright!  Learn how he overcomes his fear with the help of his friends.  Children are invited to come and tell their favorite joke.  We'll have lots of  joke books on hand if you'd like to read one!  This should be a very funny afternoon at the library! So come in and find a joke and practice telling it to your family and than come and share it our our first children's comedy club!

Finally we look forward to welcoming Easton's newest author Anna Staniszewski!  Her first children's novel, My Very Un-Fairy Tale Life, will be published this November.  I was lucky enough to get to read an advanced reader's copy and I loved it - lots of adventure, magical creatures and a spunky heroine!  Jenny is an 12-year old "adventurer" who is sent in to protect the magical world.   Jenny has been dealing with  bloodthirsty unicorns, baby dragons, a very inept gnome sidekick and more for over 3 years and she wants out! Why can't she live a normal life in middle school?  Join the author in a round of mini golf, make an origami frog and enjoy some fairy tale snacks.  Ms. Staniszewski will also read from her book and have copies available for signing.

I hope many of you will stop by to one or all of these programs and support these wonderful authors!

Boys and Reading

I never thought I'd be recommending a book with the title Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading, but this book by Tommy Greenwald is a must read!!  The author is the father of 3 boys - Charlie, Joe and Jack - who always complained that they hated reading.  He decided to write a book about not reading for his boys to read. 

In the book, Charlie Joe has pride in the fact that he has made it to middle school without reading a single book.  He explains how he was able to do this without flunking by bribing a friend to read for him.  But when his friend decides to back out of the deal, Charlie is left scrambling for a new way to avoid reading.

 Charlie has a lot of complaints about books that he tries to change with his book.  The book is filled with his tips i.e.:  "Tip # 1 If you have to read a book, make sure it has short chapters."  Charlie Joe points out that this way you can tell your parents you've just read 3 chapters and they'll be happy - they don't know that 3 chapters might only be 3 pages.  In this book, he tries to keep the chapters very short.  Other tips cover how to avoid reading and how to show parents that you actually DO read - ie menus, video game instructions, texts, etc.

It's a perfect book for your reluctant reader - funny and filled with "tips" that are sure to get laughs.  But don't worry parents, even though it's a book about not reading you're child is actually READING!!!!

Summer Reading Program with Wayne Potash

On Monday, July 11th Wayne Potash performed in Queset Gardens as part of the Ames Free Library Summer Reading Program.  Over 175 children and adults enjoyed the evening of songs from around the world as well as some favorite songs by Wayne.  It was so wonderful to be able see the gardens filled with children dancing, singing, jumping, blasting off and having a ball.  The evening was warm, but the shade offered a great place to spend as ealy summertime evening.  If the weather is good we hope to have more of our summer programs outside in this wonderful performance space.

The Parkview First Graders Visit the Library!

Ms. Maxwell's Class with Miss Cathie

This month, I have been happy to host the 1st grade classes  from Parkview School on a trip to visit the library.  In April, I had visited the school library to share a story, give out library cards, and talk about the library.  I am able to visit all the lower elementary schools each year, but this is the first time the groups have been able to visit the library. It's really great for the children to see the connection between their school and the public library. The five 1st grade classes walked over and some even had lunch in the garden. They came for a library tour and a story. It is so exciting to have the library be a destination for the students.

So far, the students have been most excited about getting the "behind the scenes" tour.  They feel very priviledged to be able to see the back of the book drop, the processing room, and the staff kitchen.  Visiting these off limits places serves to make them feel they are really a part of the library. When books actually came down the book drop as they watched from inside there were squeals of excitement! The students loved seeing how new books arrive at the library and what needs to be done before they are put on the shelves. 

Other highlights of the tour are the elevator with "fake books", the rooftop gargoyles, the Ames family portraits, and the 3rd floor which was once the librarian's home.  It is amazing what wonderful questions the children raise: "What is the oldest book in the library?", "How many books are in the library?", "How many people work here?', "What is your favorite book?" 

It amazed me how some children really loved the history part of the tour.  Some knew who Oliver Ames was in the portrait over the stairs and a few knew that the Ameses manufactured shovels.  The children had many questions about the Ames family.  One highlight, for me, was when I brought the classes into the fireplace room, I would ask if they knew who was depicted in the bas relif over the mantle.  The first guess was usually "that guy on the penny" or Abraham Lincoln. Another guess was George Washington, until someone finally guessed, or read, Oliver Ames!  The children of Easton really seem to learn about their town's history at an early age and are surrounded by so much history on a daily basis.  It's really remarkable to see how much they have absorbed.

The children were also quite interested in the library collection and loved looking at books.  They knew the difference between fiction and non-fiction and were eager to talk about books.  We shared several library or book themed stories after the tour: The Library Lion by Michele Knudsen and Tell The Truth, B.B Wolf by Judy Sierra. I also shared Argus by Michele Knudson with one class that just happened to be hatching chicks like the class in the book!

After the visits I received packets of thank-yous from the students which included wonderful drawings of the library and letters expressing how much they enjoyed the visit.  Some comments:

"My favrit part was the behind the seens tour." and "The behind the sees tour was really cool."

"My favorite part was seeing where the librarian used to live."

"I wunder what Oluver Amse looked like and his mater?" and "I reele like the histre of the library."

"I liked the wallpaper in the ellavader, I liked how it looked like books!" and "I liked how you deakaradid the elavatoer."

"The gargoyle was cool."

"I relly want to lern moor."

"Thank you for letting us see things that we do not no about the library."

"Maybe I can come and get a book with my little sister someday." and "I wunder when I will go back?"

"My favorite part was when you read us the book...I also liked seeing ware you eat yore lunch."

"Thank you for the tour and insclusive sneek peek it probably is my favorite this year."

"P.S. A good library means a good town."

"Out of all the libaray's in the wrold I like Ames Free Library the very best."


There were so many thank-yous and so many more questions, such as what my favorite books are,  do we have have books about parrots, how many people work here.  It was so fun for us all to read these wonderful letters and enjoy the great artwork.

Thank-you to Mrs. Silverstein, Ms. Maxwell, Mrs. Duggan, Miss Hill and Ms. Piesco and all their first grade students for allowing us to host you at the Ames Free Library. Thank you to Mr. Getchell for making books, reading and the library such an important part of the Parkview School. I hope more classes will decide to take a field trip to the library next year!

Summer Reading!!!

It's hard to beleive it's that time again - summer! At least the weather is finally feeling like summer.

Summer was always my favorite season for reading.  Growing up, our house had a beautiful screened in sunporch with a comfy recliner where I would spend many hours of my summer vacation reading book after book.  I would take the bus to  the West Roxbury Branch Library at least once a week and come home with an armload of books to last the week.  Many of my favorite books were read on my parent's sunporch - The Chronicles of Narnia, Half Magic and others by Edward Eager, The Witches of Worm and others by Zilpha Keatley Snyder,  Gone With the Wind, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Agatha Christie, The Once and Future King, and lots of gothic romances.  I never had required reading for summer until high school - and then only going into freshman year and for A.P. English.  I just read for the sure pleasure of it and was able to explore all kinds of books on my own.

One Word, Many Stories is the theme for the Massachusetts Summer Reading Program 2011.  The library will be offering many opportunites for summer reading pleasure, from multiple copies of the middle and high school reading lists to story times for various ages.  Students will be able to register for the summer reading program on-line and log their books and submit book reviews by logging in to http://www.readsinma.org/.  We will be having incentive prizes for all ages as well as weekly raffles of backpacks filled with books and prizes.

The library will be hosting a variety of performers beginning with our kick-off event on Monday June 27 at 4:30 p.m.  Alex the Jester will provide fun for all ages at Oakes Ames Hall.  Other Mondays we will have storytellers, musicians, magicians and puppets!  All programs will be on Mondays at 4:30 through August 15th.

While our summer programs are always well-attended and a great success the hope is that all of this will make the Ames Free Library a summer destination for all!  While you come to enjoy the music don't forget to check out a book.  Summer should be a time to relax and get lost in a great book, so remember to stop by and see me.  I hope everyone gets the time to relax and enjoy some great books this summer so make sure that the library is your weekly summer destination.  It's the best time to read!

Super Series

It seems that series fiction has become a huge segment of children's reading these days.  Of course, we always had some popular series:  Beverly Cleary's Ramona,  the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, the Oz books, the Little House books, to name a few.  Many of these titles had numerous fans, but none would seem to have universal popularity across age and gender lines.

Then along came J.K. Rowling and a wizard named Harry Potter.  Suddenly, a new generation discovered a series in which each installment was eagerly and fanatically awaited.  That excitement seemed to create a new demand for series fiction, especially fantasy. The wonderful thing about a series is that once you find one that you like you are assured of many more hours of reading pleasure.  Today's popular series authors include Rick Riordan with his Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Kane Chronicles and Heroes of Olympus series.

Although there are many wonderful series, I'd like to highlight a few that I highly recommend:

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter  - These are wonderfully written adventure novels that revolve around a group of wild cats.  The cats in the series are broken into various clans and each member of the clan has a job.  There are the warriors who protect and defend, medicine cats, and apprentices.  The series has over 30 books so far and the author also has another series The Seekers about bears.  The series is for grades 3 and up.

The Companions Quartet by Julia Golding  is a set of 4 books about a 12 year old girl named, Connie, who moves to her aunt's seaside home. She is soon drawn ito a secret society that shelters mythical creatures from humans and darker forces. Can she and Col, the coolest boy in town, use their special powers in order to protect these ancient creatures? Grades 4 and up.

Gregor the Overlander series by  Suzanne Collins - When Gregor falls through a grate in New York City, he finds himself in the Underland, a world where humans live amonst giant rats,spiders and cockroaches.  Underland is on the brink of war and Gregor's arrival is no accident! This is certainly not Wonderland, but it is a place full of adventure. Grades 4 and up.

 Stay tuned for more book and series reviews!