What's the BIG Idea?, ALA Chicago, and All that Jazz

Beyond Storytimes: Standards-based Partnerships for Early Learning

For a copy of the handout, go to

http://www.scribd.com/full/16424640?access_key=key-6oikbfokoqyqmgja5ir

For photos, go to

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24912980@N06/

For book lists, activities, and more information go to

http://www.mothergooseprograms.org

For questions and support, email childrensroom@hotmail.com .

Happy 4th!!

Independence Day is nearly here! Do your children know why July 4 is an important date in our country's history? Here are some informative books you might want to check out:

Celebrate Independence Day by Deborah Heiligman
Give me Liberty! by Russell Freedman
The Signers by Dennis Brindell Fradin

Some fun titles include:
Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck by Katie Clark
The Hatmaker's Sign by Candace Fleming
Henry's 4th of July by Holly Keller
Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer

May you and your family and friends enjoy a happy and safe holiday weekend!

The Sunny Days of Summer

The first day of summer is rapidly approaching, and we are all looking forward to warm, sunny days! During this cold and rainy weather, brighten your outlook with these books about the sun:

Amazing Sun Fun Activities by Michael Daley
Arrow of the Sun by Gerald McDermott
Children of the Midnight Sun by Tricia Brown
Greetings Sun by Phyllis Gershator
Lucia and the Light by Phyllis Root
Sing to the Sun by Asley Bryan
Summer Stolstice by Ellen Jackson
Sun by Steve Tomacek
The Sun by Seymour Simon
Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons
To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson
What is the Sun? by Reeve Lindbergh

Here's my pick: Like Butter on Pancakes by Jonathan London and illustrated by one of my favorite artists, G. Brian Karas.

Chickens to the Rescue!

Looking for a fun picture book? Chickens to the rescue! (Actually, that's the title of a book by John Himmelman.) Books about and/or starring chickens are very amusing. For example, Tillie Lays an Egg by Terry Golson (that's Tillie and Terry in the picture) provides lots of laughs and hours of entertainment. You can visit Tillie and her "girlfriends" at the hencam at www.hencam.com/index.php .

Who You Callin' Chicken? by Thea Feldman explores the crazy variety of chicken breeds. Truly amazing!

Here are some other titles you'll want to check out:
Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski
Chicken and Cat Clean Up by Sara Varon
The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington
The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato
The Cow that Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill
Hen Hears Gossip by Megan McDonald
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring
Minerva Louise and the Red Truck by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Queenie, one of the Family by Bob Graham
Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
Souperchicken by Mary Jane Auch
Zinnia and Dot by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Don't forget about the DVD Chicken Run--pure egg-stasy!

War and Peace

Memorial Day is fast approaching. It's a bittersweet holiday for me. I look forward to the unofficial start of summer the holiday provides, but I'm always so moved by the thoughts of the men and women who have served our country, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The holiday provides an opportunity to talk with children about war, peace, and courage, and the library has some books that might help you start a dialogue with your child.

In Flanders Fields: the Story of the Poem by John McCrae by Linda Granfield
Memorial Day by Trudi Strain Trueit
The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
War Game by Michael Foreman
Patrol by Walter Dean Myers
I Am I by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
The War by Anais Vaugelade
The Big Book for Peace (various authors)
A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley
Can You Say Peace? by Karen Katz
Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter
Why War is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker
Manneken Pis : a Simple Story of a Boy who Peed on a War by Vladimir Radunsky

Butterflies in the Library!

The butterfly hatchery in the Children's Room is now housing 5 Painted Lady butterfly pupae. We're hoping for lively butterflies in a week or so. In the meantime, keep track of their development by visiting us often and checking out a book about butterflies. Here are some suggestions:

Bob and Otto by Robert Bruel
Becoming Butterflies by Anne Rockwell
Butterflies in the Garden by Carol Lerner.
Butterfly & Moth by Paul Whalley
The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne
Caterpillar, Caterpillar by Vivian French
Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies & Moths by Jim Arnosky
From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman
From Egg to Butterfly by Shannon Zemlicka.
Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths by Nic Bishop
Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert.

And the Winner is (Part 2)...

...Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney! Over 5,400 Vermont kids voted for their favorite Dorothy Canfield Fisher book. That translates into a minimum of 27,000 DCF books read this year--WOW!! Congratulations to Kinney and, the real winners, all of the DCF readers! Check out the DCF selections for 2009-2010. The selections are fabulous.