Did you know that December 1 is Eat a Red Apple Day?
I didn't, but I thought it is a great idea. We really should eat apples all the time.
Do you know the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."? By now all of you have probably heard about how good fruits and vegetables are for us, and it's fun and easy to eat apples. But then I started thinking about "Read an Apple Day!" Reading is essential for our growth too. Just in a different way!
Here are some apple books for younger readers:
Everyone knows about the Disney story where Snow White eats the red apple and falls into a deep sleep when she bites from the beautiful red apple.
Here's a picture book about the holocaust and how a young girls saves the life of an eleven-year-old boy who was in a concentration camp - with apples!
Have you ever heard that phrase? Well at the library we have a new LUCKY DAY collection!
We have purchased some of our most popular books and videos and have put them on a special "Lucky Day" shelf for you to come in and check out.
It's first come first serve. If you see the new Rick Riordan title, Mark of Athena on the lucky day shelf at your library, you can take it and check it out for three weeks! No waiting list!
Lucky Day has the books and videos that kids most want. They are located in the children's area and are marked with this lucky day sticker.
Here's the lowdown on Lucky Day -
•Lucky Day materials will be available on a first come, first serve basis. •Lucky Day items cannot be placed on hold or renewed. •You may only have three Lucky Day items checked out at any one time. •The same check-out period applies to Lucky Day items as regular materials from the catalog: three weeks for books, seven days for feature films. •Staff cannot place items aside for you to pick up. •If you check out a Lucky Day item and you have that item in the same format (book, DVD, audiobook) in your holds queue, you will need to remove it if you do not wish to check it out again.
Here are just a few of the titles you might find on the Lucky Day shelf -
Dashner writes amazing time travel fantasy adventures.
Have you ever wanted to travel to a different time?
In The Journal of Curious Letters thirteen-year-old Atticus "Tick" Higginbottom begins receiving mysterious letters from Alaska, signed only "M.G.," and the clues contained therein lead him on a journey to the perilous 13th Reality.
After being kidnapped by Mr. Chu, in The Hunt for Dark Infinity Tick and his friends Paul and Sofia must survive a series of tests in several different Realities.
Mistress Jane has tapped into the universe's darkest secret to create the Blade of Shattered Hope, and in her quest to attain a utopian reality for the future of mankind she is ready to risk billions of lives to set her plan in motion.
Is history broken? Can we go back and fix it?
A Mutiny in Time is the first volume of the Infinity Ring series.
Best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste, together with the young Hystorian Riq, must use the Infinity Ring to travel back to a mutiny on the Santa María to correct history.
Do you want to be a time traveler? What year would you visit?
And what happens right after we eat way too much on this happy, family holiday? Hmm, perhaps we need to take a look at different ways to work off that big meal. Besides driving immediately to the nearest park to kick the soccer ball around, here are some suggestions from the library:
Or try searching Kids InfoBits for more information on food and the human body, under "Health" and then "Food and Nutrition."
Still feeling too full and sluggish? Then go to the library catalog and look for books or DVDs on fitness, yoga, nutrition or your favorite sport. Try these:
On November 19, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches in American history, the Gettysburg Address. He spoke at a battlefield in Pennsylvania where over 45,000 soldiers from both northern and southern states had been wounded, killed, or captured four months earlier in the Battle of Gettysburg, just one of the many battles of the American Civil War. On this date in history, the battleground was to be turned into a cemetery to honor those lost.
The Civil War lasted from 1861-1865. Slavery and the rights of states were the root reasons for the war. It was fought between the northern United States, or the Union, and the southern United States, or the Confederacy. The Union wanted to end slavery while the Confederacy did not. The South decided to split from the North so this divide along with the disagreements over slavery, and other factors led to the war.
Here are some interesting facts you might not know about the Gettysburg Address:
·The President was invited to the ceremony at the last minute. It was expected that he would be too busy to come; therefore it was a surprise when he not only attended but delivered a speech too.
·The address was just nine sentences and 272 words long and was delivered in less than three minutes.
·Lincoln’s son Tad became sick right before he was due to leave for Gettysburg. Lincoln had already lost two of his four children to disease at this point so it worried him to leave. His wife Mary pleaded with him not to go but he felt it was his duty and traveled to Pennsylvania anyway.
Check out these websites for more information about the Gettysburg Address and other people, places, and events of the Civil War.
Also, click this link from the History Channel: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history. Here you can see what happened on a specific day in history. Tell us what happened on your birthday!
These two series take place in a combination of Medieval and Viking Times. The main characters are orphans and misfits who are taken under the wings of some of the powerful men in their countries. The young men are involved in battles against bullies, strange creatures, invading armies and even pirates! Ranger's Apprentice starts with The Ruins of Gorlan. There are eleven books in this series. After you've read these you may want to read the first book in the spinoff series, The Outcasts.
If you've read these, did you have a favorite character or book?
William Joyce’s The Guardians of Childhood series delivers great fantasy and adventure to 3rd and 4th grade readers. Grab one while they are still on the shelf, because…… on Nov. 21, 2012, DreamWorks is releasing Rise of the Guardians, based on the books.
This 3D, computer- animated film will be great to see during the holidays, especially if you’ve read the books first. Request one of the books now to read before you see the movie.
Are you going to see the movie on the 21st? If so, please let us know how you liked it!
Over the river and through the woods... Thanksgiving is coming! It's one of my favorite holidays! Here are some terrific Thanksgiving books for the whole family.
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace Countering the prevailing, traditional story of the first Thanksgiving, with its black-hatted, silver-buckled Pilgrims; blanket-clad, be-feathered Indians; cranberry sauce; pumpkin pie; and turkey, this lushly illustrated photo-essay presents a more measured, balanced, and historically accurate version of the three-day harvest celebration in 1621.
The Perfect Thanksgiviing by Eileen Spinelli Two families--one that is perfect and one that is far from it-- celebrate Thanksgiving in their own loving ways.
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp A salute to Mother Earth and all her beauty, the ``good morning message' is traditionally delivered at the beginning of each day and at special ceremonies.
Turk and Runt by Lisa Wheeler In this very funny story, Runt the turkey is much smaller than his brother, but his intelligence keeps his family from becoming Thanksgiving Day dinner.
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes At Thanksgiving time, children express their gratitude for the people and things in their lives.
It's Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky Nobody writes more fun poetry than Jack Prelutsky. This collection of Thanksgiving poems will have you howling with laughter! Just the thing to enjoy after your turkey dinner!
There are so many things to be thankful for. I am so thankful for books and for libraries and pumpkin pie! What are you thankful for?
This is a new take on a classic fairy tale! Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur, and another dinosaur that happens to be visiting from Norway leave their dinosaur home filled with tempting traps like comfortable beds and chocolate pudding. They hope an unsuspecting child named Goldilocks will break in, make herself comfortable, and become their next snack!
Pigeon gets very mad when cute little Duckling asks for a cookie and gets it. Throughout the book he complains about how unfair it is, only to find that he can get things he wants by asking for them politely. Do you think Pigeon will get a cookie too?
In this book, Piggie cannot wait to play her new trumpet for her best friend, Gerald the Elephant. In doing so she discovers she might need some more practice.
Amanda and her alligator have lots of fun together in this series of short stories. Here they deal with boredom, disappointment, creativity, surprises, and making friends together.
Visit Mo Willem's official website. Here you can play games, create art, read about the books, characters, and the author.
Or, if you’re a parent, check out Mo Willems’ Secrets For Raising a Reader which provides some good tips on helping kids to love books!
“Hey diddle diddle______________”….can you fill in the rest of this rhyme? Do you have favorite rhymes or Mother Goose stories you remember from your childhood?
This simple form of storytelling has been used in England, North America, and many European countries for centuries. Many of the rhymes had hidden political or religious messages, but all of them were used to convey language and a sense of “story” to very young children.
Did you know, nursery rhymes can help your toddlers become ready to read? 1. Children hear new words, and new ways of making sentences from nursery rhymes.
2. The cadence and repetition of rhymes help kids remember and repeat what they know. When your child has become familiar with the rhyme, you will be able to read part, and they will recite the rest to you, giving them the happy sense that they are “reading”.
3. Many rhymes are also little stories that help children understand and remember a series of events.
Since you already know many of these rhymes from YOUR childhood, it is an easy way for you to share literacy with your children by reciting the rhymes to them. There are also great books available in the libraries that allow you to share the words and pictures with them during reading time.
We recommend any of the books in this series. There are many other great nursery rhyme books to share. Your librarians will be happy to help you find them!