I don't usually post on this blog about movies, but I recently watched Winter's Bone (Rated R) starring Jennifer Lawrence, and I feel pretty good about her being cast as Katniss in the soon to be released Hunger Games movie. Her Winter's Bone character was the oldest daughter of a family with an absent father, a mentally absent mother (catanonic-like), who has developed a no-nonsense toughness, purely as a survival skill. She also has a great tenderness for her younger siblings.....and is the kind of character you really root for. Sound familar? I could really see her in the scenes in my mind from The Hunger Games, and look forward to watching her interpretation of this great character.

FYI: The library will host a Hunger Games: Book into Movie discussion the week after the movie comes out (released on Friday, March 23)....dates and time to be announced, but watch for details.

Favorite chapter book character Junie B. Jones is bringing her stupid smelly bus tour to a couple of Iowa bookstores this week.

Info for diehard fans willing to road trip to Cedar Rapids or West Des Moines, find out more info here.

 

In preparation for our Judy Moody Party and DEAR Day (mascot, Ramona Quimby) party in April, I read a few chapter books for younger readers. I read Judy Moody, who is in a bad mood, a really, really bad mood; Ramona, Quimby, Age 8, and Stink, the Incredible Shrinking Kid.

I wanted to recommend, above all, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, because it was really funny...including when Ramona smashes a raw egg on her forehead in the middle of the lunchroom at school (you'll understand the confusion when you read the book!) Judy Moody and Stink books are also fun reads, about third grader Judy Moody--who wants to be a doctor when she grows up, and has a best friend named Rocky, a boy who lives by her--and her younger brother Stink, who tries his best to keep up with his sister, but is also worried about his short stature.

Also, check out a special list of recommended first chapter books with series characters, available on a bookmark at the library. Also, we have a few Judy Moody backpack dolls, and Stink moon rock packs and I will give them away to local kids who let me know they have seen this blog, by emailing me, Joa, at mtownlibrary@yahoo.com by June 1, 2008.

Send me a message and I will email you back and let you know you can come an pick up your prize!

 

I'm getting excited that our Battle of the Books Bash, planned (with both Lehihan and MACs staff) for those students participating in the elementary Battle of the Books challenge, is coming up on Tuesday, February 27. I'm really trying to get a lot of the books read. I just finished The Missing Manatee, and before that So B. It (which was awesome!) Right now, I'm reading The Liberation of Gabriel King. I think it is going to be really cool to have so many people who have read a lot of the same books all in one place. Both the elementary and the middle school lists are, in my opinion, really good lists with a lot of variety, so they'd also be a good "recommended" list for anyone looking for some good books.