Ohio Libraries Share: MORE Looking for an item that CCPL doesn't have? Check MORE and if another Ohio library has the item, you can have it sent to your branch.
Looking for a great book to read with your kids? The New Richmond Branch Family Book Club is currently reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. We encourage parents to read to, read with or be read to by their elementary aged children. And this title is super for that!
Like many others I had heard a great bit about the book (Kinney attributes his success to word of mouth recommendations from one kid to another), and decided it was time to pick up a copy. Upon first flip through I was stoked! It’s a cute little book written in journal form, with faux handwriting and cute little comic illustrations throughout. Awesome! The story follows the adventures (and often the misadventures) of Greg Heffley, who is just starting middle school. Greg's mom is making him write a journal, to record his 'feelings.' He thinks this is lame, but is willing to do so (so that later when he's famous, he won't have to bother telling people about his early days). Everyday Greg writes about the life of a regular 6th grader. School bullies, friends that don't understand what it takes to be popular, a family that sabotages his every attempt, horrible classes and a constant grounding from his video games give Greg plenty to write about in what is definitely not a diary. Unlike most juvenile fiction characters Greg is simply a kid. He’s flawed and funny, easy to relate to and understandable. Kids love Greg because they can see themselves in him. (Parents love him for the same reason, but don’t often admit it!)
The amazing thing about Wimpy Kid is that its hard proof that there will always be a demand for traditional printed books. Originally released in 2004, on the website Funbrain.com (where Kinney was working as a game designer), as an attempt to get kids to visit the website during their summer break, the digital version of Diary was issued one entry at a time, like a real journal or blog. Even with the success on a children's educational website, Kinney still didn't intend the book (which took almost 10 years to write) to be for kids. Instead he wanted to write a story that adults could look back on, like their own childhoods, with a sense of the irony of it all (think The Wonder Years and Calvin and Hobbs all rolled up in one with text in the middle).
Even with his story out there for the world to see digitally, demand for the story in traditional book form was so great that Kinney has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for 41 weeks as of November 1, 2009 (that's just for the original book!) and now is at the head of a phenomenon that has swept libraries, bookstores and schools around the world. Sequels, do-it-yourself diaries, movie deals, you name it and Wimpy Kid is doing it!
Pick up a copy and join us on Tuesday, February 23 at 5:30 to discuss why this is your new favorite book!
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards were announced on June 2, 2009. The awards are given in three categories - Fiction and Poetry, Picture Book, Nonfiction. This year's winners are:
Today is the Very Hungry Caterpillar Day and marks the 40th anniversary of Eric Carle's classic children's picture book about a hungry caterpillar who eats his way through the book until he becomes a butterfly. To help celebrate this special day, Penguin Publishing Group has designed activities and coloring sheets that can be downloaded from their website. Click here for more information.
Feel like you're Sybil when trying to find a good book to read? Well, then try the Cybils. The Cybils are a unique series of book awards that are given by children's and young adult book bloggers based on the principle that books can have both literary merit and kid appeal. Click here for a complete list of the 2008 finalists. This year's winners are:
Celebrate the 105th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Seuss by checking out some of his books or by attending one of the three celebrations being held at the library today! Click here for more information!
This February, Americans will celebrate the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Check out these books that offer a fresh perspective on our 16th president!
On January 23, escape into a world of fantasy and adventure as Inkheart, the first book in the popular series by Cornelia Funke, hits the big screen. Starring Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany and Helen Mirren, this film adaptation tells the story of 12 year-old Meggie who learns that her father has the special ability to bring the characters of books to life. When one of those characters abducts them, Meggie suddenly finds herself in the middle of a magical adventure where she must learn to harness her own power in order to save herself and her father. Check out the entire trilogy beginning with Inkheart and followed by Inkspell and Inkdeath.
Marley & Me, the bestselling novel by John Grogan, arrives in movie theatres on Christmas Day. Starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, the movie follows the life of an exuberant golden Labrador who gets into perpetual trouble much to his owners' dismay. Check out the following books about Marley before you see the movie:
The Buckeye Children's Book Award Council announced the winners of the 2008 Buckeye Children's Book Award and the Teen Buckeye Book Award. The following titles were chosen in an online voting process by young readers all across the state of Ohio.
It's been three weeks, 2 days, and 23 hours since Tris broke up with Nick. When she shows up at his band's gig with a new boyfriend, Nick, in a desperate attempt to show her he's moved on too, turns to the girl next to him and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes. Thus begins Nick and Norah and the night they will never forget.
For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing ... and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers, in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, and help the citizens escape before the lights go out forever.
Based on the popular American Girl doll and book series, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl tells the story of 10 year-old Kit who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio during the Great Depression. The movie follows Kit's quest to fulfill her dream of getting published in the local paper, and with the help of her friends and family, her dream just might come true! Starring Abigail Breslin, Chris O'Donnell, and Julie Ormond, the movie opens nationwide Wednesday, July 2nd. Click here to read more about Kit and her adventures!
The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards which are given in three categories: Fiction and Poetry, Picture Book, and Nonfiction were announced on June 18, 2008. The winners and honor books are:
Nonfiction Winner:The Wall by Peter Sís
Honor Books:
Frogs by Nic Bishop
What to Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley
Fiction and Poetry Winner: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Honor Books:
Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Savvy by Ingrid Law
Picture Book Winner: At Night by Jonathan Bean
Honor Books:
Fred Stays with Me! by Nancy Coffelt
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., who was shot and killed in Memphis, Tenn. on April 4, 1968. Below are a few titles that celebrate his life and achievements:
Nim's Island, starring Abigail Breslin, Jody Foster, and Gerard Butler, opens in movie theatres this Friday. Based on Wendy Orr's 2001 novel, the movie tells the story of Nim, a young girl who inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father. When her father leaves her alone, Nim, who is schooled in the ways of jungle life, is delighted to be on her own with her animal friends, but when she loses contact with her father, she will need courage and help from a new e-mail friend to save the day. Nim's adventures continue in the sequel, Nim at Sea.
Dr. Seuss' 1954 classic children's book, Horton Hears a Who!, comes to life on the big screen this Friday. Horton the Elephant (voiced by Jim Carrey) struggles to protect a microscopic community, the Whos, from his friends who don't believe that Whos really exist. Other actors lending their vocal talents to the movie are Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Jesse McCartney, and many others. Clich here for more fun with Horton the Elephant!
May:
