Booking for a Look

Rockin' Reader

2009-10-22T20:57:00.003-04:00

Have you noticed nice, new rocking chairs next to a barrel in the back of Children's Place? Thanks to Cracker Barrel's Rockin' Reader program, two double rocking chairs and a barrel bookshelf with brand new copies of classic books was given to the Twinsburg Public Library for being chosen a partner in the program. Rockin' Reader is a national literacy initiative developed by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store that builds caring and literacy in the community by offering to patrons a place for volunteers to read to children.

Summer Reading Club : Be Creative @ Your Library

2009-05-27T11:03:00.010-04:00

The summer reading program is kicking off on Sunday, May 31 from 2-4 pm. Sign up for the summer reading club, meet Curious George, jump on inflatables from Party Animals, and have your face painted.

Children from birth to 5 years old can join our Listening Club and students in grades K-4 can participate in the Reading Club. There is also a Tween and Teen club for students in grades 5-12.

Members in the Listening Club will have a turn to spin the prize wheel for every ten books they read or listen to. After 50 books the child will receive an art palate to hang in Children's Place and a raffle ticket.

Members in the Reading Club can keep track of either number of books read (50 pages counts as one book) or they may keep track of reading time and record every 60 minutes spent reading. For every 10 books read child will recieve a sticker and a spin of the prize wheel. After 50 books they will also recieve an art palate to hang in Children's Place and a raffle ticket. The top reader will have their name inscribed on a plaque for our "Readers Wall of Fame"

The summer reading club runs from May 31- August 7.

Don't forget to check out our many fun and creative programs running during the summer. Our programs will be focusing on creative activities from gardening to pottery. Stop by the Children's Place for a list of upcoming programs and times.

2009-04-23T17:07:00.004-04:00

Llama Llama Misses Mama

By Anna Dewdney

Fans of the Llama books, Llama Llama Red Pajama and Llama Llama Mad at Mama will be happy to learn that there is a new story about little Llama. In this new story, Llama is going off to kindergarten for the first time and is unsure about being away from Mama for a whole day. The other animal children in the classroom work to involve Llama in all of their activities. By the end Llama is having lots of fun and of course Mama does come back to take Llama home.

Trainstop

By Barbara Lehman

Lehman is well known for her wordless books that encourage readers to use their imaginations to enter parallel or unusual worlds that collide with each other. This newest title is about a girl who is gazing out the windows of the train she is riding. The train makes a stop and as she is looking out the window she sees tiny people near the train. She exits the train and at the beckoning of the miniature people helps to save a tiny pilot who has become stuck in a tree. The girl reboards the train and wonders if the whole experience is a dream. But at the end she finds something that makes her believe it really happened.

Yay! It's spring and new books are popping up all over

2009-04-06T14:30:00.007-04:00

Despite what the snowy weather is trying to tell us spring is here, so here are a few fun new spring books to check out...

Wee Little Lamb by Lauren Thompson

A shy new baby lamb meets all sorts of other animals but only wants to stay near its mama. Finally the little lamb meets the perfect friend and the two play together, but make sure to stay near their mamas.

Butterfly, Butterfly A Book of Colors by Petr Horacek

A little girl discovers a beautiful butterfly fluttering around her garden one day. But the next day she can't find the butterfly anywhere. The girl looks everywhere and finds all sorts of other colorful bugs but not the butterfly. When she finally lays down to rest and looks up at the sky she sees her butterfly flying by. The last page is a beautiful pop-up butterfly.

2009 Caldecott Winner and Honors

2009-02-18T16:04:00.017-05:00

This year's Caldecott Winner is the book The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson with illustrations by Beth Krommes.

Serene illustrations accompany this gentle rhyming book about getting ready for bed. The text is builds on itself begining with the key to the house and then goes on to name other bedtime objects, such as the bed, a book, and a light. Even theough the illustrations are mostly black the touches of yellow throughout add warmth to the pictures. This would be a wonderful, calming story to share at bedtime.

The Caldecott Honor books for this year are:

How I Learned Geography written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz

Shulevitz shares a story from his own life about a time his father brought home a map and hung it on the wall. The young Uri looked at remote places on this map and was transported to wonderful exotic places in his immagination. These imaginary trips helped him get through difficult times during WWII.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and illustrated by Marla Frazee

Two boys spend one week in the summer together doing the things they love, they are supposed to be spending a lot of time outside but wind up playing video games mostly. In the end they do find a creative way to play outside.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by by Jen Bryant with illustrations by Melissa Sweet

Beautiful collage illustrations help tell about the life of poet William Carlos Williams in this biography written in a poetic lryical style.

Fall Leaves

2008-10-29T11:51:00.007-04:00

Before winter arrives (even though it is snowing today it's still technically fall), here is a fun leaf craft to try at home...

Supplies Needed:

Green construction paper leaf (tracing a real leaf works great)
Yarn
Tissue paper in fall colors
glue sticks
glitter or glitter glue (optional)

Steps to Making the craft:

Punch a hole in the top of the leaf, string the yarn through, and knot it
Child glues tissue paper to leaf so it looks like a colorful fall leaf (feel free to do both sides)
If desired add glitter to the leaf to for a little extra sparkle!

Before making the leaf craft take a walk with your child and look at all the fun fall colors. Notice how some leaves stay green longer than others. Ask your child to tell you what colors he or she sees. Collect some leaves to take back home. These can be used to trace different shaped leaves onto the construction paper and also as inspiration for ways to mix the tissue paper colors together to create a multi-colored fall leaf. Share a fall book with your child. There's a fun one you can read right here on "Booking for a Look" in the previous post!

Pictures soon to follow...

Check out a book--Online!

2008-10-09T16:01:00.008-04:00

Have you heard of Lookybook.com? It's a great website where you can look at the entire content of children's books on your computer. It's so much fun and we wanted to share one with you. So since Fall is underway here's a fun fall book to enjoy:

Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber. Two children play in the colorful leaves they find in this rhyming text. Readers will also learn how to identify the various types of leaves that fall from the trees.

Just click on the cover below to read the full text of the book on your screen.

If you want to see the book in a larger window click on the little eyes in the upper right corner, you will be redirected to the Looky Book website.

Watch for more featured Looky Books in the future...

Celebrate Twins Day with a New Book!

2008-07-28T19:07:00.005-04:00

One of our favorite authors for children, Andrew Clements, has written a great new story...all about twins!

Simon & Schuster

Although it's a drag to be constantly mistaken for each other, in truth, during those first days at a new school, there's nothing better than having a twin brother there with you. But on day one of sixth grade, Ray stays home sick, and Jay is on his own. No big deal. It's a pretty nice school, good kids, too. But Jay quickly discovers a major mistake: No one seems to know a thing about his brother. Ray's not on the attendance lists, doesn't have a locker, doesn't even have a student folder. Jay almost tells the school -- almost -- but then decides that this lost information could be very...useful. And fun.
As Ray and Jay exploit a clerical oversight, they each find new views on friendship, honesty, what it means to be a twin -- and what it means to be yourself. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and true-to-life, this clever novel is classic Andrew Clements times two: twins!

More 50 Fabulous Books

2008-06-23T17:40:00.005-04:00

Everyone knows dogs are supposed to bark.

But what do you do with a dog that just sits there?

Or worse, makes other animal sounds? Bark George

is about a dog that acts so strange he is sent to the vet

to determine what's wrong.

Where the Wild Things Are is the classic

Caldecott about a boy who has quite an imagination

and explores a place with all things imaginable.

Fifty Fabulous Books

2008-06-09T19:07:00.005-04:00

We are now into our second week of Go for the Gold... READ! and we already have over 1,000 listeners and readers signed up in our four different reading clubs. This is definitely shaping up to be a summer of breaking records!

Two more books that are on our Fifty Fabulous Books list are sure to bring back memories for parents reading to their young ones.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
is about a little girl mouse that has
the most unusual name that she
absolutely adores. But when she starts
school, she becomes weary about just how special her name is.

Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham
is a classic rhyming story about
all the crazy where's and how's
one can eat green eggs and ham.

Fifty Fabulous Books to Read this Summer

2008-06-06T13:17:00.012-04:00

Welcome back to Booking for a Look! We took a little vacation from our blog as we prepared for Summer Reading Club at Twinsburg Public Library.

This summer our special Listening Club members are reading fifty fabulous books that we selected. We will be featuring two of these books each week throughout the summer.

This week we are featuring How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen and I Stink by Jim and Kate McMullen.

How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight

If bedtime is a battle at your house, here's a book to help you and your child. Yolen's silly rhyming text pairs perfectly with Teague's funny illustrations of dinosaurs. Children will be able to relate to the behaviors of the dinosaurs in the story, and laugh at the ridiculous ways some of them react.

I Stink!

A garbage truck makes its rounds, consuming everything from apple cores to leftover ziti with zucchini. This story will delight young readers, and is guaranteed to make you say "Ewww"!

Buzz on Books #30

2008-03-01T16:00:00.002-05:00

As we reach the 30th Buzz on Books and the 50 posted blog, now is a perfect time to take a break from the book of the week. But for the last book, why not a book about winter, which we experienced so much of this past week. The Twelve Days of Winter by Deborah Lee Rose has the pattern of another book of hers titled The Twelve Days of Kindergarten. From twelve treats for tasting down to one bird feeder in a snowy tree, the book has very cute, detailed pictures with children having fun the whole way through. Perhaps reading this will put a smile on your face until spring arrives. Come on in to the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library for this and many other books about seasons and more!

Buzz on Books #29

2008-02-20T19:17:00.002-05:00

This week's Buzz on Books pick is a board book. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this term, board books are very simple books for toddlers. These books are made of cardboard as opposed to paper pages, due to how toddlers may treat them, including putting them in their mouths. The book I chose is titled Rainbow Trucks by Priddy Books. This is a lift-the-flap board book that when opened looks like a rainbow. Each page is a different color, and has a different type of truck on each page. From garbage trucks to fire trucks, this book is perfect for your little one. This book is a few years old but the Children's Place *just* received a brand new copy this evening and it is ready for circulation. Come on in soon to take a look at this and other new board books, located in the Toddler Room at the Twinsburg Public Library.

Buzz on Books #28

2008-02-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

This Buzz on Books is all about Clifford, that big, friendly red dog! Today the Children's Place is having a Clifford Party, with books, crafts, cupcakes, paws, and Clifford himself! Norman Bridwell's books are as popular today as they were when they were first published in 1962. There are not only dozens of books about Clifford, but the hit PBS show Clifford and video games. If you weren't able to sign up for our Clifford program, Clifford will be making a special repeat appearance tomorrow, Sunday, February 10th. Hope to see everyone there!

Buzz on Books #27

2008-02-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Having a happy, smiling child is one of the best things for a parent. But the question is, how can I make the child happy? In a recently new book by Scott Menchin, Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things that Make Me Happy asks the question 'what makes you happy?' After asking several people and creatures, the little girls decides what makes her happy. And boy, does she have a list. The final activity that she lists in the book is taking a bath with her dog. Perhaps some of these favorite activities also are favorite's of children you know.

The second book for this week is also a new one, titled How Do You Make a Baby Smile? by Philemon Sturges. This rhyming text describes how silly things animals do can make a baby smile. From making one smile like Papa Crocodile to making a baby laugh by twisting your neck like Papa Giraffe, this books has ways to make your baby coo all through the day.

These books and great others can be found on the New Books shelf in the Children's Place of the Twinsburg Public Library!

Buzz on Books #26

2008-01-28T10:13:00.000-05:00

Do you enjoy learning random things just for fun? Would you like your child to use their free time doing something educational, such as reading, yet that is fun? Helanie Becker's book Like a Pro teaches children 101 random things. From learning how to accept your oscar to roasting the perfect marshmallow. From finding the big dipper to writing a thank you note, this book is full of ideas. It will take quite some time for your child to become bored with this cute and creative book. Come on in to the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library today to check it out!

Buzz on Books #25

2008-01-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

As our month of celebrating food here at the Twinsburg Public Library is now a little more than half over and our Key Ingredients exhibit remains for just another week, I thought Booking for a Look should contribute as well. Shelved with many, many cookbooks for children is a book titled Incredible KidEdibles by Beth Brigham. There are over 120 creative concoctions that children will enjoy making and eating. There are healthy snacks such as celery, peanut butter, pretzels, and chow mein noodles that can be put together to make a butterfly. There are also sweet treats and holiday snacks as well. Make sure you have an appetite for reading and eating and come on in to the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library!

Buzz on Books #24

2008-01-16T18:03:00.000-05:00

Every child loves spending quality time with their grandparents. But do you remember your first time spending the night? Mary Ann Hoberman's I'm Going to Grandma's is a rhyming story of a little girl who spends both a day and night with her grandparents. The day is a blast but from bathtime to bedtime the little girl worries about spending the night. But when Grandma tells her the story of her great-great Grandma and a quilt that was made, the girl calms down and dreams about making a quilt of her own. With beautiful illustrations and sweet text, this book is one of my favorite picture books.

Buzz on Books #23

2008-01-09T14:01:00.000-05:00

Now that we are all back to our regular schedules in 2008 (although Twinsburg lost power early this morning and school was cancelled), now is the perfect time to post the next Buzz on Books. Thinking back to New Years Day, I chose a book that matched with the millions of snowflakes that fell to the ground and piled up high. Millions of Snowflakes by Mary McKenna Siddals begins with one little snowflake and decribes the emotions and senses that the little child feels and sees when she is out in the snow. The text is very short with simple words, perfect for a child who is learning to read to practice with. Reading this book may help you to appreciate this weather... at least until it gets colder and snows again!

Buzz on Books # 22

2007-12-23T14:15:00.000-05:00

Before closing for Christmas, I decided to write a quick blog on this week's picks. All about animals, the first book is Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm by Joy Cowley. The story is in rhyme about farm animals that hate having to be put in the big tub and washed. Finally the animals decide to leave for the city to get away from all of the scrubbing bubbles. But being out on their own isn't what they thought it would be, and they soon wish they were all back on Mrs. Wishy-Washy's farm.

The second book is perfect for helping a child learn his or her ABCs. Cha Cha Chimps by Julia Durango is also in ryhme as 10 little chimps sneak out to go dancing, but one by one they all leave the group as they dance with other animals. With cute illustrations and a quick-read text, both of these books will bring a smile to your child's face.

Buzz on Books # 21

2007-12-17T18:33:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a class pet? What about a class pet that acted more like a student than a pet? In the book I.Q. Goes to School by Mary Ann Fraser, I.Q. is Mrs. Furber's class' pet. I.Q. stays in his cage for the most part, but loves to participate in school just as the students do. Children can follow along as I.Q. demonstrates his knowledge of the alphabet, the colors of the rainbow, the order of the months and the numbers 1-10 as the schoolyear continues.

Then in I.Q. Goes to the Library, the class pet is out and about for a week in the school library. He spends the week learning how to use a library, and searches frantically for a special book to check out. These books will perhaps change your mind whether you dislike all mice. I.Q. is a cute critter that has a thirst for knowledge, and has interesting ways of learning. Find more books on class pets in the Children's Place of the Twinsburg Public Library.

Buzz on Books # 20

2007-12-12T17:42:00.000-05:00

Have you ever loved a color so much you wished you could actually be that color? How much fun would it be, to be that favorite color? Pinkalicious knows ALL about pink, but after disobeying her parents and eating too many pink cupcakes, Pinkalicious actually turns pink! At first she finds this fun, but soon Pinkalicious is blending in with flowers and bees and bugs begin to buzz around her. Pinkalicious learns that the only way she will change back is if she eats her greens. To find out if it works, read Pinkalicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann.

Then read Purplicious, where Pinkalicious is made fun of for picking pink. Black is now the coolest color among her friends, but Pinkalicious prefers pink. Pinkalicious pouts and soon gets the blues, until a new friend teaches her that purple is pretty too. In fact, it's purplicious.

Buzz on Books # 19

2007-12-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

Coinciding with the Daddy's Little Princess program on Saturday, this week I picked the best books about Disney princesses and one about Barbie. Thre exciting books are Disney's Princess Collection: Love and Friendship Stories, Disney's 5-Minute Princess Stories, and Disney's Princess More 5-Minute Princess Stories: A Magical Collection of Princess Tales. Cinderella, Snow White, Oliver & Company, and even Tarzan and Robin Hood are all in the Disney Princess books, along with many, many more.

Barbie Princess Tales: The Essential Guide has stories on The Princess and the Pauper, The Magic of Pegasus, Swan Lake, Rapunzel, and The Nutcracker. Each story has detailed pictures, passages, and captions, perfect for your little princess! Stop in to check out these and more books about princesses in the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library.

Buzz on Books # 18

2007-11-28T16:54:00.000-05:00

With the weather cold, windy, and unbearable to be out in, parents may wonder how to keep their family entertained. Julia Sweet's 365 Activities for Fitness, Food, and Fun for the Whole Family is the perfect book to look in for ideas. Having your children make cds of them singing to enjoy at a later time is just one of the hundreds of ideas from the book.

The Toddler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner focuses on activities for toddlers interact in. Perfect for parents, preschools, babysitters and more, Alphabet sand to Zoo sandwiches, toddlers 1 1/2 to 3 years old will have enough activities to last them a lifetime. Check these out and more from our Parenting section in the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library.

The Buzz on Books # 17

2007-11-18T15:01:00.001-05:00

Books about Bugs and Birds are our specialty this week. The cute and very simple book The Crunching Munching Caterpillar by Sheridan Cain and illustrated by Jack Tickle is about a caterpillar that meets a bumblebee, bird, and butterfly. They all are light as a feather and flying through the air while poor caterpillar has to get around on the ground with his many legs. Although this makes the caterpillar sad, he understands that feet are for walking and wings (which he doesn't have) are for flying. After a very long sleep the caterpillar awakes and learns that he is also now light as a feather and has wings to fly, as he is now a butterfly.

The second book, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is about that ever-so-famous pigeon from the Caldecott Honor book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! In this book written and illustrated by Mo Willems, the pigeon finds a hot dog and is excited to have something so delicious that he has all to himself. That is, until a duckling waddles along and questions the pigeon about the hot dog. After several questions the pigeon becomes upset with the duckling and decides in the end to share the hot dog with the duckling. This book is short and amusing, perfect for a quick family read that teaches sharing. Stop by the Children's Place of the Twinsburg Public Library today to pick up these books as well as others by these authors.

The Buzz on Books # 16

2007-11-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

Everybody likes to go shopping, even monkeys! In the book Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping by Eileen Christelow, Mama Monkey has a hard time keeping her little monkeys to remain together and not wander off. The monkeys don't listen, and after Mama Monkey finally finds her little ones, she realizes there are fourteen little monkeys!! This book has simple math up in the corner for a child to practice subtraction while reading about silly monkeys.

Also, everybody enjoys reading! Todd Parr's Reading Makes You Feel Good describes where one can read, who one can read to, what one can read, and how, as the title says, reading makes you feel good. Reading about animals to a sibling in a park for a class project are just some of the many reasons why reading makes you feel good. These BRAND NEW books are available now in the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library!

The Buzz on Books # 15

2007-11-07T18:31:00.000-05:00

At the end of the week there are two big programs hosted at the Twinsburg Public Library. "Paws to Read" with therapy dogs will be on Saturday morning from 10:00-12:00. Then in the afternoon at 2:00 there will be a play put on by the Solon Center for the Arts will be performing Junie B., First Grader at Last. Continuing with those themes I chose the books Arthur's New Puppy by Marc Brown and Junie B., First Grader at Last by Barbara Park.

Arthur's New Puppy is the story of Arthur attempting to house train his brand new puppy Pal. Unfortunately Pal wandered everywhere and would not obey anyone, and Arthur's parents were not very happy. Arthur and his friends come up with ideas for how they would train Pal, and in the end Pal becomes a lifesaver to the family.

In Junie B., First Grader, Junie is worried about going to first grade. Her best friends have new friends, she names her teacher Mr. Scary, and worst of all she needs to get glasses, and is afraid she will be made fun of. Junie B. learns in the end that her classmates think her purple glasses are cool, and everything else soon falls into place.

Winter Festivities

2007-11-07T17:19:00.000-05:00

As the snow (unfortunately) begins to fall outside and sitting by the fireplace sipping hot chocolate seem like the best way to spend the evening, reading a great book is also a great treat! Twinsburg Public Library's Winter Reading Club will be starting on Tuesday November 13th. This year's theme is "Treat Yourself to a Good Book." Every book listened to or read will add up, and you'll have chances to win prizes. Plus, as you enter the Children's Place, you will see gumdrops galore, a winter wonderland arch, paintings on the Toddler Room windows as well as in the reading area, and plenty more sights to come. Other festivities occurring during December are the Gingerbread House Party on the 1st, Daddy's Little Princess Party on the 8th, a showing of the movie The Polar Express on the 16th, and the ever popular American Red Cross Child Care Class on the 27th. Remember registration is required for all programs. So start counting down the days to December as well as the number of books that you read, and come on in to the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 14

2007-11-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

As the week ends and the weather gets colder, many people begin to feel under the weather themselves. I for one have been fighting off a cold for a week now, and thought that this week's Buzz on Books Book of the Week theme should be about being sick. Everybody knows it isn't fun being sick, especially when you're a teacher like Miss Malarkey and worry about your class behaving for a substitute. That can make anyone feel worse. In the book Miss Malarkey Won't Be in Today by Judy Finchler, the teacher becomes paranoid thinking about how her class will act when there is a substitute teacher. Miss Malarkey rushes to school, questioning what she may see. Readers will laugh at the crazy ideas Miss Malarkey creates in her mind, and may need to be reminded to be respectful of others.

The Get Well Soon Book: Good Wishes for Bad Times by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan describes many injuries and illnesses that can cause a bad day for anyone. Every creature mentioned in the book needs some sort of bandage or care after their accidents. From braking a tooth to breaking out in stripes, silly things happen to silly people.

The last book is a chapter book about a girl who wants to become a doctor like Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman doctor. In Judy Moody, M.D.: The Doctor is In! by Megan McDonald, Judy Moody learns about the human body in school. Then, she becomes even more educated when her brother Stink has tonsillitis, and soon after so does Judy Moody! Whether you are feeling under the weather and could use a good book or you are reading for pleasure and feeling great, come on in to the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library and check out books today!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 13

2007-10-27T15:55:00.000-04:00

This week has sped by so fast that this is the first chance I have had to write about our book of the week! Just in time before next week begins I have 2 books to share with you. The first one is the second book about llamas that Anna Dewdney has written for children. Llama Llama Mad at Mama is the story of Baby Llama and Mama Llama's adventures at the Shop-O-Rama. Baby Llama becomes bored and impatient waiting for Mama Llama to finish her errands and throws a fit in the middle of the store. For every child who hates running errands with parents and every parent who may struggle completing errands with children, this book is perfect!

The second book for this week is a sequel to Jackie Hopkins' The Shelf Elf. In The Shelf Elf Helps Out, Skoob explains about the Dewey Decimal System and how to find books in the library. With simple explanations and detailed pictures, every child will have an easy time learning how to look for and where to find the books of his or her choice.

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 12

2007-10-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

Every Child enjoys a good story about elves. I'm not talking about the elves you hear about at Christmas, it's too early to think about them. I'm talking about elves that are helpful everyday of the year. Retold from The Brothers Grimm and illustrated by Jim LaMarche, The Elves and the Shoemaker is the story about a boy and girl elf who helped a shoemaker by making beautiful pairs of shoes every night. The shoemaker and his wife were so grateful for all the help that they made the elves nice, new,warm clothes to wear. After the elves put on their new clothes, they happily left the shoemaker's shop and were never seen again.

Well, they were never seen again until...

The Elf Shelf, written by Jackie Mims Hopkins and illustrated by Rebecca Thornburgh is the story about what happened to the elves after they left the shoemaker's shop that one night long ago. Skoob, one of the elves, describes his latest adventures living in the library as a shelf elf. The shelf elf explains specific rules that libraries have, including taking care of books, returning them on time, and being quiet while in the library. "When in the library make this choice: always use your quiet voice." These books will be great for a combo-book reading session, or helpful when read separately to refresh one's memory. You can find these books today at the Twinsburg Public Library.

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week #11

2007-10-11T18:41:00.001-04:00

What would it be like to live in the library? Melvin spends hours and hours at his local public library. The librarians who work there are always helping him with school assignments, and helping to answer his questions about the world. As Melvin gets older, he continues to appreciate the information and kindness that the Livingston Public Librarians have offered him. What does the boy who was raised by librarians decide to be when he grow up? A librarian of course! Be sure to check out this week's book, The Boy Who was Raised By Librarians, by Carla Morris. The story is sweet, the pictures are bright and amusing, and the book is one that many library patrons will be able to relate to.

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 10

2007-10-03T17:26:00.000-04:00

Well, we've made it up to double digits now with the blogs, and because it has been about a week and a half since the last post, I will have 4 books mentioned in today's blog. When I am not working here at the library, I go to school full time at Kent State University. One of the classes I am taking this fall semester is Children's Literature. In this class we just finished up talking about folktales, and now we are discussing fairytales. Therefore, the books written about this week will be from that genre.

The first two books are both retold by Mary-Joan Gerson. Why the Sky is Far Away is a Nigerian folktale telling how there was a time when people could look up to the sky and pull down food, clothes, and everything that they needed in life. The people became wasteful, however, and would throw their extras onto a garbage pile. The sky became very angry, and warned that if the people did not stop being wasteful, there would be consequences. To find out what happens in the book, come on in to the Children's Place and read this book, as well as the following...

The second book is called How Night Came from the Sea. This one is a story from Brazil, and is about the daughter of an African goddess who left her home in the ocean to be with her husband in the land of daylight. Soon the bright light was too much for her, and she told her husband about night, which she had back home in the ocean. Her husband immediately sent servants to find the African goddess and ask for night. I will stop with the description now so there is still surprise for you as you read the book.

One fairy tale that may not be so familiar to you is The Fisherman and His Wife. This particular version is by Rosemary Wells. The characters in this book are cats, but in the role of humans. The husband and wife lived in a small cottage and did not have much, but what made them happy was seeing the smiles on each others faces. And happiness was all they truly needed, until one day when the husband was at the dock fishing when he caught an unusually colored fish. The fish promised the fisherman that if he was released back into the water, the fish would grant the man a wish. When the wife heard of the deal, she began greedy and asked for many things that she truly did not need. After asking for many things, the husband and wife realized that they were plenty happy just how life was, before all of the extra material items in life.

The last book for this blog is the classic book Puss in Boots. This one is retold by and illustrated by Steve Light. The story tells of a man who lost his father, and between him and his brothers were the father's belongings divided. The youngest son received a cat, and was not too happy about that. As the man wondered how this cat was going to help make him money, the cat spoke up. He asked for a pair of boots and a sack, and would take care of the rest. The cat hunted and brought gifts to a king, and explained that they were from the Marquis of Carabas. That was not the truth, but the king was grateful. After continuous days of this, the king met the son, who was pretending to be the Marquis of Carabas. The king's daughter also met the pretender, and they instantly fell in love. Remembering what the cat had said as he brought the king gifts, that they were all from this Marquis of Carabas, the king felt it suitable for his daughter and the man to marry. Thereafter, the pretender and puss in boots were wealthy and lived happily ever after.

There are several versions of these books and other fairytales here at the Twinsburg Public Library. To find these and other tales visit the Children's Place. Until next time have a wonderful rest of the week!

The Buzz of Books Book of the Week # 9

2007-09-23T14:10:00.000-04:00

This is a special weekend Buzz on Books Book of the Week posting in recognition of the Cleveland Indians winning Central Division of the American League. Go Tribe!! To help everyone get into the spirit of October baseball, I have chosen the books Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer and Casey Back at Bat written by Dan Gutman. Casey at the Bat is a popular book that was a Caldecott Honors book thanks to the detailed illustrations by Christopher Bing. The story of Casey at the bat is in rhyming text and describes the tense moment of a baseball game when the team of Mudville was in need of a run. Casey stepped up to the plate with great confidence, ready to shine. The fans in the stands were screaming from their seats, all waiting to see their opponents lose in defeat. I won't give away the ending to the book for you.

The second book, again in rhyming text, has colorful, kid-friendly pictures. Up at bat for Mudville was Casey, and he hit the ball so high and so far that it just kept going. It soared past birds, all the way to Italy, to Egypt, India, and finally all the way out into outter space! Casey rounded third and headed home. The other team began to leave the playing field. Suddenly, the shortstop Moe saw something heading directly toward him from up, up above. He put his glove up in self-defense, and found to his surprise that he caught the baseball hit by Casey! And Casey was out of the game as Mudville lost.

Thankfully, the Indians did not face such misfortune in the game they played today. Congratulations to the Cleveland Indians and good luck playing in the American League Division Series. Again, GO TRIBE, and check out these as well as many other books about baseball at the Twinsburg Public Library!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 8

2007-09-19T17:55:00.000-04:00

The 4 books chosen for this week are fun family reads. The first book, My Family is Forever was written by Nancy Carlson. This book is a subtle book about adoption. The narrator describes how her parents wanted a child to love, and how even though she and her parents are not biologically related, they are still very similar and have an incredible amount of love for each other.

The second book is titled 31 Uses for a Mom, by Harriet Ziefert. As the title says, the book lists 31 things that mothers do for their children. The list mentions everything from being a bottle opener to a fixer-upper to a bank, mothers do all kinds of things for their children, and are awesome for it!

The Daddy Book by Todd Parr is similar to the previous book, but talks about fathers and how they interact with children. "Some daddies like to build sand castles... Some daddies like to cover you in sand." Some daddies should read this book with their children.

Finally, When I Am a Sister by Robin Ballard is a book that explains how it will be once the expected baby is finally born. The soon-to-be older sister asks questions as to how things will soon be, and her papa reassures her that everything will be perfectly fine, although some changes will have to be made.

Stop in to the Children's Place of the Twinsburg Public Library today for these and many more books about families.

Fall Children's Programs

2007-09-15T11:01:00.000-04:00

Fall Children's Programs kicked off this week and are off to a great start! Our Story Time classes began the week of September 10th and will run through the week of December 10th.

Our Lapsit classes for children just born through 23 months are available:
Mondays at 10:45 am
Tuesdays at 6:30 pm
Wednesdays at 10:45 am
Registration is not required for our Lapsit classes so feel free to mix up your schedule or keep a regular class session.
Mommy and Me classes are for children ages 2-3 and their caregivers. There is still room in the following classes if you would like to register:
Mondays at 1:00 pm, 7:00 pm
Tuesdays at 9:45 am, 1:30 pm
Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
Thursdays at 9:45 am, 10:30 am
Our Story Time classes for older children ages 3 1/2, 4, and 5 also have spaces available in the following classes:
Mondays at 9:45 am
Tuesdays at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, 6:30 pm
Thursdays at 1:30 pm, 6:30 pm

Language classes also began this past week. Sign Language classes held with Miss Debbie are Mondays:
4:15-4:45 for ages 4-6
5:00-5:30 for ages 7-9
6:00-6:45 for advanced 6-12
Baby Sign Language classes are birth to 36 months and are held on Fridays 10:00-10:30 am
Mandarin Chinese classes are held Mondays 5:45-6:15 pm for ages 4 and up.
There are still openings for our Spanish classes on Saturday mornings with Miss Charlene: 10:00-10:30 for ages 3-5
10:45-11:15 for ages 6-9
11:30-12:00 for ages 10-12
English for new American children is a brand new class starting up this fall on Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 for 1st graders and up.
Lastly, starting on Tuesday September 18th is another brand new class which is Bilingual Storytime. This is for ages 3 1/2 to 5 and is from 7:00-7:30.

Please call the Children's Place at 330-425-4268 ext. 3 to sign up!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 7

2007-09-11T17:53:00.000-04:00

Quick joke: What did the tree say to the leaf? Don't LEAF me!!! This week's Buzz on Books Book of the Week topic is leaves (in case you couldn't tell). I have gathered a handful of books about leaves for this week's suggestions. In the book Seasons: A Book of Poems by Charlotte Zolotow, there is one poem in particular that is perfect for autumn.

"Falling Leaves"

Autumn time is falling leaves

red and brown, yellow and brown

rustling rustling over the ground

drying stalk and piles of leaves

burning in the wind

smoke and fire

pumpkins and cider

autumn time is falling leaves.

The second book, Fall Leaves by Don L. Curry, has the main character describe everything that she can do with leaves once they fall. In the back of this Rookie Reader is a list of the words mentioned in the book.

The third book, Fall Leaves Fall by Zoe Hall, explains the life of leaves, when they change colors, and how to draw animals with leaves. On the last page, there is a description of how leaves grow through the year.

Finally, the book Leaves! Leaves! Leaves! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace is about a mother and child bear that go hunting for leaves. They determine what shapes or objects the leaves they find look like, and they compare jagged edges before they begin to draw a tree full of leaves.

These four books will help to get you in the mood for fall and get you looking forward to the leaves changing colors and falling to the ground. Leaf for the Twinsburg Public Library now and check out these and more books about fall!

Input Welcome

2007-09-06T11:02:00.000-04:00

We want your input!! If you, our loyal reader, have anything you would like to ask, comment, or request we put on our Booking for a Look blog or perhaps something about the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library, you are more than welcome to do so! Please feel free to post a comment on our Booking for a Look blog or e-mail us at Miss Elizabeth's e-mail address, estefano@twinsburg.lib.oh.us and we will be sure to take your comments into consideration and answer your questions to the best of our ability. We encourage new ideas, opinions, and interests from all of our patrons. Thanks for reading and keep coming into the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library for programs, books galore and more!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week #6

2007-09-05T19:01:00.002-04:00

"Llama llama red pajama reads a story with his mama." Llama Llama Red Pajama is our pick of the week. This is the perfect story to share before bedtime. In this funny, yet realistic book, Baby Llama settles into bed but isn't quite ready to fall asleep. Baby Llama (who is wearing red pajamas) yells for his mama after he is tucked into bed. Baby Llama is not very patient and begins to get worried that his mama is gone. The story is filled with rhyming text and great illustrations. Both parents and children will be able to relate to this wonderful picture book. Come to the Twinsburg Public Library to pick up Llama Llama Red Pajama and other great stories about bedtime.

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 5

2007-08-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

No glue... No beavers... No fortunes... No staples! What is a girl to do if she has so many rules about what she can't do?!? In the book "17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore" by Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter, the main character describes certain things that she has done, was reprimanded for, and was told by her mother never to do them again. From tormenting her younger brother to disrupting her class, she learns how not to behave. Readers of all ages will giggle when reading what this girl comes up with. Come to the Twinsburg Public Library today and read this book with the troublemaker in your family.

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 4

2007-08-21T14:03:00.000-04:00

This week's book of the week is for children who are not old enough to be in school yet. "Buzz" is by Janet S. Wong. The story focuses on the routine a family goes through every day. As the mommy and daddy buzz around getting ready, the boy watches and counts how many times some one or thing buzzes around him, just like a bumble bee buzzes. For families getting back in to a routine and buzzing about, this book is a quick read and quite cute. Buzz on in to the Children's Place of the Twinsburg Public Library and check it out as you buzz about during your busy day!

Winners are posted!

2007-08-14T14:43:00.001-04:00

Camp Read-a-Lot Summer Reading Club raffle winners have been drawn and all the names have been posted in the Children's Place. There are dozens of winners, so stop by the Twinsburg Public Library and check to see if you made the list!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 3

2007-08-14T14:24:00.000-04:00

As children prepare for the first day of school, the perfect book for those starting Kindergarten is "Countdown to Kindergarten" by Alison McGhee. It is ten days before school starts, and the main character in the book is worried she will be made fun of and isolated because she cannot tie her shoes on her own. Every day she counts down to the BIG DAY, trying to learn how to tie her shoes. I won't ruin the end for you, but the girl realizes going to Kindergarten is nothing to worry about. Come find this book at the Twinsburg Public Library and check it out today!

Summer Reading Club is Over!

2007-08-07T14:32:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder to all Summer Reading Club participants, our club and programs are now finished for Summer 2007. Thank you all very much for your enthusiasm and participation in all of our activities as well as checking out so many books from our collection. For all those who earned a raffle ticket, your names will be submitted in our drawing. We will be pulling several raffle tickets, and once all of the prizes are gathered we will have a list of the winners at the Children's Place desk as well as on our website. Keep your eyes open for your name!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week #2

2007-08-07T13:10:00.000-04:00

Waking up this morning to the thunderstorm, I decided this week's Book of the Week should match the weather we will be having all week. Mary Lyn Ray's "Red Rubber Boot Day" is a rainy day book about a boy explaining what all there is to do on a rainy day. Drawing, playing make believe, and even splashing in the puddles until the sun shines again are some of the activities that the boy participates in. This book will make a great book for a beginning reader any day of the week, rain or shine. Come check it out today at the Twinsburg Public Library!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week # 1

2007-07-31T14:39:00.000-04:00

The first book chosen for our Buzz on Books Book of the Week is titled "Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy" by Jane O'Connor. This is the second book in the Fancy Nancy series, but there are several other books that Jane O'Connor wrote. In the book, this stylish little girl (Nancy) is positive that a cute puppy will be the perfect accessory for herself. However when her family decides to get a dog, they want a big, ordinary dog. Nancy cannot stand the thought of something so plain and dull! This book is brand new and perfect for the little princess that loves to dress up! Come to the Twinsburg Public Library and check out the book today!

The Buzz on Books Book of the Week

2007-07-30T14:33:00.000-04:00

Every week, the Children's Place will be posting a book of the week. This new weekly blog, titled The Buzz on Books Book of the Week, will include a brief summary of the book, and why the book was chosen. The post will also include a picture of the book. Although many of the books posted will be picture books, we will soon include books for other ages as well. Come on in to the Children's Place of the Twinsburg Public Library to check out any Buzz on Books Book of the Week books.

It's a Boy!

2007-07-06T10:47:00.001-04:00

On Sunday June 24th, 2007 Miss Katie delivered Baby James Victor Lipinski IV! Mom and baby are both doing very well, and Miss Katie will be back to work soon after the 2007-2008 school year begins. However, if you are roaming the Children's Place, you will probably see pictures of Baby James as he grows over the next few weeks, as well as Miss Katie, who promises to stop in with her new bundle of joy from time to time. Congratulations, Miss Katie!

Summer Reading

2007-06-16T11:01:00.000-04:00

Now in the Children's Place at the Twinsburg Public Library are carts of books with Nordonia Schools' summer required reading. The books range from Kindergarten through 12th grade, with each grade's books shelved next to each other. There are also lists of the books required behind the Children's desk. Please ask one of our friendly librarians for help if needed.
http://www.nordoniaschools.org/summerreading07.aspx

Also located in the Children's Place are pulled books that are listed on the Twinsburg City Schools website. These books are simply recommended reading for children. These lists are broken down by grade, and are located in a folder behind the Children's desk.
REMINDER: Twinsburg High School as well as the 7th and 8th graders have required reading, and those books are located in Teen Crossings.
http://twinsburg.k12.oh.us/schools/LMC/reading_lists.htm

Each book that is read from these lists can also count towards your TPL's Camp Read-A-Lot adventure!

Tips for Summer Reading

2007-05-14T18:43:00.000-04:00

This is a wonderful site that provides tips for summer reading success, as well as several links that provide some great booklists.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/articles/sumreading/main.html

Have you tried a Playaway?

2007-05-14T18:09:00.000-04:00

What are Playaways?
Playaways are the simplest way to listen to an audio book!
The Playaway device come preloaded with one book and two AAA batteries to play.
Simply plug in earphones and enjoy!
Playaways allow bookmark insertions, remember when you stopped listening, and adjust the speed of the narrator's voice. Playaways work with most headphones, speakers or car adapters.

The following Children's Playaways are currently available at Twinsburg Public Library:

Island of the Blue Dolphins
by: Scott O'Dell

The Ugly Duckling and Other Stories
by: H.C. Anderson

The Jungle Book
by: Rudyard Kipling

Winnie-the-Pooh
by: A.A. Milne

Heidi
by:Johanna Spyri

Number the Stars
by: Lois Lowry

A Wrinkle in Time
by: Madeline L'Engle

Charlotte's Web
by: E.B. White

The Wizard of Oz
by:L.Frank Baum

The Secret Garden
by: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Peter Pan
by: J.M. Barrie

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by: Roald Dahl

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
by: C.S. Lewis

Great Early Literacy Websites

2007-05-14T17:47:00.000-04:00

Check out these fun websites that promote early literacy!

This is a wonderful site to share with little ones. It is very simplistic-making it easy to concentrate on the content.
http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/index.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/index.html

This is one of my favorites.
http://raisingchildren.net.au/baby_karaoke/baby_karaoke_landing.html

A fun and interactive site from The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/other.asp

This page provides helpful answers about early literacy.
http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/questions/earlylit

Camp Read-A-Lot at TPL

2007-05-01T15:53:00.000-04:00

This summer children of all ages are invited to join in the fun at Camp Read-A-Lot! The Summer Reading Club Kickoff will be on Sunday, June 3. This is the first day that kids can sign up to participate in the club. As children read (or listen) to library books, they are eligible to earn lots of great prizes!

Listen Up

2007-03-02T14:52:00.000-05:00

Here are some great audiobooks that I have enjoyed over the last month. I hope you like them, too!

Junie B Jones
Books 1-8
By:Barbara Park

A Wrinkle in Time
By:Madeline L'Engle

Peter Pan in Scarlet
By:Geraldine McCaughrean

Chasing Vermeer
By: Blue Balliet

Six Little Gerbils all in a Row

2007-03-02T14:17:00.000-05:00

The Children's Department

at Twinsburg Public Library

has several popular pets...six playful gerbils!

Gerbils are rodents. The word 'rodent' is derived from the latin word 'rodere' which means 'to gnaw'. Rodents have very large incisor teeth, which requires them to gnaw on things to keep their teeth from getting too long.

Gerbils are very social, which is why we have six gerbils in our library family. They like to play together.

Want to learn more about gerbils? Check out these fun and informative websites:

http://www.twinsqueaks.com/gerbil-kids/index.html

http://www.sunseed.com/artccatNGF8FLBV.html

7/21/2007

2007-02-01T15:48:00.000-05:00

Yipee! The final Harry Potter will be released on July 21, 2007. How long do you think it will take you to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

Family Place Library

2007-01-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Twinsburg Public Library is a Family Place Library? The Family Place project consists of a network of children's librarians nationwide who believe that literacy begins at birth, and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families.

To find out more about Family Place Libraries check out the Libraries for the Future Website.

And the Winners are...

2007-01-22T15:46:00.000-05:00

Did your favorite book win an award this morning? The 2007 ALSC Literary Awards were announced today!

The Newberry Medal winner is:

The Higher Power of Lucky

by Susan Patron

The Caldecott Medal winner is:

Flotsam

by David Weisner

For a complete listing of all awards check out the ALSC Homepage.

What I'm reading now

2007-01-20T15:30:00.000-05:00

Bella at Midnight

Diane Stanley

Grades 5-8

Set in medieval times, this is a lovely fairy tale with glimmers of Cinderella scattered throughout. The heroine of the story is Bella. Bella's mother died during childbirth, and she is left with a horrible father that decides she should be raised by her wet nurse and peasant family. While growing up with her new family, Bella becomes close friends with a young prince named Julian, (who is very close with Bella's foster family).When her biological father decides that he wants her back, Bella is forced to move to his home where she does not receive a warm welcome from her new stepmother and stepsisters. Bella’s true character is revealed when she overhears a plan involving the overthrow of the kingdom, and the murder of Prince Julian. Bella’s bravery shines brightly as she attempts to make peace within her beloved country in a most unusual way.

Each chapter of the book is told by a different narrator, which makes the story really come to life.

Where I'd Like to Be

Frances O'Roark Dowell

Grades 4-6

The East Tennessee Children’s Home is home to many children with anxious hopes and big dreams. The narrator of this story is 11-year old Maddie, a level-headed orphan who has given up hope of ever being adopted. In her spare time, Maddie creates her very own Book of Houses, which is a scrapbook of beautiful houses that she has cut out from magazines and newspapers. She makes up stories about the different homes, and dreams of living in her very own perfect house. She also finds comfort in the company of all of her unique friends. They decide that together they will build a fort. They use the fort as their place to share stories, create perfect houses, and discover new things about themselves. I found all of the characters to be very believable and lasting. The author helps readers to believe that with some hope, lots of imagination, and love, anything is possible.

Super Duper Sites

2007-01-20T10:10:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few of my favorite places to visit on the web. They are great resources for anyone who is CRAZY about children's books! Let me know what sites you enjoy using...

Hennepin County Library
This county library system has a fabulous area on their website that is devoted to children and babies called Birth to Six. You'll find some great booklists, information about early literacy, and much more!

K ing County Library System
Awesome assortment of children's books broken down into themes

Planet Esme
Oh you are going to love this site. Esme Raji Codell is an author and describes herself as a certified readologist. I always have a lot of fun checking out her recommendations.

Preschool Express
I like to use this site when I am creating storytime lesson plans. I use the pattern station and calendar station a lot.

Welcome to Booking for a Look

2007-01-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Booking for a Look! I hope that you find this site to be a useful tool in selecting some great children's books. I'll be reviewing some of the best new books for kids, as well as some old favorites! In addition to book reviews, I'll also be talking about some of the great programs we are doing at Twinsburg Public Library .