Tuesday, June 30, 2009

10 book reviews in 12 days Part 2

Star Jumper : journal of a cardboard genius by Frank Asch. How can Alex build his cardboard box models when his little brother bothers him all the time? Alex plans to build a space ship and escape his little brother’s pestering questions but Alex’s other cardboard box machines cause a catastrophe. This book is a great chapter book for good readers entering grades 2 or 3.

Monday, June 29, 2009

10 book reviews in 12 days

I have thrown down the gauntlet. I promise to write a NEW book review every week day for the next two weeks! Ten reviews in 12 days!

The Trouble Begins at 8 : a life of Mark Twain in the wild, wild West by Sid Fleischman. Fleischman concentrates on Twain's life in Nevada, California and points West. Twain jumps from silver claim to gold claim and from writing job to writing job, embroidering everything that happens to him to maximize drama and humor.
Fleischman, no stranger to embellishment himself, adds a chapter at the end that untangles the myth from the facts of Twain's adventures - as well as can be managed.
This is a clever, well-written and amusing biography about one of America's most clever, and most amusing authors. Liberally illustrated with period drawings and photos, this book will be enjoyed by readers aged 9 and up.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Summer Reading Club has started and our new online registration is GREAT. However, it is NOT self-explanatory. One of the mistakes a few people are making is to put the total number of minutes they have read into the time log. The two younger groups are counting 15 minute blocks of time which means that for every 15 minutes they read or listen, they count 1. 15 minutes is 1; 30 minutes is 2; 45 minutes is 3, etc.

So on the log page, parents should imagine that they are dividing by 15. 45 minutes divided by 15 is 3, so if your child listened to books for 45 minutes, enter 3 in the log.

When you enter a number, at the bottom of the log it reads something like that "3 15 minutes have been logged."

It's easy to fix the mistake. Go to the log page and click "edit" on the right hand side of each entry. Then enter the right number in the time box. The program will automatically correct the mistakes and adjust the number of prizes your child should earn.

Good luck.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Mrs. Chaply and I brought back a backpack full of new paperbacks from Book Expo on Friday. Most of these books will be given out as prizes for the "Be Creative @ Your Library" Summer Reading Club. I even got a signed copy of Mo Willems' new Elephant and Piggy book. I MET MO WILLEMS!!

I also got an Advance Reader's Copy of the second book in Suzanne Collins' series, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire. I have already read it and it is as good as The Hunger Games. The series is for older readers, teens and adults. Check out The Hunger Games, soon. I want to thank Dayne E. for talking me into reading the first book.

Today, I was helping someone pick out books to read to a class and I stumbled across Allan Ahlberg's book, The Pencil. The story is simple and silly but not simplistic. (I love alliteration!)
The Pencil draws a family with pets but when the pencil draws food, no one will eat it. It's in BLACK AND WHITE. So the pencil draws a paintbrush who adds color to everything. When people complain about their appearance, the pencil draws an eraser and the eraser goes CRAZY!
This clever book is a great way to start a "Creative" summer.

Don't forget. Register for the "Be Creative @ Your Library" Summer Reading Club form the comfort of your desk chair, beginning June 8th. Look for the "Be Creative" graphic in the upper right hand corner of the Parkland Community Library website. You must be between the ages of 2 (or parent of said 2 year old) and 17 to join AND you must have a current Parkland Community Library card.

Registering for individual programs and workshops can only be done by coming into the Parkland Community Library. Attendance is limited at the workshops. Registration begins on Monday, June 8th, for those events.