Mount Pleasant Library | Kids and Teens

OMG it's February

2012-01-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that this week will find us in February. What a cramped month it is. Please come in and view our Black History Month displays. Hope you'll find a Ground Hog Day book or two still on the shelf, and don't forget your Valentine's Day picture books. February is also National Tooth Fairy month, and we're pulling out some titles from the picture book collection as I type.

Peter Johnson, middle school author of The Amazing Adventures of John Smith, Jr. aka Houdini will be here to talk to the teens tomorrow night at 7:30 pm. That's January 31st, and our last event in January. Otherwise, we're looking forward to our usual C2C story hour on Thursday morning at 10:30 and hope to see you all there.

Mock Newberry

2012-01-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

I have had the chance to participate in the 2012 Mock Newbery Discussion Group, and we meet this week for a final discussion and vote.

According to the OLIS website, The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in the United States during the preceding year. The award is restricted to authors who are citizens or residents of the United States. Voting for the Rhode Island Mock Newbery winner uses the balloting procedures of the actual Newbery Medal committee and will take place at the January meeting. The official Newbery Medal will be awarded in January by the American Library Association.

I want to let you in on my top three choices. They are not necessarily in 1,2,3 order, rather, they are favorite choices of mine for unique reasons.

First Gary D. Schmidt's, Okay for Now, is a coming of age novel that combines so many of my favorite things: a quirky kid that finds sanctuary in ...a library with not one but two equally quirky elders; one of whom lures him into the art of drawing nature with the library's unique Audubon folio. "Hello Rhode Island, the Athenaeum selling off their prized Audubon plates".

Throw in the dysfunctional family with the Dad who can't handle his drink and is always looking for the easiest way out of difficult adult problems rather than working, mixed with the fire brand of a local girl his age who serves as his connector to the new town including an idiosyncratic writer and can you spell N-E_W-----???

More later.....

Homework Help

2012-01-15T08:41:00.000-08:00

We have a real gift in our most recent volunteer. Miriam Surprise is a published biomedical research PhD candidate who is helping with homework after school on Mondays from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. So come on down, all ye who need help in any science, math class you can name!

Ant that is not to take away from Mariah Gomes, our Tuesday/ Thursday afterschool homework helper whose unique one on one approach has already aided the completion of a poster board biography assignment and a science fair thesis.

Don't be shy...these two want to help.

MTP WINTER ACTIVITIES

2012-01-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

Session 1: 9:45–10:45 am OR Session 2: 10:45–11:45 am

Preschool Story Time is a program for 3 to 5-year olds and consists of stories, finger plays, and/or a craft each week. These programs last approximately 45 minutes and are held on Tuesdays at 1:30 pm and Mondays at 6:30 pm

HERO - INES is a book club for elementary school- aged children. It is recommended for independent readers. Will meet Wednesdays at 4:30 beginning February 22nd.

TEENS –is our book club for youth ages 12 years and up. We currently meet Tuesdays at 7:30PM for book talk and FOOD. January is our Pizza Taste Test and Author Visit from Peter Johnson.

Krafty Kidz is our craft program for elementary school age children led by Miss Marybel. Wednesdays at 3:30 pm.

Cyber Kids is a FREE work shop series (6 sessions) for youth in fourth grade or older beginning Wednesdays, in January. First session in January 11 at 4:30.

Comic Club A FREE workshop to learn new ways to draw and make comics; develop skills as an author, learn about layout techniques, how to use ink and tools for writing stories! Winter series starts in February.

Homework Help is available Mondays, from 3 to 6 pm. Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30 to 5:30 PM

Reading Reward Program

Read and report on four books by February 6th and earn an invitation to a Milk and Cookies Party. Read and report on eight books by March 12^th and earn an invitation to a Hot Chocolate Party. Read and report on ten books by April 16^th and earn an invitation to a Pizza Party.

WELCOME AUTUMN REGISTRATION NEWS

2011-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

AUTUMN 2011 BACK TO SCHOOL

REGISTRATION AT MOUNT PLEASANT LIBRARY

The first two weeks of September are registration weeks for programming at Mount Pleasant.

During Registration, Youth Services Librarian, Miss Gail and Children’s Specialist, Charlene Williams, will be available to discuss services provided by the library for youth and those adults who care for them.

To register by phone, please call 272-0106 XT 3. Ask for Miss Gail or Miss Charlene. Have your library card bar code and/or contact information available please.

Para participar u obtener mas informacion de sevicios y programas en espanol, llamar a Carolina Briones 401-274-4145 ext. 1705

Story Programs are offered at the library on a weekly basis during the school year, beginning Monday, September 12. Registration is required to meet at mutually convenient time(s) and help with planning. To register for any of the programs, please call 272-0106 XT 3. Ask for Miss Gail or Miss Charlene.

Cradle to Crayons is an interactive, introductory literacy program for our youngest patrons, ages 3 months to 3 years, and their parents or caregivers. This program is held on Thursdays at 10:30 am and lasts for one hour. Approximately 20 - 30 minutes of story time is followed by open play. Registration is required.

Preschool Story Time is a program for 3 to 5-year olds and consists of stories, finger plays, and a craft each week.
These programs last approximately 45 minutes and are held on Tuesdays at 1:00 pm. Registration is required.

Milk and Cookies is our Autumn Reading Program for elementary school- aged children. After school from 3:00 to 4:00 PM we’ll watch the cookie jar grow as the children record what they’ve read the day before. Plus, they'll receive milk and cookies. Registration is required.

TEENS –is our book club for youth ages 12 years and up. We currently meet Tuesdays at 7:30PM for book talk and FOOD. Time and day may change after our first meeting of the autumn, September 13

Krafty Kidz is our craft program for elementary school age children. It begins Tuesdays, October 4^th at 4PM

Providence Community Library joins with the Peace Flag Project to offer a workshop for people of all ages to make their own peace flag, September 21^st at 4:00 PM.

Cyber Kids is a FREE work shop series (6 sessions) for youth in fourth grade or older beginning Wednesdays, September 14^th – October 16^th from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

Comic Club A FREE workshop to learn new ways to draw and make comics; develop skills as an author, learn about layout techniques, how to use ink and tools for writing stories! Fall series TBA.

ORIGAMI is a FREE workshop. Fall dates TBA.

Series Programming

If you like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Club: Tuesdays at 4:30 PM

September 14^th – October 16^th

Coming Soon at the end of September

Hip Hop Poetry Creative Writing Workshop with Yunus Quddus

Level(s) l & ll

Yunnus strives to give back all that he has learned in this eclectic class mix of hip hop, poetry, and other creative arts expression. From the history of, to a publishable portfolio of work, even a how-to on making it in the business, it’s all here

WORDLESS BOOKS

2011-06-24T09:18:00.001-07:00

After story hour yesterday for infants to 3 years of age, some mums were talking about the use of wordless picture books as a means to ease children into the process of reading. So I had some fun this morning putting together a bibliography and making a display of some wordless book titles that we have here at Mount Pleasant. Please come in and check them out for yourselves while they are on display.

WORDLESS BOOKS AT MOUNT PLEASANT

A bibliography begun 6/24/11 with link to catalog

The red book

Lehman, Barbara.
Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Rainstorm

Lehman, Barbara.
Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2007.

Museum trip

Lehman, Barbara.
Boston, Mass. : Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

The secret box

Lehman, Barbara.
Boston : Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, c2011.

Changes, changes.

Hutchins, Pat, 1942-
New York : Macmillan, [c1971]

Pancakes for breakfast

De Paola, Tomie.
New York : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, c1978.

Chalk

Thomson, Bill, 1963-
New York : Marshall Cavendish, 2010.

Flotsam

Wiesner, David.
New York : Clarion Books, c2006.

Tuesday

Wiesner, David.
New York : Clarion Books, c1991.

The three pigs

Wiesner, David.
New York : Clarion Books, 2001.

The lion & the mouse

Pinkney, Jerry.
New York : Little, Brown and Co. Books for Young Readers, 2009.

Hug

Alborough, Jez.
Cambridge, MA : Candlewick Press, 2000

Truck

Crews, Donald.
New York : Greenwillow Books, c1980.

Schories, Pat.

Title

Breakfast for Jack / Pat Schories.

Publication Info.

Asheville, NC : Front Street, 2004.

Turkle, Brinton.

Title

Deep in the forest / by Brinton Turkle.

Publication Info.

New York : Dutton, c1976.

leischman, Paul.

Title

Sidewalk circus / presented by Paul Fleischman and Kevin Hawkes.

Publication Info.

Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2004.

Faller, Ré́gis.

Title

Polo: the runaway book / Régis Faller.

Publication Info.

New Milford, CT : Roaring Brook Press, 2007.

Oops

Geisert, Arthur.
Boston [Mass.] : Houghton Mifflin, 2006

Title

Shapes, shapes, shapes / by Tana Hoban.

Publication Info.

New York : Greenwillow Books, c1986.

Home

Baker, Jeannie.
New York : Greenwillow Books, 2004.

SUMMER READING PROGRAM KICK-OFF PARTY

2011-06-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Please join us for The Magic of Books Magic Show by Tommy James on Friday, July1 at 12:30 PM. This is a great way to begin our program as well as celebrate the Second Birthday of PCL. Of course, there will be cake.

ORIGAMI

2011-06-14T13:08:00.001-07:00

Rod Nice of the Origami Squadron will be back at Mount Pleasant on Tuesdays at 3:30 PM on :
June 21, 28, July 5, 19, Aug. 2, 16

Stay tuned for information on the return of Cyber Kids for the summer.

Cheers!
Gail

2011-06-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Children 0 to 3 years will be able to enjoy singing, rhymes and stories on Thursday mornings from 10:30 to 11:00 AM and play time from 11:00 to 11:30 AM.

Children 3 to 5 years will hear stories About Town, Around the World on Monday afternoons from 3:00 to 4:00 PM. This hour may include songs, games and/or crafts.

Children 6 to 8 years will learn about Trickster Tales Around The World on Tuesday afternoons from 3:00 to 4:00 PM. This hour may include songs, games and/or craft.

Miss Charlene will begin an American Girl Club this summer on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 PM, and we recommend the book series and program for children 9 to 12 years.

Children 9 to 12 years will also be able to join a book club entitled Explore which will discuss and review current novels with characters and settings from different continents on Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:00 PM

Teens which meet on Saturdays at 3PM currently are considering a mutually convenient time at the time of this posting. Tuesdays at 7PM is an option during the summer.

For more information please stop by or call Miss Gail or Miss Charlene at 272-0106.

Summer Reading Program 2011

2011-06-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

“One World, Many Stories” is this year’s theme for the 2011 summer reading program. Children will explore foreign places through stories, crafts, music, dance and other activities. The program is open to young people preschool through young adult, with weekly programs, prizes and story hours. Registration will begin Monday June 20^th and continue throughout June. Programming will begin Tuesday, July 5^th for seven weeks. Pre-registration is required.

Picture book readers and pre-readers who complete 14 pictures books will earn a World Traveler T-shirt. Children who read chapter books will earn a T-shirt when they complete 7 chapter books. Weekly book raffles, artists visits, performers and presenters are just some of the activities that are featured throughout the summer in this drop-in program that helps motivate kids to read for fun.

The Friends have arranged and funded a special kick-off event, Read to Achieve Magic Show by Tommy James, which was tentatively set to take place on Friday, July 1 in order to combine it with a PCL anniversary celebration.

In addition to the Friends Kick Off event, we will be hosting three other programs. They are:

Narragansett Stories of My Grandmothers (Children's Program)

WEDNESDAY JULY 27^th at 3:00 PM

The program will include Native storytelling, oral history, music & dance focusing on the Narragansett People. There will be a variety of Native cultural items to share, opportunity for questions and answers as well as participation in program as appropriate. Also included is a short film, How Bird's Got Their Song, featured at the Providence Film Festival, which tells the story from the perspective of Native children, followed by discussion or reflections. Loren Spears is the director of the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum.

Michelle Bach-Coulibaly

Michelle Bach-Coulibaly is a performance artist, educator, and student of Mande culture. In 1989, Ms Bach-Coulibaly was part of a consortium of Brown University professors awarded a Mellon Grant to develop a new line of study on the Music, Dances and Cultures of West Africa and the Diaspora. Since that time, the Mande Dance, Music and Culture program at Brown has grown to include the building of the Yeredon Centre for Cultural Preservation and Social Engagement in Mali, five bi-annual festivals of Mande Performance Tradition, transnational collaborations on the intersection of Performance and Global Health, and the creation of over thirty original ballets for the concert stage, film, and in the street that serve educational advancement.

MOVING TO THE BEAT (Children's Program)

WEDNESDAT AUGUST 17^th at 3:00 PM

West African Performance and Culture has deep resonances within the American experience. The teachings from West Africa inform our notions of what it means to be an American as well as a global citizen. In this workshop with young children, we will utilize these performance traditions to build an awareness of our own cultural traditions and how tradition plays an important role in our community. Songs will be taught that use call and response, word play, lessons in geography, and creative interplay. Dances will be taught that look at the power of participation, cooperation and creativity.

Moira Richardson Teen Program – JULY 12^th at 7:00 PM

Art Journals Are Awesome
Using collage materials like recycled books, magazines, sheet music,
and road atlases, students will create a visual story of their lives.
Students will write, draw, and collage images that represent their
childhoods, favorite people, and their home or neighborhood. Each
student will leave with a handmade journal and a creativity kit to help
them continue art journaling at home.

Back By Popular Demand

2011-03-20T16:29:00.001-07:00

Sensei RodNice will return to instruct youth of all ages in the art of origami. He doesn't take an "I can't do that seriously" and thus far he has be proven right. My desk displays lotus blossoms, strawberries, cubes and photo frames manipulated out of pieces of paper.

Sensei will be back Tuesday, March 29, after school, in between 3:00 and 3:20 PM.

Manga Junior Club Members

2011-03-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

I know you guys are out there waiting for programming. Well, we've got cartooning coming to Mount Pleasant on Mondays from 4:30 to 6:30 PM for ten weeks starting March 28. So, sharpen your pencils and give me, Miss Gail, a call to register for this ten week program at 272-0106. You'll be glad you did.

2011-03-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (Hardcover)

By Jenny Han, Julia Kuo

To quote Renee Zellwegger to Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire, Jenny Han, you had me on page one. I, who adore Fall, piles of autumnal leaves and stay home from work to make apple pies, adored the setting of this novel. Add a spunky, female third grader who speaks in staccato punched sentences with adventures to rival Clementine and Ivy & Bean rolled together and you've got the potential award winner Clara Lee. 8 to 11 years old, this one's for you.

Better Late Than Never

2011-03-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

The best news is that our Children's Specialist, Miss Charlene is in the house and in full swing.

Miss Charlene started in time to celebrate the commemoration of Dr. Seuss with cake and a hat a la the Cat In The Hat. With the assistance of Americorps volunteer, Marybel, kids and adults alike had a great time.

She has also introduced Krafty Kidz, a program of crafts for children 7 to 12 after school on Wednesdays. Check the website calendar for details.

Besides the programming, she has been shelving, shelf reading, weeding and generally turning the Children's area into a welcoming accessible department. If you're in, make sure you walk back and introduce yourself.

Mount Pleasant Friends Annual Valentines Bazaar

2011-02-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Mount Pleasant Friends Annual Valentines Bazaar

Saturday, February 12, 2011
10:00 AM-3:00 PM

Mount Pleasant Library, Providence Community Library
315 Academy Avenue
Providence, RI 02908
Google Maps - MapQuest

The Friends of the Mount Pleasant Library will hold a Valentine bazaar on Saturday, February 12, 2011 from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. There will be a flea market, book sale, bake sale, children's games, raffles, and more... Free Magic Show at 1:00 PM with Lon Cerel Please join us for the festivities.

Cost: FREE!

Suggested Audiences: Infant, Toddler, Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult, Elders

Come one, come all, etc. etc. Hope to see you there!

The Beginning of the Best of 2011 for Teens /YA

2011-02-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

It is not sheer coincidence that I have read Riding Invisible by Sandra Alonzo and Split by Swati Avasthi back to back. I wish I could say that I was literarily savant enough to read the two best coming of age voices of 2011, but it was actually the result of an alphabetical list. Let me tell you why each is a singular master piece and must be read by those 9 to 99 who are members of a family. These novels give voice to the struggle to survive in a household over which you have absolutely no control and can’t escape no matter how hard you try without some scar tissue.

If you haven’t read Sherman Alexie’s THE ABSOLUTE TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN please do so. Riding Invisible is the best, truest voice of a kid coping that I’ve read since. Initially, the type set made me worry that I wouldn’t be able to read it. It is written diary style with sketches that add to the life of the youthful scrawl. Three different prescriptions in my lenses sometimes makes reading such print difficult at times. Funny thing, after my initial hue and cry, I was so caught up in the rising development of the narrative that I didn’t even notice. I really didn’t want to put the book down. I read it front to back with only Keurig (magical coffee pot) breaks.

Yancy, youngest brother, has gotten to that invisible line in the sand with his family. He mounts his horse and leaves. He chronicles his escape in his diary which in Yancy’s words contains the back story and the journey to the ending as well. One of the many great things about this story is that the parents aren’t screw ups. They are two adults trying to be reasonably grown up although each has their individual means of coping. This is a family that is trying to work together on a problem; the conduct disorder of the elder brother, Will and its consequences to both him and the family. I know the horse stuck in there sounds off, and it should; but I don’t want to say too much because I want you to read the book and meet Yancy, his parents, and yes, even Will. There are significant other characters you’ll meet. Think girlfriends and supportive adults who may even help you run away and not be found…

The parents make the difference in Split by Swati Avasthi. Avasthi too presents us with a family of Mom, Dad and two brothers but these two parents are anything but reasonably grown up. The dysfunction of the family is created by the father’s sociopathic abusive personality and fueled by his wife’s submission to the abuse as a method of keeping her children alive. As the boys age each one eventually chooses to step in between their father in order to protect their mother. How they each react to the brutal consequences fuels the narrative. How they seek to break the cycle and reconcile themselves to their mother’s choices is not only the resolution but their creation of their term for the word “family”. Beautiful, provocative, painful, complicated and brutally honest, it is my hope that this book will be a successful “crossover” and have strong adult reader base.http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/adult4teen/2010/11/03/crossover/

Press Release on Ocean State Poets

2011-01-29T14:22:00.001-08:00

Here's the info promised on the Poets.

Ocean State Poets

A nonprofit dedicated to the promotion and sharing of poetry

PRESS INFO January 26, 2011 For PCL libraries project

The newly named poets group, “Ocean State Poets” will begin offering poetry workshops for adults and teens at the Providence Community Library in January. Poets will form groups at Olneyville, Rochambeau, and Mount Pleasant libraries. On Saturday, January 22 poets Ira Schaeffer, Pat LaRose and Stephen Celico, held the first session for adults at the Rochambeau PCL location. This group will meet every other Saturday at Rochambeau from 1:30 to 3 pm, with their next meeting on Saturday, February 5.

This Saturday, January 29 at 2 p.m. poets Judy Gamble, Helen D’ Ordine and Juliana Anderson will begin the sessions to be held monthly at Mount Pleasant. The first session scheduled for the Olneyville location is Wednesday, February 9 at 4:30 p.m. for teens. Poets Erik Crook, Julianna Anderson, and silent lotus will be on hand to share their poems, conduct a brief writing exercise, and offer critiques to participants. These two groups will meet once a month. Librarians at each site are coordinating these sessions. Contact the libraries for more information.

These workshops are free and open to the public. In April, National Poetry Month, Ocean State Poets hopes to visit all nine Providence Community Library locations with a contingent of poets, and possibly participants in the poetry workshops, for poetry readings. Lisa Starr, Rhode Island’s current Poet Laureate, will headline the readings in April. The April reading at Rochambeau has already been scheduled for Thursday, April 7 at 7 pm. Contact Librarian Tom O’Donnell for more information.

These volunteer poets are part of “Ocean State Poets – giving voice”, formerly “Power to the Poets”. This project was created by Rose Pearson, Creative Director of The Writers’ Circle in September 2008 and continued in 2009-2010 under the aegis of Praying Mantis Press. This year we are forming a new non-profit under the name “Ocean State Poets”. We are a community-outreach group of volunteer poets who share poetry, and promote poetry reading and writing.

To date, we have visited over 20 sites around the state, bringing poetry workshops to under-served populations in alternative schools, the prison, homeless shelters, group homes, addiction-recovery residences, and nursing care facilities. We have conducted poetry readings for Newport Public Library, Providence Public Library, Salve Regina University, Custom House Coffee, and Prudence Island Community Center. Some of the Ocean State poets volunteer by recording their poetry in ½ hour programs for Insight Radio, a closed-circuit broadcast for the visually impaired; and 2 of our poets were featured on “Good News Rhode Island”, a cable access television program.

Currently, Ocean State Poets has 20 members who are involved in the workshop teams, including Lisa Starr, Rhode Island Poet Laureate. Our volunteer poets’ professional backgrounds are as diverse as our individual poetic voices: some work in the fields of social services and teaching; others in engineering and strategic planning; we are musicians, technology experts, librarians, inn keepers, business owners, life coaches, ministers, and spiritual guides. What unites us is a true desire to build community through the writing and sharing of poetry, to inspire others through the beauty and honesty of language.

Contact Pat LaRose: plarose2@cox.net

"That Poetry Thing Was GOOOOOOOD"

2011-01-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

The quote above was heard as a twelve year old left the building today. We had not three but four Ocean State Poets introduce themselves and their art to a group of youth aged 6 to 17. All had an opportunity to read aloud and time to work on a new creation.

I will get back to you with further information on the poets and their organization as well as when they plan to return, but for right now, I am very anxious to show you some of the work produced today.

An acrostic (Greek: ákros "top"; stíchos "verse") is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrostic

Acrostic by Teylon entitled:

Cats Have Rhythm

Cats how they’re so

Amazing how

Their tails

Sway to the beat

How they seem to have rhythm

After turning on the music check if the

Very cute mammals seems to be moving to

Every single beat

Rambunctious rhythm even cats dance to

How they almost seem to grin

Young but energetic always

Throwing their tail side to side I swear they

Have songs stuck in their heads

Maybe even moving to the beat of a song

Tiger By Jaekwon

Too cute to describe

I love him so much

growling with joy

everybody loves him

right where he is at home

Frog by Rosalie Adebayo

Rip it rip it

hop hop

It always eats all the flies around

It goes one way then another.

Would I survive?

Mount Pleasant Friends Annual Valentines Bazaar

2011-01-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 12, 2011
10:00 AM-3:00 PM

Mount Pleasant Library, Providence Community Library
315 Academy Avenue
Providence, RI 02908
Google Maps - MapQuest

The Friends of the Mount Pleasant Library will hold a Valentine bazaar on Saturday, February 12, 2011 from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. There will be a flea market, book sale, bake sale, children's games, raffles, and more... Free Magic Show at 1:00 PM with Lon Cerel Please join us for the festivities.

Cost: FREE!

Suggested Audiences: Infant, Toddler, Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult, Elders

Come one, come all, etc. etc. Hope to see you there!

Plain Kate

2011-01-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

Whether or not Plain Kate by Erin Bow is a master‘s or apprentice’s piece continues to plague me. This Russianesque fairy tale is masterful and magical but the use of blood as a tool to move the piece to completion gives me serious difficulty because I become distracted by it.

Eastern European in feel and place, Katerina Carver is the daughter apprentice to father Master Piotr Carver. At the time of his odd sleeping death, Katerina has already earned the moniker Plain Kate due to her physical appearance and a little suspicion of witchyness as well. With her father’s death, Plain Kate is forced to survive on her own and in order to do so enters into a magical covenant. That exchange completed (which I won’t reveal, except to say that Bow’s talking cat is masterful) Plain Kate ventures forth.

Her first respite is with a caravan of Roamers who have their own customs and traditions. One of them involves the traditions that separate woman from others during their menstrual cycle which happens to Plain Kate for the first time while she is living amongst them. Initially, I was just curious if a nine year old or twelve year old girl would want to read about a girl getting her” first blood” and the traditions that separate her from others during that time. Anita Diamant did a wonderful job with this in The Red Tent . Unfortunately though, as the adventure moves forward and the exchange of secrets nears completion, blood takes a much larger role. Blood is required in order to keep the quest moving forward, Plain Kate's blood. Both she and her captor cut themselves and he her at one point in order “to feed” the spiritual element needed. My mind immediately went to the “cutting” culture in our society and I couldn’t help wondering if there wasn’t a way that the same quest could have been carried forward without cutting for blood.

The resolution of the magic and characters is as strong and complex as the rest of the tale. Blood, aside, perhaps it is even an apprentice’s master piece.

I know the witch and magic phase usually starts in the fourth grade but I would recommend this fantasy to teens.

Snow Day or Parking Ban in Providence

2011-01-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

An announcement of a parking ban in Providence means the libraries are closed and that means yesterday, Friday, was a suprise day off due to snow. I hunkered down with Mockingjay the final novel in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and in between shoveling and using my new Keurig coffeemake, finished it. I was completely driven to see how the relationships would settle out in this one because I do read for relationships, but for those of you who read for the whole SciFi/dystopia 'thangl' you will not be disappointed. I did wonder out loud if this was a failed adult novel which ended up being marketed YA, but have decided even YA would have appreciated a little bit more of the complexity of scene and plot that we had in the first in the series....I am still pushing this trilogy onto anyone who will listen

Snowy Day by Jack Ezra Keats and The Snowman by Raymond Briggs need to be on your coffee table on days like these. Hot chocolate, a fleece blankie and toddlers added to those read alouds are as utopian as life will get.

Also check out what Caralyn Buehner is doing with Snowmen All Year and Snowmen at Night. Avalanche is on my desk to try as a read aloud this week because of its rollicking pace, plenty of white space with contrasting bright colors. I'll let you know how it goes.

More later.....

PS I'm reading Plain Kate now

Almost One Year Later and Tell Me One Thing That Hasn't Changed?!

2011-01-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

Miss Emily has left the building, but not the world of librarianship. Have no fear, she continues to be easily accessible by e-mail or blog and located at Harry Kizirian Elementary School in Providence, RI (of course) as School Librarian.

In her wake, Miss Betty too has transferred to the PCL South Providence location. Leaving, me, Miss Gail, holding down the fort at Mount Pleasant.

Teens meet tomorrow at 3 as they do every week end and will join other youth with 3 Ocean State Poets on January 29 at 2 PM for some poetry work shopping. Please do join us.

Otherwise, Cradle to Crayons starts up this Thursday, January 27 at 10:30 with the same comfortable presentation of rhythms, songs and stories with Americorps volunteer, Marybel adding some Spanish tunes and rhymes.

We'll have a table open for making Valentines as we get closer to the date. Story times continue and Ground Hog picture books and Valentine easy readers are displayed.

Now you see it, now you don't/Bazaar Shout-out

2010-02-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

All we did was move the computer lab to the front corner of the library, and now it's as though the lab has a special cloaking device. Everyone walks past it and then wanders around vaguely until one of the staff says, "Are you looking for the computers?"

It's wonderful, actually. The computer lab looks so much smaller tucked into the corner, and now people don't have to walk around and past it to get to everything else.

Anyway, this is what the middle of the library looks like now that the computers are no longer there:

OK, so this isn't what the middle is usually going to look like, but tomorrow is (drum roll please) the Friend's Annual Valentines Bazaar! I took this picture when they were just starting to set up the book sale. Here are the details from the PCL calendar:

Mount Pleasant Friends Annual Valentines Bazaar
Saturday, February 6, 2010
10:00 AM-3:00 PM

Mount Pleasant Library, Providence Community Library
315 Academy Avenue
Providence, RI 02908
Google Maps - MapQuest

The Friends of the Mount Pleasant Library will hold a Valentine bazaar on Saturday, February 6, 2010 (snow date February 13) from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. There will be a flea market, book sale, bake sale, children's games, raffles, and more!

Cost: FREE!

Suggested Audiences: Infant, Toddler, Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult, Elders

Come one, come all, etc. etc. Hope to see you there!

"Before"

2009-12-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm posting some pictures of how our lovely library looks now, so you can compare and contrast once we finish moving the children's section to the back of the library.

That's right--we're moving! We're going to take over the back of the library, where we will have more room for storytime, tables for homework, and a better arrangement of shelves. The move should be completed by the end of January.

Meanwhile, my 0- to 3-year-old story time is on hold for the holidays. Have happy ones!

Want to see the inside of a pinata?

2009-11-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

The lovely Sussy DeLeon from the Pinata Center came to the library yesterday to give a pinata workshop. Here's a behind-the-scenes peek. And if you need a pinata for a special event in your life, you know where to go!

Check out these babies!

And thanks to everyone who attended!

Have a crimefighting Halloween!

2009-10-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Jim Benton Doesn't Get Enough Love

2009-10-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

The two most-asked-for series at my library are definitely the Diary of a Wimpy Kid* series, by Jeff Kinney, and the Captain Underpants series, by Dav Pilkey. Unfortunately, the probability of a book in either of these series actually being in the library is about the same as the probability of your vacuum cleaner coming to life and chasing you around the living room.

But never fear, I am prepared**! Whenever someone wants some Capt. U and I can't find any on the shelves, I recommend Franny K. Stein, which is about an elementary school-age mad scientist. It has robots! And lots of zany pictures! And it's written at the same, streamlined reading level.

And whenever someone wants Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I recommend My Dear Dumb Diary. Once again, it has it all: cartoony diagrams, short entries about middle school life, lots of exaggeration, and a slim, unintimidating spine. It's just what you want when you have a book report due tomorrow.

Amazingly, both of these series, which obviously tap into some elementary school zeitgeist, are by the same author: Jim Benton. Just listen to the titles of some of his books: "The Problem with Here is it's Where I'm From," "Never Underestimate Your Dumbness," and "My Pants are Haunted." If I was in charge of giving a literary award, I would give it to him. Meanwhile, I will recommend his books to everyone I see. So watch out.

*BTW, Diary of a Wimpy Kid was originally published as an online novel or webcomic or waddayacallit, and you can still read Greg Heffley's Journal on http://www.funbrain.com.
** Not for vacuum attacks.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd we're back

2009-10-08T10:01:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all the people who asked me why I wasn't updating the blog, because now I know that people besides me are reading it! I do have a program coming up that I want to share with the world. It's called The Widow's Broom Read-aloud, Craft, and Raffle! It's a long name, but very descriptive.

The program is on Wednesday, Oct.21 @ 4 p.m. and it's for ages 6 and up. It's all based on this book by Chris Van Allsburg, who lives in Providence.*

So we'll read the book--if you're familiar with Van Allsburg's books you know that they tend to be magical in an unexplained and vaguely unsettling way--and do a craft. And then one lucky child will win four tickets to the Festival Ballet's performance of the Widow's Broom on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Cool, huh? If you want to make sure you can attend the Widow's Broom ballet, you can always get tickets at the VMA website.

*I just looked up his bio to make sure that was true, and his bio says that yes, he lives in Providence and also that he can play the recorder with his nose. I always expected him to be intimidating, like Maurice Sendak, but perhaps not?

Survival Games

2009-08-19T12:40:00.001-07:00

The survival games are done and the main winner was ... me. Because I made the questions too hard for anyone else to win.

Actually, we had some winners (and one lucky guy who got to wear a crown of laurels), and I think we've developed a good set of rules for the future, so thanks to everyone who participated. You know who you are--the people who can identify the following robot types:

Car Design Competition

2009-07-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ooooooooooooooooooh look at these fresh cars!

Come and vote on your favorite designs from the automobile design workshop. They're on display til mid-August.

Book News: What Libraries Can Learn from Target

2009-07-22T08:54:00.001-07:00

Disclaimers:

I feel a little guilty putting the name of a big box store in my post
I hate the suggestion that libraries should model themselves after corporations

But the NYT article on Target's book club is eye-opening. I always wonder what makes an obscure book suddenly popular, and apparently the Target Book Club is the power behind the surge in paperback sales of a number of titles.

Plus the article is sort of a how-to on becoming a taste-maker. I think libraries are more of taste-satisfiers, but I wonder, who do people trust more? Their librarians' recommendations or the Target book club? Target's obviously doing a couple things better than we are. They know how to display, label, and select books so that they fly off the shelves. They know how to take emerging authors from obscurity to the NYT bestseller list. And they know the demographic they serve: "Ms. O’Leary said that Target’s 'core' book buyers were women, with a median age of 42 and median annual household income of $60,000. About half have completed college degrees, and some have children at home."

Could we describe our core patrons with that kind of accuracy and detail? If we could, that would help us select books better. And once we know who our core patrons are, we can reach out to the people we're not serving successfully.

Destroying/Making Books

2009-07-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

So our last workshop in the "Be Creative" craft series is a book-making workshop. As someone who used to work in a rare book library, I'm very excited to teach kids the about leaves, endpapers, copyright pages, and bindings. I'm resisting the urge to get into versos, etc. Here's my example:

Beautiful, no? The workshop is at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday next week (July 28 and 29). It's for ages 6+. And we will also be taking books apart to see how they're made, but don't worry--only very old, half-destroyed books that are no longer part of the collection!

Summer Survival Games

2009-07-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Look! I made my hand all creepy! It's like it's attacking you!

I made this creepy hand for the Summer Survival Games flyer. Lots of people are already signed up, but the more the merrier, especially when there are zombies, so if you're a kid/teen/tween going into 4th-9th grade, consider yourself invited.

The survival games are life-size board games. Instead of moving pieces around on a board, you actually step on the squares I lay out, roll giant dice, and answer questions to move forward. The questions relate to the theme of the game. One week the theme is a robot uprising, another week it's an attack of Greek and Roman gods, then it's a zombie epidemic. They're all sci-fi-inspired situations. Anyway, here are the days and times:

July 23 @ 3 p.m. Robot Survival Games
July 30 @ 3 p.m. Olympian Survival Games
August 6 @ 3 p.m. Zombie Survival Games

You should come! It will be epic!

Sending mixed messages

2009-07-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

My apologies to anyone who had trouble viewing this blog for the past few days. There was a glitch with the video bar, so people using Internet Explorer were not able to look at the blog for more than a few seconds before they got an error message, and people using Firefox were getting a "URL is not valid" warning message. Anyway, it's all better now.

And speaking of warning messages, I wanted to share an article about online safety that I read on C|Net. It confirms that access to the internet does not necessarily increase kids' risk of being exploited. There's been all this fear-mongering about kids meeting crazy people in chat rooms, etc. This article has a much more specific message.

Summer Reading Update

2009-07-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

We had our summer reading kick-off on Tuesday, so the sign-ups for our programs are officially up! Since the theme is "Be Creative," we have a series of design programs for ages 6 and up on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 3 p.m. The projects are sort of work-at-your-own pace, so we really think these programs will work for ages 6 to 16. Each week there's a different theme, and you can come work on your project one or both days. Here's the schedule of themes:

July 7 & 8 @ 3 p.m. Fashion Design. Design clothes for paper doll templates using all kinds of stationary paper, fabric, and craft supplies. Finish with a paper doll fashion show.

July 14 & 15 @ 3 p.m. Automobile Design. Select colors and features to create a futuristic or classic 2D car.

July 21 & 22 @ 3 p.m. Architecture Design. Details TBA.

July 28 & 29 @ 3 p.m. Book Design. Learn how to make paper and bind your own journal or notebook.

Miss me?

2009-06-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm on vacation this week, so that sound you hear every time I type a comma is the sigh that follows a cool sip of iced coffee. If only the sun were out. But seriously, that's why the posting is sparse. However, I figured this was a good time to share one of my all-time favorite blogs, in case my adoring followers need book recommendations in my absence--especially since the most recent post on this blog is about summer reading lists.

The blog is called Guys Lit Wire, and here are three things about it that are great:

It has a bunch of different contributors, so there's always something fresh, plus lots of different perspectives.
It's a mix of adult and children's books, fiction and nonfiction, and hot-off-the-presses and classics.
It's supposedly for guys, obviously, but I think it's actually a great list of recommendations for anyone who's a little skeptical of reading and might like something a little off-beat, technical, or zombie-infested.

Remember the bug lady?

2009-06-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to go to schools and promote the summer reading program, and I'm having trouble deciding what to wear. Last year, the theme was bugs, so I put temporary bug tattoos all over my arms and neck. I think I had a fly crawling up the side of my face. Kids still come into the library and say, "I know you! You're the bug lady!" That is not exactly how I want to be remembered, but I guess I deserve it.

Anyway, this year the theme is "be creative," so I'm thinking something paint-splattered. I've just finished the flyers, so I thought I'd give you a sneak preview here.

Consider this a save-the-date postcard for the summer reading kick-off/orientation, in which I will explain what activities you can sign up for and how you can win prizes by keeping track of your reading. It goes down July 2 at 3 p.m. Be there or be totally lame. (Is that mean? Sorry.)

Remember you can always check the calendar and I'm still accepting applications for teen volunteers.

I lied

2009-06-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

I said that next week was going to be the last Cradles-to-Crayons session until July 15, but then I realized that I'm going to be on vacation next week, and I hate to end things that way!

So, while Betty will fill in for me next week, I'm going to do one more session the following week, on June 18. Then we'll take a little break, OK?

I've fixed the calendar, in case anyone is checking that, too. Sorry for the confusion!

P.S. I call this picture, "March of the Strollers." I took it at Cradles to Crayons two weeks ago.

Summer Reading Lists!

2009-06-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Every year a group of librarians from Providence public schools collaborate with the librarians at PPL to create a list of recommended books. Full disclosure: I have a love/hate relationship with these lists. They definitely include some excellent choices for young readers, but they also give some parents list anxiety. I just made that up--list anxiety. But what I'm talking about is the idea that you must check out a book from the list!!!

The lists are great starting points, but the best way to keep your child reading over the summer is to let him or her choose what to read. OK, end of PSA.

Back to the lists. Everyone who helped create them is awesome and the books are awesome and I have the books here at my library, so come check them out before some one else does (because believe me, they go fast.) Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you where the lists are: 1. some of you will receive them from the school, 2. anyone can pick them up here, 3. I am posting them online.

Teen Summer Reading Program

2009-05-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

If you've checked the calendar recently, you know that I've started adding summer reading program dates. Now I'm going to elaborate on some of them. Let's start with the "Teen Summer Reading Kick-off" on July 2 at 3 p.m. Ahem.

Remember when you were a little tyke and during the sweet summertime you used to read lots of books and then report on each one at the library? No? Then you missed out on one of life's rare joys. But don't be sad! You can still relive this precious part of childhood by participating in the teen summer reading program.

This is how it works: you make a bingo card. I know mine doesn't say bingo, but that's because we've already agreed that it's a bingo card, and I had a coffee bumper sticker I wanted to use.

Each square on the bingo card describes a kind of book. When you read a book that fits into the description on a square, you get to cover that square with a sticker. When you have 5 stickers in a row--BINGO!--you get a prize! (I will report on what the prizes actually are as soon as I get my budget approved.)

Rules:

You must have completed 6th grade or be at least 13 to participate. (11- and 12-year-olds who have completed 6th grade will count as teens for this program.)
You must read the books between June 30 and August 14.
You can only use stickers you receive from the librarian to cover the squares.
You will only receive a sticker if you show the librarian each book and tell her something about it.
Each book only counts for one square, even if it falls into two categories. For example, if you read a sci-fi book that has a protagonist of the opposite sex, you can only cover the sci-fi or opposite sex square, not both.
You must read a book in order to put a sticker on the free space. However, it may be any kind of book.
You can create your own bingo card. You may put the squares in any order, but you must use all 25 squares and you may not repeat any of them.

So come make a bingo card on July 2 at 3 p.m. and get credit for your summer reading. Also I will provide snacks and book recommendations for each category. Oh, and there will be a sneak peek of the prizes. And of the stickers, because everybody loves stickers and I have a large box of them.

I was not kidding about the large box.

Resources: More Free Stuff!

2009-05-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

You may remember my previous posts on free stuff. Now I have another tip from a savvy patron. Slater Mill has free-for-all Sundays the last Sunday of every month, sponsored by Amica Insurance. This Sunday there's a free tour with a teddy bear theme. Not sure what that means, since I think Slater Mill is a museum about labor history, but sounds like a unique experience!

Math Workbooks

2009-05-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

You're going to think I'm obsessed with superheroes, but seriously, the fact that these math workbooks have superheroes on the cover is just a bonus. What I really like about them is that they divide math concepts by grade level.

Frequently people come in and ask for second grade books or fifth grade books, but I never really group things that way. In the case of math books, I have books on decimals, patterns, shapes, adding, etc., but I have no idea what concepts are taught at what grade level. Honestly, you'd think I never went to elementary school.

But now I have these workbooks! They're full of exercises introduced by Marvel superheroes, but more important, they give me an idea of what kind of exercises are introduced in each grade. So now I can point people to other books in the math collection as well.

The only drawback for people who check these books out, of course, is that they can't write in them. But you can do a surprising number of exercises just by having your child point to the right answer, and you can always trace pages, photocopy them, or just have the child write on another piece of paper.

I know it's almost summer time, so it seems like the wrong time to be blogging about school books, but when I was little, I always had more fun "playing school" with old exercise books than actually going to school, so now may be the perfect time to check one of these books out.

Summer Volunteer Program

2009-05-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've finalized the days and times for this summer's volunteer program. I've reduced the hours slightly, so I may have to reduce the number of volunteers as well. We'll see. Basically, I'm only going to schedule volunteers between 1 and 5 p.m.

In order to volunteer, you must:

have completed 7th grade.
be able to volunteer for an hour once a week at the same time every week.
fill out an application.
attend the volunteer training on June 25 at 3 p.m.

The program will run from June 29 to Aug 14. As you can see from this picture, it's very important work. If I'd had to blow up all those balloons myself, I might have passed out. So stop by the library for an application, and fill it out with love.

Reminder: No Storytime Today!

2009-05-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day!

Transition News

2009-05-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

There's another article in today's ProJo about the library situation. I thought people might be confused by the different numbers mentioned, so I just wanted to clarify:

120=The number of people who have been employed by PPL to staff the downtown and the branches.
40=The number of people who may remain employed to staff the downtown library.
11=One estimate of the number of people who will still be unemployed after PCL staffs the branches.
26=Another estimate of the number of people who will still be unemployed.

In other words, the downtown library will keep some staff, the branches will pick up some staff, and somewhere between 11 and 26 people will still be unemployed.

Resources: Superhero Picture Books

2009-05-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I put up a display of superhero picture books and--zoom!-- they flew off the shelf! (Except for the nonfiction book about Kung Fu. Come on! You need to know some kind of martial art in order to be a truly cool superhero!)

So I figured I'd make the list available, and that way, people who missed the book display can track the titles down.

And remember, if you ever need chapter books about superheroes, you can refer to this awesome list on read-o-rama.

Terrible Yellow Eyes

2009-05-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Isn't that sharp? It's the link to a gallery of artwork inspired by Maurice Sendak's iconic book. Although I was skeptical at first, I hear the Where the Wild Things Are movie is gorgeous. It's due date is October 19, 2009.