Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Tween Summer Reading

Tweens, ages 9 - 12, are invited to participate in a special summer reading program called "Be a Star - READ!"  Tweens should register for the Children's Summer Reading Program (Dream Big- READ!), read 6 books during the summer and record the titles in a reading log at the library or online.  Once registered, Tweens are eligible to attend special Friday morning programs from June 29th - August 3rd.  Programs will take place in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.  No registration is required - just drop in!  We'll have crafts, a writing workshop, a summer movie which YOU will vote for and lots more.

Are you up for a challenge?  This summer we're asking Tweens to complete 2 Tween Challenges each week from June 29th - August 10th.  Read, review and discover new things about your library!

Tweens who read and record at least 3 books and attend at least 1 Friday program are eligible to attend a special Teen/Tween Summer Reading Finale Party on Thursday, August 16th.  All Tweens in attendance will receive a free book and a  party gift and 1 super special grand prize will also be awarded.

Visit the Tween Summer Reading website for all the details of the Tween program.


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Dream Big - READ!

Summer Reading is right around the corner and our theme for 2012 is Dream Big - READ!  We will be exploring all aspects of Dreaming Big from inspiration and imagination to outer space to all things related to the night including nocturnal animals and nighttime characters such as the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy. 

Our summer reading program officially begins on Monday, June 18th and will run for 8 weeks through Wednesday, August 8th.  This years program features performers including magicians, a comic book artist, Mad Science, and storytellers.  We will also be having Monday morning drop-in storytimes, Tuesday morning puppet workshops, a craft program, and 2 weeks of puppet camp from July 30th - August 10th.

Sign up now for summer reading!  All you have to do is register for the program at the library, over the phone (401-847-8720 ext. 204) or online.  Read 6 books during the summer and record the titles in a reading log at the library or online. 

In addition to the regular reading program, we will be doing special Friday programs for Tweens, ages 9 - 12 again this year.  Stay tuned for more details of the Tween program!

Visit our summer reading website for more information.  See you this summer!




Friday, May 11, 2012

Book Buddies: Year in Review

Some highlights of our 5th year of Book Buddies:
  • Another author phone call in September with Jaqueline Davies , author of The Lemonade War!
  • Revisiting an old favorite, our first Book Buddies book ever - Olivia Kidney by Ellen Potter.
  • Our first trip to the Old West with Emily's Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • And our favorite book of the year: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.
It was a fantastic year - thanks to all the Book Buddies members who attended.  See you in September!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

May Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met yesterday afternoon to discuss our May book, Nim's Island by Wendy Orr.  We had a great discussion and enjoyed cupcakes to celebrate the end of another great year of Book Buddies.

We all really enjoyed the book although no one was too keen on the idea of actually living on a deserted island themselves.  But we thought that Nim was a very adventurous girl who was very resourceful and perfectly suited to island life. 

We thought it must be very lonely for her to be on the island by herself with only her dad and her animal friends, Selkie and Fred to keep her company.  We decided that if we were going to live on a deserted island we would definitely need a lot of things to make us comfortable including food, water, shelter, clothes, medicine, a very well stocked first aid kit, books, a computer, solar panels, a motorboat and at least one other person to keep us company.

We discussed Nim's relationship with Alex and the ways in which they are different and ways in which they are similar.  We agreed that they both changed a lot over the course of the story and were able to teach each other new things and help each other grow.

All of us agreed that Jack should not have left Nim alone on the island because even though she is very capable of taking care of herself she is still a child and Jack's primary responsibility should be taking care of her.  Even though his scientific research is very important to him, he should put Nim first.

It seems very likely that Alex will stay on the island with Nim and Jack at least for awhile and we are all hoping that they will become a family.

Following our discussion we did a Nim's Island map activity and crossword puzzle and enjoyed cupcakes.

It was a terrific meeting and thanks to all the Book Buddies members for coming out this year.  We read some excellent books and had a lot of great discussions.  Hope to see you all back in September!



Friday, May 4, 2012

May Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the May meeting (and final meeting of the school year!) will take place on Monday, May 7th at 3:30pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.  We will be discussing Nim's Island by Wendy Orr and having an end-of-year party.

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Nim's Island Read-Alikes

If you are enjoying Nim's Island, here are a few other books you might like to read:

Lilly and the Pirates by Phyllis Root

Ten-year-old Lilly, a worrier who greatly fears the sea, leaves the home of her librarian great-uncle and sets out with an old woman pirate to rescue her parents, who were shipwrecked while seeking the elusive frangipani fruit fly on an uncharted island.





The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

After a fire kills her parents, eleven-year-old Martine must leave England to live with her grandmother on a wildlife game reserve in South Africa, where she befriends a mythical white giraffe.






Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Roxie Warbler, the niece of a famous explorer, follows Uncle Dangerfoot's advice on how to survive any crisis when she becomes stranded on an island with a gang of school bullies and a pair of murderous bank robbers.






First Light by Rebecca Stead

When twelve-year-old Peter and his family arrive in Greenland for his father's research, he stumbles upon a secret his mother has been hiding from him all his life, and begins an adventure he never imagines possible.