March Book

The Book Buddies Book Club will meet on Monday, March 24th @ 3:45pm to discuss How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills.  Copies of the book are available for check-out at the Children's Desk.

New members are always welcome!  To sign up for Book Buddies, visit the Children's Desk, call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 or email me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org.

Afraid he will always be an outsider like ex-planet Pluto, nine-year-old Oliver finally shows his extremely overprotective parents that he is capable of doing great things without their help while his class is studying the solar system.

Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met yesterday afternoon to discuss our February book, The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng.  We had a terrific discussion followed by a sewing craft!

We spent a lot of time discussing the themes of the book, friendship and what makes someone a good friend.  We also analyzed Anna's relationships in the book: with her parents, Laura, Allison, Mr. Shepherd, Ray, Camille and her most precious relationship: with reading.  Although Anna loves to read more than anything and her life is so enriched by the stories she reads, she does come to realize that it is important to have a balance in your life and that people are as important as books.

We talked about books that have been meaningful to us including Geronimo Stilton, the City of Ember series, the Diary of  Wimpy Kid books, the I Funny books by James Patterson and The Phantom Tollbooth.

For our activity, we decided to be very ambitious and make drawstring bags like Anna does in the book!  Using the instructions on the back of the hardcover book and following this excellent Scholastic video, we sewed our very own bags!  Everyone worked very hard and they really came out great!

Here are two that I made:

It was a wonderful meeting and I look forward to seeing everyone again next month!

Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the Book Buddies Book Club will meet on Monday, February 24th at 3:45pm to discuss our February book, The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng.  Come for book discussion, snacks and a related activity.  Sign up by visiting the Children's Desk, calling 847-8720 ext. 204 or emailing me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org.  It's important to sign up so that I know who's coming and I make sure to have enough supplies on hand!

Hope to see you Monday!

Books Similar to The Year of the Book

Enjoying The Year of the Book?  Here are a few similar books featuring Asian-Americans that you might also want to read...

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin

When Pacy, her two sisters, and their parents go to Taiwan to celebrate Grandma's sixtieth birthday, the girls learn a great deal about their heritage.

The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata

Just when twelve-year-old Summer thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong in a year of bad luck, an emergency takes her parents to Japan, leaving Summer to care for her little brother while helping her grandmother cook and do laundry for harvest workers.

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan Long Shang

Eleven-year-old aspiring basketball star and interior designer Lucy Wu is excited about finally having her own bedroom, until she learns that her great-aunt is coming to visit and Lucy will have to share a room with her for several months, shattering her plans for a perfect sixth-grade year.

Scholastic Reading Club Presents: The Year of the Book

Learn how to make a drawstring bag like Anna Wang in The Year of the Book! Watch the video and make one of your own or if you are planning to come to book club on February 24th, we'll be making these bags for our activity!

Tween Snowman Craft

Don't forget the Tween Snowman Craft is taking place on Tuesday @ 2:30pm!  Come make a snowman out of socks, rice and decorative embellishments.  Registration is required - sign up at the Children's Desk or call 847-8720 ext. 204.  Hope to see you there!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Book Buddies!  Enjoy the day and spend it with a book you love...

Books in The Year of the Book

Anna reads and enjoys a lot of books in The Year of the Book.  Which have you read?  Which will you read in the future?

The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson

My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White


A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

George Shrinks by  William Joyce

February Vacation Week Activities

Looking for things to do during school vacation week?  Visit the library!  Browse the shelves and find a great book or come to one of our terrific programs...

Tween Snowman Craft
Tuesday, February 18th @ 2:30pm

Tweens, ages 8 - 12, are invited to make a snowman out of socks, rice and decorative embellishments.  Come be creative and design a snowman of your very own!  Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.  Registration is required - sign up at the children's desk or call 847-8720 ext. 204.
(I made this one!)

Musician Mary King
Wednesday, February 19th @ 10:30am

Musician Mary King will provide an interactive music program including clapping, percussion instruments, dance and call-and-response singing!  Featuring the fiddle, mountain dulcimer, and the bodhran (Irish drum).  No registration is required for this free program.  Held in the lower level program room. 

Movie Matinee
Saturday, February 22nd @ 2:30pm

Everyone is invited to a free afternoon showing of Monsters University, rated G.  No registration is required for this free program.  Held in the lower level program room.  

Have a great vacation and hope to see you in the library!

Books for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is this Friday and to get you in the spirit, here are a few books you might like to read...

The Candy Smash by Jacqueline Davies

Jessie and Evan Treski have waged a lemonade war, sought justice in a class trial, and even unmasked a bell thief. Now they are at opposite ends over the right to keep secrets. Evan believes some things (such as his poetry) are private. Jessie believes scandal makes good news. When anonymously sent candy hearts appear in Class 4-0, self-appointed ace reporter Jessie determines to get the scoop on class crushes.

Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald

When a snowstorm keeps thirteen-year-old best friends Olivia, Kate, and Georgia inside their Brooklyn, New York, apartment building on Valentine's Day, they connect with their neighbors by distributing homemade fortune cookies and uncover one another's secrets along the way.

Anna's Story Continues!

Anna Wang's story continues after her fourth grade year in The Year of the Book.  Read on as Anna tackles fifth and sixth grades!

The Year of the Baby (2013)

Fifth-grader Anna is concerned that her baby sister Kaylee, adopted from China three months ago, is not thriving so she and her best friends, Laura and Camille, create a science project that may save the day.

The Year of the Fortune Cookie (coming May 2014)

Eleven-year-old Anna heads off to sixth grade, leaving the comfort and familiarity of elementary school behind and entering the larger, more complex world of middle school. Surrounded by classmates who have their roots all in America, Anna begins to feel out of place and wonders where she really belongs.  When Anna takes a trip to China, she not only explores a new country and culture, but finds answers to her questions about whether she is more Chinese or more American.

Books by Andrea Cheng

Our February author, Andrea Cheng has written many books for children of all ages.  Here are a few of her other chapter books you might like to read:

Honeysuckle House

An all-American girl with Chinese ancestors and a new immigrant from China find little in common when they meet in their fourth grade classroom, but they are both missing their best friends and soon discover other connections.

Only One Year

Nine-year-old Sharon has conflicted feelings towards her copycat little sister and rambunctious toddler brother, who is sent to China for a year to live with relatives.

Where Do You Stay?

Now that Jerome's mother has died from cancer, he is staying with his aunt Geneva. But Jerome misses his own home and piano. When he meets Mr. Willie who lives in the carriage house of a mansion down the street, the two talk of music. Jerome dreams of someday moving into the mansion with Mr. Willie and fixing it up. But the building is for sale. What will happen if someone buys the mansion and tears the carriage house down? How will Jerome cope when things get to be too much?

February Author: Andrea Cheng

Andrea Cheng is the wonderful author of our February book, The Year of the Book.  She has a terrific website including a section of frequently asked questions which will give you a lot of insight into her life. 

She has written many books for children of all ages and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her family and her cat, Irvy.

Rhode Island Children's Book Award - Voting Begins!

Voting for the 2014 Rhode Island Children's Book Award has begun!  To cast your vote for your favorite book from the nominee list, see your teacher or school librarian.  You must be a student in grades 3-6 to cast a vote. 

Voting will continue until March 7.  In mid-March the winner will be announced and the next batch of nominees (for next year's award) will be released! 

The winning author will be invited to receive his or her award in October and you never know... the award ceremony might take place at your school! 

Happy voting!