The Explorer

The Chinese New Year begins this Sunday, February 10. This is a celebration honoring a new year of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Each year is represented by a creature such as the rabbit in 2011, or the dragon in 2012. The Year of the Snake lasts through January 30, 2014. To ring in the New Year, come to the Library to create a ceremonial Chinese New Year drum. Decorate your drum with Chinese symbols, an image of the snake, or even colorful hearts for Valentine’s Day.

Also, be sure to pick up some books about Chinese New Year while you are here!

Attention Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate fans! There is a new character on the block. His name is Timmy Failure. And he is, well, an EPIC failure. But he’s pretty darn funny, too. You see, Timmy thinks he knows more than most kids and considers himself the best detective in the town. What he doesn’t realize is that he is incredibly clueless. Whether he is trying to sort out who stole his friend’s Halloween candy or who toilet-papered the neighbor’s trees, he just doesn’t seem to be able to observe the obvious. Timmy and his polar bear side-kick, Total, will have you laughing at their stupidity and possibly adopting a new excuse for your own failures: “Mistakes were made.” See what I mean by viewing his website and blog!

The book, which is written and illustrated by Stephan Pastis (the author of the adult comic Pearls Before Swine) doesn’t come out until February 2013, but you can reserve your copy now. Thanks to Stephan (see picture at right), the library received a few advanced reading copies – one of them was even autographed! So if you are one of our lucky readers, please share your opinion of Mistakes Were Made in the comments section below. That’s what makes this book review a WE-view!

This past week kids of Skokie showed their creative side. We had our first Edible Books Competition. The entries were inspired by a favorite book or tale and had to be edible. The creations could be made individually or as a family. The creations were made at home and then brought to the Library for judging. The doors were closed for the judging at 5:00pm and reopened at 6:30pm for public viewing until 8:30pm. Our winners were “The Red Pyramid” by Rick Riordan made out of fig Newtons, “A Sheet Cake” made into a bed for Amelia Bedelia and a last minute entry “How to Eat Fried Worms” by Thomas Rockwell made with gummy worms, yellow Jello and cookie crumbs. For more inspiring ideas look at this site  http://www.library.illinois.edu/ediblebooks/2012gallery.html

Thanks to a blockbuster release of a movie, it seems that everyone is crazy about The Hunger Games trilogy! The Library now owns 38 copies of the first book and has already ordered 40 copies of the DVD. We don’t know when it’s coming out, but we are ready to take reserves!

So what can you read while you are waiting for your turn? Let me make a suggestion. If you loved Hunger Games, then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Starters along with it’s sequel, Enders, which is due out in December. Starters is a futuristic story that takes place after a war (like Hunger Games), where a girl is fighting to survive (like Hunger Games), realizes her romantic feelings for an attractive guy (like Hunger Games) and eventually starts a revolt (like Hunger Games). Of course, the storyline is different, but the intrigue, the fast paced writing, and unethical treatment of teens is all there.

Starters is set in a futuristic Beverly Hills, California where – thanks to a shortage of vaccines and a horrible war – the only living people are the young and the old. Starters, who lost their parents in the war, have to find a way to survive. Enders, who are living until they are 200 years old, want to be able to enjoy the things they used to be able to do. In steps Prime Destinations, a corporate body-bank that offers free make-overs and large sums of money to any Starter who will rent out his/her body. The main character, Callie, desperate to care for her sick, younger brother, agrees to only three rentals. But what will she do when she learns that the Ender who rents her body plans to commit murder?

My colleague, Linda, and I were fortunate to be invited to a celebration dinner with author Lissa Price. We learned that this is Lissa’s first book, and she has already written the screenplay for the movie. Her publisher, Random House, is so excited about Starters, that they’ve created a book trailer which played during the previews of The Hunger Games movie right here in Chicago. So give it a try, and let us know what you think – we’ve already ordered extra  copies of the book!

Books make great holiday gifts! If you’re looking for some ideas, here’s what’s on the Youth Services staff shopping list this season. If you shop our suggestions, please let us know how your children liked these books!

For the teen and adult readers on your gift list, check out the Library’s 2011 Holiday Gift Buying Guide compiled by the Readers’ Services staff.

(Pssst… kids who read for fun consistently score higher on tests, too!)

Picture books

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle

A Hundred Acre Wood Treasury by Lisa Ann Marsoli

Disney Winnie the Pooh: The Essential Guide by Beth Larkin Hester

E-MERGENCY by Tom Lichtenheld

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?  by Susan A. Shea

Maisy’s Big Book of Learning by Lucy Cousins

Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed by Eileen Christelow

Train Trip by Deanna Caswell

Llama Llama Home with Mama by Anna Dewdney

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Easy readers and easy fiction

Young Cam Jansen and the Circus Mystery by David Adler

The Mixed-up Mail Mystery by Erica Farber

Mr. Putter & Tabby Ring the Bell by Cynthia Rylant

Trouble with Chickens: A J.J. Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin

Fiction for older readers

City of Orphans by Avi

Mistaken Masterpiece by Michael D. Bell

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner

Satch and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by Dan Gutman

The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

You may have read a lot of stories, but have you read the one about visiting Skokie Public Library?

Our new social story was written to help children prepare for their visit to the Library. It is a short story, with simple language and close-up photographs, that shows the reader what to expect and how to behave. Because we’ve never written a social story before, we got some help from Niles Township District for Special Education. Social stories are typically written for children on the autism spectrum, but they can be helpful to anyone who might be uncomfortable in a new environment. It’s also a great tool to use with a class before taking a field trip!

Learn about all the things you can do in the Library — for example: read books, play games, make crafts, or use computers. Did you know that in addition to books, you can checkout Playaways, puppets, and video games? You can also see how to use our new self-checkout and return machines. Notice that there are some rules for behavior in the Library.

I Can Go to Skokie Public Library may be viewed online (with Adobe Reader) or printed and bound into a booklet. There is also a printed copy available at the Youth Services Desk. We hope you’ll read our social story and Come On In! because the Library is a friendly place for children with special needs.

Author Sarah Weeks rocked the Media Center at Middleton School when she visited with students on Thursday during her whirlwind trip to Skokie. Take a look at our moving memories from that visit:

(The photos in our moving memories are available for download and sharing on our Flickr photostream.)

Check back soon for more highlights of the day including a Q&A with the author.

Thursday was a busy day at the Library and around Skokie. Author Sarah Weeks was in the house! She visited with students at Edison School and Middleton School, charved cheese, ate pie, and made a fun evening for kids and grown-ups in our Petty Auditorium. She even taught one lucky group of 4th graders how to make the “prrrrr-ip” sound that Oggie Cooder makes when he’s excited.

We have photos and video clips from the whole day. For starters, take a look at our moving memories from Edison School.

(The photos in our moving memories are available for download and sharing on our Flickr photostream.)

Check back soon for more highlights of the day, including photos from Middleton School, a Q&A with the author, and the “prrrr-ip” lesson on video from Sarah herself.

Welcome Paul O. Zelinsky to Skokie Public Library on Monday, October 17th at 10:00am with a sing-a-long craft!

Have you ever heard the song, “Knick-knack paddywhack, give the dog a bone?”  Award-winning author/illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky will be visiting Skokie Public Library to present his newly illustrated, pop-up book, Knick-Knack Paddywhack. 

This month’s craft is the perfect prop to go along with Paul O. Zelinsky’s new book! Pick up a craft kit at the Youth Services Desk and head over to the craft room to make your very own Knick-Knack Paddywhack Pup!

Remember to register for Paul’s visit to the Library online or by calling 847.324.3149. The author’s books will be for sale and autographing will follow the presentation.

Who are Calvin Coconut, Homer P. Figg, Jack Plank, and Miss Agnes? They all have something on common with each other. They also have something in common with with everyone who lives, teaches, or goes to school in Skokie.

Go ahead, take a guess. I’ll wait…

How about a few hints? Calvin Coconut is a trouble magnet, Homer P. Figg stretches the truth, Jack Plank tells tales, and Miss Agnes is on her way to Alaska…

Time’s up… the suspense is too much!

Calvin, Homer, Jack, and Miss Agnes are characters you’ll meet in the books on the 2011-2012 Voice of Youth Award lists for kids in grades 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8. There are 30 books in all– 10 books on each list. If you read three of the books, then you’ll be able to vote for your favorite during National Library Week in April 2012. You might even win a visit from the author of the winning book!

Stop by Skokie Public Library or the Bookmobile to take a look at this years VOYA books, check out a few, and take home a copy of the booklists so you can keep track of what you want to read.