Signs of Spring

Sharing signs of spring with your child is very fun. Taking walks around your house or neighborhood is a great way to witness all the subtle changes taking place. Encourage children to monitor the changes by regularly visiting a specific area. Keep a notebook or make a little book and have your budding artist draw what they see!

Here are some of the changes that I've witnessed.

The days are getting longer. A thrilling first step in bringing warmer weather. (I hope)

What about the trees? Have you noticed the snow has melted around the base of the trees in your yard? When this happens, it means the trees are waking up. Sap is beginning to come up from the tree's roots to nourish the soon to be sprouting buds and leaves. For some trees, you can see their branches changing colors. Pussy Willow branches turn yellow. To learn more about trees, share with your child the following titles, all available at the Library.

The Life Cycle of a Tree by Bobbie Kalman & Kathryn Smithyman. Through easy to understand text and color photos, the authors describe the basic facts about trees, their function in a forest, and how they benefit animals, people, and our environment.

Fallen limbs and trees also have an important function in nature. Read A Log's Life by Wendy Pfeffer introduces the life cycle of a tree and the various purposes a tree has in ever phase of its cycle. The book is beautifully illustrated, using collage art, by Robin Brickman.

Did you know some trees are hundreds of years old? They are silent witnesses to our history. Read, Celebritrees: historic & famous trees of the world by Margi Preus, a Newbery Honor winner for her book, Heart of a Samuri; Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon.

Birds are a great harbinger of spring. Red-winged Blackbirds will be arriving any day now. I've seen them as early as February 25, but usually the majority of them, just the males, are here by March 3. The females arrive almost a month later. This morning on my drive to work, as I passed the Scarborough Marsh on Route 9, I saw a flock of Brants (Branta bernicla) A small goose, Brants are common on saltwater bays and estuaries. At first glance you may think you are seeing the familiar Canada Goose, yet birders identify the Brant by their thick, black neck, and the lack of a white stripe on their face.

Check out a few of our books on birding. 

Look Up!: birdwatching in your own backyard by Annette LeBlanc. Walking around your neighborhood or running errands, you don't always have a pair of binoculars handy. This excellent book with cartoon-like illustrations, is about how everyone, no matter where you live or how old you are, can enjoy watching birds.

The Library also has plenty of field guides for checking out. Visit the Youth Services Department to find some wonderful books to share with your family.

Happy soon-to-be Spring!

Mrs. C

READERS THEATER CANCELLED

Because of more snow - is anyone else getting tired of all this white stuff? - the Readers Theater Performance scheduled for tonight has been cancelled. We do not want anyone driving in the storm.

We hope to offer it some other time. Keep looking back!

School Vacation Week!

Do you need something to do this week with more snow predicted and travel looking a bit treacherous? . Stop by the Library for some fun!

Tuesday evening the Scarborough Public Library Readers Theater Troupe will be performing excerpts from some of our favorite "Read Aloud" books.
 
Wednesday at 10:30, Marilyn and I will be hamming it up as we retell our version of some familiar stories. All ages welcome and participation will be a must!

Do you have anyone in the household 6 and under who loves to sing? Stop by for our musical story time. Lauren will be joined by Brenda and her guitar for a fun filled sing-a-long! I highly recommend attending this program.Lauren and Brenda sing some great songs!

The fun continues all day Friday when we offer another Make Time Day @ the Library. There will be a variety of board games, crafts, and other activities perfect for All Ages/All Day long. Don't miss out.

See you...

NEWBERY, CALDECOTT, AND PRINTZ MEDAL WINNERS!

This morning, beginning at 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, in Philadelphia, the 2014 Youth Media Awards were announced at the American Library Associations Mid-Winter conference. This is the Academy Awards of the children's book industry. It is a big deal and librarians all around the globe wait to find out if any of the books they were rooting for win. I never get it right, but that's okay. It doesn't matter. The reading and hoping and wondering is all part of the excitement. I will say, and quite proudly, that this Library owns most of the honor and winners.

Without further ado, here are the award winners and honor books.

For the Randolph Caldecott Award
Honor books are:
Journey, written and illustrated by Aaron Becker
Flora and the Flamingo, written and illustrated by Molly Idle
Mr. Wuffles, written and illustrated by David Wiesner

And the winner is...
Locomotive, illustrated by Brian Floca

For the John Newbery Medal:
Honor books are:
Doll Bones, written by Holly Black
The Year of Billy Miller, written by Kevin Henkes  (Kevin won a Newbery honor in 2004 for Olive's Ocean)
One Came Home, written by Amy Timberlake
Paperboy written by Vince Vawter

And the winner is...
Flora & Ulysses: the Illuminated Adventure by Kate DiCamillo (She wrote Because of Winn Dixie)

The Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults (ages 13 to 18)
Honor books are:
Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
Kingdom of the Little Wounds, by Susann Cokal
Maggot Moon, by Sally Gardner
Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool (Clare won the Newbery Medal in 2011 for Moon Over Manifest) 

And the winner is...
Mindwinterblood, written by Marcus Sedgwick (Marcus won a Printz honor in 2011 for Revolver)

Happy Reading...

Print books are the best way to learn

Since 2011, professionals have been telling parents the importance of limiting screen time to their children. The American Academy of Pediatrics, in a policy statement, recommends that children, age 2 and under have no screen time.  That’s no DVD’s, Apps, television, gaming and any other electronic babysitter. Children older (3 and up) should have no more than 2 hours in one day. The AAP’s statement is based on studies showing that exposure to media does not make your child smarter; quite the opposite. Too much screen time is tied to obesity, problems sleeping, paying attention in school, and aggression. 

And, I’m not even going to mention the effects on child development when exposed to secondhand TV or movie viewing.

How do children learn best? : Lots of unstructured play time, interacting with an adult, and exposure to lots and lots of books… the kind where you turn the page, not swipe. For example, instead of handing them your smart phone while waiting in line at Starbucks for a cuppa, put it away and pay attention to your child. Recite some nursery rhymes, practice the alphabet or talk to your child about…well, anything! And when you get back in the car and you begin the long list of errands, hand them a book.

Suggested titles:

Daisy Gets Lots by Chris Raschka. Daisy, the little white dog we met in A Ball for Daisy, experiences the fears of being lost and the joys of being found when she becomes

separated from her owner.

Edward Gibbs gives us another I Spy book for toddlers. I Spy Pets  invites young readers to guess which animal will be revealed using the given clues and a spy hole.

The Very Big Carrot by Satoe Tone. When the find an unusually large carrot, six imaginative rabbits consider what they might make from it.
   

The public library has lots and lots of terrific books your child will enjoy. Stop in and ask us for some suggestions.

Best Children's Books of 2013

Here are links to sites that list the best of 2013 for kids and teens.

Best Children's Books from Kirkus Reviews

Horn Book Magazine Fanfare

Best Books from School Library Journal

Best Nonfiction Books of 2013

You can always stop in and ask the staff in the Youth Services Department. We really do keep up with what's current.

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach

Happy New Year!

I am so happy that we are getting to the mid-point of January for it means the days are getting longer by the second. I can appreciate how having the cold and dark benefits the natural world, but for me longer days and cold temperatures leave me with little motivation. I can see why so many animals hibernate. On the plus side, I tend to read more during this time of year. (I do not own a television) I do enjoy, and so do my kitties, sitting in my comfy chair all wrapped up in a warm blanket with a good book.

Here is one of the books I read over vacation.

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach 

Mysterious deaths, a lost gold mine, and the promise of hidden treasure make up this delightful story just perfect for those who have the ability to keep track of several plots lines at once. Brothers Simon, Henry, and Jack are still adjusting to their recent move with their parents to Arizona. As they are getting used to living in a desert climate and making new friends, they are irresistibly drawn to explore the aptly named Superstition Mountain, in spite of warnings that it is not safe. There is lots of action, great writing, and, most importantly… suspense.  Because the book talks about the California Gold rush,  you may also want to check out What Was the Gold Rush? By Joan Holub or How To Get Rich in the California Gold Rush by Tod Olson.