The Many Hats of Dr. Seuss

missadina — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:56:41 +0000

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, 1957 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dr. Seuss’ birthday was this past Saturday, March 2. He’s the author of The Cat in the Hat, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, and Green Eggs and Ham (and in that, Sam wears a hat), and many more. Did you know that Dr. Seuss himself loved hats? He had an enormous collection of hats, and that collection is going to be touring the Unites States over the next few months. You can find dates here, as well as some awesome pictures of his hat collection.On Saturday, March 9 at 11AM we’ll have a few different craft projects based on some of Dr. Seuss’ most famous stories, and we’ll have a raffle for a few fun Dr. Seuss-themed prizes. Projects will be aimed at elementary school-aged children. Children ages 5 and under will need an adult helper for all crafts. We hope to see you here!

Get Ready for National Polar Bear Day

crochetlibrarian — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:47:51 +0000

For being our shortest month, February is not short on special days! February 27th is one of the most special of all. It is National Polar Bear Day. What a good time to think about those amazing animals and how lucky we are to have them in our world.

You can always check out the polar bear cam at the San Diego Zoo to see polar bears in action. While you’re there, you can also learn more about the three polar bears that live at the zoo.

And don’t forget to come into the library to find some great books about polar bears. A few good ones to check out are:

Written by Susan Rodriquez

Paul O. Zelinsky’s Birthday!

crochetlibrarian — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:00:09 +0000

Paul O. Zelinsky, children’s book illustrator, celebrates his birthday today. He was born in 1953 in Evanston, Illinois, but grew up in Wilmette, Illinois. Zelinsky loved to draw even as a young child, but never thought he would grow up to be an illustrator. In 1998, he won the Caldecott Award for his beautifully illustrated retelling of Rapunzel. Zelinsky also did the illustrations for Dear Mr. Henshaw, Awful Ogre’s Awful Day, Toys Go Out and Dust Devil among many others. Zelinsky’s most recent book is Z is for Moose, which was published last year. To learn more about Zelinsky and his books, visit his website, where you can take a peek inside Knick-Knack Paddywhack, a fun and funny moving parts book. Be sure to celebrate today by sharing Zelinsky’s wonderful illustrations with a friend!

Happy Birthday E.L. Konigsburg!

crochetlibrarian — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:00:58 +0000

E.L. (Elaine Lobl) Konigsburg was born on this day in 1930 in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including the 1968 Newbery Medal winner From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. That same year, Konigsburg also received an Honor Award for Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, making her the only author to have won a Newbery Medal and an Honor Award in the same year. In 1997, Konigsburg again received the Newbery Medal, this time for The View From Saturday. She is one of only five authors to win two Newbery Medals. Be sure and share one of her books with someone special today!

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Birthday!

crochetlibrarian — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:00:12 +0000

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on this day in 1867 north of the village of Pepin in Wisconsin. She was the second of five children, and lived in several different states during the course of her life, including Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. Wilder is famous for the series of Little House books, which began publishing in 1931 with Little House in the Big Woods.

Find out more about Wilder’s books and the characters in her stories, play games, get recipes and more from HarperCollins.

Be sure and celebrate the day by sharing your favorite Little House book with a friend!

Happy Birthday Judith Viorst!

crochetlibrarian — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:00:49 +0000

Judith Viorst, born on this day in 1931, is probably best known for her children’s book series about a little boy named Alexander, modeled after her youngest son. First published in 1972, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day has since sold over 2 million copies. Celebrate today by sharing a story about Alexander!

Black History Month

crochetlibrarian — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:00:26 +0000

Black History Month began in 1926 as a week-long celebration of African-American cultural and societal contributions. Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), chose a week in February that honored the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1976, the week-long celebration was expanded to the entire month of February. Celebrate this month with a good book!

When her Grandmama is booked for a singing tour of the south, Belle gets a chance to travel outside of Pecan Flats for the first time in her life. But she finds out that even in the city, segregation is the rule. There are “Whites Only” signs all over town just as there were in Pecan Flats. Even famous black entertainers like Ella Fitzgerald have to stay in hotels that are just for black people. Grandmama doesn’t want Belle to live in a world where black people and white people are kept apart, but how can Grandmama’s singing possibly make a difference? Margaree King Mitchell tells the story of a woman filled with hope and determination, made all the more real by James E. Ransome’s beautiful watercolor illustrations.

Larry Doby was the first African-American player to hit a home run in the World Series. He broke the color barrier in 1947, along with Jackie Robinson, when he became the first black player to integrate the American Leaugue. Doby played center field for the Cleveland Indians and helped them win the 1948 World Series. Read all about Doby and his amazing career in this new book by Chris Crowe and Mike Benny.

Winter Craft Ideas

eag — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 20:12:34 +0000

If you are looking for something fun to do over the holiday weekend, try your hand at some of these winter crafts. When the weather is cool outside it can be fun to stay in and be creative. Here is a round up of winter craft ideas for you to check out. Click on the pictures for more information and directions to complete each craft. Make sure to read the directions with an adult because some of these crafts require an adult’s assistance. Have fun being creative!

Snowflakes

Source: http://www.katyelliott.com

Source: http://mymontessorijourney.typepad.com

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com

Source: http://adventuresofadiymom.blogspot.com

Snowmen

Source: http://pinlavie.com

Source: http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com

Source: http://www.crayola.com

Source: http://mariasupermom.blogspot.com

Penguins and More

Source: http://www.babble.com

Source: http://www.kolcraft.com

Source: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com

Source: http://www.rustyandrosy.com

The library has many craft books to choose from as well. Here are a few winter craft books we have in our collection. Come check them out!

aclibrary.org

Happy New Year Fireworks From Around the World!

Centerville Library — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:18:20 +0000

San Francisco

Disney California Adventure

New York

London, England

Shanghai, China

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Moscow, Russia

Taipei, Taiwan

Sydney, Australia

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ring in the New Year!

librarianmama — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 22:36:09 +0000

With New Year’s right around the corner, it’s a good time to reflect on the past year and make plans for the New Year. Kids of all ages can benefit by setting a resolution or two for the New Year. Here are some ideas for New Year’s resolutions for kids and other activities:

Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Kids

The following New Year tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Preschoolers

I will clean up my toys and put them where they belong.
I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
I won’t tease dogs or other pets – even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old

I will drink reduced-fat milk and water every day, and drink soda and fruit drinks only on special occasions.
I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors on bright sunny days. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school.
I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I’ll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent’s permission.

Below is a New Year resolutions worksheet for kids. You can print the document from:

http://blogs.scholastic.com/whats_new/2008/12/2009resolutions.html

Noisy New Year

A noisy New Year’s Eve is a must, but don’t run out and buy noisemakers, hats or poppers, you can make them! Below are three easy crafts to help ring in the New Year.

http://crafts.kaboose.com/water-bottle-noise-maker.html

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/crafts/recycled-noisemaker/

http://www.marthastewart.com/265198/party-hats

http://www.makeandtakes.com/new-years-eve-poppers

Other Internet Resources

New Year’s Resolutions with your kids from PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-winter-making-new-years-resolutions-with-your-child.html

New Year’s Resolutions and traditions in many cultures:

http://www.happywink.org/newyearfestival/new-years-resolutions-for-kids.html

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEARS FROM YOUR ALAMEDA COUNTY LIBRARY!

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