Get ready for another Read-a-thon during the month of April!
If you are between the ages of 3-13, you could win prizes and be eligible to win a raffle!
How to participate?
Register between March 31 and April 17
Register online: http://www.readsinma.org/needham or visit the Children's Library at the Needham Public Library.
Log your books between April 1 and May 1.
For more information, view the rules or call (781) 455-7559 ext. 204.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Will Jealousy Come Between Two Best Friends?
Haworth, Danette (2008). Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning. Grades 4 - 6.
Violet Raines and Lottie are best friends and have lived in Florida their entire lives. The two girls enjoy Sunday fish frys and hanging out, but when new girl, Melissa arrives from Detroit, she becomes a threat to Violet and Lottie's friendship--or at least that's how Violet feels. While Lottie and Melissa's friendship develops, Violet refuses to accept any changes and chooses to hang out with her childhood friend Eddie instead. It might just take a disaster for Violet to accept Melissa as a friend!
Violet Raines and Lottie are best friends and have lived in Florida their entire lives. The two girls enjoy Sunday fish frys and hanging out, but when new girl, Melissa arrives from Detroit, she becomes a threat to Violet and Lottie's friendship--or at least that's how Violet feels. While Lottie and Melissa's friendship develops, Violet refuses to accept any changes and chooses to hang out with her childhood friend Eddie instead. It might just take a disaster for Violet to accept Melissa as a friend!
Monday, March 23, 2009
A dark and sinister tale...
Horowitz, Anthony (2008). Groosham Grange. Grades 5-8.
Thirteen-year-old David Eliot is the son of a wheel-chair bound father who is abusive towards him and his mother. When David is expelled from his boarding school, his father is furious and considers his son a complete failure. Then a letter mysteriously arrives from another private school, Groosham Grange, offering David an instant placement, and his father doesn't hesitate to pack him up and send him off. On the train ride to the school, David meets two other students, who also received a similar letter. They share their feelings about attending this boarding school and vow to stick together. David soon realizes that something sinister and evil is happening at Groosham Grange. Cult-like meetings in the middle of the night, and secretive behavior by teachers and students lead him to believe that something horrible is happening. But what is really going on? It is up to David and his two friends to discover the truth, before they are forced to make a difficult decision.
Thirteen-year-old David Eliot is the son of a wheel-chair bound father who is abusive towards him and his mother. When David is expelled from his boarding school, his father is furious and considers his son a complete failure. Then a letter mysteriously arrives from another private school, Groosham Grange, offering David an instant placement, and his father doesn't hesitate to pack him up and send him off. On the train ride to the school, David meets two other students, who also received a similar letter. They share their feelings about attending this boarding school and vow to stick together. David soon realizes that something sinister and evil is happening at Groosham Grange. Cult-like meetings in the middle of the night, and secretive behavior by teachers and students lead him to believe that something horrible is happening. But what is really going on? It is up to David and his two friends to discover the truth, before they are forced to make a difficult decision.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Picture Books for St. Patrick's Day
Bunting, Eve. That's what Leprechauns Do.
When leprechauns Ari, Boo, and Col need to place the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, they cannot help getting into mischief along the way.
Dillon, Jana. Lucky O' Leprechaun.
On St. Patrick's Day eve, Meghan and Sean get help from their three grandaunties and manage to capture a sly leprechaun.
Murphy, Jim. Fergus and the Night-Demon.
On his way to town to have some fun, a lazy but clever young man faces a terrible demon, who declares that his time has come.
Souhami, Jessica. Mrs. McCool and the Giant Cuhullin.
The very clever Oona saves her husband, the giant Finn McCool, by outwitting Cuhullin, who seeks to prove that he is the strongest giant in the world by beating Finn.
Wojciechowski, Susan. A Fine St. Patrick's Day.
Two towns, Tralee and Tralah, compete in an annual St. Patrick's Day decorating contest which Tralah boastfully always wins, but when their hearts are put to the test by a little man with pointed ears, Tralee wins with no effort at all.
When leprechauns Ari, Boo, and Col need to place the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, they cannot help getting into mischief along the way.
Dillon, Jana. Lucky O' Leprechaun.
On St. Patrick's Day eve, Meghan and Sean get help from their three grandaunties and manage to capture a sly leprechaun.
Murphy, Jim. Fergus and the Night-Demon.
On his way to town to have some fun, a lazy but clever young man faces a terrible demon, who declares that his time has come.
Souhami, Jessica. Mrs. McCool and the Giant Cuhullin.
The very clever Oona saves her husband, the giant Finn McCool, by outwitting Cuhullin, who seeks to prove that he is the strongest giant in the world by beating Finn.
Wojciechowski, Susan. A Fine St. Patrick's Day.
Two towns, Tralee and Tralah, compete in an annual St. Patrick's Day decorating contest which Tralah boastfully always wins, but when their hearts are put to the test by a little man with pointed ears, Tralee wins with no effort at all.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Giant beasts attacking innocent citizens of London!
Stewart, Paul & Riddell, Chris (2008). The Curse of the Night Wolf. (Barnaby Grimes, bk.1) Grades 4-6.
Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, a.k.a fast messenger, in London. He leaps over rooftops to get his messages around town, but one night he happens to run into a giant beast! He is lucky and manages to escape the jaws of this enormous wolf, but some are not as lucky. After his friend Old Benjamin tells him about a miracle cure offered by a local doctor, he is attacked by an enormous wolf. When more people around town begin to disappear, Barnaby becomes suspicious that this miracle cure has something to do with it. He is determined to uncover the mystery behind these crimes in London, but will he be able to stop the brutal attacks or will he become a victim himself?
Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, a.k.a fast messenger, in London. He leaps over rooftops to get his messages around town, but one night he happens to run into a giant beast! He is lucky and manages to escape the jaws of this enormous wolf, but some are not as lucky. After his friend Old Benjamin tells him about a miracle cure offered by a local doctor, he is attacked by an enormous wolf. When more people around town begin to disappear, Barnaby becomes suspicious that this miracle cure has something to do with it. He is determined to uncover the mystery behind these crimes in London, but will he be able to stop the brutal attacks or will he become a victim himself?
Monday, March 2, 2009
If you haven't read this 2009 Newbery winner, what are you waiting for??
Gaiman, Neil (2008). The Graveyard Book. Grades 5 and up.
Gaiman creates a character named Nobody "Bod" Owens, who is raised in a graveyard, which he wandered into as a toddler. The very night that he was found and adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a ghostly couple, his own family was murdered by a man called "Jack." After much deliberation, the inhabitants of the graveyard decide to accept Bod and protect him from "Jack" who still pursues the boy. Mr. and Mrs. Owens adopt the boy as their own, but also appoint a guardian named Silas. Until he is a teen, Bod experiences various adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, often having to be rescued by his guardian, Silas. Although the book may seem chilling and dark, it is filled with bits of humor and emotion that make Bod a very likeable and believable character.
Monday, February 23, 2009
An interview with Children's author: Leslie Patricelli!
Anna, Children's Librarian: What inspired you to write and illustrate books?
Ms. Patricelli: I always loved to write stories and draw pictures. Writing and drawing is what I did for fun when I was a kid and I kept on doing it through high school, college and beyond. My drawings and stories would make people laugh – and I loved that. Mostly I did it to entertain myself, though. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do to as my job. I was a copywriter and I missed drawing ... then I was illustrating and I missed writing. So I came to realize that I wanted a job that was a combination of the two. I decided I wanted to either be a cartoonist or a children's book author/illustrator. I found myself browsing the children's books sections at bookstores and libraries and falling in love with children's books, so that's what I decided to aim for. I didn't know any authors or illustrators growing up, so it took me awhile to figure out the path to get there. Meeting other people who did what I wanted to do was the most important step. I took a class when I was 29 from two author/illustrators who taught me how to create a good picture book and how to get published. That's when I really started to pursue children's books. My goal was to be published by the time I was 33, like Dr. Suess – and I was close – I was 35!
Anna, Children's Librarian: Do you begin with the illustrations or the words?
Ms. Patricelli: It varies. Usually, what I come up with first is an idea in my head. I might think of an idea while I am taking a walk, doing the dishes or just spacing out! Once an idea hits me, I will think and think about it until it gets solid enough to put on paper. I sketched out my first board book, 'Yummy Yucky', as cartoons in my sketchbook – doing the drawings and words at the same time. If it's a longer story, I will more often put the story in words first and then do the pictures. This is a longer and more difficult process. Often I will describe what I imagine as a picture in the text. Later the text will be cut to allow the pictures to speak for themselves.
Anna, Children's Librarian: Why did you choose to use an infant/toddler as the main character?
Ms. Patricelli: I didn't choose the toddler ... the toddler chose me! I first started sketching the baby in an infant CPR class after my first child was born. The nurse was listing off all the frightening things that could possibly happen to your new baby and I drew pictures of a baby getting into all these different situation. I came home from class with my notes and my husband thought they were really funny. I kept on drawing this baby as we'd go through different parenting situations. The idea for 'Yummy Yucky' came from watching my son, Beck, who was one year old at the time, putting things into his mouth. I found myself always saying "YUMMY" trying to get him to eat something good, or "YUCKY" trying to keep him from eating something bad for him. My original concept for the book was to show the baby eating things that are classic hazards to toddlers, such as choking hazards, chemicals, plants, etc. I was in a critique group at the time and they convinced me to tone it down and have the baby eating less hazardous things before I submitted it. The publisher toned it down even more so now it's things like hot sauce, coffee and ear wax!
Anna, Children's Librarian: You have a new picture book coming out, Higher! Higher! What inspired you to write this story?
Ms. Patricelli: I was pushing my daughter on the swing at the park. She kept saying "Higher! Higher!" She and I started imagining her going so high that she was going all the way to outer space. The whole time I was thinking, this would be a great book! I kept it in my head, then one day when I had time I put the idea down in my sketchbook. It didn't change a whole lot from the original sketches.
Anna, Children's Librarian: Do you plan on writing more picture books as opposed to board books for younger children?
Ms. Patricelli: I have several picture books planned, as well as several more board books. I am working on a preschool series called The Patterson Puppies, and early grade book starring a monkey named Monkey Mike and I have some more books with my baby character up my sleeve, too. On the side, I am working on a chapter book about my experience of moving to a new school and meeting my best friend in the fourth grade.
Anna, Children's Librarian: Who are your favorite children’s book authors/illustrators? Why?
Ms. Patricelli: This is not my favorite question, because there are so many great ones out there, past and present, that I find it difficult to answer! I was inspired to create my board books by the board books I was reading to my son when he was a baby. I loved the simplicity of the Todd Parr books and Lucy Cousins books. I loved the painterly style and textures of "Peek-a-Who" by Nina laden, and "No David!" by David Shannon. These were all big influences on me. As a kid, I loved 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak. That book haunted my dreams. I loved it and feared it at the same time. The intensity of emotion stuck with me. I also loved "There's a Nightmare in My Closet', by Mercer Mayer. Last night I was reading, "Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman. That is another very emotional book. A great early reader.
Anna, Children's Librarian: What do you enjoy most about your own books?
Ms. Patricelli: I love getting emails from people telling me that their kids love my books. I love reading them to a group of kids and listening to and watching them get excited. I love that they are based on my experiences with my own kids or my own memories of being a kid. Most of all, I love creating them!
Thanks again to Leslie Patricelli for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing; for other stops on the tour please check http://www.provatoevents.com/.
Check out Ms. Patricelli's newest book: No No, Yes Yes.
Ms. Patricelli: I always loved to write stories and draw pictures. Writing and drawing is what I did for fun when I was a kid and I kept on doing it through high school, college and beyond. My drawings and stories would make people laugh – and I loved that. Mostly I did it to entertain myself, though. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do to as my job. I was a copywriter and I missed drawing ... then I was illustrating and I missed writing. So I came to realize that I wanted a job that was a combination of the two. I decided I wanted to either be a cartoonist or a children's book author/illustrator. I found myself browsing the children's books sections at bookstores and libraries and falling in love with children's books, so that's what I decided to aim for. I didn't know any authors or illustrators growing up, so it took me awhile to figure out the path to get there. Meeting other people who did what I wanted to do was the most important step. I took a class when I was 29 from two author/illustrators who taught me how to create a good picture book and how to get published. That's when I really started to pursue children's books. My goal was to be published by the time I was 33, like Dr. Suess – and I was close – I was 35!
Anna, Children's Librarian: Do you begin with the illustrations or the words?
Ms. Patricelli: It varies. Usually, what I come up with first is an idea in my head. I might think of an idea while I am taking a walk, doing the dishes or just spacing out! Once an idea hits me, I will think and think about it until it gets solid enough to put on paper. I sketched out my first board book, 'Yummy Yucky', as cartoons in my sketchbook – doing the drawings and words at the same time. If it's a longer story, I will more often put the story in words first and then do the pictures. This is a longer and more difficult process. Often I will describe what I imagine as a picture in the text. Later the text will be cut to allow the pictures to speak for themselves.
Anna, Children's Librarian: Why did you choose to use an infant/toddler as the main character?
Ms. Patricelli: I didn't choose the toddler ... the toddler chose me! I first started sketching the baby in an infant CPR class after my first child was born. The nurse was listing off all the frightening things that could possibly happen to your new baby and I drew pictures of a baby getting into all these different situation. I came home from class with my notes and my husband thought they were really funny. I kept on drawing this baby as we'd go through different parenting situations. The idea for 'Yummy Yucky' came from watching my son, Beck, who was one year old at the time, putting things into his mouth. I found myself always saying "YUMMY" trying to get him to eat something good, or "YUCKY" trying to keep him from eating something bad for him. My original concept for the book was to show the baby eating things that are classic hazards to toddlers, such as choking hazards, chemicals, plants, etc. I was in a critique group at the time and they convinced me to tone it down and have the baby eating less hazardous things before I submitted it. The publisher toned it down even more so now it's things like hot sauce, coffee and ear wax!
Anna, Children's Librarian: You have a new picture book coming out, Higher! Higher! What inspired you to write this story?
Ms. Patricelli: I was pushing my daughter on the swing at the park. She kept saying "Higher! Higher!" She and I started imagining her going so high that she was going all the way to outer space. The whole time I was thinking, this would be a great book! I kept it in my head, then one day when I had time I put the idea down in my sketchbook. It didn't change a whole lot from the original sketches.
Anna, Children's Librarian: Do you plan on writing more picture books as opposed to board books for younger children?
Ms. Patricelli: I have several picture books planned, as well as several more board books. I am working on a preschool series called The Patterson Puppies, and early grade book starring a monkey named Monkey Mike and I have some more books with my baby character up my sleeve, too. On the side, I am working on a chapter book about my experience of moving to a new school and meeting my best friend in the fourth grade.
Anna, Children's Librarian: Who are your favorite children’s book authors/illustrators? Why?
Ms. Patricelli: This is not my favorite question, because there are so many great ones out there, past and present, that I find it difficult to answer! I was inspired to create my board books by the board books I was reading to my son when he was a baby. I loved the simplicity of the Todd Parr books and Lucy Cousins books. I loved the painterly style and textures of "Peek-a-Who" by Nina laden, and "No David!" by David Shannon. These were all big influences on me. As a kid, I loved 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak. That book haunted my dreams. I loved it and feared it at the same time. The intensity of emotion stuck with me. I also loved "There's a Nightmare in My Closet', by Mercer Mayer. Last night I was reading, "Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman. That is another very emotional book. A great early reader.
Anna, Children's Librarian: What do you enjoy most about your own books?
Ms. Patricelli: I love getting emails from people telling me that their kids love my books. I love reading them to a group of kids and listening to and watching them get excited. I love that they are based on my experiences with my own kids or my own memories of being a kid. Most of all, I love creating them!
Thanks again to Leslie Patricelli for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing; for other stops on the tour please check http://www.provatoevents.com/.
Check out Ms. Patricelli's newest book: No No, Yes Yes.
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