Decorate the Library!

Join us at the library this Thursday, September 29, as we decorate the children's department for Halloween! Kids 6-12 are invited to come out any time between 1 and 3pm to make spooky decorations to help us get into the spirit - yes, pun totally intended - of the season...

Books In Brief: Dewey: There's a Cat In the Library!

Reviewer: Angie

The name of the book being recommended: Dewey: There's a Cat In the Library! by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter, illustrated by Steve James

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:
1. His full name is Dewey Readmore Books, and he is a cat who lives at the library.

2. He survived being dumped in the book drop in the freezing cold.

3. He was rescued by the librarians and finds a home that he loves.

4. Dewey loves to play with children and make all patrons smile.

5. This is a heartwarming story of survival and a little kitten who grew up to bring joy to library patrons young and old.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department, in nonfiction, under the call number jE 636.8 M. The full story can be found in the longer book Dewey the Library Cat, j 636.8 M.

Meet Books In Brief Reviewer Angie Andre!

"Miss Angie" is our newest staff member, but she brings with her oodles of training and experience. She can usually be found banging sticks and shaking eggs with the diaper set in our Wee Ones and Family Story Times.

Hi, Angie! What are your favorite genres and subjects to read about?
I love mysteries!

Besides reading, what are your other hobbies and interests?
I enjoy knitting, baking, and spending time at the beach with my husband and our two sweet border collies, Maggie and Mary Grace.

What are you good at?
Baking apple pies.

What would you like to be better at?
Exercising every day (see previous answer ;-)).

To find reviews and recommendations by Angie, simply click on her name in our "Contributors" list on the right, or search for the label "Angie."

Books in Brief: The Composer is Dead

Reviewer: Angela

The name of the book being recommended: The Composer is Dead, by Lemony Snicket

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. It's by Lemony Snicket = Awesome. Who else could get away with words like "xylophoniness" and "cymbalism?"

2. It's illustrated by Carson Ellis, who may be best known for her album covers for The Decembrists. I confess that I was a little hesitant to accept anyone other than Brett Helquist as an illustrator for Lemony Snicket, but Ms. Ellis does great work that is a lovely fit with the story.

3. It's a murder mystery.

4. It's a murder mystery where the primary suspects are musical instruments. Not only does this provide a chance for readers to get acquainted with the different sections of the orchestra, it also gives us a glimpse of what those same instruments might be like if they had personalities. For example: "Everyone forgets about us," said the Violas bitterly. "We play the notes in the chords that nobody cares about. We play crucial countermelodies nobody hears."

5. It comes with its own symphonic score, composed by Nathaniel Stookey and narrated by Mr. Snicket himself. You don't need to listen to the CD to enjoy the book, but I highly, highly recommend that you do, especially if you know and like symphonic music even a tiny little bit.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the children's department, in fiction, under the call number j SNI.

Meet Books In Brief Reviewer Angela Newman!

Angela joined Tredyffrin as a part-time employee and, following the completion of her Masters Degree in Information and Library Sciences, was appointed the head of the Children's Department in June 2010. She works at the children's checkout and reference desks, purchases novels and nonfiction for older school-age readers, as well as children's DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks. She also runs our Road Trip Thursdays program, supervises the Children's staff, does outreach to local schools, and attends entirely too many meetings.

Hi, Angela! What are your favorite genres and subjects to read about?
Siblings, American History, memoirs, fairy tales, small towns, and long journeys.

Besides reading, what are your other hobbies and interests?
I love to cook and travel (but not at the same time), and I am an afficianado of various types of music. I also relish any time spent with my younger sister (aka The Geech) and my genius niece (aka The Cakes).

What are you good at?
Referencing obscure lines and lyrics from movies, music, and books. Wearing hats. Writing. Typing very, very quickly. Dismantling library shelves with my bare hands (and the occasional rubber mallet).

What would you like to be better at?
Anything athletic, especially baseball.

To find reviews and recommendations by Angela, simply click on her name in our "Contributors" list on the right, or search for the label "Angela."

90-Second Newbery

Well, the day has finally arrived. Tredyffrin Public Library's 90-Second Newbery Production of Louis Sachar's Holes has been submitted to the contest and now we just have to wait to see if our film makes the cut.

For those of you just joining us, the Tredyffrin Kids spent their April break smushing a Newbery Award-winning book down to a 90-second film. (Okay, it's 2 minutes and 2 seconds. Miss Angela couldn't bear to cut any more out of it.) Here's what we came up with:



And because I wouldn't leave you without special features, check out our outtakes.

Thanks to everyone who came out for this project. It was such a great experience!

The Empire Strikes the Library!

If you visited Tredyffrin Library on Sunday, you might have seen some unusual guests there that day. Members of the Garrison Carida of the 501st Legion - also known as 'Vader's Fist' - came by to help us celebrate National Library Card Sign-up Month.

Yes, even those who have been seduced by the dark side use the library.

Our guests were joined by some hardcore fans, all of whom had the opportunity to share their Star Wars trivia knowledge and ask a few questions. My favorite was directed to Boba Fett:

"Did you become a bounty hunter because you had too many overdue books?"

We ate TIE Fighter Ties and drank Yoda Soda, both courtesy of the amazing Star Wars-themed cookbook Wookiee Cookies.

And finally, we all put our game faces on for a photo shoot.



Thanks to everyone who came out on Sunday, especially the 501st. Fly casual, my friends!

See more photos on our Facebook page!

Books In Brief: Thornspell

Reviewer: Michele

The name of the book being recommended: Thornspell by Helen Lowe

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:
1. A retelling of the Sleeping Beauty folktale from the prince's point of view, combined with the Parsifal story from the King Arthur legends? Yes, please!
2. Strong characters, including the women and girls (which is as it should be).
3. The hero, Prince Sigismund, has a super-cool magical sword named Quickthorn.
4. Through their own experience, and also through the wisdom of the trusted mentors in their lives, the characters grow and change during the course of the story. Wisdom sample: his trainer Balisan tells Sigismund, "Frustration, anger, fear--they are all distractions that will kill you if you hold onto them, more deadly by far than any enemy."
5. This book has it all: adventure, fantasy, shape-shifting, evil faeries, visions, dragons, battles, romance, complex and colorful language, great storytelling.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in juvenile fiction under j LOW. Recommended for grades 5+ as a read-alone, grades 3+ as a read-aloud.

Meet Books In Brief Reviewer Michele Bolay

Michele has been a part of the Tredyffrin family for over 20 years. She works at the children's checkout and reference desks, purchases picture books, folklore, graphics, and children's feature films, does some very mysterious things with invoices and time sheets and label makers and such, and runs our Preschool/Kindergarten and Pajama Story Times, our new Framed! A Journey in Art program, and (in the summer) our Kids Talk Books reading group.

Hi, Michele! What are your favorite genres and subjects to read about?
I'm a sucker for good storytelling, especially if it has a happy ending or makes me laugh. My favorite genres are general fiction, mystery, humor, folklore, history, sociology, psychology, and the arts, but I have been known to pick up a fantasy novel if it is folkloric in tone and/or features time travel to the past. In adult fiction, I also enjoy historical romance, but I'm very picky; the writing has to be top-notch. I'm also a BIG fan of audio books.

Besides reading, what are your other hobbies and interests?
I participate in a local theater (acting, directing, designing costumes), where I also serve on the Board of Directors. That takes up a lot of my free time, but I also try to squeeze in some volunteering and movies and museums and flea markets and travel, and I love the opportunity to be outside appreciating nature. Just not in the summer....

What are you good at?
Singing. Research. Organizing things and people. Friendship. Being a goofy nerd. And I have very nice handwriting.

What would you like to be better at?
Housecleaning. Cooking. Riding my bicycle more regularly. Keeping cats off of my desk when I'm trying to work. And I bought a ukulele about six months ago and still haven't learned how to play the thing. There are too many good books waiting to be read!

To find reviews and recommendations by Michele, simply click on her name in our "Contributors" list on the right, or search for the label "Michele."

Pajama Story Time Is Back!

Put on your pj's, bring a bed buddy, and come to Tredyffrin Public Library on Monday evenings for Pajama Story Time, which will feature relaxing stories, songs, and bedtime snacks. This session's theme is "Tales from the Palace and Beyond," stories and poems about castles, knights, dragons, princes, princesses, and faeries.

Pajama Story Time
Ages 3-8 years + adults
(adults must closely monitor children under 6)
Monday evenings 7:00-7:30 pm
September 19 - November 14
The library will be closed for construction work sometime in late October/early November, and there will be no Pajama Story Time those weeks. Specific dates will be announced as they become available, and they will be posted here on the blog.

Books In Brief: Simplicity Parenting

Reviewer: Carla

The name of the book being recommended: Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:
1. As a family and school counselor, Payne questions if families are being built on the four pillars of "too much": too much stuff, too many choices, too much information, too fast.
2. Payne observes that, as a society, we are embracing "speed" and "too much" partially because we are swimming in anxiety.
3. Simplification is often about doing less and trusting that if our children have time and security, they will explore their world in the way and at the pace that works for them.
4. The author has great and very helpful messages for parents. This book is about the long haul, the big picture that is a reverence for childhood.
5. When parents act out of reverence, not out of fear or anxiety, their motivation is stronger and they are better able to protect the ideal environment for the slow emergence of their children's identities, resilience, and well-being.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the adult collection under 649.1 P