Books in Brief: Meet Caroline

Meet Caroline by Kathleen Ernst
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had never read any of the American Girl books, but when I discovered that the latest adventures were set in my old stomping grounds - Sackets Harbor, New York - I had to check it out.

In addition to being a charming place to have Sunday brunch, this small lakeside town played an important role during the War of 1812, which is the conflict that is just beginning as we meet Caroline Abbott, a young girl who dreams of being the captain of her own ship someday.

Unfortunately, her dreams are put on hold when the British capture her father and attack her community. Will the town be able to defend themselves against the invasion? Will Caroline be reunited with her father? Luckily, we have five more books to find out...

Recommended for ages 7-10, fans of well-written historical adventure, or anyone who's ever walked the Sackets Harbor battlefield. (Admittedly, we might be a small crew.)

View all my reviews

Books In Brief: Scaredy Squirrel

Reviewer: Michele

The name of the book being recommended: the Scaredy Squirrel series by Melanie Watt

Please give us five reasons why this series is awesome:

1. Perfect for reading aloud (ages 4+) or alone (ages 6-8).

2. Bright, adorable, clear, graphics-style illustrations.

3. HILARIOUS stories. Truly, you and your audience will be laughing out loud.

4. Scaredy Squirrel is so overly safe and cautious and scared of anything outside his normal routine that he has a convoluted master plan for every occurrence...or so he thinks...

5. Cleverly portrays the fears that many children have about unfamiliar things, people, and situations, and presents solutions that are practical and very, very funny.

How can I find these books in the library? These can be found in the Children's Department, in picture book fiction, under the call number jE WAT. Titles in the series so far are: Scaredy Squirrel; Scaredy Squirrel at Night; Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach; Scaredy Squirrel has a Birthday Party; Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, and Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas.

E-books vs. print: How do you prefer to read together with kids?

My niece is three years old. My sister has always surrounded her with books - board books, cloth books, picture books, and lately, e-book apps. The last time they came for a visit, I was treated to a reading of The Monster at the End of This Book, courtesy of my sister's iPhone.

Was I impressed that my niece, who was still learning to how put on her own shoes, could open and navigate a smartphone app? For sure! Was it a good adaptation of the story, one of my own childhood favorites? Absolutely! Do I love the sound of Grover's voice? Obviously!

But I'd still rather have had the print version in front of me.

Credit: Joan Ganz Cooney Center

That I prefer print books to e-books is not a shocker; I still have a pen pal (with whom I correspond in pen) and will always choose a paper map over GPS. (Always.) 

But, according to The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the majority of iPad owners surveyed in their recent study also prefer print books over e-books when reading together with their children. (Here are some other findings of the study, summed up nicely by School Library Journal.)

I confess to being a little surprised by this.

How do you prefer to read together with kids, and why?

Attention, Music Lovers!

Don't miss this opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Delaware County Symphony to experience first-hand how an orchestra rehearses for a concert!

The rehearsal will be held at Meagher Theater at Neumann University on Monday, October 1 from 6:30 to 9pm. Guests should plan to arrive at the theater by 6:15pm for a pre-rehearsal overview. The program includes:

Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Irish Rhapsody No. 1 by Charles Villiers Stanford
Symphony No. 3 by Jean Sibelius

Registration for this program is required, and attendees must provide their own transportation to the theater. Recommended for children 10 and older and their families.

For more information, please contact Angela at anewman@ccls.org. To register for this program, please call the children's department at 610-688-7092, ext. 210.

Books in Brief: Iris and Walter

Reviewer:  Carla

Book and Author:  Iris and Walter  by Elissa Haden Guest

5 Reasons Why This Beginning Reader is Terrific:

-Iris misses the big city after a move to the quiet country but gradually learns to appreciate nature and outdoor adventures.
-Iris sets off on her adventures with her wise, kind, and ready-for-action grandfather.
-Iris climbs a tree and finds not only a nifty tree house but a friend too, Walter!
-Truly stunning water color drawings tell the tale visually while the text lends itself to reading success for new readers.
-Starry skies, cool grass, wild horses, that nifty tree house plus a good new friend combine to create a perfect happy ending.

Where to Find this Book:  "JE READER IRIS,"
shelved with the featured readers

Books in Brief: Dinosaur Dig!

 

Book Reviewer:  Carla

Book and Author:  Dinosaur Dig! by Penny Dale

Five Reasons Why This Picture Book is a Crowd Pleaser:

-Winning combination of dinosaurs and trucks are sure to appeal to our young aficionados

-Tons of action, adventure, purpose, and, the all important, DIRT!

-Lively, expressive, and compelling graphics

-Collaborative effort offers the opportunity to count from 1 to 10 dinosaurs as the work force increases

-Raucous "ta-da" ending

How to find this great book:  JE DAL, shelved with the new picture books

Plant a Learning Seed....... READ

1000 Books
Before

Kindergarten
Club

---

Plant a learning seed and read with your child!

Welcome to the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Club! This FREE program encourages you to read 1000 books with your child before he or she enters school- a goal experts say children need to help them learn to read for themselves.

One of the best ways to encourage learning is to spend time sharing books every day. Reading together helps develop important pre-reading skills that provide a solid reading foundation- a key to school and learning success. Plus, sharing stories together is fun!

Here are the easy steps for participation:

1.    Get your Reading Log and FREE Tote bag (while supplies last) during  Wee Ones Story Time (Mondays at 9:30 am) or Toddler Story Time (Tuesdays or Fridays at 10:30 am)

2.    Read together.

3.    Write the titles on your Plant a Learning Seed, Read reading log. If you read a book more than once you may record it each time. Books read at library story time, at daycare, or by others to your child also count!

4.    When you finish 100 books, bring your completed reading log to Tredyffrin Public Library and:

a.    Place a sticker on our Plant a Learning Seed, Read Mural.

b.    Collect your next reading log for your next 100 books.

c.    Collect a special prize.

5.    Repeat steps 1-3 and receive a sticker for our Plant a Learning Seed, Read Mural and a new reading log at each 100 book level.

When you reach the 500 book level you will receive an extra special gift.

6.    After finishing 1000 books, your child

Receives a certificate of completion.

Has his or her name placed on our Reading Hall of Fame on our blog

Has the opportunity to apply for his or her own library card.

Receives a special holder for their library card.

The club has no end date except your child’s starting school, so don’t feel rushed, just enjoy the experience. Take every chance you have to read with your children, tell and talk about stories, say nursery rhymes, sing songs, and attend library programs (especially story times).

By reading just three stories a day you and your child will have read over 1000 books in one year. You will also have shared many special moments. The reading log you keep will become a special keepsake memory.

If you have any questions please email Angie at aandre@ccls.org or Carla at vastines@verizon.net

Happy Reading!

We have Playaway Views!

Tredyffrin Public Library is pleased to announce the arrival of the Playaway View!

Photo credit: www.playaway.com

The Playaway View is a durable, handheld video player that comes pre-loaded with popular children's titles. It's convenient, intuitive, and now available at your friendly neighborhood children's library.

Our current titles include adaptations of classic picture books from Weston Woods, like Caps for Sale, The Napping House, and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, as well as PBS shows like Sesame Street, Dinosaur Train and Super Why.

(Need more infomation? Visit the Playaway View FAQ page.)

The Playaway View has no rental fee, circulates for one week, and is on library shelves now. Check one out today!

Books in Brief: Revenge of the Whale

Revenge Of The Whale: The True Story Of The Whaleship Essex, Adapted For Young People From In The Heart Of The Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I could not put this down, even though I had to, because I needed to eat meals and work. (Though I felt bad about the eating, since the sailors of the Essex spent much of the book starving.)

Adapted from the author's own award-winning tale for adults, this is the riveting story of a 19th century whaling crew attacked and shipwrecked by a large sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean - and how at least some of them lived to tell the tale.

Recommended for ages 10 and older. Not for the faint of heart.

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Books in Brief: The Year of the Book

The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First things first: Hooray for books about introverts!

Sometimes it seems as though there are so many sassy and outspoken heroines out there that we forget about the ones who are quietly sewing a drawstring bag as a gift for their school crossing guard.

Anna Wang is not sassy. She is not outspoken. If given the choice, she'd rather be reading a book in the corner. However, her life is just as full of growing pains and potential drama as the next fourth grader's. She feels left out by the other girls in her class. Her mother sometimes embarrasses her. She doesn't always want to do what she's supposed to be doing. But Anna takes it in her stride, relying on her books to help her both to escape from and to connect to her world.

I'd recommend this story to upper elementary students - or any bookworm, ever.

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STAR WARS STARS COME TO TREDYFFRIN LIBRARY!!

The force sure was with us today at the Tredyffrin Library!  Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Tie Pilot, Clone Trooper, a trio of Stormtroopers and more stormed the library to the delight of our young and young-at-heart patrons.  Our thanks to the Garrison Carida Legion for a dazzling afternoon of trivia, nifty prizes, and fun photo opportunities.  Check out pictures here of our Star Wars Stars in action!

Special Story Time Guest

We had such fun last Thursday at our 10:30 am Family Story Time. We had a visit from a very special guest, Miss Judy, from Sally's Music Circle. Miss Judy gave us quite a musical show. She played many fun songs on her guitar and got us dancing and singing. Miss Judy offers fun music classes at her Wayne location. Go to www.sallysmusic.com for more information.

Books in Brief: Oh No, George!

Book Reviewer:  Carla

Book/Author:  Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton

Five Reasons Why This Book is Terrific:

-Bold, bright, snazzy colored graphics

-Temptation, ah, temptation is the focus

-Added bonus of an interesting/thought-provoking quote about freedom with the dedication

-Progress is merrily made and lessons are dutifully learned

-A dramatic, cliff-hanger ending....

Where to Find This Book: Call number JE HAU shelved with the new picture books