90-Second Newbery Film Festival: Featuring Us!

Friends, I don't know how awesome your day has been, but mine has rocked. Today was the day I heard from Mr. James Kennedy, author and organizer of the 90-Second Newbery Festival, to which we submitted our own filmed adaptation of Holes, by Louis Sachar.

Oh Em Gee, Angela! you might be shouting. (And rightly so.) Is he going to show your film on the big screen at the New York Public Library?

In fact, he is.

BEST! NEWS! EVER!

(Check out his comments about our film on his blog.)

More later; I'm too excited to be coherent right now. Huzzah!

Holiday Programs 2011

Deck the halls! Holiday programs are here!

Well, no. It is still only October, after all. But the flyer is here. G'head, print one out for yer fridge!

We have programs for children, families, and snow princesses. You can build a gingerbread house, see a puppet show, or make your own ornaments. You can even channel your inner Buddy the Elf and help us decorate the library!

Registration for holiday programs begins Thursday, November 10. Call 610-688-7092 for more details.

Short Film Festival

Drop into the Tredyffrin Library Children's Department any time between 1:00 and 4:00on Monday afternoon, October 10, when we'll be showing crazy cartoons from our DVD collection. No registration, free admission. You are welcome to bring your lunch or an afternoon snack.

Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult, who must stay in the room.
Children under 10 must be accompanied to the library by an adult, who must stay in the building.
All other ages may attend independently.

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.