Kids, come hear some scary stories on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Veteran storyteller Candace Wolf will tell the story of Brother Jaguar's Flying Eyes and other spooky tales. This event is recommended for kids ages 5 and up. Registration is encouraged; to register, go to www.takomapark.info/library/registration.html or call us at 301-891-7259.
So you think nursery rhymes are just for little kids? Think again!
Local poets Elizabeth Rees and Rosanne Singer will show kids in grades 3, 4 and 5 how to have fun with nursery rhymes during a four-program workshop. Dates for the programs in the workshop are all Tuesday evenings, from 7-8:30 p.m.: Nov. 10 and 17, and Dec. 1 and 8. Spaces are limited and registration is required.
To register, go to www.takomapark.info/library/registration.html or call us at 301-891-7259.
In the program, kids will learn some of the history behind the rhymes (for example, did you know that Mary, Mary Quite Contrary was a blood-thirsty queen?) Then they’ll get a chance to create your own poems based on the nursery rhymes. Maybe you’ll want to be the voice of Mary’s Little Lamb or describe what happened when Jack jumped over the candlestick. Participants will perform their poems during the final evening.
Parents: are you worried about your kid’s love of comics? Wondering whether your kids should be reading graphic novels? Concerned about whether these illustrated books will rot their brains? Come to the Library on Monday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 to learn more about this increasingly popular literary genre. Library Assistant Dave Burbank, our resident graphic novel expert, will be our guide, along with Karen MacPherson, the children’s/teen librarian. We’ll look at the different kinds of graphic novels and discuss how Library folks decide if a graphic novel is appropriate for all ages, older readers, or adults. We’ll also talk about why graphic novels actually can provide a real workout for your kids’ brain, and conclude the program by sharing some of favorite graphic novels – both classic and new. Participants will take home a graphic novel booklist. Registration is encouraged for this program. Children ages five and up also are welcome to attend with their parents. To register, go to www.takomapark.info/library/registration.html or call us at 301-891-7259.
Do you think nursery rhymes are only for little kids? You'll think again after participating in a four-program poetry/drama workshop led by local poets Elizabeth Rees and Rosanne Singer and aimed at kids in grades 3, 4 and 5. The four programs will all take place on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. -- November 10 and 17 and December 1 and 8. The final evening will include a performance of the poetry kids create during the workshop. Registration required. To register, go to www.takomapark.info/library/registration.html or call us at 301-891-7259.
During the four programs of the workshop, which will take place in the Community Center, participants will look closely at the history of various nursery rhymes. For example, do you know that Humpty Dumpty was the name of a powerful cannon during the English Civil War of 1642-1649, or that Mary, Mary Quite Contrary was a blood-thirsty queen? Many of the nursery rhymes we heard as kids have interesting histories and poets of all ages have written in response to these seemingly simple ditties. One example is Chana Bloch's persona poem, Mrs. Dumpty . During the workshop, participants -- led by Liz and Rosanne -- also will create poetic responses to some of the most familiar childhood nursery rhymes. Maybe we would hear from Mary's Little Lamb or the Farmer's Wife who cut off the tails of the Three Blind Mice. What were they thinking? Why did they do what they did? We'll use history and our imaginations to create poems that come alive. Then, on December 8, we'll share our poems with family and friends.
This past Monday, Amulet Books published Dog Days , the fourth volume in the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. Because of the series' popularity, Amulet published the book with a four million copy first printing. At our library, we purchased 20 copies of Dog Days . We put the books out at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, the day Dog Days was published, and by 4:30 p.m. that same day, all 20 copies were checked out and we had a waiting list of 15 people. Because the book is a quick read, however, we expect those on the waiting list will get to read Dog Days before too long!