Cool Library Song

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/projectspartners/Harley_Song_short.mp3 (short version)

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/projectspartners/Harley_Song_Full.mp3 (long version)

Kids spraypainting

Holi crafts

Interactive blog

The fun of having a blog is that it is interactive. The Kids' blog of SPL was created so that the Children's librarians and the children who read the blog can have a dialogue. You are welcome to send your original writings - a poem or story, a book or movie review, or tell us about a new video game or a fun website. You can post a comment about any posting that you see on the blog or send an email to spl.kids@gmail.com with your ideas and suggestions.
I am thrilled to see that Nikita Shalabh has sent an article that she has written about Holi. Thank you, Nikita.
You can write about something unique about your culture or any story that your parents or grandparents have told you. The Big Read in April is all about sharing our immigrant experiences and telling each other stories. So, send us your stories. This blog can be a forum for us to connect.

"Holi" by Nikita Shalabh

I am very excited to be publishing this article by Nikita Shalabh.

“Holi” also called the festival of colors, is a popular Hindu festival that is celebrated in spring. It is observed in North India and Nepal but not in South India. In West Bengal, it is known as “Dolyatra (Doljatra)”.

My dad was born in North India and my mom was born in South India. My dad’s family celebrates Holi in a big way. They make lots of sweets like “Gunjia”. Holi takes place over a period of two days. On the first day, bonfires are lit at night to show burning of the demoness “Holika”. On the second day, also know as “Dhulendi”, people spend the whole day throwing colored powder and balloons filled with colored water at each other. The colored powder has a medical significance: the colors are made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medical herbs that have medicinal benefits.

A special drink called “thandai” is made, most of the time containing “bhang”. People invite friends and relatives for potlucks and group celebrations later in the evening.

According to the Hindu calendar, Holi can be on any day but it will always be around late February or early March. This year, in 2008, it occurred on March 22^nd.

Nowadays, people fill water guns with colored water and shoot the water at other people.

International Children's Digital Library

I discovered this website that is really cool! You can read books (yes, whole books) from the computer screen and in different languages. The site is really user-friendly and you can read the books without being a member. Kids, if you wish to become a member, first check with your parents. There is a FAQ page that parents can look at. You can also access the page by clicking on the URL under the Links column. Let us know if you like this website. Post your comments!

St.Patrick's Day and Holi

March 17th is St.Patrick's day. We will have a story time at 10:30 AM and crafts that you can make any time during the day.
Holi is the Indian festival of colors. It marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Come to the Children's Room at 10:30 AM to listen to some stories and make a craft. You can also come any time during the day to make the craft.

"A Moving Experience"

Most of you must already be aware of The Big Read that the whole Shrewsbury community is going to participate in. In the Children's room, we are going to highlight our books about immigration, frontier life in the nineteenth century, and stories of immigrants in the twentieth century. Ask your parents about your family's story - when your ancestors came to the US and their experiences in this land of opportunity.

During the April vacation, we are going to have Frontier Games on April 22nd (Register to play games with one of the Children's librarians at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, or 3:00PM) . On April 23rd, learn about Levi Pease, a Shrewsbury resident who was the first mailman. Learn about how people communicated before the age of the Internet. Register to attend this program at 1:30 PM. Crafts day is on April 24th. Register to attend this program at 2:30 and learn to make a punch tin lantern. April 25th is devoted to Frontier chores. Come any time between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM to do some chores. You might even get to milk a cow! We are planning to have a lot of fun during this week and we welcome you to join us.