Shrewsbury Public Library Kids News

Alex the Jester's program

2010-04-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Holi story time, Feb 25, 2010

2010-03-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

Teaching Creatures, Feb 18, 2010

2010-03-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

Chinese New Year

2010-03-06T11:30:00.001-05:00

Bilingual story time (English and Tamil)

2010-03-06T11:29:00.000-05:00

Oreo cookies morphed into Phases of the moon

Newbery and Caldecott awards

2010-01-18T17:12:00.002-05:00

The ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children), part of the ALA (American Library Association) announced the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott medals
Newbery Medal

“When You Reach Me,” by Rebecca Stead

Newbery Honor Books

“Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice” by Phillip Hoose

“The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” by Jacqueline Kelly

“Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin

“The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg” written by Rodman Philbrick

Caldecott Medal

“The Lion and the Mouse” illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney

Caldecott Honor Books

“All the World” illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon

“Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors” illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman

Congratulations to all the winners

Diwali story time!

2009-10-24T12:04:00.000-05:00

Archaeology Day

2009-10-03T11:06:00.001-05:00

Kids engrossed in the hands-on activities related to archaeology with the presenter Crag Chariter

2009-07-30T11:35:00.000-05:00

Shruti and Srujana performing an Indian dance

2009-07-30T11:34:00.000-05:00

Jordan, Sriya and Chloe at the talent show

Harini wows the audience with her beautiful dance

2009-07-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

2009-07-30T11:26:00.000-05:00

Amy and Khushi doing a beautiful dance

2009-07-30T11:25:00.000-05:00

Jeffrin playing the keyboard

Talent show on July 29

2009-07-30T11:24:00.000-05:00

Zinara playing the keyboard

Pictures from Dinoman Space

2009-07-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

Starship Adventure

2009-06-12T09:41:00.002-05:00

Online registration for the summer reading program, Starship Adventure, begins on June 22nd. Come in that week to collect the information packet and calendar and learn how you can get raffle tickets. We have a lot of cool prizes this year, so start reading and record the number of minutes you read.
Special programs during the summer:
Thursday, June 25 @ 2:30 PM : Dino-man Space
An interactive variety show of Fun!

Saturday, June 27 @ 10:00 AM: Aldrich Astronomical Society presents "Meteorites: Thunderstones from Outer Space"
There will be a slide show and hands-on demonstrations. Door prizes and a chance to win Spacey.

Stop in and see a REAL spacesuit, made by the David Clark Company in Worcester, on loan to us July 16th-24th.

Monday, July 27 @ 2:30 PM : Pumpernickel Puppets
The 3 Billy Goats Gruff/ The Lion and the mouse

Tuesday, August 11: Museum of Science presents: Rockets: There and Back
Learn how rockets work and the challenges of traveling huge distances. Hands-on workshop. Please call after July 27th about show times and reserving tickets.

Thursday, August 13: Summer Picnic sponsored by the Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library.

Grand finale with Library Buds

2009-06-12T09:31:00.003-05:00

It was our last session with the Library Buds. All of them received certificates and the graduating buds (7th graders) received a journal. The Library Buds program will resume in the Fall. This is a program where children in 4th-7th grades learn about the behind-the-scenes activities in the Children's room. We are looking forward to working with the Buds again in the Fall.

April Vacation Week - April 21-24

2009-04-09T15:01:00.002-05:00

We have fun activities planned for the whole vacation week. We are closed on Monday, April 20th for Patriot's Day.
April 21, 2:30 PM - Bilingual story time in English and Hindi. We will read stories, sing songs and recite poems. All ages are welcome. No registration required.
April 22, 2:30 PM - Power point class for kids in Grades 3-7. Sign-up starts April 8th.
April 23, 2:30-4:30 - Fairy Houses with Cheryl Carlson-Perrow for children in grades 1-4. Registration begins April 9th.
April 24, 10-11 AM, Ages 4-6 - Mr. Raindrop Water Cycle Terrarium presented by The Water Department and SELCO
April 24, 2-3 PM, Ages 7-9 - Mr. Raindrop Water Cycle Terrarium presented by The Water Department and SELCO

Library Buds playing Dewey Match

2009-04-07T19:37:00.000-05:00

National Library Week

2009-04-07T19:19:00.002-05:00

The week of April 12-18 is declared as National Library Week. By coincidence, a Boys Scout student has created a Poster Contest as his Community project. The topic for the poster is Why I love the library. You have to submit your poster by April 17th and voting will take place during the Vacation week (April 21st-24th). Winners will be announced on April 24th at 4 PM. So, be creative and design fun posters!

MCBA 2009 WINNER

2009-04-03T09:12:00.002-05:00

The Massachusetts Children's Book Award, sponsored by the Salem State College, has been awarded to The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stuart. Four titles have been named Honor Books -
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
H.I.V.E by Mark Walden
The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman
Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica
Children across the state read at least five books and vote for their favorite title.

March Money Madness

2009-03-20T10:34:00.000-05:00

Kids enjoying money-related activities

Book review by Nishta Krishnan

2009-03-07T13:54:00.002-05:00

EVERY SOUL A STAR by Wendy Mass
The book is set at the Moon Shadow Campground in the days surrounding a total solar eclipse. Three narrators tell the story of how their paths come together there, just as the moon's shadow crosses the sun. There's Ally, a self-confident, home-schooled kid who has grown up at the Moon Shadow, spending her time searching for alien signals and arranging rocks in the campground labyrinth. There's Bree, firmly set in the life of a middle school butterfly until her parents say that she's moving to the middle of nowhere so they can work on a research project. And there's Jack, who flunked science class and is sentenced to a summer project at the Moon Shadow with his teacher.
I found Every soul a Star to be inspirational. It gives the reader a chance to really get engrossed into the book and really learn in an interesting way. Mass does a magnificent job of making the voices of her characters distinct. In addition, novels created like this can often be a bit repetitive as events are recurring from the viewpoint of another character, but Mass does not do this. She allows the novel to flow naturally, giving the reader a chance to infer what the other characters might be thinking. If I had one complaint about this novel, it would be that I would have liked to know what happens to Ally, Bree and Jack when the summer ends. In my opinion, I would have liked if Jack and Ally ended up in the same city and school.

Kids cooking Indian food

2009-02-20T13:38:00.000-05:00

Kids showing off the rainbow fruit kabobs they made

School vacation week

2009-02-12T15:27:00.002-05:00

The Whitney family presents Long Winter's nap puppet show on Tuesday, Feb 17th at 1:30 PM. On Feb 18th and 19th, you can come in to the Children's room any time between 10 and 4 to make some crafts. On Friday, Feb 20th, there will be an Indian cooking program from 11 AM-12 PM. Some exciting treats await the kids in Grades K-4, who have signed up.

Book review by Nishta Krishnan

2009-02-02T10:59:00.001-05:00

Toy Dance Party by Emily Jenkins

The main characters are bossy, know-it-all, Stingray; a courageous and daring buffalo Lumphy; and a round, independent, scarlet ball named Plastic. As these old toys get rejected by their six-year-old owner, the little girl is growing up. She now takes an interest in the soundless Barbies who the toys intensely envy. As they go to the movies, think deeply, have exhilarating adventures, and try to get the Girl's attention back, the silent Barbies seem to take it all away. Why won’t the girl play with talking toys?

Here is a scene where the Girl has a sleepover with some of her friends and Barbies are brought along...

Honey and Shay dress the Barbies,
and undress the Barbies,
and brush their hair,
and put their hair in ponytails,
and dress the Barbies,
and undress the Barbies,
and wonder why one of them have teeth marks
on its leg,
and why the other one has teeth marks on its hand,
and then forget about that
and dress the Barbies,
and undress the Barbies,
and brush their hair,
and dress the Barbies again.
For a very long time.

Even though I haven’t read Toys Go Out, I loved the book Toy Dance Party. In each of the short, fun stories, the same characters would do crazy stunts like jumping into the snow, getting themselves in sticky jam and getting sucked into the vacuum. If you haven’t read Toy Dance Party, you should. My next read would be Toys Go Out.

Book review

2009-01-29T10:10:00.002-05:00

Violet Raines almost got struck by lightning

An exciting story of eleven-year-old Violet Raines who is loyal and hilarious. She is the best friend any girl could have but her troubles with new prissy Melissa begin soon. Violet knows that Melissa wants to pry Lottie away from her but will Melissa succeed? Violet is not the only one who is coming to the fish fry. Guess who else is? Melissa. Is Melissa Gold going to barge into everything? Will a lightning bolt change Violet’s life forever?

The book was almost real! Violet's voice grabbed me from the very first page until the very last page. Danette Haworth is an author with an enormous vocabulary. She uses words like “taradiddle”. Violet’s story is a classic tale of best friends, every girl should read. I have read the book twice already.
Nishta Krishnan

2009 Newbery and Caldecott awards announced

2009-01-26T16:06:00.004-05:00

The House in the Night written by Susan Marie Swanson and illustrated by Beth Krommes has won the Caldecott award.

The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman has won the Newbery award.

Chinese New Year on Jan 26

2009-01-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

Come to the children's room to make these crafts.

Abe Lincoln's birthday

2009-01-22T15:40:00.001-05:00

Come to the Children's room and make crafts to commemorate Lincoln's birthday on Thursday, Feb 12th, between 10 and 4.

Poem by Nishta Krishnan

2009-01-21T16:38:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Nishta Krishnan for submitting a very timely poem!

I built a snowman tall and strong,
one cold and bitter day.
He stood outside my window sill,
and waited for me to come out and play.

The snowman was my favorite friend,
He’d whisper in my ear,
wink his eye, and tip his hat
whenever I was near.

He had coal, black eyes and a carrot nose,
bright pink scarf and mittens the color of rose.
He had a smile for everyone. FLASH!
You should strike a pose!

He was there, the lively fellow;
He never used to bellow,
Then heat came and he did melt,
but his absence will always be felt.

Kids enjoying the Hero Hunt

2009-01-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

Valentines for Vets

2009-01-16T15:33:00.001-05:00

The wonderful kids who belong to Brownie troop number 30423 are helping us with the Valentines for Vets program this year. You can see the fabulous posters they have created all around the library. Come in to the Children's room and create valentines to send to the troops.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-23T08:13:00.002-05:00

We wish people a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and peace during the holiday season.
Drop in during the vacation week to do some crafts as we are going to empty our closets and provide a variety of crafts that you can enjoy.

A Halloween story

2008-12-02T17:19:00.000-05:00

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... I took a quick nap.
I suddenly got up by a “TERRIBLE” sound. I saw it was dark. I said to my mom and dad, “GET UP!!!” “I need to tell you something! Can I put on my Halloween dress?”

My mom said, “Ummm, well, it's not that dark to be in your Halloween dress, but, it's almost, so, it's O.K.”

I said, “YES, BINGO!!!”
So I put on my Halloween dress and, put all my jewelery to go with it. I am almost a witch! I also put on matching shoes to go with my witch costume. I step down the stairs and went outside. I felt the fresh air blowing when I was outside. I yelled, “ DAD, MOM, NIKITA, KEVIN it's time” Dad and mom (only) came running thinking I got hit by a “BIG, HUGE” truck!!!

They said, quickly, “What happened?”

I said, “What are you talking about? I am totally O.K!! I was just screaming because I wanted you to come outside to go trick-or-treating with me!”

My mom replied, “OH WAIT!!!,” don't forget your flashlight! It's dark I tell you! “VERY”!!! I ran in and got my flashlight, and strolled back outside.

My dad said, “Don't forget to get your Halloween necklace! Remember?”

So I ran and got my Halloween necklace and went back outside. So my dad, my mom, my sister, my brother and me all went trick-or-treating finally! My sister was Harry Potter, my brother was a Transformer, my mom was an Angel, my dad was a Mad Scientist and I was a friendly witch! So we all went trick-or- treating finally. We went to a lot of houses! It was so much fun after all!

When we came back home, we directly went upstairs. We changed and brushed our teeth and we all got to watch a movie. The movie was Madagascar and it was awesome! When the songs came we all sang with it! When the movie finished, we all went upstairs. I turned on the nightlight and tip-toed back to my bed. When I was in my bed, I could hear everybody snoring out loud! It was funny. I tucked myself in and went to sleep, I was sleeping finally. When I sleep the moon grows pale behind the trees. I had the best day ever.

Written by Ami Shalabh
3rd grade
Spring Street

Christmas poem

2008-11-28T10:25:00.003-05:00

Thank you, Nikita, for sending this seasonal poem.

Christmas

White Snow

Falling slowly

No school

Happy times

Christmas tree

Lighting up

Very bright

Red, Greeen

Blue, White

Warm, Cozy

Plush blanket

In kitchen

Mom's fruitcake

yummy, yummy

Sitting down

Stuffing Face

All done

go to sleep

Christmas night

Santa tiptoes

In the night

slowly, slowly

Tiptoe light

Keep presents

crinkling paper

Crunchy cookies

Drinking milk

next morning

stocking filled

wrapped presents

Bright and smoooth

Christmas Fun

- Nikita Shalabh

Election day

2008-11-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

Kids having fun at the Election day event at the library!

Diwali

2008-10-28T17:56:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all of you who came to the Diwali program. It was heart-warming to see all the kids who came to the library and had fun with the rangoli and the diya-making. You can see the picture of the "toran" (decorative piece to adorn the doorway or entrance to a home) that the kids made. I had as much fun organizing the program as you had participating in it.

Diwali crafts

2008-10-28T17:49:00.000-05:00

Diwali program on Oct 27th

2008-10-21T13:44:00.002-05:00

Come celebrate Diwali at the library on Monday, Oct 27th from 5 to 6 PM. This program is for children in Grades K-4. We will talk about the spirit of Diwali and make a decorative craft.

Celebrate Diwali at the library

2008-10-21T13:31:00.000-05:00

Indian cooking workshop

2008-10-10T12:31:00.006-05:00

It was fun cooking in the library setting. The kids and the moms who came with them seemed to enjoy the Indian dishes that I made. We made mango lassi (smoothie), bhel (a snack made with puffed rice, sev, baked potatoes, onions, tomatoes and cilantro) and peda (a dessert prepared with milk powder, condensed milk and butter.)

Recipe for bhel

Ingredients:
Puffed rice: 4 cups
Sev: 2 cups
Baking potato: 1
Onion: 1
Tomatoes: 2
Cilantro: a bunch
Sweet and tart sauce:
Pitted dates: 10
Tamarind paste: 2 spoons
Brown sugar: 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

In a large bowl, mix puffed rice and sev. Bake the potato in a microwave. Let it cool and cut into small pieces. Chop onion and tomatoes and add to the puffed rice and sev mixture. Mix in the chopped potato.

To prepare sauce, pour 1 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan; add tamarind paste, chopped dates and sugar. Keep stirring till the sauce thickens and reduces to half. Garnish the bhel with cilantro and serve by topping it off with 2 teaspoons of the cooled sauce.

Mango lassi (Smoothie)

Ingredients:
Fresh mangoes: 2 or 3 (If using fresh mangoes, 1/2 cup of honey or 4 tablespoons of sugar has to be added)
or
1 can of sweetened mango pulp
Plain yogurt: 1 quart
Buttermilk: 1 cup
Crushed ice: 1 cup

Blend mango pulp, yogurt, buttermilk and ice in a blender. Pour in glasses and serve chilled.
You can keep it refrigerated for 24 hours.

Peda

Ingredients:
Powdered milk: 1 3/4 cup
Sweetened condensed milk: 1 can
Butter: 1 stick
Cardamom powder: 1 teaspoon
Raisins: ½ cup

Pour the condensed milk in a bowl and add milk powder, cardamom powder and butter and whisk them together. Spread on a microwaveable plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Take it out, stir and microwave again for a minute. Let it cool for about 30 minutes and then take a spoonful in your hand and shape into round balls. Flatten each ball and decorate with a raisin in the center. You can keep pedas refrigerated for a week.

Try these recipes and also send in some of your own recipes.

Nikita Shalabh weighs in on Presidential politics

2008-10-08T12:29:00.001-05:00

An article submitted by Nikita:

The three major issues that the next president should address in the first term of office is Economy, War and Health Insurance.

Starting with economy including high gas rates, high taxes and less jobs we don't have a stable community. I think the next president should lower taxes and lower gas rates too. Also he should think of more jobs so that we will have a better community through out the whole country. Lots of people don't have jobs so we should think about them first. How will you help them? By helping them get jobs so they have enough money to eat one days worth of food and pay for gas. So I think the next president should take care of that.

Another major issue is Health Insurance. About 47 million people don't have Health Insurance.
Even if they have it they aren't covered fully. Due to these reasons people are reluctant to even go to the hospital when they have major medical problems. Reducing the cost of health insurance is one of the things that the next president should address appropriately.

We also have a war going on. So many soldiers are dying when they could be at home with their family. With all this we barely have enough money to help our economy. This war is so costly, one bomb dropped costs so much money no wonder why our economy is going down. It is important to secure our borders more effectively so that illegal immigrants and terrorists can't sneak in.

These are some major issues we have in our country. If we take care of these issues we will be able to live life peacefully. After all life is so short. As they say “ Live and let others live.”

Archaeology day

2008-10-06T08:44:00.004-05:00

October is Archaeology month, so we have a whole day devoted to some fun activities related to archaeology. Friday, October 10th is a day off from school, so come in any time between 10 and 4 and participate in a scavenger hunt type game called Could you survive as an archaeologist? This fun-filled activity is for kids in Grades K-4.
There will also be a screening of the movie Spiderwick Chronicles at 11 AM.

Indian cooking workshop

2008-10-06T08:38:00.002-05:00

We have an Indian cooking workshop on Thursday, October 9th from 5-6 PM. Shrewsbury schools are off the next day, so join us and learn some recipes for easy-to-make dishes. Your supper's taken care of too! This workshop is for children in Grades 4-12.

Banned Books Week

2008-10-02T12:43:00.003-05:00

Did you know that the American Library Association has a week (September 27th - October 4th) designated for Banned Books? This is not to celebrate banned books but to make people aware of the danger of banning books. During this week, children are encouraged to read books that have been banned by some schools and taught to value the freedom to read. Some of the books that have been banned in some places in the US are:
Lois Lowry's The Giver
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice series
Judy Blume's Are you there God? It's me Margaret
Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
J K Rowling's Harry Potter books
Lauren Myracle's TTYL
Would you like to be told what books you can read and what you can't?

Homeschoolers get a tour of the library

2008-09-26T10:10:00.002-05:00

We were delighted to welcome a group of homeschoolers and give them a tour of the library. From the youngest member of the group, who was 2 years old to the oldest member, aged 12, they were enthusiastic, curious and eager to learn. The 16 children and their parents learned about the Dewey decimal system, services and programs offered at the library and about the electronic resources accessible from the library website. Hope they had as much fun as we did.

2008-09-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

Mitali Perkins wows kids and teens

2008-09-22T08:51:00.002-05:00

Mitali Perkins, the author of the First Girl books, shared with us her story and gave kids valuable tips on how to create a story that would capture the interest of readers. Her writing workshop was very successful as the pieces that the participants wrote will testify. You can read the creative pieces on our YA blog, http://splatatspl.blogspot.com.

2008-09-22T08:47:00.000-05:00

OOPS! Author Mitali Perkins visit timings

2008-09-08T10:30:00.002-05:00

Juvenile and Young Adult author Mitali Perkins will be visiting the library on Saturday, September 20th. She will talk about her books from 11 AM to 12 Noon, there will be lunch from 12 to 1PM and then there will be a Writing workshop from 1PM to 2 PM. Please call to register.

3 exciting programs in September

2008-09-03T12:36:00.004-05:00

39 Clues
Check out http://the39clues.scholastic.com/
Scholastic is publishing a series of 10 books written by famous authors, the first one titled "Maze of Bones" by Rick Riordan (author of the popular Percy Jackson series). There will be cards with each book that have hints to track down the 39 clues. Learn more about this series by coming to the Children's Room on Tuesday, September 9th at 7 PM. We will raffle a pack of cards and a copy of the first book and a backpack. You could be the lucky winner! Open to kids between the ages of 8 and 11. Please call to sign up.

MCBA Kickoff
Come to the library on Thursday, September 11th, from 4-5 PM to get the list of books nominated for the Massachusetts Children's Book Award. Read at least 5 books and vote for your favorite book in January. Last year's winner was Rick Riordan. Kids in Grades 4 to 6 are eligible to participate and vote.

Author Mitali Perkins visits the library
Juvenile and Young Adult author Mitali Perkins, author of Rickshaw Girl, Monsoon Summer, First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, and First Daughter: White House rules visits the library on Saturday, September 20th. She will talk about her books from 10 AM to 12:30 and, after lunch, (all those who come in the morning can join in the free lunch) will do a Writing workshop. Please call to sign up.

2008-08-04T15:30:00.000-05:00

2008-08-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

Jordan Jarvi entertains us with her song and dance

2008-08-04T15:28:00.000-05:00

Nikita and Ami Shalabh dance to the tune "It's the time to disco"

Grand finale

2008-08-04T15:13:00.002-05:00

This is the last week of the Summer Reading Program. Hope you've had as much fun as we did. Here are a few pictures from our Talent show. We were delighted to see that the kids in Shrewsbury are so talented. We will draw the raffles for our prizes on august 11th.
On August 15th, you can come in any time between 10 and 4 to make a rakhi - a wrist band that is a symbol of your love for your siblings and collect your certificate.

2008-08-04T15:12:00.000-05:00

Aditi, Prisha, Priyanka and Nishta dazzle everyone with their Bollywood dance.

2008-08-04T15:11:00.000-05:00

Derek Johnson doing a head stand as part of his break dance routine

Poem by Nikita Shalabh

2008-06-24T08:55:00.002-05:00

Here is a beautiful poem written by Nikita and it is in keeping with our theme of Wild Reads! Thank you, Nikita, for sharing this poem with us.

Jungle

Green plants

Brown Trunks

Beautiful Toucans

Cheerful Monkeys

Frightful Cheetahs

Spotted Jaguars

Colorful Parrots

Slow Turtles

Buzzing Bees

Sleepy Sloths

Moist Air

High Canopy

Sweet Papayas

Soft Grass

Sparkling Waters

Amazon Forest

I’m Coming!

Wild Reads @ the library

2008-06-07T09:08:00.003-05:00

Check out the Summer Reading Program in the Children's Room. Sign-up starts on June 16th. Be sure to be here for the Ice cream Kick-off on June 18th from 6-8 PM. You have a chance to win a $50 Amazon.com gift card!

Log in the time you read every week and get a raffle ticket for exciting prizes. Keeping with the theme of Wild Reads, we have weekly crafts on Mondays from June 30th through August 4th at 2:30 PM; Wild Wednesdays for Grades 3 and 4 on Wednesdays from July 2nd through August 6th from 2-3:30PM; Pre-school story times on Thursdays from July 3rd through August 7that 10:30 AM. No registration is required for any of these programs.

Got special talent? Come flaunt it on Talent Night on July 8th or July 29th at 6:30 PM. Call the Children's Room at 508-842-0081x4 to register.

Wildly Exciting Performers:
Toe Jam Puppets on Thursday June 26th at 2:30 PM. Tickets will be available from June 9th.
Jungle Encounters on Tuesday, July 8th at 2:30 PM. Tickets will be available from June 24th.
Museum of Science presents "Night Sky" on Friday, August 15th. Call beginning August 1st for show times and to reserve tickets.

Gulliver on a WILD Safari:
Gulliver will visit different places in Shrewsbury to get ready for his safari. You will be given clues every week to help you locate Gulliver. You will find a picture of Gulliver wearing a different-colored hat and you can come back to the Children's Room to get an extra raffle ticket.

Follow the paws leading to the Children's Room this summer and have fun reading.

2008-04-30T08:12:00.000-05:00

April vacation activities

2008-04-30T08:10:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures from the fun-filled vacation activities at the library. You can see kids making the punch tin lanterns, kids milking a cow, kids fishing and a young girl wearing a Frontier costume.

Get tickets to the Circus!

2008-04-10T13:55:00.000-05:00

Read to get tickets to the Ringling Bros' Barnum & Bailey Circus! Read 2 books the first week and you get a Ringling Bros. bookmark; read 3 books the second week and get a clown nose; read 4 books the third week and get a FREE ticket to the show to be held at the DCU Center in Worcester, from May 1-4. Come and get the Reading Program Tracking sheet.

Find the wagon in the Children's Room

2008-04-10T13:44:00.000-05:00

Get ready to play Frontier games, make a tin punch lantern, do some Frontier chores and read fun Frontier books during the April vacation. Also, learn about Levi Pease, Shrewsbury's own pioneer who carried mail from Boston to Albany by stagecoach.

"The Snow Day" by Nikita Shalabh

2008-04-01T08:59:00.001-05:00

I woke up one morning and I saw that it was snowing. School might be closed! I leaped out of bed and dashed down the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran down the hall and into my living room. On the sofa I saw my mom flipping through channels with the T.V. remote looking for the news. Finally she found it. On the bottom of the T.V. it said SPRING STREET SCHOOL - CLOSED. She sighed heavily.

Then she looked up and saw me. Quickly, she ran into the kitchen to make my breakfast. She put a hot, steaming bowl on the table. I sat in front of it. Inside was warm oatmeal. Apples and cinnamon, yummy, I thought, my favorite. On the top were little cut apples dancing on the water. I took a huge spoonful and popped it in my mouth. I could feel the apples melt in my mouth. And I could taste the cinnamon in my mouth too. After I finished my breakfast I went upstairs to brush.

After I brushed I went downstairs to read a book. The book I was reading was Ella Enchanted. It was about a baby who was put under a curse of obedience. In the story all kinds of things happen. That book has been my favorite ever since. When I was writing the name of the book on my reading log I found out today was February 14^th. Valentine’s day! I forgot I had presents for my family.

For my dad I got a calculator that’s blue (his favorite color) and it had a built-in stand so it can stand up by itself. For my mom I got a carrot peeler and the handle looked like a carrot. I got a set of matchbox cars for my brother. And last but not least my sister got a coloring book. They were all wrapped in white gift-wrap with red and pink hearts all over it.

I got the presents and put them on their side tables but for my mom I gave it to her in person. After she got it she carefully opened it to find out what it was. She was looking at it like she had never seen anything like it. She looked up at me with happy tears in her eyes and she squeezed me so tight I could barely breathe. When she let go of me we made breakfast for the rest of my family. Sunny-side up eggs for my brother and sister and an omelet for my dad. My siblings and my dad came downstairs eager to start their breakfast.

After we ate my mom, me, and my siblings went outside to go sledding. We put on our heavy snow pants, our toasty warm gloves, our hats and our keep-the-snow-off boots. I got our long, purple sled and my mom got the circular, blue sled. My mom and me went on the long, purple sled and my sister and brother went on the other sled. After we got on, we pushed ourselves for a head start and off we went.

My brother and sister were out of control. They were going too fast. They were going in the direction of the lamppost in front of our house. And they hit the lamppost. My sister was whimpering and my brother was wailing. My dad came running out with two ice packs. I looked at my siblings. After putting on the ice packs for three minutes or so we put our sled back and went inside.

After drinking some hot cocoa, we played funny games that made us laugh so hard our stomachs hurt.

It was close to nighttime so we ate our dinner, changed into our pajamas, brushed, and got into bed in our usual routine. That night, before I went to sleep, I went through the whole day and grinned. Finally, I went to sleep feeling happy. This was the best snow day ever.

Cool Library Song

2008-03-26T10:58:00.000-05:00

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

2008-03-21T13:59:00.002-05:00

Holi crafts

2008-03-21T13:46:00.003-05:00

Interactive blog

2008-03-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

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

2008-03-19T07:54:00.002-05:00

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

2008-03-15T10:39:00.003-05:00

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

2008-03-15T09:38:00.002-05:00

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"

2008-03-15T09:25:00.002-05:00

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.

Newbery and Caldecott awards 2008

2008-01-25T11:30:00.000-05:00

The Newbery and Caldecott awards were announced by the American Library Association. This year's Caldecott award for the Best Picture Book was a surprise - the award went to Brian Selznick's "Invention of Hugo Cabret" - a book that is not the size of a typical picture book and can be read and appreciated by older readers - especially readers who enjoy graphic novels. The Caldecott Honor went to four books - Ellen Levine's "Henry's Freedom Box," Laura Vaccaro Seeger's "First the Egg", Peter Sis's "The Wall: Growing up Behind the Iron Curtain," and Mo Willem's "Knuffle Bunny Too".

The Newbery Award went to Laura Amy Schiltz's "Good Masters, Sweet Ladies: Voices from a Medieval Village". The Newbery Honor was awarded to Christopher Paul Curtis's "Elijah of Buxton", Gary Schmidt's "Wednesday Wars" and Jacqueline Woodson's "Feathers".

February Vacation Programs

2008-01-25T10:50:00.000-05:00

February vacation is from Feb 18th to Feb 22nd. The library will be closed on the 18th for President's Day. On the 19th (Tuesday) we have a special speaker from Wild Birds Unlimited who is going to tell us about Wild Bird Feeding. The activity also includes a craft. On the 20th (Wednesday), Mr. Raindrop returns to the library to talk about water conservation. He will explain the water cycle and kids get to make a terrarium. On the 22nd (Friday), we will have a President's Day craft ready for you that you can make any time between 10 AM and 4 PM.

We also have the usual programs in February - Baby and Me on Tuesdays at 10:30 AM (12th, 19th and 26th), Lunch Bunch on Wednesdays at 11:30 AM (13th, 20th and 27th), and Preschool Storytime on Thursdays at 10:30 AM (14th, 21st and 28th). Our very popular Read to a Dog program is on Feb 9th (Saturday at 9:30 AM) and Feb 23rd (Saturday at 9:30 AM). We have a special craft for Chinese New Year Day which is on Feb 7th. Drop in between 10 AM and 4 PM to make your craft.

Best interactive software

2008-01-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

Great interactive software for kids announced

CHICAGO - The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has selected its Fall 2007 list of Great Interactive Software for Kids (GISK), which recognizes high-quality computer programs and digital media for children 14 years of age and younger.

The selected products are:

1701 AD. Aspyr Media. http://www.aspyr.com. Ages 10 and up.

Anime Studio. E-Frontier. http://www.e-frontier.com. Ages 10 and up.

Big Brain Academy. Nintendo. http://www.nintendo.com. Ages 6 and up.

Collage Machine. ProtoZone Interactive. http://www.protozone.net. All ages.

Crazy Machines 1.5. Viva-Media. http://www.viva-media.com. Ages 6 and up.

KaleidoDraw. ProtoZone Interactive. http://www.protozone.net. All ages.

Kaleidopix. ProtoZone Interactive. http://www.protozone.net. All ages.

Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave. Her Interactive. http://www.herinteractive.com. Ages 10 and up.

Sid Meier's Railroads. Firaxis. http://www.firaxis.com. Ages 6 and up.

Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island. Large Animal Games. http://www.largeanimal.com. All ages.

http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/december2007/interactive07.htm

National Treasure Hunt

2007-12-05T11:50:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, Dec 19, 6 P.M.
Teams of two or three kids in grades 3-12 (siblings would be perfect!) hunt for a treasure and a mystery prize! Come to the Children's room to sign up. You would go around the library collecting clues and cracking codes and having humongous fun! Don't miss this opportunity to parade your sleuthing skills!

Winter Programs

2007-11-15T14:34:00.000-05:00

We have a Hanukkah celebration on Monday, December 3rd. There will be a story time at 10:30 and a craft that children could do any time during the day.

Join us for a Family Winter workshop on Monday, 17th December at 6:30 P.M. Registration is required for this program.

During the Vacation week, the Pumpernickel Puppets will perform "Frog Prince" on Wednesday, December 26th at 2:30 P.M.

On Thursday December 27th, author Lily Jones will be in the Children's Room to talk about her book and sign copies. This event is also at 2:30 P.M.

Friday, the 28th will be an all-day craft day.

Computer classes

2007-09-11T19:03:00.000-05:00

We have planned a computer class for students in Grades 2-5 on October 9th from 2:30-3:30. This is the last day of your l-o-n-g weekend (the day after Columbus day). Homework and Research 101 will teach you tips to do quick research, using the databases on the library's website. Five projects due all in the same week? No problem - we'll teach you how to get them done without getting stressed. So, call the Children's room to sign up.

On November 1st, we have scheduled another class titled Beyond Google. This is also a day off from school and we will meet at 2:30. How do you know what to do when Google gives you 1 million results? We will teach you about other search engines that will make searching easier and you will also get tips to evaluate websites and assess their accuracy and currency.

Cool Programs in the Fall

2007-09-11T17:49:00.000-05:00

In addition to the story times for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, we have some cool programs planned for elementary school students too. For those of you interested in the real goings-on at the library, we have a program on the first Saturday of September, October and November at 8:30 A.M. Yes, the staff members are at the library before the library officially opens and get everything ready. Now, you can participate in the behind-the-scenes action and see how the materials are sorted, how the books you request through Inter-library loan are processed, and learn where everything is in the Children's room. If you've always been curious about how a library works, this is the program for you. To be part of this elite Library Buds group, please call the Children's room and sign up.

October is Archaeology month and we have a meeting on Monday nights at 6 P.M. You will get to explore mummies from different cultures during different periods of history. You will also create your own mummy! Call the Children's room to sign up.

End of Summer Picnic

2007-08-10T09:49:00.000-05:00

We can't believe that the end of summer is approaching! Six weeks of our Summer Reading Program have flown by and we are gearing up for the picnic on Aug 17th. Beginning Monday, the 13th of August, we will start drawing the raffles and calling the winners. YOU could be the winner of one of our amazing prizes. Do come to the picnic on Aug 17th. You will get a chance to see the talented kids of Shrewsbury who are going to sing, dance or play an instrument.

Christmas in July

2007-07-25T07:20:00.000-05:00

We had this brilliant idea to celebrate Christmas on July 25th! A GREEN Christmas! Come to the Children's room to escape from the heat outside - listen to Christmas music, make a craft and have fun!

Celebrate Harry Potter day!

2007-07-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

Our Summer Reading program is in full swing and almost 500 children have registered for it. We are thrilled with your enthusiasm and are as excited to give away prizes as you are to receive them. To celebrate the seventh book of Harry Potter, we are having a party on Thursday, July 19th. Look forward to games, trivia quizzes, activity sheets and crafts. You could take your picture in the special room we will be creating, beside a Harry Potter cutout! Join us any time between 10 and 4. We will also be showing the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on Monday, July 16th at 6:30 pm.

Special programs during the summer

2007-05-24T11:16:00.000-05:00

Some of the programs this summer are:
1. "Sun and Summer Safety" on June 22nd, at 10-30 A.M. Michelle Wiseman, Child Health Care Consultant, will discuss summer safety issues. Stories and craft are included.
2. "Silly Songs and Funny Folk" on June 27th, at 2 P.M. with Debra Cowan, Shrewsbury resident and musician.
3. "Creative Dance Theater" for children ages 2 1/2 to Kindergarten on July 26th, at 10-30 A.M.
4. "Creative Dance Theater" for grades 1-4 on July 26th, at 1-30 P.M.
5. "Fog, flowers, and fireworks," presented by the Museum of Science on August 16th, at 2-30 P.M.

Summer Reading Program

2007-05-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

"Catch the Beat" is the theme of our Summer Reading Program, sponsored by the Shrewsbury Public Library, the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. You can register for the program online at http://www.readsinma.org/shrewsbury/ from June 4th. From June 25th, you can log in what you have read and you can come to the library and tell us about your favorite books. This promises to be a fun-filled summer with lots of prizes to be won.

Children reading to dogs

2007-05-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

Who are Willow and Kuma? They are specially trained dogs and children can practice reading to them. Come to the library on Saturday, May 5th from 9-30 to 10-30 and read to Willow who will be here with the trainer. On May 16th, Kuma, the dog will be here from 9-30 to 10-30. Call the Children's Room at 508-842-0081 x4 to sign up.

Mother's Day Tea

2007-04-23T09:53:00.000-05:00

Surprise your Mom!
Make a surprise for Mom while she relaxes at the library on May 1st, at 4 PM.
Kids from K-4 can register for this program.

Mind Games

2007-04-19T13:06:00.000-05:00

Elementary age students are invited to a special program on April 24th, from 5-6 PM. You will use different objects to solve problems creatively.

Fun-filled April vacation

2007-04-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

All-day crafts and games for children.
Two events sponsored by SELCO:-
Smokey Bear comes on Wednesday, April 18th at 2 PM.
"Animals and Trees" on Friday, April 20th at 11 AM.
Come to the library to enjoy.

April Vacation Week

2007-03-29T12:50:00.000-05:00

Did you miss our April Fool 's Program? Join us for our "Reading can be Fun(ny) !" program during the April vacation week. Pick up your book log and calendar of events on April 1st to find out about the funny happenings.

April Fool's Day

2007-03-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

Want to learn some tricks for April Fool's Day? Special program on March 27th for kids in Grades 2 and up. Call or come in to sign up.

Do you feel lucky?

2007-03-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

Join us for a day of St. Patrick's Day Fun.
Drop in any time between 10 and 4 on Friday, March 16th.
We have things for you to create, board games to play, books to read and chances to win prizes.

New Books!

2007-03-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

Check out some of the new books we bought in February 2007!

Grandma drove the garbage truck by Clark, Katie. Because her three sons are sick, Grandma drives the garbage truck on the Fourth of July, ending up with an award in the big parade.

Valentine friends by Prince, April Jones. A group of animal friends work together to make valentines.

17 Things I'm not allowed to do anymore by Offill, Jenny. A young girl lists the sixteen things she is not allowed to do anymore, including not being able to make ice after freezing a fly in one of the cubes.

Ants by Green, Emily K. "Simple text accompanied by full-color photographs give an up-close look at ants"

Aram's choice by Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk

Arf and the three dogs by Wooderson, Philip. Graphic novelArf decides to use his mother's camera to make money as a reporter and photographer. When he takes pictures of the neighborhood dogs, Arf realizes that something strange is happening at the animal shelter.

Backhoes / by Ray McClellan Banjo granny by Busse, Sarah Martin. Baby Owen's grandmother learns that he is wiggly, jiggly, and all-around giggly for bluegrass music, so with her banjo, she travels by curious means to visit and play for him.

Behind the mask by Choi, Yangsook. Kimin, a young Korean-American boy, has trouble deciding on a Halloween costume, but as he looks through an old trunk of his grandfather's things, he suddenly unlocks a childhood mystery.

The Black Sox scandal of 1919 by Elish, Dan.

Cam Jansen the Valentine baby mystery by Adler, David A. It's Valentine's Day, and Cam is at school when she learns her mother is about to give birth.

A Crazy mixed-up Spanglish day by Montes, Marisa. In Northern California, Maritza Gabriela Morales Mercado struggles to deal with the third grade bully, to control her temper, and to remember to speak Spanish at home and English at school.

Curse of the mummy's tomb by Stine, R. L.

The Daddy Goose treasury by French, Vivian.

Daniel's story by Matas, Carol, 1949-New York : Scholastic, 1993. Daniel, whose family suffers as the Nazis rise to power in Germany, describes his imprisonment in a concentration camp and his eventual liberation.

Demons of the ocean by Somper, Justin. When twins Connor and Grace's ship is wrecked in a storm and Connor is rescued by pirates, he believes that Grace has been taken aboard the mythical Vampirate's ship, and he is determined to find her.

Disney out of this world cartoon tales (Graphic novel)Peterson, Scott.New York : Disney Press, c2005. Retellings of Lilo & Stitch, Peter Pan, and Treasure planet that are part storybook, part comic book.

You wouldn't want to be an 18th-century convict! : a trip to Australia you'd rather not take by Costain, Meredith. A humorous account of how a British thief would have been punished in the eighteenth century by being sent to Australia in 1785.

You wouldnt' want to work on the Great Wall of China! : defenses you'd rather not build by Morley, Jacqueline.

Zachary Zormer : shape transformer : a math adventure by Reisberg, Joanne A. When Zachary forgets his homework assignment, readers will be amazed at what he is able to accomplish with what he finds in his pocket. Each week he takes on a different math concept (length, width, area, perimeter) with projects that include a mobius strip, a paper frame, and a light show. Instructions for doing Zach's projects are included at the end.

Teen-led Storytimes

2007-02-20T14:51:00.000-05:00

Come on Saturday, February 24 at 10:30 AM for a morning of storytimes and crafts with teen volunteers. This month's topic is on ladybugs.

February Vacation Activities

2007-02-20T14:39:00.000-05:00

Come to the Children's Room on February 20, 21, and 22 between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM and make a space-related craft! Vote for the movie you want to watch on Friday, February 23.

Morning, 10 AM: Choose between Muppets From Space or The Reluctant Astronaut
Afternoon, 2 PM: Choose between Escape To Witch Mountain or Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.

Come to the Children's Room to cast your vote!

Day Care Bags

2007-02-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

Love the idea of the Discovery Kits? Your children not ready for them? Try one of our Day Care Bags. These are themed just like the Discovery Kits, but for a younger audience. Click here for bag information.

Discovery Kits

2007-02-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

Our Discovery Kits are in. These are themed kits for children in grades 2-4.
Kits include books, games and a bunch of fun stuff! Want to know more? Come and find out. Topics include: Sound, Super Sleuth, Magnetism and Massachusetts.