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Thursday, December 31, 2009

Make a Flake!

Check out this snowflake that I made at Make-a-Flake. You can make one (or more) of your own. Once you get the hang of the scissors, you can make some pretty amazing snowflakes.

Please remember:
All locations of the Allen County Public Library will close at 5pm today and will be closed all day tomorrow. We'll see you on the 2nd!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Happy Birthday, Rudyard Kipling!


Today in 1865 Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India. He is the beloved author of many children's stories, such as The Jungle Book, The Elephant's Child and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.
He died in London in 1936.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

How many of the Newbery Winners have YOU Read?

We recently received an email from a nine-year-old girl who is in the process of reading all the Newbery winners. (Her favorite titles so far are Hitty, Her First Hundred Years and Caddie Woodlawn.) Laura's goal is to read all the winners before she gets to Middle School. She is curious if there are other kids who might also be working on this project.

Check out her blog and let her know what YOU think of the Newbery winners. And, if you are a kid who enjoys reading these award-winning books, she especially would love to hear your comments!

Way to go, Laura! Keep on reading!

Monday, December 28, 2009

New Year's Resolution

Is your little one ready to start potty training?

Visit the Children's Services department at the library and ask our knowledgeable librarians to show you some great books and videos to help both you and your child have a successful experience.

We also have Kits for Kids available to check out on potty training.
We love to help families!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Children's Mock Newbery Election


Here is the list for the 2010 Children's Mock Newbery Election program!

Kids in third grade through sixth grade are invited to attend our Mock Newbery Award program for children on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 2:00pm until 5:00pm. Read the books from the list, add comments to our blog, and join us for a discussion of which was the best children's book of the year! Advanced Registration required.

We will have refreshments, door prizes, and a lively discussion.

Happy reading!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Happy Kwanzaa!

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa. Have a wonderful seven days of celebration!


Happy Kwanzaa!

ACPL Lego Club 2009

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

All locations of the Allen County Public Library are closed today. We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Build a Snowperson!

All of the Allen County Public Library locations will be closed today and tomorrow. We will reopen on Saturday, December 26th.

Take some time to build a snowperson with your family. Send us a photo and we'll post it on the blog!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Grosser the Better?



This editorial in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette endorses the idea of giving them what they want - when it comes to reading! Sometimes appealing to the baser instincts in children can help them learn to love reading. Anything gross, funny, fantasy or chock-full of pictures works because it’s not as difficult to read and captures their attention.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Yummmmmmmmmm!

Gingerbread is one of the treats of the season. Join us at 10:30 on Wednesday morning for a storytime about Favorite Foods. We'll share a story that will remind you of The Gingerbread Man, a classic story that can be found in many varieties here at the library -- check out this list! And if you don't have any good smelling gingerbread of the real variety, make yourself a virtual gingerbread house at this website. Have fun!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Happy Winter Solstice!

It is here, it is here, the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year! From now and until the Summer Solstice the days will get longer and longer. Enjoy winter, it only lasts for three short months!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Tillie Lays an Egg via HENCAM!

One of the books on our ACPL Mock Caldecott list is Tillie Lays an Egg by Terry Golson with photography by Ben Fink.

The fun photographs show the adventurous hen, Tillie, laying eggs all over the farm. Tillie and all of her hen friends in the book belong to the author Terry Golson and you can see them LIVE via a webcam any time you want! Check out the Hen Cam now. I can see one sleeping in the nesting box right now :)

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Octopus

Daily we find treasures in the Early Learning Center mailbox. I couldn't resist sharing this special drawing of an octopus with you. This child had fun and worked on early literacy skills at the same time.

Please visit the Early Learning Center to practice early literacy skills with your preschooler!

Monday through Thursday 9am-8pm
Friday and Saturday 9am-6pm
Sunday 12pm to 5pm

See you there!

Friday, December 18, 2009

It's that time of year...


No! Not that time, school science fair time!!
Visit the Children's Services department at the library and ask a librarian to help
you find the perfect book with the perfect science fair project!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Story of Snow

Do you ever wonder how snowflakes form? Is it true that no two snowflakes are alike? What do snowflakes look like
UP CLOSE?

If you read The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder, written by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph. D. , you'll find out the answers to these questions, and more.

At the end of the book, you can even learn how to catch your own snow crystals for your own snowy observations. Fascinating stuff!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A lovely book not to be missed...


Do you remember the little things you used to love when you were a girl?
This delightfully, nostalgic book takes the slice-of-life moments
and pairs them with whimsical illustrations.
French writer Minne furnishes a distinctive array
of the delights of girlhood, some just a sentence, others nearly a page.
Each passage begins with "I love..."
A beautiful book to enjoy alone or share with the special little girl in your life.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Today!


ACPL LEGO CLUB meeting today!
3:30 to 5:30 pm!
Children ages 5 - 12 years!
Non-competitive!
We provide the Legos!
Everyone Welcome!



Monday, December 14, 2009

The Princess and the Frog


If you loved the movie, visit us in the Children's Services department
and check out the book! We have a large selection of Disney books
and we would love to help you find the one you want!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Let's Go Skating!


Fort Wayne's very own outdoor skating rink is open!
Headwaters Park Ice Rink is a great place for families during the long winter months and downtown is a great place to be!
Stop by the library before or after to warm up!
We love our city!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah began last night at sunset.

Are you looking for a book about Hanukkah? Check out Hanukkah Around the World to discover how people around the globe celebrate.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Do you like Chess?

Do you love to play chess? Are you wanting to learn more about the game? Check out the All Ages Chess Club at the Main Library, held in the Young Adults’ Services department every Saturday morning from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

Want to read more about the game? Here's a booklist to get you started!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Learn about Snow!

Does the cold, cold, cold weather outside make you think about snow? Check out the Snow Crystals website to learn more about snowflakes, snow crystals, and other ice phenomena. There's even a section on the physics of snow flakes to help you understand why snowflakes look the way they do!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

ACPL Mock Newbery

Do you enjoy reading and discussing new children's literature? Then the Allen County Public Library's Mock Newbery program is for you! We have just posted out final reading list for the year in preparation for our book discussion and Mock Election to be held on January 9, 2010.

Here, in no particular order, are the covers of all the books on our discussion list:


For more information about this program, visit the Mock Newbery blog!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Vicky Ceelen


The photographs of human babies and animals in Baby! Baby! and Baby Nose to Baby Toes by Vicky Ceelen are placed side by side so it is easy to see the commonalities. Gorgeous photographs and darling babies and animals make these board books perfect for sharing with your favorite baby.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Teeth!

Check out our dental visit booklist for great stories and informational books to share with your child before a trip to the dentist. And don't forget to brush your teeth after every meal!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Poetry Contest Winners 2009

Over twelve hundred kids and young adults in Kindergarten through Grade 12 entered this year's "I Like It When..." Poetry Contest.

Yesterday, winning poets were honored at a special celebration. It was exciting to hear each poet read his (or her) poem.

Congratulations to each of you! And thank you to all the parents, librarians, & teachers who support creative writing.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Winterbells



Kids and adults alike will enjoy playing this lovely winter-themed online game: Winterbells. After clicking on the giant snowflake, simply maneuver the rabbit through the snowy sky and touch as many bells as possible -- I hope you'll have as much fun as I did!

Friday, December 4, 2009

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I can't believe that I haven't shared my favorite book of the year yet! I read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead months and months ago and I still think about the story and the characters quite often. These entirely believable, well developed, fully realized characters work through their normal problems and strangely enough some of them travel through time. This is much more than a time travel story; it is a story about people and you will love them all before the end.

Please, do yourself a favor and drop in on their world. And if you would like, tell us what you thought on the ACPL Mock Newbery blog, or just visit and read comments about this title that are far more articulate than mine.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

eBook Survey


Please take a minute to take ACPL's eBook survey. Your opinion is important!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

BAM! Body and Mind

Staying healthy is something that's important to all of us. BAM! is a website for kids with facts and information on physical fitness, illnesses, nutrition, stress, and other health-related issues.

Kids will enjoy the interactive features, such as an Activity Calendar for kid to create their own fitness plan, and the Game Room, with many different games and quizzes.

Grownups will appreciate the Teacher's Corner, with classroom activities and related materials.

BAM! was created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

WatchKnow.org - A Video Organizing Site for Students, Parents, and Teachers

Teachers and parents -- did you know there is a website that collects and organizes videos for kids ages 3-18 from sites like YouTube, SchoolTube, and Google Video? WatchKnow catalogs online videos by topic and by age, and also allows viewers to add videos to its collection.

If you don't know what you want to watch, browse the topics on the left side of the page -- you're sure to find something interesting!