A Season to Say Thank You!

A Season to Say Thank You!

 Monday, December 28 through Thursday, December 31

from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

This season, the Children’s Room is making it easier for children to write or make thank you cards for the gifts they have received from friends and family.

Please stop by and use our craft supplies to make a thank you card, or any other type of greeting card you wish to create! 

Story Writing Contest Winners!

Congratulations to our 2015 Story Writing Contest Winners!

Kindergarten – 1^st Grade

1^st Place: The Princess and the Color Quest by Avonlea Jane

2^nd Place: Ruby and the Chariot Race by William

3^rd Place: Little White Rabbit by Monet

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

The Little Train by Mallory

The Princess is Alone by Addison

The Invisible Man by Caleb

2^nd – 3^rd Grade

1^st Place: The Winning Web by Kassi

2^nd Place: The Misadventures of Sir Max of the Rectangle Table by Gian

3^rd Place: Little Cindy by Claire

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

The Best Tree House: To the Fields on a Friday by Lucine

If I Was a Colonial Child by Brooke

Ball by Lauren

Plymouth Friends by Charlotte

H.P. and the Floating Soap by Gavin

The Gold Thief by Isaac

When the TV’s Taken Away by Gabrielle

My Secret Hiding Spot by Lucy

The Curse of the Lego Brick by Anand

Cops and Ninjas by Sean

The Ride Home by Evelyn

4^th – 6^th Grade

1^st Place: A Cat Called Phoenix by Maya

2^nd Place: Wild, The Wild Horse by Maggie

3^rd Place: Another Snow by Lina

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

Old Seagull Rock by Julia

The Mystery of Mazie’s Sleepover by Sophie

Screech by Ben

Three Wishes by Andrew

Read the stories online at:

hwkidsroom.blogspot.com

Many thanks to our esteemed panel of judges:

Sarah Lauderdale, Head of Reference, H-W Library

Patricia Purdy, Hamilton-Wenham Library Trustee

Janet Mackay Smith, Managing Editor, Gatehouse Media New England

December Art Club

Drop in on December 10 at 3:30 p.m. to complete a fun art project with Betsy! We will explore a variety of art materials and techniques. No experience or registration necessary. Designed for children in preschool and up.

December Highlights!

The December program schedule is now available! Many of your favorite programs are returning this month. Make sure you stop by the library to pick up the schedule, and then complete our NEW scavenger hunt. Our rubber ducks have wandered off, and we think they are hiding in the Children's Room. Can you QUACK the case of the missing ducks?

Also, all month long we invite you to lend a helping hand to community members in need. Our annual food drive for the Acord Food pantry is in full swing. Many of you have already donated, and we thank you for your generous contributions. If you would like to donate, there is still time! We will be accepting donations of non-perishable items here in December.

Corn Kernel Guessing Contest

Congratulations to

Caleb, 5

&

Trenton, 10

Winners of our corn kernel

guessing contest!

There were

 1,246

 corn kernels in the jar!

Paws to Read, December 7, 2015

There is still space available for the Monday, December 7 Paws to Read program! Children in kindergarten through 3rd grade may register to practice their reading skills with Tessie, our certified therapy dog. Reading time slots are 10 minutes in length. Please visit the Children's Room for more information, or click here.

Story Writing Contest

It's the last week to work on your story for our November Story Writing Contest!
To enter the contest, you must bring in a typed copy of your story by
4 p.m. Saturday, November 28, 2015.

Prizes will be awarded to winners from each age group: 

K-1 st graders
2nd – 3rd graders
4th - 6th graders 

All entries that follow the guidelines will receive a prize! 

For complete submission rules and guidelines visit the Children's Room or click here.

International Games Day

Celebrate International Games Day!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Drop by the library and spend some intentional time together as a family or with friends. We will have table-top (board) games available for you to play. Families and all ages are welcome! 

No registration is required.

Acord Food Pantry

A shopping cart (thank you Crosby's Market) has returned to the Children's Room for our annual food drive to benefit the Acord Food Pantry . We invite you to drop off non-perishable items. Please note that Acord cannot accept expired food of any kind. The cart will remain in the Children's Room through December. Your donations will make a timely difference in helping local families in need. Thank you in advance for your contributions. Let's see how many times we can fill it!

Fabulous Fun Programs at the Library!

Thank you to everyone who attended our 150th celebration of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". We enjoyed listening to the story of Alice, followed by a lovely mad-hatter style tea party, complete with mad-hatter hats! We also tried to pin the grin on the Cheshire cat!

If you were not able to attend the party, we have another fun program coming up!

Celebrate International Games Day!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Drop by the library and spend some intentional time together as a family or with friends. We will have table-top (board) games available for you to play. 

Families and all ages are welcome! No registration is required.

Alice's 150th Celebration!

You are invited to celebrate

the 150th anniversary of the original publication

of

Lewis Carroll’s

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland!

Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.

Come for a mini mad-hatters tea party and story time. 

A craft, games and snack time will be offered. 

This program is especially geared towards preschool-aged children. 

This program is open to the public and free of charge. 

No registration required.
November is Massachusetts Family Literacy Month 

This Just In...

We just received a fantastic picture of Walter and Sienna, sent in by their dad. Walter won the Star Wars Reads Day grand prize, and we had to share his enthusiasm. Congratulations Walter on your big win and we hope you are enjoying all of the Star Wars books and goodies!

In November news: Stop by the room to "create your own picture book" on our bulletin board as part of our Story Writing Contest. Be sure to start writing your story now that you can enter this fun contest! Get your slips in for our November guessing contest; remember to take a guess every time you come and maize the force be with you!

October Guessing Contest Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO

Emily, 3

Olivia, 4

&

Tommy, 8

WINNERS OF THE PUMPKIN GUESSING CONTEST

THERE WERE

73

PUMPKINS!

Pumpkin Contest Winners

Congratulations to the Winners of our

Pumpkin Decorating Contest!

 Abby, age 5, won Most Angelic

Ellis, age 5, won Best Hairdo

Emma, age 5, won Best Crown

Matthew, age 5, won Spookiest

Zachary, age 1, won Most Lovable

Joe, age 6, won Most Stealthy

Olivia, age 5, won Most Artistic

Emma, age 7, won Most "Pom-tastic"!

Kayuri, age 6, won Most Sparkling

Aashika, age 4, won Most Scrumptious

William, age 8, won Most "Terrific"!

Timothy, age 3, won Best Smile

Bram, age 3, won Smartest Pumpkin

AJ, age 3, won Happiest Pumpkin

Claire W., age 3, won Most Lovely

JJ, age 3, won Most Friendly

Sri, age 3, won Most Seasonal

Sofie, age 2, won Most Colorful

Samuel, age 3, won Goofiest

Isabella, age 3, won Sweetest Pumpkin

Claire L., age 3, won Best Eyes

Iyva-Grace, age 3, won Best Jewelry

Seth, age 6, won Most Wizardlike

Gian, age 8, won Best Hair

Max, age 3, won Most Elegant

Francesca, age 3, won Most Likely to Fly

Alli, age 5, won Most Friendly

Kassi, age 8, won Best Costume

2015 Story Writing Contest

It's the last week to work on your story for our November Story Writing Contest!
To enter the contest, you must bring in a typed copy of your story by
4 p.m. Saturday, November 28, 2015.

Prizes will be awarded to winners from each age group: 

K-1 st graders
2nd – 3rd graders
4th - 6th graders 

All entries that follow the guidelines will receive a prize! 

For complete submission rules and guidelines visit the Children's Room or click here.

Chess Club Starts Monday!

Chess Club starts on Monday, November 2 at 3:30 p.m.! 

~  Chess Club on Mondays in November at 3:30 p.m.  ~

Join Sandra Stolle, former teacher and chess instructor, for some chess fun. Come find out how to play the game, learn new moves, and sharpen your skills. Pre-registration is requested. Register in the Children’s Room. No prior experience necessary. Players of all skill levels are welcome. Come to all the sessions or just a few. Free and open to the public. Former players welcome!

Pumpkin Contest Final Days!

The pumpkin decorating contest is well underway. We had a great turnout for our decorating party last Saturday, and added quite a few new pumpkins to the display. There is still time to submit your pumpkin! Pumpkins will be accepted until Saturday, October 31. NO carved pumpkins please. Pumpkins must be picked up by November 2 at 7:30 p.m. 

All ages are welcome. For the details click here.

Star Wars Reads Day Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the Star Wars Reads Day raffle!

Walter

Max

&

Rachel

Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations to all of the Star Wars Academy graduates. May the Force be with you!

Star Wars Reads Day - October 10!

Attention young padawans! Celebrate Star Wars Reads Day all day at the library on Saturday, October 10. Make Star Wars inspired crafts, participate in a special Jedi Training Academy scavenger hunt, and earn raffle tickets. Lucky winners will receive prizes full of Star Wars goodies!! Costumes are encouraged. This event is free and open to the public.
No registration necessary.

READ MORE, YOU MUST!

Monarchs!

Congratulations to the winners of our Butterfly Guessing Contest!

Dylan, age 7

Christopher, age 10

Jasmine, age 9

Gaby, age 9

Sadie, age 9

Matthew, age 4

We raised and released

51 butterflies this year!

Weekly Story Programs Begin!

The fall story programs begin this week! If your child is registered for a story program, you may check the day and time of your session by calling the Children's Room, or by clicking here. If you wish to register for a program, please visit the Children's Room for more information. Happy Autumn!

Paws to Read - October 9

We still have space on Friday, October 9 for our Paws to Read program with Tessie, a certified therapy dog. Reading time slots begin at 3:30 p.m. and are 10 minutes in length. Children who are in kindergarten through 3rd grade are invited to meet with Tessie and read together. Pre-registration is required. Please visit the Children’s Room desk for more information or to register.

Fabulous Fall Programs are here!

Our new seasonal schedule is out! 

Please note that registration for some of our programs begins on Monday, September 21 

at 10 a.m. in person in the Children's Room, 

with classes beginning the week of September 28. 

For a look at the complete lineup please click here.

In the meantime, 

join us for Art Club today at 3:30 pm and seasonal stories and craft on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Art Club!

Join Betsy for the first Art Club of the Fall Season!

Thursday, September 10 at 3:30 p.m.

We will explore a variety of art materials and techniques. 

No registration is necessary.

This program is designed for children in preschool and up.

Following dates are:

October 15, November 12 & December 10

Milkweed Seedpods

Our Monarchs are thriving! Make sure you visit the Children's Room to check them out and participate in our Monarch guessing contest. Would you like Monarchs to visit your yard? We have milkweed seedpods if you want to try your hand at attracting Monarchs to your garden next year. Stop into the Children's Room to pick one up!

Welcome Home Dyno!

Congratulations to all of our readers for another successful summer reading program! Dyno is back at the library. He had fun touring Hamilton and Wenham businesses, and enjoyed running into his library friends during his journey. Thank you for a great summer, and we hope you have a wonderful first day of school!

Make sure you check the blog, Facebook and Children's Room for updates as we prepare for a fantastic fall. Fall registration will begin on 

Monday, September 21 at 10:00 a.m.

Discover Dyno: Week 7!

Dyno visited Cumberland Farms in Hamilton for his last stop, and was seen by Finnegan, age 6. Congratulations Finnegan! Thank you to everyone who participated in the Discovering Dyno contest! We hope you had fun looking for Dyno.

Discover Dyno Week 6!

Dyno visited Connolly's Pharmacy in Hamilton, and he was discovered by Krisha, age 9. Congratulations Krisha! Where will Dyno visit for his last stop? If you find Dyno, fill out a raffle ticket in the Children's Room for a chance to win a special prize. Keep your eyes open, and good luck!

Summer Reading Ice Cream Party 2015

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream! Congratulations to all of our readers for a job well done. Join us on Wednesday, August 19 at 6:30 p.m. for a summer reading celebration complete with ice cream and surprises. Special thanks go to Cherry Farm Creamery. You must register for this activity and bring your reading log as your admission ticket to the party. See you there!

Countdown to Kindergarten!

You've been counting down, and now it's time to celebrate!

On Monday, August 17 at 6:30 p.m., DW will be here to perform the play

  DW Counts Down to Kindergarten. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for children to enjoy 

"kindergarten ready" activities and games. 

 You can register in the Children's Room or online at www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.weebly.com. 

We hope to see you there!

Discover Dyno Week 5

Congratulations to Samantha, age 7, for finding Dyno at GrassyRoots in Wenham. Keep your eyes open around town for Dyno. If you spot Dyno, visit the Children's Room and fill out a raffle ticket for a chance to win a special prize. Dyno will return home to the library on August 21st. Good luck!

Diane Edgecomb, Storyteller

Celebrate your inner hero, and join us on Wednesday, August 12 at 6:30 p.m. for an evening of stories and songs. Award winning storyteller, Diane Edgecomb, shares fun-loving tales and songs to entertain and showcase heroes around the world. Families of all ages are welcome. No registration necessary.

Science is Everywhere! Muse Magazine

Science is everywhere! Each month we are highlighting a STEAM-centric magazine available in the Children's Room. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. 

This month, we'll be looking at Muse. All children's magazines can be checked out for one week, with one renewal. For a full list of our children's magazines subscriptions, click here.

Muse - Suggested for ages 9 - 14

Kids who can't help wondering whether video games really kill their brain cells, or what a gentleman ladybug is called, will find the answers here, in articles written by award-winning authors and accompanied by high-quality illustration and photography. This magazine is perfect for readers who are interested in science, history, and the arts.

July/August 2015 Highlights:  This edition is all about outbreaks. Ick!

• Is a zombie virus coming?
• How does hand-washing help you stay healthy?
• Meet a super-sniffing rat who helps scientists detect disease! 

...and MORE!

Discover Dyno Week 4!

Congratulations to Vanessa, age 10, for discovering Dyno at Allied Conservation: Fine Art Conservation and Restoration in Hamilton. Keep your eyes open around town for Dyno. If you spot Dyno, visit the Children's Room and fill out a raffle ticket for a chance to win a special prize. Dyno will return home to the library on August 21st. Good luck!

Rolie Polie Guacamole!

Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30 p.m. 

OLE!

Rolie-Polie Guacamole is ‘Kindie” music at its best! 

Come join this amazing duo as they bring family friendly 
rock n’ roll, Chips and Salsa style, all the way from New York! 

This event is free and open to public. 

All ages are welcome and no registration is necessary.

Toto the Tornado Kitten

Toto the kitten was caught in the tornado that hit Brimfield, MA in 2011. Join us on Monday, August 3 at 3:30 p.m. to hear Toto's extraordinary story of survival, and meet Toto and heroic owner Jonathan Hall! Jonathan and Toto have raised over $55,000 for animal shelters including the Animal Rescue League of Boston whose rescue services team were responsible for Toto’s survival.

Be a Hero! 

Stop by the Children's Room and donate to the Animal Rescue League of Boston or Therapy Dogs Inc. by filling out a slip of paper and taping it to our charity wall.

Topsfield Fair Read & Win Deadline!

The deadline for the Topsfield Fair Read & Win prize is swiftly approaching!

 Participants in the summer reading program may earn Sports Scrip to spend on various prizes, including the Topsfield Fair Read & Win prize. The Fair prize includes:

• 1 admission ticket to the Topsfield Fair (for readers 8 and over; children under 8 will NOT receive an admission ticket as they are admitted into the Fair for free)
• 1 hot dog & drink voucher to redeem at the fair
• AND 2 ride tickets!

The Read & Win prize costs 10 Sports Scrip, 

and you must purchase the prize no later than AUGUST 5, 2016. 

Please note that prizes may only be purchased during store hours. Store hours are found at the bottom of your reading log. For more information please visit the Children's Room.