Winter Program Schedule Available

The winter schedule for all of our programming including weekly programs, Saturday storytimes and vacation events is now available. You can see the entire schedule here.

Please note that registration is required for all of our weekly programs and does not begin until Wednesday, January 16 at 10:00 am. All registrations must be in person in the children's room. Please check the schedule for any special instructions concerning your program registration. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call, email or stop by.

Story Writing Contest Winners

Congratulations to the Winners of our

Story Writing Contest

1^st - 3^rd Grade:

1^st Place: My Journey to Discover the “Lost City of Atlantis”

by Jack

2^nd Place: The Little Lost Boy by Grace

3^rd Place: Pilgrims in Peril by Elijah

Honorable Mention: Two Innocent Children by Sadie

4^th - 6^th Grade:

1^st Place: Dolphins of Florida by Emma Rose

2^nd Place: Mystical by Kate

3^rd Place: The Hen’s Lament by Davey

Honorable Mentions: (in no particular order)

Take a Hit by Jemma

Beatrice and Olive and the Thanksgiving Dinner by Annabelle

Thanksgiving at the Machado’s House by Maddie

We Love School So Much by Emily

Little Lexi and the Big Snarl by Mackenzie

Click here to read the stories! 

Many thanks to our esteemed panel of judges:

Sarah Lauderdale, Head of Reference, H-W Library

Barbara Lawrence, Ed.D., Local Author

Janet Mackay Smith, Managing Editor, Gatehouse Media New England

Prizes supported by The Bookshop of Beverly Farms

Children's Ebooks

Did you know you can check out ebooks from the library? In order to do so, you search and download via Overdrive Media Console. There are "how to" pages online to walk you through the download process. There are also brochures here at the library to help, or as always, just ask one of us.

As ebooks have grown more popular, the Hamilton-Wenham Library has been purchasing titles just for you to check out. We've recently acquired a few children's titles, and will be adding more. There are a lot more children's ebooks and audiobooks that are available to all members of MVLC including you. Check one out today!

For a list and summary of the children's titles exclusive to Hamilton-Wenham, click here. 

Congrats to our Food Guessing Contest Winners!

Congratulations to

Colby, 5

And

Grant, 10

Winners of our food guessing contest!

There were

118

food items in our grocery cart!

Attention Chess for Kids Members

Sandra is extending Chess for Kids an extra week through December 10th.

Don't miss out on the two last sessions December 3 and December 10 at 3:30 pm.

Dynamite December Drop-Ins

The Children's Room is happy to announce that we will be offering several drop-in story programs throughout the month of December. Music & Movement, Terrific Twos & Threes, and Rhythm & Rhyme will all be offering drop-in classes. For a complete schedule and description of the classes click here.

In addition we have several special events happening in December.

On Saturday, December 1 at 11:00 am is Dads & Donuts. Join us for stories featuring Things That Go, with juice, donuts and coloring to follow.

The following Saturday, December 8 at 11:00 am is our Holiday Storytime & Craft. We'll read stories featuring December Holidays with a festive craft to take home after.

And don't miss our Hanukkah Storytime on Tuesday, December 11 at 4:00 pm. This story is presented by the Lappin Foundation. Registration is appreciated, but not required. To register contact Phyllis Osher at 978-740-4404 or through email at posher@rilcf.org

In addition to these great programs we are also bringing back Lego-Mania. Lego-Mania, open to children in grades 1-5 is a non-competitive, non-robotics Lego Club. Just come and build, work together or alone and build a masterpiece. Lego-Mania will be happening from 3-4 pm on Wednesdays in December.

We are also extremely happy to announce that Ari of our Teen Think Tank is once again hosting a Magic the Gathering Club. This club, held Fridays from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm is designed for children in 3rd - 6th grade. Registration is appreciated, but not required.

For a calendar of all of our December Drop-Ins click here.

Read to a Dog!

Paws to Read!

Thursday, December 6

4:00 pm

 Sign up and read to

Tessie the dog!

Tessie is a certified therapy dog,

through Therapy Dog Inc.

Readers who are in Kindergarten through 3rd grade are invited to sign up to meet Tessie and read a book to her. 

Pre-registration is required. Sign up at the children’s desk for more information.

Congrats to our Circulation Guessing Contest Winners!

Throughout the month of October, we displayed The Adventures of Tin-Tin, Flight 714 for children to guess how many times it had been check out. 

The answer: 249 times! 

Congratulations to our winners! 

Owen, age 5

Luke, age 9 and Grace, age 10. 

Congrats to the Pumpkin Contest Winners!

Congratulations to the Winners

of our Pumpkin Decorating Contest!

Connor, 5 won Best Avenger

Patrick, 1.5 won Most Delicious

Kaitlyn, 7 won Most Patriotic

William, 5 won Best Mutant

Colby, 4 won Most Regal

James, 6 won Most Athletic

Elizabeth, 10 won Most Musical

Briana, 7 won Most Melodic

Vanessa, 9 won Most Global

Aaron, 8 won Craziest Pumpkin

Harry, 4 won Best Wrapped

Jack, 7 won Best Bird

Audrey, 4 won Most Colorful

Eleni, 3 won Most Bedazzled

Sadie, 9 won Most Literary

Ava, 7 won Most Striking

Stephen, 6 won Most Ghoulish

Andrea, 7 won Most Aeronautical

Alex, 10 won Friendliest Plant

Ian, 2 won Best Head Wear

Enoh, 4 won Best Farmer

Gian, 5 won Spookiest

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Last week in World of Wizarding we made our own edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Check out the finished product: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.

Paws to Read cancelled

Due to the storm and the closing of the Library on Monday, October 29, Paws to Read with Tessie has been cancelled.  We will be re-scheduling Tessie as soon as possible, and apologize for any inconvenience.

Read to a Dog! Tessie is back.

Paws to Read!

Monday, October 29

4:00 pm

Sign up and read to

Tessie the dog!

Readers who are in Kindergarten through 3rd grade are invited to sign up to meet Tessie and read a book to her.  

Pre-registration is required. Sign up at the children’s desk for more information.

Tessie is a certified therapy dog,

through Therapy Dog Inc.

Chess for Kids is Back!

 Chess for Kids

Three Mondays this Fall

November 19, November 26

December 3

3:30 pm - 4: 30 pm

The Children’s Room welcomes back Sandra Stolle,

assisted by Emmanuel, in this popular chess club.

Designed for players of all levels. Beginners welcome.

Designed for children in 1st – 6th grade.

Pre-registration is required. Free and open to the public.

Former players welcome.

Goodreads - see what Lorraine and Nicole are reading!

We just added a new widget on the right hand column of the blog, directly under Facebook, you will now see Goodreads (previously where Library Thing was). Goodreads will give you a list of what Lorraine and Nicole have read, click here to start looking at the list or below for more direction if you are unfamiliar with Goodreads.   

Goodreads is a social network for people who love reading. You can add books you've read, books you want to read, and what you are currently reading if you create an account of your own. However, you don't have to have an account to see what Lorraine and Nicole have read. You will see ten random books from our read shelf on the side each time you load the blog. To view all the books on our read shelf, simply click the link on the top that says Lorraine's bookshelf: read. You can sort the books by rating, or by the shelves we are creating on the left hand side including historical fiction, 100 picture books everyone should know and Wimpy-Kid read-alikes. 

We have been working to add the books that Lorraine and Nicole have read. Not all of them have been rated yet, but if they are added you can assume we would recommend them to a child in one situation or another. However, all of them are linked to our Library Catalog under the review so if you see something that looks interesting, you can click on the link to request it. If you have questions or trouble navigating Goodreads, stop by the Children's Room one day, we'll be happy to show you. 

Congratulations to our Butterfly Guessing Contest Winners!

Congratulations to: 

Toby, age 5

&

Jared, age 8

Winners of the Hamilton-Wenham Library's

2012 Butterfly Guessing Contest

There were 

117

butterflies!

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

• Decorate a Halloween pumpkin at home with paint, sparkles, feathers, paper, ribbon — use your imagination!
• Do not carve your pumpkin! No carved pumpkins will be accepted!
• Include a card with your name, age, telephone number and your pumpkin’s name.
• Bring in your decorated pumpkin anytime between October 1st and October 31st (before 5pm).
• Pick up your pumpkin by Saturday, November 3rd before closing time: 4:00 p.m. Pumpkins not taken home will be discarded.

ALL AGES WELCOME!! EVERYONE WINS! PRIZES FOR ALL!

Kindermusik Demonstration - Fun this Saturday!

This Saturday, Susan Carter-Krugman presented two Kindermusik classes at the library. One for children 18 months - 3 years and one for children 3 - 5 years. Fun was had by all. Don't miss out on all the Children's Rooms programs. Our weekly sessions begin again in October and registration begins next Tuesday. For a complete list of all the programs happening this fall check out our schedule. And don't miss the next Saturday program - our Fall Storytime and Craft! on September 29 at 11:00 am. 

Sarah Releases Butterflies in Children's Room

This Friday Sarah helped release the butterflies in the Children's Room. The Children's Room has been raising Monarch's all summer and the last bunch has nearly all flown away. Be sure to stop by the Children's Room to examine the empty chrysalises and guess how many butterflies we set free this summer. You could win a prize!

Drop-In Music & Movement Cancelled

If you picked up a flyer in the Children's Room stating that there would be a Drop-In Music & Movement on September 19, it has been cancelled. There will still be one held on September 26 at 10:30 am for ages 18-30 months.

Kindermusik Demonstration - Saturday, Sept. 15

Kindermusik® Demonstration  

Saturday, September 15

10:30 am and 11:00 am

Join us at the library as Susan Carter-Krugman 

presents a Kindermusik® class.

There will be one class at

10:30 a.m. for 18 months - 3 years

and another at

11:00 a.m. for 3 - 5 years.

Space is limited and registration is required.

Open to the public and offered at no charge.

Kindermusik^® brings the joy of musical learning to

infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and young children.  Ms. Carter-Krugman has been teaching Kindermusik^® classes since 1998.