October Saturdays and a Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Don't miss our October themed fun next month!

First off - a Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Fun for all ages - bring in your pumpkin decorated any way (no carved pumpkins will be accepted) throughout the month of October. 

Everyone wins a prize. For all the details click here.

We also have three drop-in Saturday events.

October 12, 11 am: Dads and Donuts

October 19, 1 pm: Harry Potter Extravaganza

October 26, 11 am: Halloween Storytime and Craft

Click here for more information. 

Children's Magazines - American Girl and Cricket

Did you know the Children's Room has magazines that you can check out? We'll be highlighting a few each month so you can get to know them. If you'd like to skip ahead a view the full list click here.

September Magazines: 

American Girl: Suggested for ages 8 and up

American Girl was created as an alternative to teen magazines for younger girls. Each issues is filled with stories, crafts, advice and games. 

September/October Issue Highlight: 

 - Fun Boredom Busters
      - Each day of the month has a new suggestion of something to do

 - How to Beat Bullying

       - A flow chart for dealing with bullyings helps girls understand  their options and the
         best course of action in different situations
- Delicious Apple Recipes

       - Recipes for apple snakes including mini apple pies, green apple smoothies,
         apple sandwiches and cran-apple oatmeal.

Cricket: Suggested for ages 9-14 

This magazine is primarily filled with short stories, but also with book reviews and author interviews. 

September Issue Highlight:

         

 - 7 Short Stories of various genres 

 - Get to Know: Kate Dicamillo

        An interview with author of the Mercy Watson series, The Tale of Despereaux and
        many more! Also an excerpt from Flora & Ulysses, her new book coming later
        this month! 

 - Book Reviews by Cricket Readers

Paws to Read to Tessie the Dog! Monday, September 23.

Paws to Read 

to Tessie the dog!

Monday, Sept. 23, 4 p.m.

All children entering kindergarten through 3rd grade can sign up to meet and read to Tessie, a 3 year old labradoodle!

Each session will last approximately 10 - 15 minutes.
Tessie is a certified therapy dog, through Therapy Dog Inc.

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

Fall Program Schedule Available

The Fall Schedule is available! Click here to view it. Hard copies are also available in the Children's Room.

Please note that registration for these programs does not begin until September 25 (except Chess for Kids. You can register for that now in person, in the Children's Room). Different programs have different registration requirements. If you have any questions call, email or stop by the Children's Room.

Topsfield Fair Packet Pick-Up

If you signed up for the Topsfield Fair Packets through our Dig Into Reading program, you need to pick up your packets by next week. We must return all packets that are not picked up to the Topsfield Fair and will not be able to continue to hold them after their deadline.

Stop by the Children's Room any time the library is open to pick them up.

Congratulations to our Photography Contest Winners!

Congratulations to all the winners of our Dig Into Reading Photography Contest 2013!

Children’s Grades 1-3
1st Place: Silvia C.
2nd Place: Isabella O.
3rd Place: Maya B.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
Alison B.
Celia C.
Ella T.
Abby S.
Jack W.
Jessica B.

Children’s Grades 4-6:
1st Place: Michaela D.
2nd Place: Fanny V.
3rd Place: Ian C.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): 
Mary C.
Thomas D.
Ainsley S.
Ethan E.
Griffin B.

Look for the winning photographs in upcoming issues of the 
Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle!

Kindermusik Demonstration & Read to a Dog

Next week marks the end of our summer programming, but there's still more fun to be had before school starts. 

Join Susan Carter-Krugman on Monday, August 19 for a Kindermusik Demonstration. There will be three sessions for ages 0-5 years. Siblings are welcome. Please sign up for your age group in the children's room. More information is available here.

On Tuesday, August 20 our favorite dog is back. Children entering Kindergarten through third grade can sign up to read to Tessie the dog! Five slots are available - sign up in the Children's Room. Click for more information. 

Wow, It's Wednesday continues with Vehicle Night and Storytelling!

Wow, It's Wednesday is winding down, but the weeks have still been packed with fun. 

July 31st marked our 15th annual Vehicle Night. Many thanks to all of the police officers, fire fighters and EMT's and many more that made it possible. 

Last night, Davis Bates & Roger Tincknell performed songs and stories including children in the telling. 

Next week concludes our summer programming with our Super Summer Ice Cream Party. All summer readers and photography participants are invited, but we ask you to sign up. So stop by the children's room if you haven't done so yet. 

Monarch Butterfly Program Highlights

On Saturday we held our Monarch Butterfly Program. Charlie Hoffman has been teaching residents how to identify, collect and care for Monarch eggs and caterpillars for over a decade. We were so happy to have him back again. This year is a hard year for Monarchs so if you find them, help them grow or drop them off to be cared for in the children's room. Please see Lorraine if you found some you'd like us to care for.

Sparky's Puppets Performance - Halfway through Summer!

This Wednesday Sparky's Puppets performed several stories including The Fisherman and His Wife and Why the Sea is Salty. Sparky's performance marks the halfway through summer point. If you haven't made it to a Wow, It's Wednesday event make sure you miss no more! 

Next week is our 15th Annual Vehicle Night - don't miss the fun.

Magician Scott Jameson amazes crowd of nearly 200!

This Wow! It's Wednesday! brought Magician Scott Jameson to the library, drawing almost 200 people to his performance. With twists on classics such as metal rings and balloon animals as well as new tricks, Scott Jameson amazed everyone in the room.

Don't miss next week's performance by Sparky's Puppets or click here for the complete Wow! It's Wednesday line-up.

Fairy House Building a Huge Success - Many Thanks to the Sheckells Family

On Saturday children had the chance to come and build a fairy house, create a crown and other crafts as well as skip through a fairy procession complete with bubbles and fairy dust. 

This fantastic idea was brought to us by Tinamarie Sheckells and would not have been possible without her careful planning, enthusiasm and help throughout the event 

(as well as her husband Bryan, and able assistance from the Glass family & Marissa). 

Thank you to all the Sheckells family for all your hard work and help here in the Children's Room!

Check out more pictures from the event on Facebook.

Two Charlies Kick Off Summer Performances

On July 1 Charlie Williams, the Noise Guy kicked off our summer performances with sounds and humor. The children and adults were laughing non-stop at his jokes and sounds as he imitated cars, rain and nails on a chalkboard!

This week, Charlie Hope was the first to perform on our Wow! It's Wednesday! line-up. Performing familiar and new songs, children loved getting up to dance along.

Check out these pictures from the nights and be sure to check out our Wow! It's Wednesday! page so you don't miss any more great events.

Read to Tessie the Dog

Paws to Read 

to Tessie the dog!

Monday, July 29

1:00 PM

All children entering kindergarten through 3rd grade can sign 

up to meet and read to Tessie, a 3 year old labradoodle!

Each session will last approximately 10 - 15 minutes.

Tessie is a certified therapy dog, 

through Therapy Dog Inc.

Pre-registration is required. 

Sign up at the children’s desk or for more information. 

Congratulations to our Dig Into Reading Guessing Contest Winners!

Congratulations to

Seth, 4

Bizzy, 6

and

Annalise, 10

Winners of our

Dig Into Reading Guessing Contest!

There were

48

Gummy Worms in the Box!

Dig Deep into Science with Bryan and Drop-In Terrific Twos and Threes

More information and themes are now available for our Dig Deep Into Science clubs. 

Registration is required, but you can sign up for one, two or all three. (Registration begins Monday, June 24).

We are also happy to announce there will be at least three weeks of Terrific Twos & Threes.

As always, if you have any questions, stop by the Children's Room.

Elementary School Summer Reading Lists

For your convenience we've linked the summer reading lists for you. The elementary grade schools have no specific required titles. Parents and children can make independent choices. The titles on these lists are age appropriate suggestions and recommended goals. If the book you want is out or your child isn't interested in the titles on the list - please stop by the desk for more suggestions from Lorraine or Nicole. The ultimate goal is just to get children reading.

And of course - don't forget to stop by the children's room beginning Monday, June 24 to sign up for our summer reading program.


Winthrop Reading List

Buker Reading List

Cutler Grade 1

Cutler Grade 2

Cutler Grade 3

Cutler Grade 4

Cutler Grade 5

Summer Schedule!

I'm happy to announce that we have published an overview of the summer schedule! 

More information will be coming on some programs, as well as our summer mascot and summer reading store hours, but for now mark your calendars for all these great events. Click the tabs above or the links below for more information and as always if you have any questions, stop by the children's room. 

Summer Weekly Programs

Wow! It's Wednesday!

Super Saturdays!

And don't miss the great programs between now and summer

Art Club

and

Growums 
(registration required)

Lorraine Booktalks the Schools - Favorite Highlights

Lorraine is making her way around the three elementary schools beginning this week to talk about all of our summer programming (schedule to be published later this week) as well booktalk new favorites and highlights from the Massachusetts Children's Book Award. Below are a few of our favorites. The book covers are linked the catalog for easy requesting. This is just the beginning of what she has brought to the schools so if there's something you're child vaguely recalls, stop by the children's desk and we'll help you find it.

The Emerald Atlas - by John Stephens

This was one of this year's MCBA Honor Books. The Emerald Atlas is the story of Kate, Michael and Emma, siblings who have moved from one orphanage to the next until landing in Cambridge Falls. Here in a home with no other orphans, the children discover their life is not as it seems, that magic exists, and the real reason for their parent's disappearance. This book is excellent as an audio narrated by Jim Dale (available in playaway, or book on CD) . Don't miss the sequel The Fire Chronicle!





The One and Only Ivan - by Katherine Applegate

This year's Newbery Award Winner tells the story of a gorilla named Ivan who has lived at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade for as long as he can remember. When a baby elephant is brought to the mall and tells the story of her capture, she brings change to the Big Top Mall and within Ivan himself.


Liar & Spy - by Rebecca Stead

From the author of When You Reach Me comes a new novel. When Georges and his family have to move from their house to an apartment, he meets Safer a spy. Georges joins him in his quest to watch Mr. X a mysterious neighbor, but how far is too far to go for a friend?

The Lions of Little Rock - by Kristine Levine

In 1958, Little Rock, Arkansas closed it's high schools to avoid integration. Set here, The Lions of Little Rock focuses on Marlee and her family. Marlee has never spoken much and is terrified of started middle school, but the new girl Liz begins to bring her out of her shell. When Liz mysteriously disappears, its rumored she was really only passing for white. Marlee decides she doesn't care what color her friend's skin is, but can they maintain a friendship with so much fear and anger in Little Rock?



Palace of Stone - by Shannon Hale

This sequel to The Princess Academy takes place just before Britta's wedding as all the girls from Mount Eskel's Academy travel to Asland for the wedding. Miri attends school, makes new friends, and is forced to confront political ideals in Shannon Hale's sequel that is just as good as the first.

Read to Tessie the Dog!

Paws to Read!

Tuesday, June 25

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.