Books & Bagels will be discussing the popular book (and now movie) The Lightning Thief on Saturday, March 13 from 2-3 pm. Books & Bagels is for children in grades 4-6. We'll talk about the book, enjoy bagels and cream cheese, then have fun making origami creatures from Greek mythology. FREE!

Join us this Sunday, March 14 from 1:30-3 pm for another of our popular Fun with LEGOS® programs. FREE! For ages 4 and up.

Use some of the library's LEGOS to create a masterpiece. Then we'll display your creation in the children's room.

Join Rob Stephenson, Michigan Teacher of the Year, for a fun-filled hour of storytelling and discussion.

After Magneto-Man's presentation, adults will discuss the storytelling strategies designed to promote early literacy skills.

Ages 3-6.

Author Helen Frost must be a genius.  In her new book Crossing Stones, not only has she written a beautifully sensitive portrayal of two Michigan farm families during World War I, but she has done it in a "cupped-hand sonnet" form.  This is a 14-line poem in which the first line rhymes with the last line, the second line rhymes with the second-to-last, and so on, so that the 7th and 8th lines rhyme with each other at the poem's center.  In addition, the poems themselves are arranged as "stepping stones", or as the flowing creek that separates the Norman and Jorgenson family farms.  However, this structure does not detract from the lovely language that envelops the reader and that draws the reader into this story of love, heartache, acceptance and friendship.  The book also imparts a lot of American history that is not seen in too much teen fiction - World War I and its aftermath, and the woman's suffrage movement.  Highly recommended.

Did you know that the Friends of the East Lansing Public Library have used books for sale every day? It's the best deal in town! Stop in the library and check out the Friendshop, where you'll find tons of used books at great prices. There's something for everyone - adult fiction, mysteries, history, gardening, music CDs, magazines, children's books, and much more. You'll pay a fraction of the price of brand new, and when you're done, you can donate them back to the library! And remember, all proceeds benefit the library.

Check out the Friends' web site for more information.

Are you still looking for a quality holiday gift for a special child in your life?  Check out the Parents' Choice 2009 Holiday Gift Guide .  To find a great gift, you are able to search for Featured Gift Ideas, Gifts by Age, and Gifts by Price.  If that isn't enough, the site also features a Gift Finder in which you can plug in the child's interests (such as animals, reading, arts & crafts, etc.), their age, and your budget.

While you're on the site, check out the Parents' Choice Fall 2009 Award Winners.  Since 1978, the Parents' Choice Awards program "honors the best material for children: books, toys, music and storytelling, magazines, software, videogames, television and websites.  Parents' Choice Foundation's panel of educators, scientists, performing artists, librarians, parents, and yes, kids themselves, identify the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels."

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book: Life Lessons from Notable People from All Walks of Life edited by Anita Silvey is a book that called out my name from the moment I saw it in a book review journal.  I couldn't wait for the library to order it!  The title and subtitle of this book describe it perfectly. Editor Anita Silvey brings together testimonies from 110 leaders of society from all walks of life - scientists, politicians, entertainers, artists, athletes - to tell what their favorite children's book was and how it affected their life.

Anthony Horowitz talks faster than anyone I have ever heard.  After 45 minutes of intense listening, I was exhausted!  But he was also funny and very entertaining.  I was happy to hear him, along with some die-hard Alex Rider fans from our Teen Advisory Board.  Horowitz spoke about how he came up with names for his characters, his least favorite character, how his sons help in  his work, and how he got some of his ideas.  I was surprised when he said that at the beginning of the series  he wasn't going to have any gadgets in the series because he didn't want it to copy James Bond.  I'm glad he changed his mind - I think most of us like that part.  My favorite part was when he said emphatically that reading is not passive - the reader is in collaboration with the author to discover new ideas. (I wish my parents thought that when I was a kid and reading all the time - they would give me more chores since I "wasn't doing anything" ).  Did you go to hear Anthony Horowitz?  What was your favorite part?  What did you think?  Add your comments, below.

We had a great discussion about Joan Silber's book, The Size of the World.  A special thanks to Sam Singh for coming and giving us his perspectives on the book and some great stories about his trip.  Here is Sam's web page if you'd like to read more about his travels.

I think everyone liked the book.  You can find other books by Joan Silber here

 The Very Hungry Caterpillar will visit the East Lansing Public Library for a special story time on Sunday, October 25 from 2-3 pm. Join us for stories and a craft. Great photo opportunity! FREE!

Check out some of Eric Carle's books at ELPL. Or introduce your child to the popular Martha Speaks, by Susan Meddaugh.

This summer at the library, a record-setting 3,251 weekly participation charts were turned in by children ages preschool through 7th grade during the 2009 Summer Reading Program, "Be Creative @ Your Library."  We would like to thank our friends at Panera, NCG Cinemas, Celebration Cinema, Subway, East Lansing Aquatic Center, Tasty Twist, Noodles & Co., Melting Moments, Hungry Howie's, and Curious Books/Archives Book Shop for their generous donation of prize items for our reading program. A very special "Thank You" is also extended to the Friends of the East Lansing Public Library for their ongoing support of all of our children's programs.

Don't miss out on the fun in summer 2010! "Make a Splash -- READ" will be the slogan of the general theme, water.

Back by popular demand!  Hurry! Space is limited.

Join us for a special reading time with a trained therapy dog. Each session will last 10 minutes. Bring your own book or choose one at the library.

Ages 5 and up. 

If you liked   The lightning thief….

Here are some great web sites to help you find good books for your children.

Kidsreads.com
Part of The Book Report Network, a group of websites that share book reviews, compelling features, in-depth author profiles and interviews, excerpts of the hottest new releases, literary games and contests, and more with readers every week.

About.com: Children's Books
Lots of ads, but still good. You can sign up for Elizabeth Kennedy's (a journalist and educator) email newsletter.

Reading is Fundamental