Going to the Dogs!

 Middletown Public Library is going to the dogs!   MPL will be sponsoring three Potter League "Read Fur Fun" programs in April and May.  On Tuesday April 27th, Thursday April 29th and Tuesday, May 4th, Potter League volunteers and their pet dogs will be at the library from 3:45-5 pm listening to children read aloud.  The children will also make a dog-themed craft to take home.

Each child will be partnered with a dog who is an eager and experienced listener.  Both dogs and pet owners have been screened, and have passed a special test which certifies them for participation in the Read Fur Fun program.  The program has proven to be a fun way to motivate youngsters to become more confident in their read-aloud skills. Sign up for one or all three sessions!

When: April 27 (a Tuesday), April 29 (a Thursday), May 4 (a Tuesday).
           Sessions are from 3:45pm - 5:00pm
Who: Children in grades 1-3
How:  Come in or call the Children's Desk at 846-1573 to register for these free programs. 
          

Make a dog's day by signing up to read with a furry friend!

Go Green with the Toe Jam Puppet Band!

The Toe Jam Puppet Band will perform "The Green Show" at Middletown Public Library on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 2 pm during school vacation week.

The Toe Jam Puppet Band has performed throughout New England and is well-known for high-energy entertainment with lots of humor and audience participation.  "The Green Show" features interactive puppets, storytelling and songs that celebrate all creatures on earth.  The performance reminds us to recycle and take good care of our planet.

For *free* tickets and more information, please call the Children's Room Desk at 846-1573. 

Calling all Wimpy Kids!

SEE THE MOVIE! READ THE BOOKS!
      The movie " The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal", opens today in Middletown and in theaters across the country! Diary of a Wimpy Kid tells about  preteen Greg Heffley's misadventures  as a "weakling"  in a school of cool kids. In the movie, Greg is played by actor Zachary Gordon. Zachary has been in other movies and has won a Young artist's Award for his acting. Robert Capron co-stars as Zachary's friend, Rowley. In real life, Robert comes from Rhode Island, and took acting classes at Trinity Rep in Providence.  READ THE BOOKS!  Author Jeff Kinney, an online game designer, first began writing the series as a comic strip blog. There are four books in the humorous Wimpy Kid series so far. The books are written to look like Greg's diaries. Greg is pictured in the books as a cartoon character with a big head, big nose, big ears, big backpack and three strands of stand-up-straight hair. Middletown Public Library's Kids' Dept.has many copies of the Wimpy Kid books. You can also listen to Greg's tales on CD. If our copies of this popular series are out, we'll be happy to reserve one especially for you! Pick up Kinney's books and get wimpy now!

Guys Read

We hear it all the time at the library, “My son doesn’t know what to read”, “I need a book that will keep my son reading”, or (from the guys themselves) “I can’t find anything good to read!”.  Well, our website of the week is here to help you!  Guys Read, an amazing site by Jon Scieszka, is just for guys (and little guys too).  It offers a variety of booklists that would interest boys and young men.

By clicking on a title in a booklist, it will show you the cover art, age level, page count, genre, and whether it is part of a series (series are great for reluctant readers; if they like one book then they will probably like the rest in that series).  All of this is very helpful when deciding on the next reading adventure you want to take or to gauge how interested your guy might be in the book!

Want some of our own recommendations for guys?  Here you go!

• "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
• "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket
• "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" by Rick Riordan
• "39 Clues" series (various authors)
• "Holes" by Louis Sachar
• "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen 
• "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" by Alvin Schwartz
• Anything written by Dan Gutman, Gordon Korman, Roald Dahl, or Mike Lupica

And the winners are : 2010 Caldecott and Newbery Medal Awards!

   The 2010 Caldecott Medal winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown and Company for Young Readers). The screech of an owl, the squeak of a mouse and the roar of a lion transport readers to the Serengeti plains for this wordless retelling of Aesop's classic fable.  Pinkney's beautifully textured watercolor illustrations masterfully portray the relationship between the two very unlikely friends.

   The Caldecott Medal is named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded each year by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished  American picture book for children .

    The 2010  Newbery Medal winner is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Books). In the book, twelve-year-old Miranda tries to make sense  of  shifting friendships, a sudden punch, a homeless man  and mysterious notes that seem to defy the laws of time.

These seemingly random events converge in a brilliantly constructed plot written as a first person  narrative.

    The Newbery Medal is named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children,
a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.


Click here for the full list of the 2010 Caldecott Award Winners!

 Click here for the full list of the 2010 Newberry Award Winners!

Save the Bay

Come learn about the Harbor Seals who winter in Narragansett Bay!

Join us as "Save the Bay" educators tell about the seals' habits, migrations and adaptations!  Discover the reason Seals visit Narragansett Bay only during the coldest times of the year!  Find out what is being done to protect these beautiful and unique marine mammals!

When: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 3:45 pm
For: Children in Grades K-4

Call the Children's Room Desk at 846-1573 for information or to register for this free program!

Spring Preschool Storytimes!

Registration for Middletown Public Library's "Your Two and You" and "Playful Preschoolers" storytimes will begin at 9:30 am on Monday, March 22, 2010.

"Your Two and You" will be held on Wednesday's at 10:30 am beginning March 31st. "Your Two and You" is a special sharing time for parent/caregiver and child. Children who have turned three years old and have never been to a storytime may also join this program. Registration is limited to 10 children.

"Playful Preschoolers" will be held on Thursday mornings at 10:30 am beginning April 1st. This storytime is for children three to five years old who are ready to join a group. Registration is limited to 14 children.

All storytimes feature stories, songs, fingerplays and a craft on a weekly theme. Each session runs for four weeks. Parents may register for these free programs at the library or by calling the Children's Room Desk at 846-1573. We hope to see you here!