Library Notes/October 23, 2009
Dara L. Cain

Children’s Books that are Delectable

With the holidays approaching I don’t know about you but I can’t seem to stop thinking about delicious home cooked meals. Here are some tasty children’s books that feature food in their stories. There is just something about reading an appetizing book that will make you and your young ones feel all warm and cozy inside, especially with the cold winter weather right around the corner.

A must read is Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. In this story a young boy named Matti opens up to a recipe in a cookbook and begins measuring and mixing out the ingredients with his mother to make a gingerbread boy. To Matti’s dismay when he opens the oven door to take a quick peak, a Gingerbread Baby jumps out of the oven instead of a boy. The Gingerbread Baby begins the game of “catch me if you can” as he runs out the front door and is chased by pursuers. You must read the story to find out if the Gingerbread Baby escapes his fate. This is a familiar tale with a surprise ending.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue is the first book in the Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo. The main character, the loveable “porcine wonder” Mercy Watson enjoys the perks of being apart of the Watson family. During the day he eats his favorite food, hot buttered toast prepared by Mrs. Watson and, at night he sleeps in a nice warm bed. One evening there is a loud “boom” and then a “crack” as Mr. and Mrs. Watson’s bed begins to slowly fall through the floor. Will Mercy be able to rescue Mr. and Mrs. Watson or will his dreamlike craving for hot buttered toast distract him from the problem at hand.

Can too much of a good thing be too good to be true. In The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling, John Midas loves to eat chocolate more than anything else. When he finds an odd looking coin he decides to spend it to buy a box of chocolate at a unique store. After eating the chocolate he discovers that everything his lips touch turns to edible chocolate from the bacon and egg that he eats for breakfast to the musical instrument he plays at school. John’s life starts to become overwhelmingly filled with chocolate and when he gives his mother a kiss and turns her into a chocolate statue he realizes that getting what you wish may not always be the best thing for you.

The key ingredients that make up this delightful story are friendship, family, and scrumptious family recipes. In Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech best friends since birth Rosie and her next door neighbor Bailey experience some difficult adolescent emotions that affect their friendship. Leave it to Rosie’s grandmother, Granny Torrelli to make things better. She gets Rosie and Bailey in the kitchen preparing home cooked meals together and sharing family stories about forgiveness. Before you know it Rosie and Bailey are reminded how special they are to one another.

Visit the Rowan Public Library to check out these scrumptious books that children are sure to enjoy.

Erika Kosin
Library Notes
October 16th, 2009
Books for Boys

Most parents will tell you that it is an ongoing struggle to get their boys to read and even those who like reading generally lose interest around age nine. They begin to move towards activities that keep them active or are more visually stimulating and view reading as something that they have to do for school. As boys stop reading they begin to fall farther behind in other areas since reading is a fundamental part of all school subjects. So why do boys stop reading? It has been determined that some of the issues are biological, but also sociological in that boys do not view reading as a masculine activity.

In order to keep boys reading we have to find books that talk to their interests. A boy who claims he hates to read may one day sit down with a large book and vigorously read it. This usually happens when boys find fantasy based fiction with anthropomorphic characters. They also like books that contain scary and gross tales such as Goosebumps or non-fiction titles that contain interesting facts. Here are a few titles that might peak a boys interest that can be found at the Rowan Public Library:

39 Clues: Maze of Bones – ages 9 +. This is the first book in a mystery, adventure series written by a collection of popular children’s authors. When Grace Cahill’s Last Will and Testament leaves her family a choice between taking home a million dollars each or the chance to uncover the greatest family secret, Amy and her younger brother Dan decide to take the challenge and start out on a world wide hunt for the 39 clues where knowledge of history and ingenuity help them stay in the game. Fans of mysteries and movies like National Treasure would like this series.
The Golly-Whopper Games by Jody Feldman – ages 9+. Don’t let the colors on the cover of this book fool you; this is a book that boys will love, especially if they like word games and puzzles. Gil Goodson wants his family to move out of Orchard Heights because life hasn’t been so good since the “incident”. He finds the perfect opportunity to win enough money for the family to move, all he has to do is win the Golly Toy & Game Company’s ultimate competition, the Golly-Whopper Games. He studies for almost a year and knows everything there is to know about the company, but does he know enough to be able to solve all of the puzzles and complete all of the challenges to win?

One President was Born on Independence Day and Other Freaky Facts About the 26th Through 43rd President – Do you know which president was the first to have a mustache, or which president walked a raccoon on a leash? Who served Jellybeans at every cabinet meeting? Which president had one leg 1 inch shorter than the other? Find out these facts and more in this fun book that looks at the facts that most people wouldn’t know about past presidents.

For more book titles that might appeal to, visit;
http://www.guysread.com
http://www.kidsreads.com/features/great-books-boys.asp

LIBRARY NOTES
Dr. Betty Middleton
October 2, 2009


Get ready! Halloween is near and the children will be getting excited about what

costume they will wear.

Rowan Public Library has over one hundred titles devoted to costumes. These

include books on Historical Costumes, Party Costumes, Stage Costumes, Biblical

Costumes, Folk Costumes, Costumes of World Cultures, just to begin.

However, if you are thinking quick and easy, several titles stand out. For example,

Glue & Go Costumes for Kids by Holly Cleeland includes fun costumes that can be made

from items found around the house or easily obtainable. With each costume the author

includes a list of materials needed, a pattern and detailed directions.

Another favorite is the book by Angela Wilkes and Jane Bull. They have

collected more than fifty projects in their book Dazzling Disguises and Clever Costumes.

Their costumes can be constructed from everyday materials using old clothes, scarves,

paper and glue.

Mary Wallace’s book I Can Make Costumes has costumes easy enough that the

children can make them with little or no help. Materials needed included simple things

like safety pins, aluminum foil, paper bags, cardboard boxes, crayons, and tempera paint.

Super Masks & Fun Face Painting by Teddy Cameron Long is a good choice for

parents who would like to add an additional touch or eliminate the bulkiness of the full

body costume for smaller children. The mask designs begin with either a simple paper

mache or paper plate mask. Patterns are included for various designs which can be either

full face or just eye covers. The face painting section shows step-by-step details to obtain

the desired effect.

Two Internet sites to explore for easy costumes are the website from Parents

Magazine www.parents.com and the website from Disney www.FamilyFun.go.com.

Involve your children in the selection and making of the costume and enjoy the fun of

the creativity.

Library Notes
September 26, 2009
Lynn A. Denison

Can you guess what these three topics have in common: chess, bridal showers, golf, and basketball coaching? These are all the subjects of new additions to our collection at Rowan Public Library in what I would call the “how to” genre.

My favorite, which I can’t wait to try out on my son-in-law, is titled Win at Checkers written by Millard Hopper, the “World’s Unrestricted Checker Champion.” This title is touted as “one of if not the best” books available for players who want to improve their techniques. Reviewers claim that after reading the book and practicing a little, one can become a much better player and have a good understanding of the game. It sounds like a recipe for family fun, as checkers, unlike chess, is relatively simple and can be learned at an early age. Why not give this book some study, impress your family members with your expertise, and then share the book with them?

Another book that is full of fresh ideas is The Ultimate Bridal Shower Idea Book by Sharon Naylor. The book received five stars (the best) in eleven reviews. Even if you’ve never held a shower before, this book will give you more than enough helpful hints and ideas to hostess a shower that will be remembered for years to come. In it are ideas for women-only showers as well as co-ed showers, themes, menus, decoration ideas, invitations, entertainment, games and so much more. If you’re planning a bridal shower in the future, you can relax and enjoy it with the help of this highly recommended book.

For the golfers in the family The Illustrated Golf Rules Dictionary is the perfect “how to” book. It is a revised and updated edition that explains the complex rules of golf in an easy to follow, practical, and interesting way. This book is for anyone who ever wondered “what do I do in this situation?”--in other words, anyone who has ever played the game. This compact guide is not only perfect for beginners as well as experienced players, but it is consulted by TV commentators, tournament committees, professional golfers, and many golf schools. It appears to be a book that golfers may want to hint for as a Christmas gift, but in the meantime come check out its usefulness at the library.

If you are already a basketball coach or are giving consideration to becoming one this year, consider reading Coaching Youth Basketball: A Guide for Coaches, Parents, and Athletes by John P. McCarthy, Jr. This book covers all of basketball’s fundamentals and gives coaching tips for every aspect of the game. Why not visit us soon at any of our branches of Rowan Public Library to check out these and more of our outstanding offerings.