Kid Stuff

Spring Break is almost here!  Do you have plans to hit the beach or head to the mountains?  Or are you looking for some fun a little closer to home?  If you plan on sticking around Hoover for Spring Break, make sure you drop by the library for at least one of the fun programs we have lined up for kids and teens March 15-19.

Hey Kids!  Book It to the Hoover Public Library on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning for your Spring Break fun!
BOOK ARTS = Monday, March 15, 10 a.m.
Wear Well-Read Red as your favorite books inspire you to create a masterpiece.

BOOK FEAST = Wednesday, March 17, 10 a.m.
Wear Pig-Out Pink as you fill your tummy with tasty treats from your favorite books.

LARRY MOORE'S TRAVELING SUITCASE SIDE SHOW = Friday, March 19, 10 a.m.
Wear Tom's White Wash as Larry Moore presents an old-fashioned variety show featuring magic, music and balloon-making.  Part of The Big Read: Alabama Reads: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Hey Teens!  It's time to Get Your Game On!  Challenge your friends on the Wii in our annual Spring Break gaming tournament on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.  Snacks provided.  Call 444-7826 to register.
SUPER SMASH BROTHERS = Tuesday, March 16, 4 p.m.
MARIO KART = Thursday, March 18, 4 p.m.

Do you dream of ruby slippers?  Have you named your dog Toto?  Do you sing "The Lollipop Guild" under your breath every time you see that sweet on a stick?  If so, then it's official.  You are a big Wizard of Oz fan.  And you're in luck!  The Kid Zone will be showing a sing-along version of the classic movie on Saturday, March 6 at 10:30 a.m. in the programming room.  Fans are invited to dress as their favorite character as they sing and dance their way down the yellow brick road with Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion.  Just beware of flying monkeys!

Admission, popcorn, and lemonade are free!  To register, call 444-7833.

Looking for another way to share the love this Valentine's Day?  Make some valentines for the patients at Children's Hospital!  The Hoover Public Library is collecting valentines February 1-11.  They can be homemade or store-bought, just as long as they are signed.  And Children's Hospital requests that the cards do not include candy or toys.  You can bring one, ten, as many as you want to the Preschool desk in the Kid Zone.  When you drop off your valentines, you can also pick up a prize to take home to help you celebrate this loving holiday. 

If you don't have valentine-making supplies at home, you can sign up for our Valentines for Your Valentine party on Saturday, February 6 at 10:30 a.m.  You can spend the morning making valentines for your family and friends as well as the patients at Children's Hospital, and enjoy some Valentine sweets.  To register for that event, give us a call at 444-7833.  You can also call us if you have any questions about the card collection.  Thanks, and Happy Valentine's Day!

The American Library Association announced all of their major awards for Children's and Teen books and media on Monday, January 18, 2010.   For a complete list of winners and honors, please check out their website. 

Newbery Medal
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Caldecott Medal
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Printz Award
Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Coretta Scott King Author Award
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reaves, Deputy U.S. Marshall by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
My People illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr.

Pura Belpre Author Award
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez

Pura Belpre Illustrator Award
Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day illustrated by Raphael Lopez

Theodore Seuss Geisel Award
Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes

Robert F. Sibert Medal
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone

Do you have a favorite animal?  Most people do.  It could be something BIG--a magestic giraffe or a sleek horse .  It could be something small enough to fit in a lap--a loyal dog or a cuddly kitten.  It might even be tiny enough to fit in a hand--a cute little mouse or a slithery snake.  Hopefully one of your favorite animals will be featured in David Frings Animal Show on Thursday, January 14 at 6:30 p.m.   There will be a variety of animals, from reptiles to mammals on The Plaza that night.  And who knows?  You just may find a new favorite!

Satisfy your sweet tooth and your craving for fun at Saturday Sweets, January 9 at 10:30 a.m.  Enjoy a delicious dessert storytime, then decorate and devour a cupcake creation.  Let the Children's Department know you're coming!  Call 444-7833 or drop by the Kid Zone.

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types by Sharon Werner & Sarah Forss
The Curious Collection of Cats by Betsy Franco
Face to Face with Gorillas by Michael Nichols
The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner
How to Scratch a Wombat by Jackie French
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter
Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember by Steve Jenkins
One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin by Kathryn Lasky
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin; adapted for young readers by Sarah Thomson

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford
Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love by Lauren Tarshis
Everafter War by Michael Buckley
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills
Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant
Leo and the Lesser Lion by Sandra Forrester
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes by Kate DiCamillo
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle & Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me by Nan Marino
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
A Recipe 4 Robbery by Marybeth Kelsey
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
The Secret of Zoom by Lynne Jonell
Standing for Socks by Elissa Brent Weissman
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Every year, the Children's Department compiles a list of our favorite books for our teacher newsletter. This year, we would like to share those titles with everyone! It's a pretty long list, so we decided to break it down into 3 posts: picture books, fiction books, and nonfiction books. And now . . . our favorite picture books of 2009!

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
Bears on Chairs by Shirley Parenteau
The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick
A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
But Who Will Bell the Cats? by Cynthia von Buhler
Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
Chef Creole by Johnette Downing
Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black
The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel
Grandmother, Have the Angels Come? by Denise Vega
Guess Again by Mac Barnett
Harry and Horsie by Katie Van Camp
Hello, My Name Is Bob by Linas Alsenas
Here Comes Gosling! by Sandy Asher
Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny! by Jan Thomas
How to Win Friends and Influence Creatures by Deborah Zemke
I Don't Want a Posh Dog by Emma Dodd
If a Monkey Jumps Onto Your School Bus by Jean M. Cochran
Let's Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
The Little Green Pea by Alison Barber
A Mighty Fine Time Machine by Suzanne Bloom
Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
Mortimer's First Garden by Karma Wilson
Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban
My Uncle Emily by Jane Yolen
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems
Never Ask a Bear by Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud
Oddly by Joyce Dunbar
Ophelia by Ingrid Schubert
Otis by Loren Long
Pouch! by David Ezra Stein
Pretty Pru by Polly Dunbar
Princess Bess Gets Dressed by Margery Cuyler
Read It, Don't Eat It by Ian Schoenherr
Ready for Anything! by Keiko Kasza
Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli
The Sleepy Little Alphabet by Judy Sierra
The Strange Case of the Missing Sheep by Mircea Catusanu
The Three Little Gators by Helen Ketteman
Tough Chicks by Cece Meng
Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith

You've seen Atlantic Coast Theatre on the Hoover Library Theatre stage every summer for the last few years . . . and loved them. Now they're back with an original "Toy Story" that is perfect for the holidays: The Brave Tin Soldier. The toyroom comes to life in Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale. A toy soldier with a damaged leg falls in love with a music box ballerina. He must overcome his limitations to save her from the Evil Renegade Rat, who wants her as his bride.  The show will be Tuesday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library Theatre.  Head to the Plaza after the show for a chance to meet Santa!   And Happy Holidays from the Hoover Public Library!