Katiem's blog

They are finally here and definitely worth the wait!  Our games computers have been replaced with mounted iPads.  There are six preschool iPads and four elementary iPads.  Stop by the Kid Zone and give them a test drive.  Featured apps are listed below.
PRESCHOOL
Another Monster at the End of This Book (Sesame Street)
Caillou Stickers
Curious George Sunny Safari
Draw Along
GazziliScience
Let's Color!
Monster Coloring Book
Peekaboo Barn
Pigeon! (Mo Willems)
Rocket Reads
Seuss Color
Skippyjon Jones
SuperWhy
Tap a Tune
Tiny Wings
Toontastic
Trucks

Yesterday's blog gave you some behind-the-scenes art books.  Now it's time to get inspired with some storybooks and fiction perfect for Youth Art Month.

March is Youth Art Month!  Think you have an inner artist?  Read some of these books and find out!

The Teen Spot's Manga Club is meeting again on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.  This month's twist?  A cosplay contest.  This means you should come dressed as your favorite anime, manga, or comic character.  Keep it simple, or go all out!  It's all about expressing yourself and your love of this Japanese art form.  Take a look at some of our past contestants in our Teen Photo Gallery.

Brandon Mull's Beyonders fantasy trilogy comes to an epic conclusion on Tuesday, March 12, 2013.  This is great news for Beyonders fans and for people looking for a new fantasy series.  You can read all three in a row without waiting a year between each book to get the whole story.  Trust me, once you start this series, you don't want to stop. 

Teen Tech Week is March 10-16, 2013.  This year's theme is Check In @ Your Library.  What does that mean? Well, the official description provided by YALSA states "This year's theme encourages libraries to throw open their physical and virtual doors to teens and showcase the outstanding technology they offer."  I've interpreted that to mean "Make sure you blog about the Hoover Public Library app, Overdrive, the Alabama Virtual Library, LearningExpress Library, Mango Languages, and Homework Alabama.  Throw in the YALSA app and the YALSA app of the week for good measure."  So here I go!

It's time to Spring Forward!  Now, you'll notice that I used an exclamation point in the last sentence.  Don't misunderstand me.  I am NOT excited about losing an hour of sleep.  I'm not a morning person at the best of times, and the beginning of Daylight Saving Time is definitely not the best of times.  But I can't wait to share this list of books about creatures that hop and jump.  They will definitely put a spring in your step -- pun intended.  And, hopefully, they will remind you to spring forward before you go to bed on Saturday night.  Daylight Saving Time officially begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, 2013.

Did L. Frank Baum have any idea what he started when he wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900?  His creation extended into a series of fourteen books, but it has also inspired countless other book series, TV shows, theatrical productions, and movies.  The latest cinematic ode comes to the big screen this Friday, March 8, 2013.  Oz: The Great and Powerful imagines the origins of Baum's beloved wizard character.  With a big-name cast (James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams), a blockbuster director (Sam Raimi), and the backing of Disney, it is sure to be a hit.  I know I'm excited about it!

Want to be transported somewhere over the rainbow?  Want to find out more about the man behind the magic?  Here's a list of Hoover Public Library books and movies that can help.
Original L. Frank Baum series
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz 
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz
The Road to Oz (can borrow from other JCLC libraries)
The Emerald City of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz (can borrow from other JCLC libraries)
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz (can borrow from other JCLC libraries)
Rinkitink in Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Magic of Oz (can borrow from other JCLC libraries)
Glinda of Oz

Catch March Madness early -- March reading madness, that is. Our staff has already succumbed.

If you've ever attended one of the Hoover Public Library's epic Halloween programs, you know Larry Moore.  He is the goofy guy in the vest, twisting balloons into amazing creations.  What you may not know is that Larry Moore is also known throughout Birmingham as The Magic Man.  And he's bringing his magic, his humor, and even his balloons to the Plaza on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.  It's a fun and FREE show for the whole family!  When Larry inspires you to try your own hand at magic, head to the Kid Zone nonfiction shelves for some great new series.
Books by Steve Charney