Kid Stuff

Are you interested in learning more about our country's Armed Forces this Veterans Day? Kids, teens, and adults can get the facts and absorb the military history from books under the following Dewey Decimal numbers:

Air Force = 358.4
Army = 355, 356
Coast Guard = 363.28
Marines = 359.9
Navy = 359

World War I = 940.3
World War II = 940.53, 940.54
Korean War = 951.904
Vietnam War = 959.7
Iraq War = 956.7044
Afghanistan War = 958.1047

John Flanagan's books are some of the most enthusiastically pursued titles at the Hoover Public Library. Many of our patrons (and one of our staff) haven't even been able to wait for the U.S. release dates. Instead, they order books from Mr. Flanagan's home country of Australia. Then they rub our faces in it when we have to wait. Well, the wait is over for the newest in The Brotherband Chronicles series. The third book, The Hunters, hits the shelves on Tuesday, October 30, 2012.

German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm first published Grimms' Fairy Tales in 1812. That was 200 years ago! And yet, to this day, young and old alike are familiar with their beloved stories. I've had a lot of Grimm thoughts lately. Tonight, my sister and I are volunteering to be characters from Hansel & Gretel at a friend's "A Night Dark and Grimm" party. Tomorrow, I'm hosting a Girl Scout tour centered around the Sisters Grimm book series by Michael Buckley. And I'm currently reading a teen book that fractures "The Little Mermaid" fairytale (Yes, you're right--that one came from Hans Christian Andersen. Thanks for clearing that up.) Actually, I read more than my fair share of fractured fairytales.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White was published on October 15, 1952. It was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1953. It has been translated into more than 30 languages, sold more than 25 million copies. It was ranked #1 in the Scholastic Parent & Child magazine's recent list of 100 greatest children's books. It was turned into an animated musical in 1973 and a live-action movie in 2006.

There's lots of new stuff in the Kid Zone. Five Preschool Nook Tablets are available for in-house check out in the picture book room. They are jam-packed with interactive books and educational games. You can also access our entire Tumblebook Library. Check out procedures are the same as for in-house laptop checkouts.

If you haven't heard of Rick Riordan, you've been living in a post-apocalyptic bunker, cut off from the world. He's the #1 New York Times bestselling author of three different series-- Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus. He's also penned a few of the 39 Clues titles. He's a big deal.

I am a planner. Ask anybody. I pick out my clothes the night before. I outline my storytimes a year in advance. Okay, I admit it, two years in advance. So it should come as no surprise that I had already lined up (and even written) all my blogs for this week. I wasn't looking for any newsworthy items. I had a plan. But you can't plan for everything because you can't know everything. And I did not know that this week included two major children's literature milestones that just have to be featured on the Hoover Public Library's blog.

I grew up loving (and I mean LOVING) movies and TV shows that featured martial arts. Especially the original Karate Kid and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But, even though I was a voracious reader, I never read a single book about karate, kung fu, the art of ninja, or the honor of samurai warriors. Maybe I was lazy and didn't look for any. Maybe there weren't any available. But kids and teens today are still crazy about the martial arts. They have their own Karate Kid and TMNT. They also have Kung Fu Panda, Avatar, and Lego Ninjago. And they are lucky enough to have tons of books to feed their mania. Here's a list of great fiction featuring

We buzzzzzzz'ed into a new book group for 2nd and 3rd grade kids! Before talking books, we quizzed each other with riddles from the Bee-Hat-- "What do bumblebees wear on the beach? --Bee-kinis!" Then we shared our favorite characters and events from books published in 2012. Here are the recs from tonight's discussion:

We hope so! He's headed to Hoover Public Library on the first day of autumn -- Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. -- for Scaredy Squirrel: Be Prepared. What a way to kick off a fabulous and safe fall! Scaredy Squirrel will come down from his tree to help us create emergency preparedness kits and flying squirrels before everyone shares some squirrely snacks. Important! No nuts will be on the premises. Also, bees and sharks are discouraged from attending. But fans of Scaredy Squirrel should definitely make an appearance. Watch our commercial, then call 444-7833 to register today!

These catchy phrases will help you find new materials in the Kid Zone and Teen Spot. How? It's simple. They help you remember our color coding system. All new picture books, fiction books, and audiobooks in the Kid Zone have a pink sticker on the spine label, and new DVDs have a hot pink sticker on the top of the spine. All new teen fiction books and audiobooks have a red sticker. So "Think Pink" for new kids' stuff, and issue a "Code Red" when you want something new for teens.

P.S. This info is especially helpful for kids in Grades 4-6 who want to participate in This Just In! ,our newest book club.

This is the first in a new monthly blog series. Each Reading Snapshot will feature the titles our Kid Zone / Teen Spot staff are currently reading. The list is divided into Kids vs Teens, but click on the blue to get more information before you choose which book you'd like to add to your reading list.

Have you lost your pep for reading? Are you looking for a new way to experience picture books? Then we have GREAT NEWS! The Hoover Public Library now has access to TumbleBooks.