Kid Stuff

It's the final week of Dream BIG 4 Real. We made it to Week 8, so I think we deserve some Midnight Snacks. Treat yourselves to these books about food.

1. All in Just One Cookie by Susan E. Goodman
J 641.8 GOO

2. An Astronaut Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Kids by Sarah L. Schuette
J 641.5 SCH

3. Banana Split Pizza and Other Snack Recipes by Heather E. Schwartz
J 641.5 SCH

Don't let the mustache fool you! That is Lee Bryan. You may know him as That Puppet Guy. He's an Atlanta-based puppeteer who's bringing the Fee-Fi-Fo-FUN to our Library Theatre this summer.

The Giant, the Beanstalk & Jack
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012
10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m.

The Hoover Public Library will be closed this Wednesday, July 4, 2012 in celebration of Independence Day. That means there will be just three opportunities to see Walkabout Puppets present Mr. Blister's Toy Circus in The Library Theatre -- Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.

Fun and laughter are the order of the day when Mr. Blister's Toy Circus comes to town! See the incredible performing toys go through their paces -- Madame MooMoo (queen of the unicycle), Steenko the Strongman and more! This production is presented in a European puppetry style where the puppeteer is in full view and participates in the action as an actor.

Welcome to Week 2 in our Dream BIG 4 Real series. These great books about the moon and space travel will leave you Moonstruck.

1. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
J 629.45 STO

2. Eyewitness Books: Moon by Jacqueline Mitton
J 523.3 MIT

3. Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin
E 523.3 CRE

Help me, Hoover Public Library. You're my only hope.

Celebrate your favorite sci-fi saga on May the Fourth, a day for everyone to feel the power of the force. A galaxy of Star Wars books, DVDs and video games are waiting for you, and you won't need to use a Jedi Mind Trick to convince us to help you find them. Here's a cheat sheet to all things Star Wars at the library. And stay tuned for information about the library's after hours GeekFest on Friday, July 13, 2012.

Twenty years ago, Bill Nye the Science Guy made his television debut. 100 episodes later, with more than 28 Emmys to his name and legions of fans, Nye is still proving that science rules! If you've never experienced the Science Guy's approach to science with fast-paced action and humor, it's time to get started. If you're already a fan, it's time to refresh your memory. The following titles are available right here at Hoover Public Library.

Admit it. You absolutely LOVE Mo Willems. Even after your kids have gone to sleep, you keep reading the books about an extremist pigeon, an enthusiastic pig, and a cautious elephant named Gerald. Don't worry. You're not alone. We've yet to meet an individual, kid or adult, who doesn't want to join the Mo Willems fan club. And that's why we decided to throw an Elephant & Piggie Party this Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. The books in that series work as bedtime read-alouds, beginning readers, and quick laughs for any age. Lots of wisdom there, too.

Okay, we admit it. There was maybe a little teeny tiny (okay huge) amount of nonsense in this month's Reader's Studio. But we did focus on nonfiction books. Here's the list of what we read. And we've included a snippet of information that we learned from each book. Hopefully it will entice you to read it to find out more.

Ana - A ValueTales Treasury: Stories for Growing Good People by Spencer Johnson
(Ana's favorite part was about Harriet Tubman, who helped escaped slaves.)

Aziza - The Pebble First Guide to Snakes by Katy R. Kudela (Aziza's favorite species in the book was the Indian Python)

Eleven of us braved the sleet on Monday, February 13 to share fractured fairy tales with the Reader's Studio, including two new friends. Welcome, Citlali and Sofia!

This is the THIRD TIME I have attempted to make this blog post. Technology has not been my friend. But, as they say, third time's a charm!

Fourteen of us pulled ourselves away from the pre-LSU vs UA mania to discover some amazing award-winning books at Reader's Studio: Blue Ribbon Books on Monday, January 9, 2012. We were introduced to big-eared mice, regurgitating wolves, and even flying frogs.

Alonna - The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy (ALSC Childrens' Notable Book)

Part two of three. We read (and loved) a lot more mysteries than usual.

Ok, so our Christmas tree of readers is a little lopsided, but it's still completely adorable. The Reader's Studio met on December 12 to talk about all the great holiday books we had read. There were a lot of Christmas titles (surprise, surprise), but a few other holidays were represented too.

Alonna - Don't Be My Valentine: A Classroom Mystery by Joan M. Lexau

Ana - Juliet the Valentine Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Aziza - An Elk Dropped In by Andreas Steinhofel (Christmas)

I know what you're thinking. You're running through all the things named Hugo that might be important enough to feature on our library blog. I bet you thought of Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. You might even have come up with the Hugo Award, which recognizes excellent science fiction and fantasy every year. But I'm referring to the Hugo created by Brian Selznick in his groundbreaking, Caldecott Award-winning book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Martin Scorsese has brought it to theatres, and it is getting rave reviews. Read the book first (of course you will), then take a trip to the movies and see why everyone's talking about Hugo.

Yikes! We had 60 kids plus assorted adults for a grand total of 118 at our Lego Monster Lab. And all of the young mad scientists far exceeded our expectations in creating their monsters. If you're feeling brave, take a look at the gallery.

We have one special Tween Scene event each month. The next one is actually a joint program with the Teen Spot. Stay tuned for more information about Eragon Party on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 6:30 pm.