Tips for Parents of Babies by Parents of "Big Readers"

Are you having a baby in 2012?
Did you have a baby in 2011?

What tips helped you most in those first 12 months of parenting?  What advice would you give to a parent preparing to add a child into their life?

My children are now old enough to start having children.  I have two baby showers to attend to next month! Since the best parents I know are the ones that walk into our children’s department I want to get your advice.  Please post your ideas or come to the library and help me out!

Some of you have responded in a recent survey about how to promote reading.  Here are some of my favorite tips for parents of babies.

"Make reading books part of a daily/nightly routine.  Start very early as babies!
Set a daily reading goal and an end of summer goal. Setting goals helped to read more."

"find a certain time of the day that is ""story time"" (eg, at bedtime)"

"We always read together in bed first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  Books are the first thing they see in the morning and the last thing they see before they go to sleep at night."

"Start early and make it a habit. We read three books every night before bed to each child. They have come to expect and look forward to that time. They also love going to library to pick out their own books and read them as soon as we get home!"

"Make reading a part of the bedtime routine without excuses.  Bring books wherever you go so the children (and babies too!) can entertain themselves while you are trying to shop, visit, etc."

"Wait until at least age 2 to let your kids watch television. As this becomes harder to achieve with multiple kids, still enforce age appropriate time limits. Also avoid video games and handheld electronics as long as possible."

"read to your young children every day for at least 15 minutes." 

"Instead of asking if they "want" to read, we set aside "book time" and they can choose to read a book, listen to a book on CD or flip through pictures in a book or magazine."

"Start young and model your own reading for them, don't stick to just books (magazines, tv guides, cereal boxes, road signs, newspapers, etc."

"Husband and I will sit on the couch and read in the evenings or weekends.  That is the best advice I could ever give.  Turn off the TV, radio, phone, and internet... then read for yourselves.  The child will pick up on it as easily as he/she will pick up on TV watching."

"Make reading a part of your routine with them everyday. Also let them see you take some time to read as well."

"be a role model, read yourself instead of playing computer games"



My advice for you in 2012-
Start your new year off right!  Set a goal to read with your child regardless of age for 15 minutes a day.  You can join our Winter Reading Program: One World Many Stories and receive a prize for completing 21 days of reading.  It is a fun way to join our Library community of readers and shows your children how much you value our Library and books!

If you have more tips for new parents please pass them along!  

Happy New Years!

Juvenile Fiction Book Review

PIE by Sarah Weeks

Alice's dearly loved Aunt Polly has just died. While Alice is broken-hearted over losing her best friend, the rest of her family and the little town they live in is going crazy wondering where Aunt Polly's world famous pie-crust recipe is.

Things get nuttier when everyone finds out that Polly left the recipe to her mean, old cat, Lardo, and Polly left Lardo to Alice. In the midst of her grief, Alice and her friend Charlie surprise everyone by resolving the mystery, bringing much needed healing to the family and the town that has gone so pie-crazy.

This story is sweet, not just because of the loving friendship between Alice and her Aunt Polly, but also because it is full of yummy pie recipes and delightful characters. I loved it (even though I didn't agree with the Nora part at the end)!

Teen Book Review

Another day goes by, and yet I have another book to review. I always think that authors are big celebrities; they live in awesome places but never anywhere close by. WRONG! The latest book in my project led me to read Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson. Christine lives in Indianapolis! Plus, her book is a teen book, which is very exciting because I love teen books so much I haven’t read an adult book in more than three years.

Claire de Lune is a book about a girl who has just turned sixteen and her mother tells her she is a werewolf. While there is a little romance in this book (I don’t care very much for romance books, so this was good news to me), but Christine actually focused more on the roles of werewolves. For example, only women are werewolves, male werewolves do not exist. Also, we learn about the alpha wolf and how werewolves avoid ripping and tearing all their clothes during transformation. Of course, we also learn that Claire’s crush’s father is a werewolf hunter and wants to cure werewolves of their “problem.” But being a werewolf is like being a superhero, no one is allowed to know your secret. Plus, add in the fact that werewolves have been attacking and killing people in Claire’s neighborhood so now both Claire and her mother are in danger. This title has lots of action and does not skimp on the details of the attacks.

If this is not on our shelves and you’ve already read the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, you can always try Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, the Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater, Red Rider’s Hood by Neal Shusterman. If you want more information on how to bring out your inner wolf, perhaps try How to be a Werewolf by Serena Valentino. Happy reading!

Teen Book Review

Remember I told you I had a big stack of books in my office? I sat studying them today and thought, “I think I’ll write another book review.” So here it goes. The Limit by Kristen Landon is set in the future, when spending limits are monitored. Author Margaret Peterson Haddix (author of Found and Among the Hidden) wrote this about The Limit, “A frighteningly familiar world with an unsettling twist.” And author James Dashner (Maze Runner trilogy) said, “Fast paced, full of great humor, adventure, and surprises.” Geez, if Haddix and Dashner think it’s cool, then it’s got to be worth my time.

So in the future, if your family goes over their limit, a division of the government will come to your home and, depending on the agreement you have with them, a member of your family will immediately be taken away to work off your family’s debt. This is what happened to 13 year-old Matt. Luckily for Matt, he is incredibly smart and tests into “Top Floor” work. But with a pool, a gym, challenging work, food ordered off the internet and delivered to your door, and a cleaning service that you never see, why would anyone want to leave? However, why are teen workers having seizures? And what about headaches? The government is doing something to these kids without their permission and Matt has to find out what it is before he succumbs to the same problem. I wanted more conflict and more action sooner than it came, but overall it was not a bad read. Younger readers will devour this conspiracy book and ask for more. Readers looking for more action and detail may want to try Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord.

Teen Book Review

I have a huge project on my plate this year and part of it involves reading LOTS of books. I currently have about a dozen books on my "to read" shelf in my office, and I was rather impressed with one and wanted to share it with you. If you have ever talked to me, you might know that I am not a fantasy reader. There is just something about made up, nonexistent worlds that I cannot wrap my mind around. And talking animals? It's just not for me. However, my recent project required me to read Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner. Wagner is an author out of the Chicago area, and her book is the result of a dare made by her husband. So there I sat, at home, in my office, reluctantly reading a book about mutant rats trying to overthrow a corrupt government. My only comfort was a note on the front of the cover, "Expect great adventures in Nightshade City.--Rick Riordan." The author of our beloved, action filled Percy Jackson series enjoyed it, so there had to be something great hidden within the pages.

I tried hard to keep up with the characters. Seriously, I actually had to write them on a piece of paper and write notes about the characters because I had trouble telling one rat from the other. I needed to jot these little tidbits down because my brain just does not process fantasy details very well. I gave it some time, trudged through, and was so glad I did because this book is amazing! There is lots of action, the characters have depth, there is an underground war, what is not to love?! By the end of the book I was surprised and sad that the second book of the series was not yet published... The White Assassin came out November 1st of this year. If you've read any of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, or Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (that's the same person who wrote The Hunger Games!) you might enjoy this book. You'll have to stop by the Library or check out our catalog, because we own all these books. Also, check back for more teen titles to be reviewed as well as for more info on my exciting project.

Holiday Move

As we come to the close of this year, we've done something new. Our holiday book collection has moved! You'll now find our easy picture book and leveled reader holiday books at the start of our easy picture book section, next to the reference desk.

Click picture to see larger, clearer image

 We think this placement makes a little more sense, and as a result of this move, you will also soon find that our

• burgeoning beginning chapter book or "B" book section
• growing graphic novel collection
• and our new fiction books  

will have a different, roomier look as well.

2011, Technology, & Books

Into things current, books, & technology? Of course you've probably already heard about OverDrive and the ebooks & audiobooks you can now electronically download for free anytime from home. (If not, do check it out from the upper right-hand side of our homepage.) It makes that holiday gift of a Kindle, Nook, or iPad that much sweeter ...

You might also have heard of Freegal, where  you can download three free songs of your choice a week courtesy of the library. (Second link on the upper right-hand corner of our homepage.) Again nice for those new music devices ...


But if that's not enough, and you're wanting to get your little ones more involved with technology & the app world, then School Library Journal (SLJ) has created a blog that may be quite useful to you. Touch & Go is SLJ's app reviewing spot on the web. They have reviewed over 80 apps and compiled the "Top 10 Apps of 2011" list, just in time for holiday purchases! Way cool.



 If you want to be current but still traditional, then you might find SLJ's "Best Books of 2011" list insightful and useful for gift ideas. I personally found A Ball for Daisy charming, and I am loving the artwork in Kadir Nelson's new Heart and Soul. The library owns both, and if you can get your hands on them, you're in for a new visual treat!

Teen Study Break

Winter Break is in sight, but alas, it does not begin until AFTER you take exams. With shortened days and less sunlight, it seems to be hard to concentrate on the task at hand. Let the Library lend a hand. On Tuesday, December 20th, we are opening two rooms just for teens who need a place to study. From 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. the Lora Hussey and Olive Hoffman rooms will be transformed into a large study hall, free of both parents and younger siblings. Sure, you could study at home, but the Library will provide a change of scenery, no interruptions, and food (because you all know how I love to feed hungry teens). For the first time ever, we are extending the hours of this program in hopes of accommodating as many teens as possible and we will be serving pizza over the dinner hour. So mark your calendars and tell your friends the Library has food and wants hungry teens who are looking for a quiet place to ready themselves for finals. Registration is recommended (so I don't run out of food).

Coming Soon...Books in Film

Hollywood is looking to books for many of their upcoming movies; everything from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss and fairy tales to memoirs, all types of print are meeting celluloid. Below is a list of books and their corresponding movies that you can find at the theater in the next several months!

Book to Movie

November:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick  -  Hugo (in theaters now)

December:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John le Carré   -  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (opening 12/9/11, limited release)
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle  -  Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12/16)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson  -  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (12/21)
The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 1, by Hergé  -  The Adventures of Tintin (12/21)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer  -  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (12/25)
We Bought a Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Changed Their Lives Forever, by Benjamin Mee  -  We Bought a Zoo (12/25)

January 2012:
Coriolanus, by William Shakespeare  -  Coriolanus (opening 1/20)
One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich  -  One for the Money (1/27)
We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver  -  We Need to Talk About Kevin (1/27)

February:
The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill  -  The Woman in Black (opening 2/3)
The Mysterious Island, by Jules Verne  -  Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2/10)

March: 
The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss  -  Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (opening 3/2)
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales: Hänsel and Gretel, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm  -  Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (3/2)
A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs  -  John Carter (3/9)
The Raven and Other Poems, by Edgar Allan Poe  -  The Raven (3/9)
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales: Snow-White, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm  -  Mirror, Mirror (3/16)
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins  -  The Hunger Games (3/23)

May:
Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers (Volume 1), by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby  -  The Avengers (opening 5/4)

June:
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales: Snow-White, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm  -  Snow White and the Huntsman (opening 6/1)
The Classic Fairy Tales: Jack the Giant Killer, by Iona and Peter Opie  -  Jack the Giant Killer (6/15)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith  -  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (6/22)

July:
Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man: Vol. 1, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko  -  The Amazing Spider-Man (opening 7/6)
Batman Chronicles: Volume 1, by Bill Finger and Bob Kane  -  The Dark Knight Rises (7/20)

Boom Baby! Pacers team up with United Way

In case you didn't hear the news, the Indiana Pacers have announced a wonderful gift to United Way. They're going to sell all tickets to their preseason game against Chicago for just $10 each and donate the net proceeds to United Way. The game is Friday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.

Help United Way fill the Fieldhouse with United Way supporters in blue and gold. If it's a sellout, it'll be a $150,000 boost to the campaign.

Please help us spread the word. Send this message along to your friends, family, colleagues and employees. Click here to purchase tickets starting Friday, 12/9. Or visit uwci.org and find the Pacers logo at the bottom of the page.

Happy Holidays!

Meet the Elf on OUR Shelf, Lenny

Have you heard about Elf on a Shelf? It's the story of an elf who spies on children and reports their behavior back to Santa every night.

We wanted to get in on that fun so...meet Lenny, our Library Elf! He's "hanging around the library," on the lookout for nice girls and boys. Please come in and find him. He'll be in different library locations leading up to Christmas!

Pearl Harbor Day: A Child's View of Pearl Harbor

“The planes were so low, just barely above the roof tops, that we could see the pilot’s faces and even the goggles that covered their eyes.

In the movies, an airplane attack always has the rat-tat-tat of guns as the plane dive-bombs its target.  But when the Japanese planes flew directly over us, the sound of the bullets was muffled by the roar of the engines.   Even though we couldn’t hear them, the incendiary bullets found their targets. Our kitchen was now on fire and parts of the roof were gone.  The front door of our next door neighbor was so bullet ridden from the strafing that it fell from its hinges.”

This was an eye witness account from the eyes of a child who was in first grade living in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7th 1941. It was taken from a book written for children called  Pearl Harbor Child: A Child's View of Pearl Harbor- From Attack to Peace by Dorinda Makanaonalani Nicholson first published in 1993. It is an interesting perspective of history and a great resource to stimulate conversation.

Today, December 7, 2011, marks the 70th anniversary of the day that lives in infamy: Pearl Harbor Day. Early in the morning of Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, in a Hawaiian bay, Japan launched a deadly offensive — killing 2,402 Americans and propelling the country into World War II. Where were you in 1941? Do you have a relative or friend with and memories of that day?

Teen Winter Reading Kickoff Party

If you are in grades six and up, the Library considers you a teen. That is very cool because you get to come to teen library programs, which is really awesome because I love to feed hungry teens (and I know you are hungry just sitting here reading this). I also love to throw parties. Mix the two together and you have our Up All Night Reading: Teen Winter Reading Kickoff Party. The party is in the Lora Hussey and Olive Hoffman room on Saturday, December 10th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. You will definitely want to come because we are having a pajama party! Your parents may not want you to leave the house in your pajamas, but this time they will encourage you, because everyone wearing school-appropriate pajamas will be entered in our best dressed pajama contest. We'll make something sweet (because sweets are a staple for late night parties, even those held during the day) and will do an activity that will surely help you sleep better at night. The program is open to teens in grades six and up and college students. Registration is required and spaces are limited, so sign up soon.

I geek Wordle.net -- Unique Christmas Gift Ideas

www.Wordle.net is a fun website where you can enter words, passages, lyrics--basically any text--and the site generates a "Word cloud," a graphical formation of your text in different patterns, colors, fonts, and shapes. These clouds can then be saved, printed, or shared. You can even upload the graphics to printers and have them transferred onto items like tshirts or mugs for fun little gifts--a great idea for unique Christmas gifts!

Last year, for fun, I printed off word clouds using words that describe each of my children. To my surprise and happiness, each one now proudly displays the cloud on the wall of his or her room. In the gallery on the Wordle site, there are numerous displays of creativity: lyrics to a favorite song, a treasured Bible verse, prose from a poem, names of family members. Above is a sample Wordle of the things I geek.

It's great fun. Try it! Maybe you too can use it to create a unique gift this holiday season!

Holiday Read Alouds

The Holiday book section in Youth Services has been quite busy lately; the Thanksgiving books flew off of the shelves in November and the shelf remained empty for nearly the entire month!
As the Thanksgiving books are coming back, the Christmas and Hanukkah books are starting to go. I thought I might share my top five favorite winter holiday picture books in case you are searching for a few good reads to share with family and friends this season.

Hanukkah
Mrs. Greenberg’s Messy Hanukkah by Linda Glaser
This is a sweet story about a girl with a big heart who wants to share Hanukkah with her lonely neighbor.
The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story by Eric Kimmel
A goblin shares magic dreidels with a young boy, but the magic is gone before the boy gets home…where has the magic gone? Read the book to find out!
I Have a little Dreidel by Maxie Baum
Very young children will love the rhythmic sound of this story, which is a combination of the Dreidel Song and a story written to the tune of the Dreidel Song.
The Chanukkah Guest by Eric Kimmel
The Chanukkah Guest turns out to be a big brown bear. This is a funny story that will certainly get kids laughing!
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel
Beware, this book can be scary, it includes mean goblins and the pictures are very dark. However, the book certainly can capture the attention of an audience, especially if they like adventures or even if they like being scared! In the story, goblins are haunting a Synagogue and keeping any of the townspeople from celebrating Hanukkah. Hershel is determined to stop these goblins so that the town can celebrate Hanukkah again.

Christmas
Bear’s First Christmas by Robert Kinerk
This is absolutely my favorite Christmas story; the pictures are magically captivating and the story gives me a warm feeling every time I read it! This is a gentle story about a bear and some newly found friends who stumble across Christmas. Though they can’t completely understand the meaning what they see, they end up creating a home where they share kindness, generosity, and friendship.
The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers
This simple retelling of the Nutcracker has beautiful illustrations and the text is not overwhelming for a preschooler.
The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman
This book would be the perfect gift to share family members who are not be able to spend Christmas with family, but it is also a wonderful book to share with anyone you love, whether they are near or far. The text is rhythmic, simple and comes from the heart.
Room for a Little One: A Christmas Story by Martin Waddell
Room for a Little One is another book with beautiful illustrations and simple text that tells the story of the birth of Jesus in a way that young children can understand.
The Christmas Baby by Marion Dane Bauer
The Christmas Baby is a simple and captivating story of the Nativity.

This is not a holiday book, but The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell is a great story to read, especially during the holidays. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in gifts we forget what a gift it is to have each other, this book sweetly portrays giving the gift of friendship.
All the best to you and your family this holiday season!

Please share any of your favorite holiday books!

Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

The temperatures are falling, so we’re spending more time indoors. We’re eating heavier foods, trading fresh salads for warm soups. We’re turning on our ovens and baking goodies for the holidays. Maintaining our weight seems hopeless!

How do we avoid the annual weight gain this winter? Here are some tips from the Cleveland Clinic to keep in mind:

Make sure you eat seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. This is a great way to help fill-up your stomach but not your calorie level. When compared to other snack foods like chips, crackers and cookies, gram for gram, fruits and vegetables contain fewer calories and tons more nutrients. What’s more – the fiber in fruits and vegetables fill you up faster than traditional snack foods. Pack your refrigerator with bags of cut-up vegetables and whole or cut-up fruits. Grab a bag while on the go or at work. Make a pact with yourself that you’ll eat your five-a-day before you snack on any cookies or other holiday treats. You’re sure to take in fewer calories overall.

While you can’t control every situation, you can control how much food goes into your mouth. If you are constantly bombarded with holiday parties and displays of desserts or candies you can still effectively help prevent overeating and weight gain. One way is the one-a-day method. Allow yourself one small serving of a cookie or piece of candy each day during the holiday season. Remember that you may have to compensate for it later in the day by reducing your total caloric intake or by burning a few extra calories while exercising. If you aren’t confronted with holiday foods that day, just skip your one-a-day – but don’t compensate and double-up on your serving the next day.

Before you go to a holiday party, eat a healthy snack such as a serving of your favorite fruit, fat-free yogurt or a low-fat, whole grain granola bar. When you arrive at the party, you won’t be craving hors d’oeuvres.

One of the most effective ways to maintain or lose body weight is to engage in regular, sustained aerobic activity. To burn off those extra calories, kick up your exercise. If you exercise for 30 minutes a day, increase it to 45 minutes. If you exercise three times a week, move it up to five times a week.

The library has some great resources to help you exercise during the cold winter months. Come browse our selection of fitness DVD’s. We have a great variety. For the guys, borrow one of our Gilad dvd’s. He’s tough, and you will work up a sweat. The moves are uncomplicated, good old-fashioned calisthenics.

If you like less strenuous exercise, try a Leslie Sansone indoor walking dvd. It’s the perfect way to walk when the sidewalks are covered in ice, or it’s too dark to walk outside safely.

We also have kickboxing, dance aerobics, circuit training, belly dancing; so many ways to get your body moving! Indulge in your favorite treat, but combine it with exercise, and you won’t dread stepping on the scale.

You can read the full Cleveland Clinic article here.