Books about the First Day of School

August 7, 2015July 15, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

The first day of school can be scary for all grades, but especially for those in Preschool, Kindergarten, and the other lower grades. New teachers, new schools, and new classmates can spark anxiety and excitement for every child. Whether they are worried about being away from home, making friends, or what to expect it can be a stressful time for children, and their parents. Here are some great picturebooks to read with children (or parents) that are a little worried about going back to school that can help them get excited, confident, and ready for the big day.

1.Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

2.My Name Is Yoon by Helen Recorvits

3.Chu’s First Day of School (Chu, #2) by Neil Gaiman

4.First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

5.Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin

6.Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

7.The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing

8.Miss Nelson Is Missing! (Miss Nelson, #1) by Harry Allard

9.Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

10.Back to School Tortoise by Lucy M. George

And because you might have read all of these, and because I just cannot stop myself, here are some additional titles you might want to check out: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, David Goes To School by David Shannon, Splat the Cat: Back to School, Splat! by Rob Scotton, Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont, First Grade Stinks! by Mary Ann Rodman, Louise the Big Cheese and the Back-to-School Smarty-Pants by Elise Primavera, Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London, Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School by Herman Parish, If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Joffe Numeroff, and The Teacher from the Black Lagoon (Black Lagoon, #1) by Mike Thaler.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in August

August 3, 2015August 3, 2015 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

The dog days of summer are upon us. Beat the heat and maybe even learn something new with our August lineup of programs!

Storytime at Cheshire Park

Wednesday Aug 5, 12, 19 2015, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Meet us at the Cheshire Park this summer for a special program in the park! Bring your lunch and we will read stories and have fun with our parachute. Look for our Cheshire Public Library banner. If it’s raining, we will see you on the next sunny Wednesday! All ages welcomed, but stories will be best for kids ages 3 and up. Drop-in, no registration required.

Builders Brigade

Wednesday Aug 12 and 26 2015, 4:00 PM

Kids have the opportunity to use their best creativity to design buildings, creatures, and more using LEGO and Mega Bloks. They can work alone, or in a team with peers. A different theme is picked for each session and kids can build on that theme or build a creation of their own. At the end of each session, we will put photos of all projects on display on our Builders Brigade Blog! Children ages 7 and under must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required.

S.T.E.A.M. Punks

Friday Aug 14, 2015, 3:00 – 4:30 PM

This program will feature a variety of STEAM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math): mainly robotics, circuits & simple electronics, food science, zendoodle, tool box jewelry… you name it- you’ll just have to show up to find out what we’ll be doing! For grades 6 through 12- no registration required. The more the merrier- bring your friends, learn some cool stuff, and have a ball at the library!

Music For Kids

Monday Aug 17, 2015, 4:00 PM

Join Buzz Gordo (aka Gary Mezzi) & Tom Smith at a music program just for for kids and their folks. Buzz strums guitar and ukulele, while Tom keeps a beat that makes it easy for kids to dance around.Throw in some storytelling (Buzz has been a children’s librarian for years) and lots of movement and participation, and kids from 3-10, and maybe even their older siblings, will have a rockin’ time. No registration required.

Summer Fab Films: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Wednesday Aug 19, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Come enjoy some great box office movies with Summer Fab Film evenings at Cheshire Public Library! This month we’re showing Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Running Time 2 hours, 1 minute. Rated PG-13.
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Feel free to bring your own snacks!

‘Who Was’ Book Club: STAN LEE

Thursday Aug 20, 2015, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

If you love reading books from the ‘Who Was’ series, than this is the book club for you! Our August book is Who Is Stan Lee? For all of those super hero fans out there, we’ll talk about the man who launched a comic book empire and have some “super” fun along the way. No registration required – all fans of the series are welcome!

Summer Reading Finale at ARTSPLACE

Monday Aug 24, 2015, 6:00 PM

Join us for our Summer Reading Finale hosted at Artsplace, 1220 Waterbury Road in Cheshire. Express your inner artist and learn new art techniques with Artsplace artists, play with art robots, and use our green screen to make funny pictures and videos. Light refreshments will be served during our Summer Reading Raffle. All Ages, no registration required.

PLEASE NOTE: this program is not at the library. It is located at Artsplace: 1220 Waterbury Road in Cheshire. CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS.

Apps in the Afternoon

Wednesday Aug 26, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 PM

Beat the summer heat with an interactive hour of apps! Bring your smartphone or tablet, and share your favorite apps while discovering new fun and practical downloads. Please register on our website.

Tech Open House

Thursday Aug 27, 2015, 1:30 – 2:30 PM

Do you have questions about your computer, smartphone, or iPad? Do you need help navigating Facebook or downloading an ebook? Let our tech gurus help! Bring your technology-related questions and curiosities to Cheshire Public Library’s Tech Open House. Our knowledgeable staff will be available to answer your questions and solve your technology-related problems. No registration required.
NOTE: If you are coming for assistance with your own electronic device, please be sure it is fully charged beforehand. In the event your question or issue is more involved, we may ask you to schedule an appointment and come back for one-on-one help.

Leather Craft Class

Thursday Aug 27, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Please join Vanessa Fasanella as she teaches how to make a wallet or bracelet, or other project of your choice, out of high quality leather in this adult crafting class . This adult only class is free and all materials will be provided. Space is limited, so please register on our website or call 203-272-2245 ext. 4.

Picturebooks about Animals in Libraries

July 31, 2015July 24, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

My daughter is animal mad. She loves anything and everything animal related. Animal print clothes, pretending to be a wolf cub, watching Wild Kratts, and so on. I am a librarian, and so it follows that I love all things book related. I love the feel of books, the smell, and of course the reading experience. This inspired me to combine our passions and look at picture books about animals in the library. There is an unexpectedly large number of picture books featuring critters of some nature spending some quality time at their local library.

1. Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

2. Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

3. The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli

4. Can I Bring Woolly to the Library, Ms. Reeder? by Lois G. Grambling

5. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen

6. There’s a Dragon in the Library by Dianne de Las Casas

7. Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

8. Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea

9. No T. Rex in the Library by Toni Buzzeo

10. Homer, the Library Cat by Reeve Lindbergh

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You might want to look at A Library Book for Bear by Bonny Becker, Library Mouse: a Friend’s Tale by Daniel Kirk, Our Library by Eve Bunting, Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home by Daniel Kirk, Dewey’s Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter, Quiet! there’s a Canary in the Library by Don Freeman, and Llama in the Library by Johanna Hurwitz as well.

Author Jill Shalvis Never Disappoints!

July 29, 2015July 28, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

I read a lot of contemporary romance books, although lately, I haven’t been reading much. The books seem to carry the same theme and they were all starting to sound alike. I’ve even passed on some new books by a few of my favorite authors. But then one of my most favorite authors came out with a new series and I gave her new book a shot. Nirvana! I was not disappointed in the least!

Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis is the first book in her new series, Cedar Ridge. Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it’s the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there’s an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile .

The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance .

There have been plenty of books about firefighters and rescuers, but somehow (because she’s overflowing with talent?), Ms. Shalvis consistently writes books that are fresh, new, and exciting – and this one is a real page turner. From the very first chapter, you are completely engaged in the characters and the location. Readers can relate to the Kincaid family – it is flawed and struggling with a life that hasn’t been easy. Ms. Shalvis’ description of the town of Cedar Ridge makes you want to move there. The story flawlessly moves along enveloping you in lots of romance and laughter, great chemistry between characters, and enticing secondary characters throughout that make you very excited for the next book to come out!

POST NOTE: On July 25, 2015, Ms. Shalvis was awarded a RITA award at the Romance Writers of America conference in New York City for her book, One In A Million, the last book in her Lucky Harbor series.

(RITA Award – The purpose of the RITA award is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas. The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for excellence in published romance fiction.)

Adult Non Fiction about Librarians and Libraries

July 27, 2015July 15, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

I was inspired by the new series of posts about the work that goes on behind the scenes in our library to gather some of the best books about working in a library and the history of libraries to share. If you want to know a little more about life behind the desk, and some history of our little corner of the world and beyond, you might want to take a look at these titles.

I Work at a Public Library: a Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks by Gina Sheridan
Collects strange-but-true anecdotes, heartwarming stories, and humorous interactions with patrons from a public librarian.

Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas
An autobiography set in a Southern California public library offers a quirky description of life as a caretaker of modern literature and furnishes an account of the history of libraries from the Gilded Age to the present day.

The World’s Strongest Librarian: a Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne
Traces the public librarian author’s inspiring story as a Mormon youth with Tourette’s Syndrome who after a sequence of radical and ineffective treatments overcame nightmarish tics through education, military service and strength training.

This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson
In a celebration of libraries and the dedicated people who staff them, the author argues that librarians are more important than ever, and discusses a new breed of visionary professionals who use the Web to link people and information.

Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference by Joanne Oppenheim
Provides the story of life in a Japanese internment camp during World War II through the correspondence of the children in the camp to their librarian, Miss Clara Breed, who worked on their behalf to show the injustice of their imprisonment.

Library: an Unquiet History by Matthew Battles
Provides an intriguing historical study of libraries and books, their preservation, and destruction, from the U.S. to Europe and Asia, from medieval monasteries and Vatican collections to the ever-changing information highway of today.