What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in July

July 1, 2015July 22, 2015 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

A Summer of Learning, that’s what’s happening! Most of our summertime programs are geared towards kids, promoting reading and learning over the summer. There’s still time to sign up for our Summer Reading club, and we’ve got plenty of activities to keep you busy during the summer months. Here’s just a taste:

Puppet Making with Artsplace

Tuesdays Jul 7 & 14 2015, 10:00 AM

Learn to make puppets using unique and everyday items. Robin McCahill, local artist at Artsplace, will be our artist in residence leading this workshop on puppet making. For grades K-2, Register online starting June 15.

Teen Read to Tots

Wednesdays (Jul 8 – Aug 12), 9:30 AM

Teens entering grades 7 and up will be paired with preschoolers (ages 3-5) for stories and a craft. All participants must attend at least 5 sessions. Register online beginning June 1st.

Going for the Stars

Thursday Jul 9, 2015, 6:00 PM

Lift-off to learning with this hands-on multimedia presentation. Meet Robo the friendly robot who talks, moves and interacts with the audience. Learn about orbits, microgravity, rockets, living in space and much more. Volunteers from the audience, dressed in astronaut flight suits, perform live demonstrations and experiments. Along with the use of computer aided technology and numerous props, this presentation creates a fun learning experience.Grades K-8, NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Summer Fab Film : The Spongebob Movie – Sponge Out of Water

Wednesday Jul 15, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

When a diabolical pirate above the sea steals the secret Krabby Patty formula, SpongeBob and his nemesis Plankton must team up in order to get it back! Running Time 1 hour, 32 minutes. Rated PG. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Feel free to bring your own snacks!

Wild Around the World

Thursday Jul 16, 2015, 4:00 PM

The Stamford Museum and Nature Center will be bringing animals from all over the world to visit at the Library. This program will be both educational and fun! For ages 4 and up.Register online starting July 1.

‘Who Was’ Book Club: GEORGE LUCAS

Thursday Jul 23, 2015, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

If you love reading books from the ‘Who Was’ series, than this is the book club for you! July 2015 book: Who Is George Lucas? In honor of the upcoming new Star Wars flick, we’ll talk about the original Star Wars creator himself and have a little surprise fun with some of the library’s new technology. Copies of the book are available in the Children’s Room. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED, all ages are welcome!

Creating Musical Readers: Manuelo the Playing Mantis

Tuesday Jul 28, 2015, 10:00 & 10:45 AM

Literacy and music combine in Creating Musical Readers, designed for kids ages 4-7. A cellist from the New Haven Symphony Orchestra will bring his cello and read Manuelo, the Playing Mantis by Don Freeman. Come see the story come to life through music, a great way to learn about the instruments of the orchestra! This program is best for ages 4-7. Children must be accompanied by a caregiver. Space is limited, please register online beginning July 1.

Storytime at Cheshire Park

Wednesday Jul 29, 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.

Nature Nick’s Animal Adventures

Thursday Jul 30, 2015, 4:00 PM

Let Nature Nick introduce you to the true heroes of the animal kingdom. Learn about falcons used in World War II and even a kangaroo that saved a boy in Australia! For ages 4 and up. Register online starting July 1.

All NEW! Teen Games

Friday Jul 31, 2015, 2:30 – 4:30 PM

We just got a Nintendo WiiU with Super Mario 3D World, NintendoLand, Mario Kart 8, Super Smashbrothers, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, and The Wonderful 101! We’ve got all-new card and board games too- like Channel A, Killer Bunnies, SuperFight! and Munchkin- so come play games and nibble snacks, FTW! For grades 6—12, NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Getting Past Captain Underpants

June 22, 2015June 1, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

My son was not as instantly attracted to books and reading as myself or his little sister. While he loved picking out books and being read to, once it came time to read on his own he was easily discouraged. He had the skills to read, but had trouble sitting still or focusing on decoding the more challenging words. I offered him every style of easy reader and early chapter book imaginable. Thankfully, as a librarian with many friends that happen to teach, I had plenty of resources. The book that finally caught his attention is one that many try to steer clear of because of its silly and sometimes disgusting humor. However, if he was going to read, and do so happily, I was going to encourage it regardless of the book in question.

As you might have guessed, that book was Captain Underpants. He has now read the boxed set of the series through more than a few times, and expanded to other books, all of which I like much better. Now he still loves that silly humor, but he also loves jokes and anything vaguely monster, hero, or adventure. So, for fellow parents that fear the draw of the Captain, there are some great follow up books that a fan might easily and happily transition to. The number of easier chapter books and graphic novels that will appeal to the fans of Captain Underpants is growing, with volume and quality. If you are trying to ease your young reader away from the underwear clad superhero, here are some great options to keep them reading. If the book belongs to a series, which most of them do, I have listed the first book in that series. And on a side note, do not be afraid to introduce harder books via audiobooks! I hooked both my kids on the Magic Tree House series by listening to the audio book collection in the car.

Squish 1: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Introducing SQUISH—a new graphic novel series about a comic book-loving, twinkie-eating grade school AMOEBA trying to find his place in the world (or at least trying to make it through a school day).

Sardine in Outer Space by Emmanuel Guibert
Sardine and her uncle, Captain Yellow Shoulder, sail their ship, The Huckleberry, across the universe meeting up with monsters and aliens in order to confront Supermuscleman, who is trying to take over the galaxy.

George Brown, Class Clown: Super Burp by Nancy E. Krulik
When fourth-grader George starts at a new school, he vows to become a model student instead of the class clown he has always been, but just as his plan is going really well, he is overtaken by a magic burp that turns him back into a mischief-maker.

The Fake Cape Caper by Greg Trine

Melvin Beederman, superhero in charge of Los Angeles, attends the Superhero’s Convention in Las V egas, leaving his young sidekick to keep Los Angeles safe from evil bad guys and bullies.

Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight
Fourth-grader Frankie Piccolini has a vivid imagination when it comes to cleaning his disastrously messy room, but eventually even he decides that it is just too dirty.

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There is an increasing number of wonderful books for this reading level and age group as of late. If you have already read all of these and are still looking for me you might also want to try: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne, The High and the Flighty by Catherine Hapka and Lisa Rao, Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy: The Hero Revealed by William Boniface, Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons by Troy Cummings, Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Wiley & Grampa’s Creature Features by Kirk Scroggs,Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon, Looinverse: Stranger Things by David Lubar, My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O’Hara, Galaxy Zack: Hello Nebulon by Ray O’Ryan, and Attack of the Giant Hamster by Paul Harrison.

Young Adult Book Club Picks

June 10, 2015May 26, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Every month there are more and more fantastic young adult books available. There also seem to be more book clubs starting every month. So, lets combine the two. Young adult book clubs can be made up of the supposed target for these books, adults that just love the books, or a combination of the two. A parent/child book club is a great way to start a valuable dialogue, and book clubs for just young adults can keep the love of reading going while adding a possibility of inciting friends of avid readers to join in. Any way you look at it, a book club can be a wonderful thing, as long as the group can decide on the books they want to read and discuss. No matter the demographic of a book club, this is often the hardest part.

So, if you are trying to start a young adult book club, or looking to add some books to your list of possible reads, I have some suggestions for you.

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko
Kirsten and Walk, seventh-graders at an elite private school, alternate telling how race, wealth, weight, and other issues shape their relationships as they and other misfits stand up to a mean but influential classmate, even as they are uncovering a long-kept secret about themselves.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called “Out-With” in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence.

I Am J by Cris Beam
J, who feels like a boy mistakenly born as a girl, runs away from his best friend who has rejected him and the parents he thinks do not understand him when he finally decides that it is time to be who he really is.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss-her life-and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend’s memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel sinceSpeak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all: hope.

A Monster Calls by Siobhan Dowd and Patrick Ness
Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill, but an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

Other highly recommend books for young adult book clubs, serious discussion, or simply enjoying include: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, Sold by Patricia McCormick, Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers, Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, London Calling by Edward Bloor, Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys, Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen, The Story of Owen by E.K. Johnston, Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac, Just In Case by Meg Rosoff, The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas,Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Raven Summer by David Almond, Before I Die by Jenny Downham, Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr, The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan, The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray,or Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

Zen Doodles and Zentangles; When Creativity and Relaxation Collide

May 27, 2015May 28, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Zentangles and Zen Doodling are an art form that has become a new trend. Many are using this artistic endeavor like meditation, others are using it to flex their creative muscles, and others are just trying it because it is new and fun. This art form is using structured patterns or forms. Since it all starts with following a series of steps and set pattern there is no real right or wrong way to go. It does not matter if you think you are lacking talent or a phenomenal artist, everyone’s effort is wonderful and there is no way to fail. It can be a great way for the art leery to get started in creative endeavors.

If you are ready to go, we have a Zen Doodle Program on May 29th from 3 to 4:30 pm in our Mary Baldwin room. No registration is required, so join in and enjoy. Interested but too nervous to jump on in? Well, you can always check out some of the books we have acquired on Zen Doodling and Zentangles. Most are new to the collection and offer clear instructions and samples to help inspire you.

The art of Zentangle : 50 inspiring drawings, designs & ideas for the meditative artist senior editor, Stephanie Meissner

One zentangle a day : a 6-week course in creative drawing for relaxation, inspiration, and fun by Beckah Krahula

Zentangle basics. 1 by Suzanne McNeill

Zentangle 10 : featuring ideas for origami & paper crafts by Suzanne McNeill

Let’s tangle! the art of zentangle : a step-by-step guide to this simple but elegant art form by Kathleen Murray, CZT

For further reading you might want to explore the Zentangle website or request these books from other libraries: Zen doodle : oodles of doodles edited by Tonia Jenny, Zen doodle : tons of tangles edited by Tonia Jenny and Amy Jones,The beauty of zentangle : inspirational examples from 137 tangle artists worldwide by Suzanne McNeill, CZT and Cindy Shepard, CZT, Zen doodle : tons of tangles edited by Tonia Jenny and Amy Jones, Joy of Zentangle : drawing your way to increased creativity, focus, and well-being featuring contributing artists Suzanne McNeill, CZT, Sandy Steen Bartholomew, CZT, and Marie Browning, CZT, Zentangle basics by Suzanne McNeill, The Zentangle untangled workbook : a tangle-a-day to draw your stress away by Kass Hall, or The book of zentangle by Rick Roberts & Maria Thomas.

May Music

May 13, 2015April 28, 2015 / Susan O. / Leave a comment

More than sixty new CD albums have been added to CPL’s music collection in the last month alone! Here’s a few highlights of things you shouldn’t overlook:

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If you didn’t get your fill on the first two volumes of Songs of Anarchy, the fabulous soundtrack to the TV series Sons of Anarchy, volumes Three and Four are here, and are they ever beautiful! Do not miss Maggie Siff’s heartbreakingly gorgeous a capella rendition of “Lullaby for a Soldier,” or if you’re in a more upbeat mood, “Love is My Religion.” “Dock of the Bay” is a rendition worthy of Otis Redding himself. On Four, be dazzled by an off-beat and wild version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” that will stick in your head. “Aquarius” is catchy, and Katey Sagal’s updated “Greensleeves” remains touching. While the albums are utterly delightful on their own, each covering a wide variety of musical styles (Joshua James’s “Crash This Train” is sublime), at times it is gut-wrenching to hear them, if you know the context from the show in which each song is played. I cannot recommend the four albums enough.

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If you’re into something completely different, give Grammy Award winner Tom Paxton’s new album Redemption Road a try. Paxton is old-style folk; not quite country, not quite bluegrass, not quite modern, but it is music the entire family can enjoy without having to worry about language or content. He is Raffi, for grown-ups, and if you can’t imagine that, then check out his song “Skeeters’ll Gitcha.” Like a true folk singer, his songs are observations about humanity and the absurdities of modern culture. “If the Poor Don’t Matter” is a haunting tune in the best tradition of folk music. “If the poor don’t matter, then neither do I.” If you like calm, soothing music that’s worth singing to without being overpowered by loud orchestration, if you like music that feels as if you’re sitting around a campfire and the guitar is playing just for you, you’ll enjoy this album.

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A third album you don’t want to overlook is Rhiannon Giddens first solo foray, Tomorrow is My Turn. You last heard Giddens as the lead singer for the Carolina Chocolate Drops, where she wowed listeners with her pure tones and perfect pitch. Here she takes center stage in what isn’t so much an album as a resumé. Each song is different, from folk to blues to country to more popular beats such as Dolly Parton’s “Don’t Let it Trouble Your Mind,” and the easy-listening vibes of “Tomorrow is My Turn.” It’s not an album to blow you away, but a solid repertoire that says “Here’s what I can do, come see where I go.” If you like female vocalists who never fail to hit their mark, you will love her. My only wish is that she’d pick a direction: I think she’d be a fantastic blues singer with her throaty, clear style, and I would love to hear an entire album of her belting out some of the traditional songs, or even some Broadway tunes. She’s a delight on the ear.