Tell Someone to Take a Hike and Join Them!

May 10, 2014June 6, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

With the arrival of nice weather many of us are looking to get back to walking or hiking and exploring the hidden treasures around us. Did you know that there are some great places to hike right here in Cheshire? Well, we have some small maps available for free at the library with maps of local trails and routes.

We also have some great books about hiking trails in Cheshire, Connecticut, and throughout New England. Here are some of those books that might offer you hiking routes and ideas that you might have forgotten about or simply never knew about.

1. Trails, Cheshire, Connecticut. by the Cheshire Environment Commission and Cheshire Land Trust

2. AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Connecticut: Four-Season Guide to 50 of the Best Day Hikes from the Highlands to the Coast by René Laubach and Charles W.G. Smith.

3. Short Nature Walks in Connecticut by Eugene Keyarts

4. Best Hikes with Kids: Connecticut, Massachusetts & Rhode Island by Cynthia Copeland [Lewis], Thomas J. Lewis, and Emily Kerr

5. Weekend Walks along the New England Coast: Exploring the Coast from Connecticut to Maine by John Gibson

6. Connecticut Walk Book West: the Guide to the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails of Western Connecticut by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association; edited by Ann T. Colson.

7. Connecticut Walk Book East: the Guide to the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails of Eastern Connecticut by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association; edited by Ann T. Colson, Cindi D. Pietrzky

8. Hiking Connecticut and Rhode Island by Rhonda and George Ostertag.

9. 100 Classic Hikes in New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut by Jeffrey Romano.

10. Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket by Jan Mann

Nominees for the 2015 Nutmeg Awards Announced!

May 3, 2014June 9, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

The Nutmeg Children’s Book Award is the “Children’s Choice” Award for Connecticut. The goal of the committee is to encourage children in grades two through twelve to read quality literature. This Year there is a new category for the Nutmeg Awards, bring the total of categories to four, all grouped by age. The categories are now for Grades 2-4, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12. Here is a listing of the nominees. the library has purchased and cataloged multiple copies of each book. There might be a waiting list for the book(s) you are interested in most, but if you place a hold on the item we will contact you when it is your turn.

Grades 2-4

1. Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000 by Eric Wight
2. Zita the Space Girl: Far from Home by Ben Hatke
3. Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet
4. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
5. Stay: the True Story of Ten Dogs by Michaela Muntean
6. Happy Like Soccer by Maribeth Boelt
7. Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett
8. The Secret of the Stone Frog: a Toon Graphic Novel by David Nytra
9. Lulu and the Dog from the Sea by Hilary McKay
10. Sidney and Sydney Book One: Third Grade Mix-Up by Michele Jakubowski
11. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
12. Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci
13. Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball by David Kelly
14. Locomotive by Brian Floca
15. The Trouble with Chickens: a J.J. Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin

Grades 4-6

1. Walls Within Walls by Maureen Sherry
2. The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
3. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
4. Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
5. King of the Mound: My Summer with Satchel Paige by Wes Tooke
6. Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon
7. Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
8. White Fur Flying by Patricia Maclachlan
9. Shadow by Michael Morpurgo
10. Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

Grades 7-8

1. Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
2. The Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner
3. The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
4. The Final Four by Paul Volponi
5. Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
6. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
7. The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
8. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
9. The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
10. See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Grades 9-12

1. Boy21 by Matthew Quick
2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
3. The Diviners by Libba Bray
4. Every Day by David Levithan
5. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
6. My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavitt
7. Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
8. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
9. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
10. The Round House by Louise Erdrich

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in May

April 30, 2014April 30, 2014 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Another great lineup of programs scheduled for May, including our semi-annual Book Sale!

Book Sale!

May 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Join the fun and save on great books! This is the time to stock up on summer reading. See the biggest and best selection of bargain priced books! We have something for everyone from popular current bestsellers to children’s books to great literature. The Friends have also added a large collection of vintage books to the Spring Sale. More Information

Gardeners’ Best Friends: Websites & Books to Grow By
Tuesday May 6th at 7:00pm

Join us for conversation, books, and websites to help you grow your best garden ever. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
More Information
Register for this program

Visit our Green Thumb board on Pinterest!

Anime Club Xtra
Tuesday May 13th at 6:00pm

Full-length Anime movies and a wider variety of Anime shows will be offered for your viewing pleasure! High school age and up. No registration required! More Information

Visit the Teen Page of our website!

Afghan Post
Wednesday May 14th at 7:00pm

Adrian Bonenberger, author of Afghan Post, will talk about his two tours of duty in Afghanistan & the things he learned about heroism, leadership & survival. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
More Information
Register for this program

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Fab Film Saturdays
Saturday May 17th at 2:00pm

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. The magical, mythical adventures of teenager Percy Jackson – son of the Greek god Poseidon – continue in this heroic, action-packed thrill ride! No registration required!
More information

Visit the Kids Page of our website!

Neil Fitzpatrick, Classical Guitar
Sunday May 18th at 4:00pm

Guitarist Neil Fitzpatrick returns to the Cheshire Public Library for our May Sunday Showcase Concert. No registration required! Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

More Information

Vegetable Gardening Basics
Tuesday May 20th at 7:00pm

Grow vegetables all year long! Learn about selecting the site, building the garden, planting, tending & harvesting. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. More Information
Register for this program

Joseph Pierce & the 14th CT Volunteer Infantry
Wednesday May 21th at 7:00pm

Civil war reenactor and author Irving Moy will present the story of Joseph Pierce & the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. More Information
Register for this program

Quell the Science Fair Fear with Books for Inspiration!

April 29, 2014June 9, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Is it Science Fair season or do you have a child in the house that simply loves science and conducting experiments? Regardless of whether the science project is assigned or done for fun, it can be scary supervising a science experiment! It can be even worse if you never enjoyed science. However, it is important to help encourage the curiosity and interest of our children in all sorts of subjects, so we all keep trying to quell the fear and support their work. Here are some great books to help pick a project and that offer instructions that make the whole process much more enjoyable, and less stressful, for everyone involved.

1. Last-Minute Science Fair Projects: When your Bunsen’s not Burning but the Clock’s Really Ticking by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

2. Weather Projects for Young Scientists: Experiments and Science Fair Ideas by Mary Kay Carson

3. The Kid’s Book of Simple Everyday Science by Kelly Doudna

4. First Place Science Fair Projects for Inquisitive Kids by Elizabeth Snoke Harris

5. Water: Green Science Projects for a Sustainable Planet by Robert Gardner

6. Electricity and Magnetism Science Fair Projects: Using Batteries, Balloons, and other Hair-Raising Stuff by Robert Gardner

7. MythBusters Science Fair Book by Samantha Margles

8. Championship Science Fair Projects: 100 Sure-to-Win Experiments by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

9. Goal!: Science Projects with Soccer by Madeline Goodstein

10. Super Sensational Science Fair Projects by Michael A. Dispezio; illustrated by Derek Toye

Did you think I could really stop there? There are plenty of great books to help students, parents, and everyone involved, pick a science experiment or project and get started. Here are some more of the best books on the topic in our collection.

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You might want to check out: Star Wars: Science Fair Book by Samantha Margles, Energy: Green Science Projects About Solar, Wind, and Water Power by Robert Gardner, Science Fair Winners: Crime Scene Science: 20 Projects and Experiments about Clues, Crimes, Criminals, and other Mysterious Things by Karen Romano Young; illustrations by David Goldin, Janice VanCleave’s Machines: Mind-Boggling Experiments You Can Turn into Science Fair Projects, The Complete Handbook of Science Fair Projects by Julianne Blair Bochinski; illustrations by Judy J. Bochinski-DiBiase, Super Science Projects about Earth’s Soil and Water by Robert Gardner; illustrations by Tom Labaff, Bug Science: 20 Projects and Experiments about Arthropods: Insects, Arachnids, Algae, Worms, and Other Small Creatures by Karen Romano Young, Far-Out Science Projects about Earth’s Sun and Moon by Robert Gardner; illustrations by Tom LaBaff, Ace Your Ecology and Environmental Science Project: Great Science Fair Ideas by Robert Gardner, Phyllis J. Perry, and Salvatore Tocci, Yikes! Wow! Yuck!: Fun Experiments for your First Science Fair by Elizabeth Snoke Harris; illustrated by Nora Thompson, Sure-to-Win Science Fair Projects by Joe Rhatigan with Heather Smith, The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity- Challenge the World Around You! by Tom Robinson, and 100 First-Prize Make-it-Yourself Science Fair Projects by Glen Vecchione.

Want to Try A Greener Spring Cleaning?

April 24, 2014June 12, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Are you suffering from Spring Fever? Looking to clean house and purge your closets and cupboards while opening windows and letting the fresh air in? While the cleaning part might not be my favorite, I certainly enjoy the fresh, clean feel of my house when everything is spic and span. I feel even better when I get all that cleaning done without the use of the chemicals found in many commercial cleaners, which can also cost a small fortune.

The smell of a clean house that smells more like citrus and lavender is much more fun than one that smells like chemicals. It also feels a little safer to me when I know I am not using toxic chemicals around my children or pets, or on the things we all touch on a regular basis. If you are getting set to start your spring cleaning marathon, and want to do so a bit greener this year, here are some books that can offer ideas, recipes, and solutions for a greener clean this Spring.