Recent Award Winners in Children’s Books

June 26, 2014June 26, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Winners of the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards were announced in May at the seventh Children’s Book Week Gala in New York. Rush Limbaugh won author of the year for Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans, while Grace Lee won illustrator of the year for Sofia the First: The Floating Palace. Former Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton was also awarded with the Impact Award for his efforts to instill “a lifelong love of reading in children.”

The winner of Book of the Year, kindergarten through second grade was The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (also a nominee for the 2015 Nutmeg award).

Book of the Year winner for third through fourth grade was Bugs in My Hair! by David Shannon.

Book of the Year winner for fifth through sixth grade was National Geographic Kids Myths Busted! by Emily Krieger, illustrated by Tom Nick Cocotos.

Book of the Year winner for teens was Winner: Allegiant by Veronica Roth.

Children’s book author and illustrator Peter Brown is the recipient of the 2014 Bull-Bransom Award, announced the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Brown was selected for the award, given annually for excellence in children’s book illustration with a wildlife and nature focus, for his 2013 picture book Mr. Tiger Goes Wild.

The Nutmeg Steering Committee has also announced the 2014 Nutmeg Book Award Winners! Almost 20,000 students voted from across the state of Connecticut and here are the books that they voted for:

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper is the winner of the Intermediate Award (Grades 4-6)

Divergent by Veronica Roth is the winner of the Teen Award (Grades 7-8)

Paper Towns by John Green is the winner of the first ever High School (Grades 9-12)

IndieFlix Picks – Winter Sports Shorts

February 23, 2014February 25, 2014 / Louise / Leave a comment

Are you still in the grips of Olympic Fever? If you couldn’t get your fill of cold-weather sports from the Winter Games, here are three independent short films available on IndieFlix that might fill the gap:

1) Wapos Bay: There’s no “I” in Hockey (24 min) All ages. Awesome animation is used to tell the story of a traditional community in Canada. A neighboring town’s hockey team comes to play Wapos Bay. Will teamwork help them win? Lots of lessons to be learned in the family-friendly Wapos Bay web series.

2) Appointment in Vancouver (34 min) All ages. The amazing, true story of Casey Puckett, who battles injury and long odds to compete in numerous Olympic Games – including the 2010 winter games in Vancouver. After retiring from alpine racing, Puckett finds that the new extreme sport Skier Cross suits his talent perfectly. A selection at the Heartland Film Festival.

3) The Rink (13 min) All ages. A short film that tells the story of Charlie, a misfit disrespected by his brothers in a family coping with the loss of their wife and mother. Charlie’s journey is a coming-of-age quest to earn his older brothers’ respect and fit in by learning to play the game of hockey. He is aided in his quest by the sudden appearance of his deceased grandfather’s ghost, who has returned with some unfinished business.

If you’re in the mood for something a little longer, try:

ways2winter (105 min) Ages 13+. This documentary follows two Brits (Will and Heather) who live and work at a mountain resort in the French Alps, which feature some of the top skiing destinations in the world. Video diaries and interviews bare Will and Heather’s souls as they overcome personal and work issues, struggling to find a balance between life on and off the mountain. It gets pretty intense at times, and their honesty gives viewers an insight into their feelings and contradictions.

Valdez Goes Extreme (60 min) All Ages. The oil spill in Valdez leaves some guilt money for Exxon to hand out. Some people dream up an extreme skiing event to be held each year and soon the whole town of Valdez embraces the championships. Amazing scenics and true extreme skiing, starring the late Doug Coombs, also Jim Conway, Kristen Ulmer, and many old school greats shred away.

IndieFlix is one of many online services we offer at Cheshire Library. With your Cheshire Library Card, you get free access to thousands of streaming movies (full length, shorts and documentaries) from independent filmmakers and more than 2,000 film festivals worldwide, including SXSW, Sundance, Cannes, and Slamdance. Have you tried IndieFlix yet?

IndieFlix Pick – The Adventures of Owen

January 25, 2014January 23, 2014 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

One of the many online services we offer at Cheshire Library is IndieFlix. IndieFlix gives you access to thousands of streaming movies (full length, shorts and documentaries) from independent filmmakers and more than 2,000 film festivals worldwide, including SXSW, Sundance, Cannes, and Slamdance. Indieflix curates the best (or possibly the weirdest, depending on your taste) from worldwide film festivals to make sure indies have an audience.

All you need to access these films is a Cheshire Library Card and a broadband internet-connected device. No checkouts, returns, or waiting. Multiple users can watch the same film on different devices at the same time.

Our IndieFlix Pick this month is The Adventures of Owen. In this short film, a socially awkward little boy discovers that he can express himself through his illustrations of Spaceman X. However, his insecurities hold him back as he attempts to impress his classmate Lisa. Live action with animated sequences, from Canada by director David Cadiz. Here’s the trailer:

IndieFlix is available on all internet-enabled computers, tablets including iPad and Android, and smartphones through a web browser. Many films are also available on Roku and Xbox. These films are not rated by the MPAA, so viewer discretion is advised. Try IndieFlix and let us know what you think!

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in January…

January 3, 2014January 2, 2014 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

NEWS AND EVENTS AT THE LIBRARY – JANUARY 2014

Happy New Year! January is shaping up to be a busy month at CPL – here’s what’s happening:

January Movie Matinees

Tuesdays at 1:00pm

January 7 : Lion In Winter

January 14 : Flags of Our Fathers

January 21 :Suspicion

Cheshire Cats Classics Club

Wednesday, January 15, 7:00pm.

This month we are discussing one of the great classics of the English language, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Set near the end of the 14th century, 29 travelers from vastly differing backgrounds set out one April for Canterbury on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett. Travel is arduous and wearing, so to maintain their spirits this band of pilgrims entertains each other with a series of tall tales that span the spectrum of literary genres. Five hundred years later people are still reading The Canterbury Tales.This month’s book is available to check out at the library. Please join us! To register, please visit our website.

Powerful Positive Thinking

Thursday January 16 7:00pm

Speaker Diane Frankel-Gramelis is director of Community Education at Milford Hospital and a Health & Wellness Educator at Yale New Haven Hospital and other institutions. She has been designing and implementing health and wellness programs for over 25 years. Diane has a dynamic and varied background in childbirth, parenting counseling, stress management and health promotion; she is an empowering wellness speaker, bringing warmth, wisdom and real-life solutions to her audience. To register, please visit our website.

Guitar and Mandolin featured in January Sunday Showcase

Sunday, January 26, 4:00pm

Husband and wife duo Judy Handler and Mark Levesque blend Brazilian, Latin American, swing, gypsy, classical and folk music influences to create their sophisticated and expressive arrangements. Audiences respond with great enthusiasm to their extraordinary sound and the uplifting spirit of their music. They have performed over 1,500 concerts together throughout the Northeast and Midwest. All ages welcome – no registration required.

Free Video Production Training and Facilities at Cox Communications – Tuesday January 28, 7:00 pm.

Cheshire Library will present David Smith, Cox Communications Cheshire Public Access, on Tuesday January 28 at 7:00pm. Mr. Smith will discuss the video production training and equipment that Cox Communications offers free of charge to residents of Cheshire, Southington and Meriden. This includes the use of field equipment, studio production and video editing. Mr. Smith will also answer any questions participants may have about Cox’s local facility. To register, please visit our web site .

Chocolate for Valentine’s Day!

Thursday, January 30, 7:00pm

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many of us wonder what kind of goodies we can easily make as gifts for family and friends. Think chocolate! Long time chef and chocolate expert Maria Brandriff will demonstrate both some decadent truffles and some healthier chocolate treats in a program entitled Chocolate for the Holidays. Recipes and ample samples will be available. Space is limited. To register, please visit our website.

Children’s Programs

Monday/Tuesday Storytime

Mondays-January 6, 13, 27, February 3, 10

Tuesdays- January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Stories, songs, rhymes and a craft.Enhances children’s literacy and social skills. Children may stay with the librarian without parent or caregiver to create a sense of independence.

For ages 3-kindergarten

Mother Goose Time

Wednesdays-January 8, 15, 22, 29, February 5, 12

Session 1-9:30-9:55 AM (for children ages birth to 24 months)

Session 2-10:00-10:25 AM (for children ages 2-3)

Register for Session 2

Stories, songs and fingerplays that help develop speech and social skills. Children attend with a parent/caregiver.

Family Time

Thursdays-January 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13.

10:00 – 10:55 AM

Age-appropriate toys, craft activity, games and books. Provides opportunities for socialization and development of fine and gross motor skills. For children ages 1-3 with parent/caregiver. Register.

Gizmos, Gadgets and Goo: Mad Scientists’ Club

Thursdays, 3:45-4:45 PMThis hands-on, one-hour science program offers children a chance to see just how cool science can be! For grades 3-6.
Select Track A or B (the programs will be duplicated).

The following programs do not require registration:

Builders’ Brigade

Wednesday January 8, 22, 4:00-5 PM. For all ages.

If you love to create masterpieces with LEGO® bricks or MEGA BLOKS®, then this program is perfect for you! This program is geared toward kids ages 7 and up, but younger builders are also welcome!

Bookmarks Book Club

Tuesday January 21, 4:00 PM Grades 1-3

Tween Book Club

Tuesday January 28, 4:00 PM Grades 4-6.

Fab Film Saturday

“Turbo” Saturday, January 11, 2:00 PM. All ages.

Schedule subject to change
See our calendar for more information or check the KIDS’ PAGE on the library website!

Just For Teens

Please join us for the following teen programs:

Cheshire Anime Club – Friday, January 17, 3:00 pm

Anime Club Xtra – Tuesday, January 7, 6:00 pm

Teen games, drop-in – Fridays, January 3, 10, 24 at 2:30 pm

Yu-Gi-Oh: It’s Time to Duel – Friday, January 31, 2:30 pm

See the library’s teen page or the calendar for more information!

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Local Newspapers Available on Library Website

Want to check up on a news event from yesterday, last year, or even as far back as 25 years ago?

Then Cheshire Library has an online resource for you.

Cheshire residents have access to articles from the following Cheshire-area newspapers: Cheshire Herald 2007 to present; Meriden-Record Journal 12/7/1997 to present; New Haven Register 1988 to present. This Newsbank database is indexed and searchable, and provides full-text articles from electronic editions.

To access Cheshire-area newspaper archives, online:

Go to the Cheshire Library homepage: www.cheshirelibrary.org
Mouse over the Research tab
Click on Newspapers and Magazines
Select the title you wish to search
Enter your Cheshire Library card number

If you have any questions, call the library’s Reference Department at 203-272-2245, ext. 4.

Federal and Connecticut State Tax Forms Available

Federal and State tax forms and instruction booklets will be available in the Reference Department located on the Library’s lower level. Forms will be delivered to the library throughout the month of January, but please note that the library does not receive all forms and cannot guarantee when forms will be available. Please call (203-272-2245, ext 4) to determine if a particular form or booklet is in stock.Federal forms may be downloaded at http://www.irs.gov/Forms-&-Pubs.Connecticut state tax forms may be downloaded at http://www.ct.gov/drs/cwp/view.asp?a=1509&q=443200

From the Director’s Desk:

—Technology Survey on Library Website

We are writing our first Technology Plan and need your help to determine the best technology services for our library. The Impact Survey, developed by staff of the University of Washington Information School, ask how you use or would use various library technology services such as public computers, wireless networks, online resources, digital literacy training, etc. The survey will take about ten minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your time!

Technology Survey

—Zinio Downloadable Magazines

I am completely hooked on Zinio, the library’s downloadable magazine service and want to tell everyone how terrific it is! Haven’t tried it?

Just go to Zinio on the library’s website and sign up with your Cheshire library card. Over 60 popular magazines are available. Need some help getting started? Check out the library’s “Downloadables” page.

Ramona Burkey
Director
Cheshire Public Library

IndieFlix Pick – Jingle Blues, Jingle Bells

December 24, 2013December 11, 2013 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Our IndieFlix Pick this month is Jingle Blues Jingle Bells. This British film by Sylvester Williams is comedy about a a black family with one white child and their count down to Christmas, from 12 days before. The pressure gets worse when dad loses his job, but nothing prepares him and other members of the family from discovering a secret that could tear a happy family apart. This film is universally appealing and all families will relate to this family film. Here’s the trailer: