It’s Star Wars Day – May the Fourth be With You!

/ Louise / Leave a comment

May 4 is unofficially “Star Wars Day.” It’s the one day a year when Star Wars fans are encouraged to REALLY let their devotion to all things Star Wars out to play. Cheshire Library has got you covered, young Jedis – we have Star Wars items in just about every section of our collection. Here’s a very small taste of what you can find in our corner of the galaxy:

ADULT SCIENCE FICTION:

TEENS:

CHILDREN’S FICTION:

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EASY READERS:

NON-FICTION:

DVD:

 

Nominees for the 2015 Nutmeg Awards Announced!

/ 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 NUTMEG-LOGOencourage 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

Spring Has Sprung! Thinking About Gardening?

/ Linda / Leave a comment

pruning 2If you enjoy working in your yard, one of the first things to do in Spring is pruning.  But it can be confusing just which plants should be pruned at what time of year.  The  books listed below can help you make the right choices.

Pruning Made Easy

How To Prune

The Pruning Answer Book

gardeningNow is the time to also start planning your garden.  The Cheshire Library has a whole shelving section downstairs in the Reference Department just for Gardening Books.  For those of you who may be new to gardening, here is a selection of titles that will help you get started.  Additional titles can be found in the 635 area of Reference.

Gardening Made Simple

The New Low Maintenance Garden

The New Gardener

Trowel & Error

1001 Ingenious Gardening Ideas

Reader’s Digest Guide To Gardening

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in May

/ 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

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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

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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
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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!

/ 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.