Happy Birthday, Shel Silverstein!

Today would have been Shel Silverstein's 82nd birthday! A cartoonist and children's author, Silverstein is most remembered for his poetry.

Fun facts about Shel Silverstein:

• Born in Chicago
• Began writing and drawing at age 12
• Was also a songwriter (wrote 'A Boy Named Sue' made famous by Johnny Cash)

Find out more about Shel Silverstein at his website, www.shelsilverstein.com.

Here are some of Miss Cate's favorite Silverstein books:

                   

New Picture Books - September 2012

Here is a spotlight on some of the new picture books we have at the library for September 2012.

1-2-3 Peas - Keith Baker (JE BAKER CONCEPT BK)

Busy little peas engage in their favorite activities as they introduce the numbers one to 100. Wonderful bright and detailed pictures! Children will love looking at the silly things these peas are doing on each page. 

I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black and Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi (JE BLACK)

There is nothing boring about being a kid...but try explaining that to a potato. A little girl who starts out being 'so bored' quickly becomes excited while trying to explain all the great things kids can do to a potato (who is not impressed). Silly story, would be great to read to a child who says "there's nothing to do". 

Olive and the Big Secret -Tor Freeman (JE FREEMAN)

Olive is told a secret. She wants to tell Jessie. She almost tells Ziggy. She does tell Joe! Now Joe has a secret...what will happen next! Find out in this wonderfully sweet and witty book!Cute story about a game of game of telephone with a secret. Want to know what the secret is? Read the book! 

Goldilocks and Just One Bear - Leigh Hodgkinson (JE HODGKINSON) 

Ever wonder what happened to Goldilocks and Little bear after she left his house? Well in this story Little Bear is all grown up and Goldilocks is a distant memory. One day, Little Bear wanders out of the wood and finds himself lost in the Big City. Will he find the city too noisy? Too quiet? Or just right? And what are the chances of him bumping into someone who remembers exactly how he likes his porridge? Be sure too look for all the other fun fairy tale references in the illustrations!

The Best Bike Ride Ever  by James Proimos and Johanna Wright (JE PROIMOS) 

Bonnie has a new bike, and she can't wait to ride it! She bikes over mountains, under a giraffe, up the Statue of Liberty, down the Grand Canyon, even into the land of the lost. There's just one thing Bonnie can't do on her bike...stop! Kids will relate to the excitement and freedom that comes with riding a bike (and having a little imagination).

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (JE RUBIN) 

Explores the love dragons have for tacos, and the dangers of feeding them anything with spicy salsa. A great story for anyone who loves silly books, dragons, and tacos (which is everyone)! 

Guinea Pig Party - Holly Surplice (JE SURPLICE) 

Count to ten and back again with cute and cuddly, birthday-party-celebrating guinea pigs! Though that party starts out with ten guinea pigs, it winds down as the guest leave one by one. But- not to worry- with a perfectly timed birthday wish, they're all back to celebrate some more. Based on a familiar rhyme and combining counting with adorable little animals this is a perfect birthday - or any day- book!

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs - As Retold by Mo Willems (JE WILLEMS) 

Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. They decide to set a trap for an unsuspecting girl, named Goldilocks. Will she fall for it? Find out in this hilarious retelling of a famous fairy tale.  




These are only a small portion of the new pictures books we have currently. Make sure to check out the full selection in the library, located next to the concept books. 

Happy Birthday, Roald Dahl!

Today would have been Roald Dahl's 96th birthday! Dahl is the author of many well-loved children's stories including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) and The Witches (J Fiction DAHL). 

Here are a few fun facts about Roald Dahl that can be found on his website (www.roalddahl.com):

• His favorite music was Beethoven.

• His favorite smell was bacon frying. 

• His favorite color was yellow. 

• If he had not become a writer he would have liked to have been a doctor.

• His first book published was James and the Giant Peach. The year was 1961. 

You can learn more about Roald Dahl and his life by reading his autobiography Boy: Tales of Childhood (J 921 DAHL). 

Celebrate his birthday by checking out any of his books or renting a movie that is based on one his stories from the Oak Brook Public Library today!

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." - Roald Dahl

Hello! From Miss. Cate!

Hello, my name is Miss. Cate. I am the newest staff member of the Oak Brook Public Library Youth Services Department. I am very excited to join the team of wonderful people here at the library!

A little bit about myself, I recently graduated from Elmhurst College with a degree in Education. I studied Early Childhood Education and minored in Special Education.  When I am not at the library I like to read, swim, run and watch television.

I love working with children of all age levels especially in the library environment during storytimes. There is so much excitement and exploration, plus music and art are always present, which keeps every day interesting! This session I will be doing the Terrific Three and Four Year Old storytimes and am looking forward to meeting many new faces! 

I thought I would include in my first post on this blog my favorite children’s and young adult literature.

J- Fiction

Ramona Quimby Series  - J Cleary

Growing up my favorite books were the Ramona series by Beverly Clearly. Still very popular today the series is centered around a young girl named Ramona living in Oregon with her family. The first book begins with Ramona starting Kindergarten at age 5 and continues till Ramona is 9 going on age 10 or ‘zero-teen’.

As a young girl I connected with Ramona because she was not quite a “tomboy”, but she was not a “girly-girl” either. Since I was a Third Grader whose headband never seemed to stay on straight, I related to this awkward portrayal of growing up. Beverly Cleary deals with many family issues that are still relevant, including sister rivalry, a family member’s unemployment and the loss of a family pet. Ramona’s wild imagination and crazy antics keep these books poignant and entertaining. 

To play games and find out more information about Ramona and her friends on Kitkat Street check out Beverly Cleary’s website.  (http://www.beverlycleary.com/)

Easy Readers

Elephant and Piggie - E Willems

A new favorite of mine are the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems. These stories, located in the Easy Reader section, are bright, fun and are sure to put a smile on your face. Whether you are learning the importance to finding a way  to include everyone in play (Can I Play Too?) or just being silly (We are in a Book!) you will love sharing adventures with these unlikely friends! 

Find Elephant and Piggie coloring pages and play games with Mo Willems’ other creative characters at www.gomo.net and  www.pigeonpresents.com.

Young Adult

Divergent Series – YA Roth

The Hunger Games is a very popular series by Suzanne Collins, after reading it like many others I was hungry for more Young Adult with Dystopian elements. I was very excited to find a series by Veronica Roth called Divergent, this trilogy already has the first two books out (Divergent and Insurgent) with the final book being released Fall 2013.  

What I found really neat about this book is that it takes place in Chicago, but not the Chicago we know today. It has been separated into 5 fractions each with their own virtue (bravery, honesty, selflessness, intelligence, peacefulness). On your 16^th birthday you are able to switch to a different fraction than the one you were born into. For the main character, Beatrice this is a choice between staying with her family or being who she really is.  Her choice surprises everyone she knows and herself.

Beatrice finds out new things about herself, love, and the society she lives in. Read more about Divergent and Insurgent on Veronica Roth’s blog (http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/)

I hope you enjoy these books as much as I do!