If you liked this, you are going to love that

Visit our kid's web page and take a peak at "Books and More for Kids".  We have some terrific read-alike recommendations along with a mother-lode of great reading lists. Click on the image above and you'll zip right in.

If, like me, you weep at the thought of figuring out where a title is in the Redwall or Little House series, you'll for sure want to bookmark the miraculous "Juvenile Series and Sequels" page produced by the Mid-Continent Public Library.

I also really love Good Reads for both kid's books and adult reading ideas. Easily overlooked but also a terrific resource is our database Novelist K-8.  Spend some time wandering through these resources and I'm sure you'll discover some reading gems.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery....

...but it can also be quite humbling. This is Miss B; friend and doppelganger.
Miss B has adopted a new identity as "Miss Kitty". She puts on my name tag, sits as my desk, and generally avails herself to all who need her assistance. It does puncture any delusions of grandeur one may possess to overhear a child mimicking you. I'll say one thing for Miss Kitty, she's efficient.

Charming and clever Miss B.

The real Miss Kitty applauded the other Miss Kitty for this clever external mail pocket and picture of our very very fine house. 

 In 'lo these many years of public service, I don't believe I've ever been complimented for being "righteous".  I swear I didn't write this to myself {wink}.

Recently, with a righteous but gentle nudge I made her get out of my chair and reminded her she's had my name-tag in her bedroom for several weeks now and I do in fact need to wear it. She made me a new one after a lengthy discussion about the Marin County Free Library logo.

I wouldn't mind trading places with Miss B. on a day when a quarterly report is due. Here's another fun book about trading places. As always, read the book before you see the movie.

Monday begins...

MARINet catalog. Click on image to place a hold

This day was on the first of many similar ones for the emancipated Mole, each of them longer and fuller of interest as the ripening summer moved onward. He learnt to swim and to row, and entered into the joy of running water; and with his ear to the reed-stems he caught, at intervals, something of what the wind went whispering so constantly among them.

Happy Earth Day dear reader. One musn't leave childhood, or adulthood for that matter, without reading Kenneth Grahame's classic, A Wind in the Willows. This particular edition is from a series of unabridged classics published by Sterling that I recommend highly. Illustrated by the talented graphic designer Scott McKowen,  all the must-read classics are in this series and lucky for you, the library owns the entire set. And that's something to celebrate- Earth  Day and every day.

Food for Thought

Kids are invited to celebrate National Library Week at branches of Marin County Free Library by playing a game to win free tickets to the Marin County Fair.

“Food for Thought” is the name of the game, a tie-in to the Library’s upcoming summer reading program theme, “Reading is So Delicious,” and the Marin County Fair theme, “School’s Rule.”

 Kids who identify the fruits and veggies on the Food for Thought placemat will receive a pass good for 1 free child’s admission to the 2013 Marin County Fair. Passes can be used on Wednesday, July 3 or Friday, July 5, 2013.

Children who read a book about food will win a second free child’s admission. Kids can play the game from April 15 through April 28. For a complete list of MCFL branches and hours, visit www.marinlibrary.org.

Try on a Russian space suit! Where do I sign up?

Don't miss this awesome event this weekend! Wouldn't a photo of you in a Russian space suit make for the most awesome school picture ever?!

Friday finishes....

Grab your bike buddies and pedal on over to the library this weekend to grab this fun picture book read by Civic Center's very own biking-librarian Elmer Jan! But if your bike tire is flat, not to worry, you can phone in to Dial-A-Story to hear a new story read each week.

Duck on a Bike. Copyright 2002 David Shannon. New York: Blue Sky Press.

Monday begins....

Here's a lovely little bedtime read-aloud to start our week with.  I promise you'll want to check out the book to find what happens to our wee little Pigeon Jones. All comfy and tucked in? Teeth brushed? Let's read chapter one together.




Text copyright 2011 by Michelle Cuevas. Pictures copyright 2011 by Ed Young. Frances Foster Books. Farrar Straus Giroux, New York.