Percy Jackson Party

Camp Half-Blood Wants You!

Δ Do you think your teachers are secretly monsters?
Ω Do you suspect you have hidden powers?
π Could your real mother or father be an Olympian god?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Join us for a Camp Half-Blood regional meeting, celebrating the movie release of the first Percy Jackson adventure:
The Lightning Thief.

Games! Trivia! Puzzles! Prizes!
(Prizes include movie tickets!!!)

Wednesday, February 10: 4:00 p.m.
Sun Prairie Public Library -- Community Room

For older kids and teens who have read The Lightning Thief and are ready to put their Percy Jackson knowledge to the test! You must be at least 8 years old and have read the entire book prior to registration to attend this program.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Space is limited! Stop by the Children’s Desk or call 825-0701 to register.
Program will last approx. 1 hour.

Hope to see you there! -Ms. Sandy

Favorite picture books

Last week, I posted some of my favorite recent chapter books. Here are a few of my favorite recent (published in 2008 & 2009) picture books:


Hello, Day! by Anita Lobel

What will baby's first word be? Hello? Sun? Dog? Cat? Cow? Owl?
Spend a day in the country with Anita Lobel's friendly animals. Meow. Woof. Moo! Whoo! Baby will be talking in no time!





Don't Worry Bear by Greg Foley

The star of Thank You Bear returns to make a new friend, as well as a wonderful discovery. When Caterpillar tells Bear that he is making a cocoon, Bear is worried. Will Caterpillar be safe? Will he be warm? Will he stay dry? Throughout the long winter, Caterpillar reassures him that all is fine. But the day comes when Caterpillar's cocoon is empty and Bear begins worrying all over again. Until a beautiful silk moth lands on his paw. “Don't worry, Bear,” he says. “I'm right here.”


A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

When James and Eamon go to a week of Nature Camp and stay at Eamon's grandparents' house, it turns out that their free time spent staying inside, eating waffles, and playing video games is way more interesting than nature. But sometimes things work out best when they don't go exactly as planned. In this moving and hilarious celebration of young boys, childhood friendships, and the power of the imagination, Marla Frazee captures the very essence of summer vacation and what it means to be a kid.


My Name is Sangoel by Khadra Mohammed

When eight-year-old Sangoel comes to the United States from war-torn Sudan, everyone mispronounces his Dinka name until he has the bright idea to make a rebus of a sun and a soccer goal on his T-shirt. This simple story puts a child-friendly spin on a common immigrant experience as the child's classmates respond with similar puzzle pictures of their own names. An excellent conversation starter for young and old alike.



Thunder Boomer by Shutta Crum

A summer storm brings relief from the heat—and a surprise—to a farm family. It's a hot day on the farm, and a little girl, her brother, and their mother are trying to cool off by the pond. Suddenly, dark clouds roll in. A thunder-boomer is on the way! The storm brings pounding rain and hail—and an unexpected visitor: a soggy wet stray kitten. Colorful descriptions of the storm are accompanied by lots of playful sound effects, making it perfect for reading aloud.



Boo Hoo Bird by Jeremy Tankard

Bird and Raccoon are playing ball, when Bird gets bonked on the head. "Boo hoo hoo!" he cries. What will make Bird feel better? A kiss? A cookie? A bandaid? Bird's friends Raccoon, Rabbit, Beaver, Sheep, and Fox are full of sweet and funny ideas.



Can You Make a Scary Face by Jan Thomas

What kind of a face would you make if a tickly green bug were sitting on your nose? Or -- eek! -- inside your shirt? Could you make a scary face to frighten it away? Or, even better, stand up and do the chicken dance? Yes? Then better get to it!
This exuberant, interactive picture book starring a bossy little ladybug and a GIANT hungry frog will have kids leaping up and down and out of their seats to dance and make silly-scary faces of their own.



Robot Zot! by Jon Scieszka

From the minds of Scieszka and Shannon comes a tale of a quixotic robot determined to conquer the earth. The only problem is that the earth he lands on is a suburban kitchen and he is three inches tall. Robot Zot, the fearless and unstoppable warrior, leaves a trail of destruction as he encounters blenders, toasters, and televisions. But when he discovers the princess...a pink cell phone...his mission takes a new course. Robot Zot must learn how to be a hero - in the name of true love.



That's all for now! Ms. Lynn

It's 2010!

Time flies and I can't believe it's already 2010!

Here's a few of my favorite gems that were published in 2009 that you might have missed:

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine.

The last thing Harry “Dit” Sims expects when Emma Walker comes to town is to become friends. Proper-talking, brainy Emma doesn’t play baseball or fish too well, but she sure makes Dit think, especially about the differences between black and white. But soon Dit is thinking about a whole lot more when the town barber, who is black, is put on trial for a terrible crime. Together Dit and Emma come up with a daring plan to save him from the unthinkable. Set in 1917 and inspired by the author’s true family history, this is the poignant story of a remarkable friendshipand the perils of small-town justice.


Also Known As Harper by Ann Haywood Leal.

Harper Lee Morgan is an aspiring poet, which isn't surprising, seeing as how she's named after her mama's favorite writer, Harper Lee. And life is giving her a lot to write about just now. Daddy up and walked out, leaving them broke. Then Harper's family gets evicted. With Mama scrambling to find work, Harper has to skip school to care for her little brother, Hemingway. Their lives have been turned upside down, which Harper could just about handle--if it wasn't for the writing contest at school. If only she could get up on that stage and read her poems out loud...

Powerless by Matthew Cody

Twelve-year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, soon learns the truth about his nice—but odd—new friends: one can fly, another can turn invisible, yet another controls electricity. Incredible. The superkids use their powers to secretly do good in the town, but they’re haunted by the fact that the moment they turn thirteen, their abilities will disappear—along with any memory that they ever had them. Is a memory-stealing supervillain sapping their powers? The answers lie in a long-ago meteor strike, a World War II–era comic book (Fantastic Futures, starring the first superhero, Johnny Noble), the green-flamed Witch Fire, a hidden Shroud cave, and—possibly, unbelievably—“powerless” regular-kid Daniel himself. Superhero kids meet comic book mystery in this action-filled debut about the true meaning of a hero.

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

A tragic accident has turned eleven-year-old Aubrey’s world upside down. Starting a new life all alone, Aubrey has everything she thinks she needs: SpaghettiOs and Sammy, her new pet fish. She cannot talk about what happened to her. Writing letters is the only thing that feels right to Aubrey, even if no one ever reads them. With the aid of her loving grandmother and new friends, Aubrey learns that she is not alone, and gradually, she finds the words to express feelings that once seemed impossible to describe. The healing powers of friendship, love, and memory help Aubrey take her first steps toward the future. Love, Aubrey is devastating, brave, honest, funny, and hopeful, and it introduces a remarkable new writer, Suzanne LaFleur. No matter how old you are, this book is not to be missed.

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance. And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. And Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther before they really begin to see the big picture. That's life in the swamp, kids.

That's all for now -- more to come another time!

Ms. Lynn