A Summer
of Fun
Summertime is always special at Huntington Library what with the summer reading book club and all the children’s programs. This summer we held 130 programs for children with a total attendance of 1,781.
We were busy. On top of that, 394 children and teens were in our summer reading book club. They read a total of 5,250 books. That’s a lot of reading. On the sheet where the children record books they have read, they can check one of three boxes to tell us if the book is great, good or yucky. Some children give this a lot of thought, even dwelling on it. I love it when they tell us about the books that were great or even yucky. It just makes me feel that they’ll become very discriminating readers as they grow up. It’s such a pleasure to see all these children reading all summer long.
If you were in the library this summer, you may have seen some of our special programs or their results as well. There was a Recycled Sculpture’s Contest and we had some interesting renditions of re-purposed materials using soda bottles, cans, etc. We also had a photography scavenger hunt that resulted in some really different and beautiful photos by many children. They are hanging in one of the children’s rooms, so if you haven’t seen them yet, please stop in and do so. There was also a Where in Oneonta Contest in which we asked children to identify photos that we had taken from various spots in the area. Of course, we had to add a little spice to this contest. The pictures may have shown only a little tiny bit of a building or scene and the children had to figure out where it was.
What a great job they did in identifying these things. The summer always passes very quickly for us, and even though we are run ragged, we enjoy every minute of it. Once September hits things quiet down as everyone heads back to school, but we know that next summer isn’t too far off.
Children’s Books
On Bonnie Bumble’s farm, all the animals and flowers are thirsty by the time Thursday comes around. The tiger lilies are growling, Johnny jump-ups jumped up and down and the snapdragons snapped. When a little cloud blew past, Bonnie had an idea. She piled the animals on top of each other and tickled the cloud with some chicken feathers.
The little cloud giggled until the rain fell in “Thirsty Thursday,” by Phyllis Root.
Children will be up and down and all around in “Can You Make a Scary Face?” by Jan Thomas. The main buggy character talks to the children, and on each page gives them a new movement or face to make. They’ll be asking for this one over and over and over. No more wiggles after you read this.
Fairy tales are so much fun to share with children. Lucy Cousins, a children’s author and illustrator, has retold eight of her favorite fairy tales in the new book, “Yummy.” You’ll enjoy these versions of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and many more.
Finn is not having a good day. Finn does not like anything today. Finn usually likes peaches, but not today. “Finn Throws a Fit,” by David Elliott, is about a little boy and his very bad day. All children will be able to identify even if they don’t want to admit it.
The Pires have new neighbors and they are really strange. These new neighbors stay up all day long, lock their doors and windows at night and love the sunshine. The Wolfson’s also have a dog, which the Pires just don’t understand. “Dear Vampa,” by Ross Collins is a funny twist on accepting others who may not be as different as you think.
Very young children will enjoy “Lola at the Library,” by Anna McQuinn.
Lola goes to the library for story time every week. She chooses her books, which Mama reads at bedtime, and after a week they start all over again.
Library Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Marie Bruni is director of Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta. Her column appears in the community section of The Daily Star every Thursday.
Community
September 17, 2009
Library Corner
- Community News
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Final day to enter annual Daily Star Cook-off
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Recipe submission deadline for 52nd annual cookoff nears
Do you make a killer steak sandwich or a potato soup that has been called "the best in the world"? What about a delectable devil's food cake or deviled eggs everyone keeps talking about?
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Local author to speak about book
Josie Giuseppa Basile will speak about her book "A Gift of My Own: A Journey into the Spiritual Realm of Reality" at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Body, Mind, Spirit meeting at the First United Methodist Church on the corner of Church and Chestnut street, upstairs in the Main Meeting room, in Oneonta.
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Local Safe Kids group promotes coin-battery safety
Safe Kids USA and Energizer recently announced a partnership to share life-saving information with parents and caregivers about the potential risks of swallowing coin lithium batteries.
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Deadline nears for Bright Hill events
The postmark deadline for three opportunities for poets and artists at the Bright Hill Press and Literary Center will be Nov. 30.
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Final day to enter annual Daily Star Cook-off
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