Award Winning Children’s Books

Every winter children’s librarians anxiously anticipate the announcement of the premier awards given to citizens or residents of the United States: otherwise known as Newbery & Caldecott Awards. This year’s winners are: “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate (Newbery Medal for the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published by an American publisher) and “This is Not My Hat” by Jon Klassen (Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children). I’m happy to report that you can find copies of both books at the Gardiner Public Library.  Unfortunately since they were …

Read more

GET ME OUT OF HERE!

    Many of us may feel like shouting this as the temperatures in Maine hover around zero degrees in January and February. So…….how about getting away on a vacation?  Maybe not literally as funds may hold us back, but a movie can take you away to a warmer climate with unusual adventures with the click of a remote control.  Pick your destination, choose the movie, and away you go! Here are a few suggestions of movies available at the Gardiner Public Library that will help you escape the cold…..at least for the time being. American Werewolf in London (1981) …

Read more

Words + Pictures = Beauty

“A library is more than a brick and mortar building filled with delicious books. It is also a community of people who live to invest in our youth, who read for knowledge and fun, and who are ready to include anyone who walks through the door.” Anonymous     “Words like winter snowflakes.” Homer, c. 700 B.C., Iliad, Book III     “In your rocking chair by your window shall you dream such happiness as you may never feel.” Theodore Dreiser,  Sister Carrie     “Readers transform a library from a mausoleum into many theaters” Mason Cooley, U.S. aphorist. City …

Read more

Poetry From The Shelves – A Tribute To Danielle Steel

Many times, as books pass through my hands, I have thought how interesting it might be to write a story using only book titles.  There are SO MANY interesting? fascinating? intriguing? just plain odd? titles available!  For my first attempt, I used only one author, Danielle Steel – she has over 80 titles currently available.  I shuffled through the titles, let them fall together, shifted several, and good, bad or indifferent, here is what I came up with. Family Album Legacy Granny Dan Daddy A Good Woman Answered Prayers Sisters    –    Friends Forever Wanderlust Dating Game Toxic Bachelors Changes Irresistible …

Read more

Saturday at the library!

The Gardiner Public Library is a great place to spend your winter!  The library staff wants you to spend some time enjoying the great programs we have booked.  Last Saturday the library was bustling in all the rooms.  We had Story Hour up in our Children’s Room.  We offer Saturday Story Hour the first Saturday of every month and Babies Love Babies Play Time every Friday from 10-11AM.  We had a Henna Happy Hour in our teen section and we also scheduled a Fireside Chat with State Representative, Gay Grant.  Look for more of these chats in the future. Are …

Read more

Marcel Marceau

It is always enlightening to learn something about a person which changes ones entire perspective about who that individual truly was. My perception of the legendary mime, Marcel Marceau, was that of a talented performer who’d enjoyed a long career of entertaining audiences around the world.  And although this was correct, he was so much more.  Born Marcel Mangel, a Jew, in Strasbourg, France, he joined the French underground during WW II and was instrumental in rescuing hundreds of Jewish children by leading them out of France over the high Alps to the safety of Switzerland. He also altered the …

Read more