Staff Picks

Music in the Children’s Room

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I am usually recommending books for the children, so this time I thought I would recommend some music CD’s for children. Some we have in, and others I am planning to buy in the month of December. Music helps with child development, motor skills, learning new sounds, meaning of words, etc. I Believe in Little Things by Diana Panton Trees by Billy Kelly Home by Tim Kubart Nursery Rhyme Parade by Lisa Loeb Saddle Up: A Western Adventure Album by The Okee Dokee Brothers A Laurie Berkner Christmas by Laurie Berkner Ranger Rick’s Trail Mix: Vol. 1 by The Whizpops …

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A Thanksgiving Feast

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Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I thought it might be fun to FEAST on a variety of books. Run, TURKEY, run All I know learned about animal behavior I learned in Loehmann’s DRESSING room If MASHED POTATOES could dance The SWEET POTATO Queens’ book of love Lucky and SQUASH A little story about a big TURNIP The ugly VEGETABLES The monster who ate my PEAS Gimme cracked CORN & I will share Buried ONIONS Dry BEANS in the snow CARROT in my pocket Onions and GARLIC APPLESAUCE season In a PICKLE OLIVE Kitteridge 44 CRANBERRY Point Sharing the …

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Shirley Jackson, anyone?

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It’s not a come-back.  It’s not a rediscovery.  It is more like delayed appreciation.  Suddenly the author Shirley Jackson is back in the media press.  60 years after she was first published, her more famous pieces were collected into a volume and published by The Library of America in 2010.  Last year a collection of some of her short stories never before collected was published by two of her children under the title Let Me Tell You: new stories, essays, and other writings. Of this new collection, Library Journal says, “Remember the chilling excitement of reading Jackson’s The Lottery for …

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Fall Is In The Air!

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The days are getting shorter and cooler, and fall is definitely in the air.  Leaves are turning shades of yellow, orange, and red, carpeting the ground and changing the landscape.  It’s easy to fall in love with fall and its beautiful colors! Following are some books to share with children about this beautiful season. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak This book shows the transition from summer to fall as a young girl and her dog walk through the woods and through town, noticing the changes as one season slowly becomes the next.  The illustrations are beautifully done.  Wonderfall …

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New Children’s Books for October

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Picture books Little Mouse’s Big Book of Beasts by Emily Gravett /* Starred Review */ PreS-Gr 2—This worthy successor to Little Mouse’s Big Book of  Fears is another of  Gravett’s comic, inventive marvels. Little  Mouse finds certain creatures worrisome. How can the rodent make them less scary? Using a paint set, paper, magazine cut-outs, and origami folds and doing some serious editorializing, Mouse tries to calm the ferocious “original” illustrations. In the section on lions, a handwritten Post-it note reads: “How to make this page less scary. 1) Remove roar. 2) Cover claws. 3) Turn the page.” The growling, pouncing …

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A 1 Diner

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In 2006 a local publisher, Tilbury House, published a book by Sarah Rolph that celebrated a local diner, the A 1 Diner.  The book gives a history of the diner featuring both those who work behind the counter and those in the kitchen.  Many recipes that have become customer favorites are revealed in the book.  Below is one of them.  For more of these wonderful recipes and to enjoy the history of this local institution, visit the library to borrow the book, A 1 Diner: real food, recipes, and recollections by Sarah Rolph. Hazel Newell’s Squash Custard Pie: This pie …

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