Family B*I*N*G*O

Looking for something to do for Family Game Night? Come play BINGO for you chance to win cool prizes! It's fun for the whole family and a great cure for the winter blues!

No registration is required, just stop by the Meeting Room on Monday, January 3rd, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. All ages are welcome.

The Babysitter's Survival Guide

Check-out this new book, The Babysitter's Survival Guide by Jill D. Chasse.

Its tabbed sections will help walk the aspiring babysitter through every step of the babysitting process from putting together a resume, marketing yourself, to landing the job. With a nice section on the developmental stages of children you will be equipped to address the needs of infants, toddlers and school-aged children. There are activity cards with great projects to do with children of all ages and guaranteed to be ‘boredom busters.’ Another section will help you make creative snacks and meals. This book is a must-have for babysitters regardless of age or experience.

Winter Movie Extravaganza

Looking for something to do with the kids while they are out of school during winter break? Why not bring them to the library to help us celebrate 25 years of Pixar movies?

Now through January 4th, we are proud to present an exciting line-up of movies guaranteed to beat cabin fever.

Movies begin at 10:30 a.m. and are for all ages in the Meeting Room.

• December 23rd Ratatouille Rated G 95 minutes


• December 27th A Bug's Life Rated G 95 minutes


• December 28th Cars Rated G 116 minutes


• December 29th Monsters, Inc. Rated G 93 minutes


• December 30th Finding Nemo Rated G 100 minutes


• January 3rd The Incredibles Rated PG 115 minutes


• January 4th Toy Story Marathon
  10:30-12:00 p.m. Toy Story Rated G 80 minutes
  1:00-2:30 p.m. Toy Story 2 Rated G 92 minutes
  3:00-4:45 p.m. Toy Story 3 Rated G 102 minutes

2011 Video Contest

Calling all amateur filmmakers! The New Lenox Library is announcing its first ever Video Contest. “How I Have Fun at the Library.” The video contest is open to all ages. Register now so you can start making your video during your holiday break. Videos may be submitted between December 6, 2010 and March 19, 2011. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three videos. Videos should be a maximum of 2 minutes in length and will be judged on entertainment and content. The Video Premier will be held on April 9 and all videos will be shown during the Friends of the Library Spring Arts Festival on May 7. The winning videos will be posted on the library’s website.Entrants may register and pick up a packet in the Youth Services Department or on the library’s website http://www.newlenoxlibrary.org/. For more information, call the library at 815-485-2605 and ask for the youth services department.

Be a Hero- Read for a Cause

Winter Reading Program

Read for a good cause this winter! By participating in our Children's Memorial Hospital fundraiser, children will make a positive impact locally, to help provide care to get sick kids healthy, one penny at a time. Did you know Children's Memorial now has an outpatient Center located in New Lenox? Join the Winter Reading Program from December 27- February 21. Drop your change in our jar and give lasting hope to children! Pick up your reading log beginning December 27, and start saving those pennies! Look for additional program details coming soon. Children who complete the Winter Reading Program will be invited to a very special "Hero" themed party on Saturday, February 26.

Holiday Ornament Workshop

Make plans to join us for this special holiday event.

'Tis the season to be jolly! Don your mittens, hats and scarves and find your holiday spirit as we take a trip to the North Pole to celebrate the magic of the season with stories, music, ornament crafts and games.

Saturday, Decemeber 11th
10:30-11:30 a.m.
For ages 3 and up
In the Meeting Room

Don't miss out register today!

The Usborne Internet-Linked Children’s World Cookbook

The Youth Services staff agrees . . . this new book is hot!!!

Here is a great cookbook that presents recipes from around the world with simple easy step by step preparation, internet links with free downloadable recipes, color pictures that highlight tools and preparation. Not only a great cookbook for beginners but also a resource for homework or a supplement to world culture projects!

Check it out today.

Walk-in Wii starts soon!

Wednesdays are about to become more fun as the library introduces Walk-in Wii! Starting Wednesday, December 15th, 4th-8th grade students are invited to try out our new Wii. Gear up to play Wii Sports, Mario Cart, or Just Dance 2. You can even bring your own board games, your Nintendo DS or just bring yourself. No registration is necessary. Snacks are free but the fun will be contagious!

A big thank-you to the Friends of the Library for purchasing our new Wii system.

Walk-in Wii

Wednesdays, December 15th, January 19th & February 16th

4:30-5:30 p.m.

In the Meeting Room

Thanksreading

This Thanksgiving we hope you and your family were able to spend some restful time together. At the New Lenox Public Library we are most thankful for our wonderful patrons, faithful readers and program attendees. You fill our days with joy and we look forward to seeing your smiling faces!

Too Purpley!

Too Purpley by Jean Reidy, is a cute story about a little girl who finds many things wrong with her clothes from being too purpley to too baggy or taggy, or just plain too matchy. Told from a child’s perspective, yet it’s clever and enjoyable as everyone can relate to having issues with their clothes at one time or another.
Don't miss the follow-up to Too Purpley!, Too Pickley!

Just Press Play

On your next trip to the library please be sure to check-out our Playaway display near the Easy Reader collection. Playaway, the world's first pre-loaded digital audio player, are perfect for home, in the car, or on the go! Just add one AAA battery, some headphones or speakers and you are set for a reading adventure.

Book Review: Picture Book

How to Clean Your Room in Ten Easy Steps by Jennifer LaRue Huget

This delightful picture book geared for kindergarten through 2nd grade children, has quickly become one of our new favorites. Not exactly a book filled with valid cleaning tips for cleaning you room, this book will give you whimsical tips, like don’t answer your mother until she calls out all three of your names or, give your moldy pizza crusts to your sister. Or better yet, line up all your stuffed animals on your bed and make little blankets for them out of tissue. It’s a silly portrait of what kids dread the most, picking up their room.

Get your headphones ready!

Have you checked-out our audio section lately? The New Lenox Public Library has several ways for you to listen to your favorite books. Of course there are many books on CD and cassette tape to choose from, but we also have Playaways (pre-loaded portable audiobooks, just add headphones!) and Audiobooks you can download to your computer.

Audio books are great motivational tools to help all readers improve their listening and comprehension skills. They may also increase vocabulary and help children learn the proper way to pronounce difficult words. More importantly audio books are an engaging and pleasing activity suited for the whole family.

Here are a couple of our favorite titles:

Available on CD

Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park (The Complete Collection)
Audio CD J F PAR

Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne (Books 1-43)
Audio CD J F OSB

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K Rowling
Audio CD J F ROW

Available on Playaway

The Giver by Louis Lowry
Playaway J F LOW

The 39 Clues (Books 1-9)
Playaway J F THI

Available as an Audiobook

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
www.omnilibraries.org

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy by Jane O’Connor
www.omnilibraries.org

Books with CD’s

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
CD BOOK BRO

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
CD BOOK CRO

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
CD BOOK ZIO

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
CD BOOK TAB

Summer Wrap-Up

Thanks to all our awesome readers for making this year's Scare Up A Good Book Summer Reading Program such a great success! We had nearly 1700 kids sign up for the reading program - WOW! Many bigger kids finished all 12 hours of reading while many babies and toddlers finished all 30 books! A big round of applause to all of our fantastic readers! We hope you are enjoying all your fun prizes and coupons. You should be proud of yourselves! A big thank you also goes out to our amazing volunteers who staffed the sign-up table and helped pass out prizes to our readers. Thanks, everyone!

Summer Reading Program Finale: Not-So-Scary Costume Party

For all those kids who read for 12 hours and turned in an RSVP form for the Not-So-Scary Costume Party, don't forget the party is this Saturday, August 7th! We'll see you at 10:30 a.m. at Spencer Crossing! Come dressed in your favorite costume for fun, music, snacks, games and more!

Check out a Museum Adventure Pass!

Need a fun way to beat the summer heat? Check out a suburban museum!

Thanks to a grant from Macy's, we are excited to offer a limited number of free or reduced-price museum admission passes to our adult New Lenox Public Library cardholders! Passes must be checked out on a New Lenox Library card, and families are limited to one pass per seven days. Passes are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and must be obtained in person.

Just a few of the participating Museum Adventure Pass locations include: Air Classics Museum of Air and Space (Sugar Grove), Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield), Chicago Botanic Gardens (Glencoe), Grau Mill and Museum (Oak Brook), KidsWork Children's Museum (Frankfort), Lake County Discovery Museum (Wauconda), and the Morton Arboretum (Lisle)! Think of all the fun you can have this summer!

For a complete listing of participating museums, websites and hours, visit the program's website at www.museumadventure.org

Interested in checking out a museum pass? Stop in or call the library for more information!

Where is Where?

We’re looking for our wherewolf…have you seen her?

Where has been busy exploring New Lenox – and we need your help to find her! Every week during the summer reading program, we will display a new picture of Where in a display case in the Youth Services department. Come in, take a look at the picture and fill out an entry form with your guess on where she’s at. You might win a cool prize! The picture changes every Monday, so be sure to come in once a week to enter!

Where will be exploring town for two more weeks! So far this summer, Where has been really busy reading a book by the Reading Tree in the library, eating pizza at Chicago Dough Company, playing in the water at Hibernia Park’s Splash Pad and visiting with Abraham Lincoln himself at the New Lenox Village Hall.

Check out some scary (or not-so-scary) books this summer!

To go along with this year’s summer reading theme, we’re displaying some scary fiction and nonfiction books on our front bookcase in the Youth Services department. We’ve got lots of books on movie monsters, aliens, vampires, skeletons, ghosts and haunted places. We also have fiction novels, such as The Graveyard Book, Coraline, Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story, Cirque du Freak, Dangerous Alphabet, Vampire Island, Night of the Living Gerbil, and A Field Guide to Monsters: Googly-Eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe-Eaters and Other Creatures. Come in and check one out today!

Not into scary books? That’s ok! We’ve got themed lists for other kinds of books that might interest you: adventure, comedy, science fiction, award winners, princesses and more! Or ask a librarian to help you find a good book.

Would you like to read the newest Monarch, Bluestem and Caudill nominees? We’ve got a section reserved just for these great books! You’ll find them behind the new book section near our Youth Services Internet computers.

Monarch titles are geared toward readers in grades K-3. In Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, you’ll read the hilarious things that might happen if you try to give a cat a bath. Or you can read some guinea pig poems and learn about this cool little pet in Oh, Theodore! There’s the funny story of three rhyming dust bunnies and their friend who tries to warn them of danger in Rhyming Dust Bunnies. And who doesn’t love a little Mo Willems – Leonardo the Terrible Monster tells the silly tale of a young monster who just can’t seem to frighten anyone…or can he?

Bluestem titles are geared toward readers in grades 3-5. There are lots of fun and exciting books on the Bluestem list! Read about a mouse who befriends a dragon and saves his village in Kenny and the Dragon and a girl who makes friends with a gentle giant and travels to Giantland in the BFG. Learn about the men who built the Empire State Building in New York City in Sky Boys, and discover the history of the two teenagers who created the Superman comic strip in Boys of Steel.

Caudill titles are geared toward readers in grades 4-8. In 11 Birthdays, read about Amanda and Leo, former best friends who haven’t spoken to each other for a year – when things start getting weird and they each keep waking up and having to repeat their 11th birthdays, will they learn to make the changes necessary to patch up their differences? In Found, you’ll read about two adopted 13-year-old boys who try to uncover their past after learning that they were once on a mysterious plane full of other babies and no adults – will they be able to find out their personal histories and discover where they actually came from? In The Alchemyst, travel along with Sophie and Josh on their adventurous and mysterious modern-day journey as these 15-year-old twins try to save their kidnapped boss, the legendary Nicholas Flemel, who cheated death in 1418 with his fantastic elixir of eternal life – will the twins be able to save their boss, his elixir recipe…and the world?

100th Blog Post = 100 Favorite Books

Wow! We've reached our 100th blog post!

To celebrate this milestone, the Youth Services staff wants to share with you a list of our 100 favorite books! From picture books, to chapter books, from series to non-fiction, there’s something on this list for every reader! These books are old, new, funny, serious and everything in between. But even though they’re all different, one thing is certain – we love these books, and we hope you do, too!

Picture Books
Dr. Ted by Andrea Beatty
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Penguin by Polly Dunbar
If I Were a Jungle Animal by Amanda Ellery
Olivia books by Ian Falconer
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Muncha, Muncha, Muncha by Candace Fleming
Lunch by Denise Fleming
Time for Bed by Mem Fox
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Hopkins
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel
Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle
Kitty's New Doll by Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Cock-a-doodle Moo by Bernard Most
Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch
Fancy Nancy books by Jane O'Connor
Once Upon a Cool Motocycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley
Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
Skippyjon Jones books by Judith Schachner
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
No, David! by David Shannon
Pouch! by David Ezra Stein
And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon by Janet Stevens
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
Duck at the Door by Janet Urbanovic
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Pigeon books by Mo Willems
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Easy Readers
Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman
Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel
Amelia Bedelia books by Peggy Parish
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems

Chapter Books
The Underneath by Kathy Appelt
The Seer of Shadows by Avi
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Wild Things by Clay Carmichael
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by James Howe
Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Loser by Jerry Spinelli
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Series Books
The 39 Clues series by various authors
American Girl series by various authors
Gregor the Overlander books by Suzanne Collins
The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Babymouse graphic novels by Jennifer Holm
Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney
The Baby-Sitters Club books by Ann M. Martin
Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Scary Stories collection by Alvin Schwartz

Non-Fiction
Nic Bishop Frogs by Nic Bishop
The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming
Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Great Fire by Jim Murphy
We are the Ship: The Story of the Negro Baseball League by Kadir Nelson
The Day the Earth Exploded: The Earth-Shaking Catastrophe at Krakatoa by Simon Winchester

Scare Up A Good Book!

The fun of the July 4th holiday might be over, but our "Scare Up A Good Book" Summer Reading Program is still going strong at the library!

So far we’ve had over 100 babies & toddlers and over 1400 kids sign up for our summer reading program! Be sure to read read read this summer to earn some cool prizes! We’re giving away FREE baseball tickets, FREE skating passes, FREE food coupons, FREE books and much, much more! And don't forget the finale party for kids who complete their reading logs! Just turn in a completed reading log to earn an invitation to our Not-So-Scary Costume Party in August (parents, please submit your child's attendance form by July 31st)!

If you haven’t had a chance to attend any of our awesome summer programs, have no fear! Summer programming runs through July. Check out our Monster Mash program for kids ages 3-6 on Monday mornings at 10:30. Bring your baby or toddler to Creepy Crawlers on Tuesday mornings at 10:30. And the whole family is invited to get comfy for our Creature Feature Movie Matinees on Tuesday afternoons at 12:30. Don’t forget BoOoOo BINGO for the whole family every Wednesday evening at 6:30!

Parents, don't forget to sign up for the adult summer reading program, and get your teens in on the action, too! Registration and more information for the adult & teen summer reading programs can be found at the Adult Services Desk on the 2nd floor. There's still time to read before the programs end on July 24th!

All kinds of fun awaits you at the New Lenox Public Library this summer. Come on in and check us out!

Museum Adventure Passes Are Here!

School's out, kids are bored, but so many places are too expensive to take the family. That's where our Museum Adventure Passes come in. These passes offer free or reduced-price admission to some of the suburbs' coolest museums and cultural centers, like Brookfield Zoo, the Morton Arboretum and KidsWork Children's Museum.

Thanks to Macy's, we have Museum Adventure Passes available for New Lenox cardholders. There are a few rules, like you have to be a grown-up to get a pass, and you have to have a New Lenox library card, and you can only get one pass per family per week.

You can check out the program's Web site at www.museumadventure.org, or call the library for more information!

Jim Gill @ NLPL

Calling all music fans! Celebrated children's performer Jim Gill will be strummin' and singin' at New Lenox Library on Saturday, June 5 at 10:30 a.m. Jim's silly songs are funny, fast-paced and action packed.


This free concert will be held out in the Commons, and is open to families and kids of all ages! No registration is required.

To hear some of Jim's music, stop by the library to check out our collection, or visit his Web site.

Scare Up a Good Book!

It's that time again - Summer Reading Program 2010 is almost here! This year's theme is Scare Up a Good Book, and starting June 7, you can stop in to pick up your reading log. Stop in to visit our secret lab-or-a-tory, check out our spooky decor or grab a brochure!


In addition to the "usual" reading program for kids 3 & up, we are once again having a special program for babies and toddlers. You're never too young to enjoy a good story! Plus, there's a special reading program for grown-ups through Adult Services, too.

To learn more about the program, as well as all the storytimes and events for the summer, click here, stop in or call the library!


In the mean time, check out this great video our YS staff made...if you dare!

Novel Ideas:

It's Monday, and that means ... Novel Ideas! Every Monday, we take a look at a juvenile fiction/chapter book. They won't always be brand-new books - sometimes we'll take a look at old favorites. Looking for a good read? Check out our Novel Ideas posts. Have a suggestion for a great book to review? Let us know!

This week's found novel is:

Rules by Cynthia Lord

New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J LOR, JP LOR

Everybody's got to follow rules, but for 12-year-old Catherine, rules are even more important. She's got a younger brother who is autistic. Autism is a developmentally disability that makes communication harder for people who have it, so Catherine and her family have to give her brother David very specific rules for behaving. Catherine loves her brother, but as she tries to fit in, she gets frustrated that David is so much different than everyone else. When she befriends another "different" kid named Jason, she sees that differences make people special.

This is a great read for anyone who knows someone with autism, but also for any kid who gets frustrated with siblings, families, or all the rules we have to follow every day.

If you want to read more about autism, feel free to ask staff members for more information.

This Week @ NLPL

Here's what's happening this week at New Lenox Public Library!

Monday:
Wiggle Worms @ 10:30 a.m. for babies (pre-walkers)
Movers & Shakers @ 11:15 a.m. for babies (walkers)
Treasure Hunters @ 1 p.m. for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years
Family Bingo @ 4:30 p.m. for all ages

Tuesday:
Itsy Bitsy Toddler @ 10:30 a.m. for toddlers between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years
Pajamapalooza @ 6:30 p.m. for ages 6 & up (registration required)

Wednesday:
Simply Silly Storytime @ 10:30 a.m. for all ages
WordPlay @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 3 and up (registration required)
Happy Books, Happy Cooks @ 7:00 p.m. for ages 3 and up (registration required)

Thursday:
Tales & Tunes @ 10:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. for ages 2 to 3 1/2 years

Saturday:
The hunt for the 39 Clues @ 10:30 a.m. for grades 3-8 (registration required)

To register for programs, stop by the library or call 815.485.2605.

Hoppy Easter!

To celebrate Easter, here's some fun facts about favorite spring treats!

* Easter is the second-biggest candy holiday in the United States - the first is Halloween!

* Nearly 90 MILLION chocolate bunnies are made each year! That's a lot of hollow ears!

* Speaking of ears, that's the first part of the chocolate bunny that most people eat.

* Each Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps, shaped like chicks, as well as Marshmallow Bunnies and Marshmallow Eggs, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

* The most popular flavor of jelly bean is cherry.

* If all of the jelly beans eaten at Easter were laid end-to-end, they would circle the globe THREE TIMES!

All of these fun facts come from www.factmonster.com.

Friday Fun @ New Lenox Library

It's Friday, and that means .. Friday Fun! Check back every week for cool activities, fun finds at the library, stuff going on around town, or just interesting things on the Web!

This week's fun find is on the Web - www.factmonster.com.

This site, especially for kids, has answers to all kinds of silly trivia, like wacky state holidays, lists of albums by American Idol contestants, a special section where you can play Hangman and more!

As always, ask your parents about visiting any Web site before checking it out, and remember, Internet safety is just as important as being safe when you cross the street or ride your bike.

Picture Book Party: Meet the Pigeon

Let's party, picture book-style! Looking for a fun, fast read to make you giggle? Want to see some really cool illustrations? These books are great for kids of all ages ... from 1 to 100!

This week's Picture Book Party Guest of Honor is: the Pigeon

He's sassy. He's silly. He's ... a talking pigeon. And boy, does this pigeon like to talk! In Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, our feathered friend tries to trick readers into helping him steal a bus, because he really, really wants to drive it! In The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, Pigeon promises to feed and water his pet puppy once a week. Silly Pigeon!

Parents, author and illustrator Mo Willems creates laugh-out-loud stories to read about the petulant Pigeon, and they are great read-alouds for preschoolers, but the silly pictures and funny stories are perfect for anyone who needs a giggle.

You can find him in: Check out the Pigeon's many adventures, written and illustrated by Mo Willems, in our Easy section, under New Lenox Public Library Call Number E WIL

Wednesday Spotlight: WordPlay

Like writing? Got an itch to pen a great story, poem or comic strip? Come to WordPlay Young Writers' Club. We meet twice a month during the school year and twice during the summer to work on fun writing, share stories and even illustrate our own tales.

WordPlay meets again April 7 & 21, and we'll be writing silly poems and making our own cartoon strips. We meet from 4:30 -5:30 p.m., and any kids from grades 3 and up are welcome. We do require registration, so call the library today at 815.485.2605 to sign up!

Stay tuned for this summer's dates - we'll be writing some spooky tales to go along with our Summer Reading 2010 theme, "Scare Up a Good Book!"

Dewey Tour: Uh "Ohs"

Think all non-fiction books are dry, boring, full of useless information? Think again! We're taking a tour through the non-fiction catalog of New Lenox Public Library, looking for the best non-fiction we have to offer! We'll find cool facts, interesting people, even gross projects and prove that sometimes, the truth really is stranger than fiction.

000s: Generalities

Look here if you want to find: Computers, UFOs and aliens, encyclopedias, the Bermuda Triangle, hoaxes, Guinness Book of World Records, museums and journalism books

Fun Find: For Boys Only: The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever by Marc Aronson and H.P. Newquist

New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J 031.02 ARO

Tests of skill and daring? Check. Super cars? Check. Detective stuff, spies, and a recipe for fake blood? Check, check and check. This book's got tons of cool stuff, and it's not just for boys!

Where else can you find a list of America's scariest roller coaster rides and directions for landing a plane in an emergency? This is a fun read, and may answer questions you didn't even know you had! But beware - it's only for the brave!

Other cool 000's stuff:

Encyclopedia Horrifica: The Terrifying Truth About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters and More by Joshua Gee, J 001.9 GEE

YouTube by Adam Woog, J 006.7 WOO

Do Not Open by John Farndon, J 031.02 FAR

Novel Ideas: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

It's Monday, and that means ... Novel Ideas! Every Monday, we take a look at a juvenile fiction/chapter book. They won't always be brand-new books - sometimes we'll take a look at old favorites. Looking for a good read? Check out our Novel Ideas posts. Have a suggestion for a great book to review? Let us know!





This week's found novel is:
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

New Lenox Library Call Number: J KIN

Greg Heffly does NOT keep a diary. He keeps a journal, and a funny one at that, telling all about the ins and outs of middle school, his best friend Rowley, his brothers and his parents. Greg draws pictures to go along with his journal entries, and these are funnier (sometimes) than the stories he tells! When he tells about the "cheese touch," you will be laughing out loud.

Like the book? Check out the new live-action movie, and let us know which one you liked better!

This Week @ NLPL

Here's what's happening this week at New Lenox Public Library!

Monday:

Wiggle Worms @ 10:30 a.m. for babies (pre-walkers)

Movers & Shakers @ 11:15 a.m. for babies (walkers)

Treasure Hunters @ 1 p.m. for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years

Tuesday:

Itsy Bitsy Toddler @ 10:30 a.m. for toddlers between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years

Pajamapalooza @ 6:30 p.m. for ages 6 & up (registration required)

Wednesday:

Simply Silly Storytime @ 10:30 a.m. for all ages

Happy Books, Happy Cooks @ 7:00 p.m. for ages 3 and up (registration required)

Thursday:

Tales & Tunes @ 10:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. for ages 2 to 3 1/2 years

Book Adventures @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 1-8 (registration required)

To register for programs, stop by the library or call 815.485.2605.

Novel Ideas: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

It's Monday, and that means ... Novel Ideas! Every Monday, we take a look at a juvenile fiction/chapter book. They won't always be brand-new books - sometimes we'll take a look at old favorites. Looking for a good read? Check out our Novel Ideas posts. Have a suggestion for a great book to review? Let us know!This week's found novel is:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
New Lenox Library Call Number: J RIO


Lots of kids are getting excited about the Percy Jackson movie that's coming out this month. If you haven't read the series, it's an excellent time to start!

The first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, sets up the story for us. Percy is just a typical kid, but he's got some pretty un-typical problems. Like, his dad is Poseidon. The Poseidon. Which means Percy is a hero, a half-human, half-god hybrid. After a ... situation develops at Percy's school, he is whisked away to Camp Half-blood to learn how to use his power. But being a half-blood isn't all swords and shields and cool tricks. Percy has to deal with angry gods, crazy situations, and the typical teen drama.
This is a great series for anyone who is interested in Greek mythology, likes adventure or loved the Harry Potter series.

This Week @ NLPL

Here's what's happening this week at New Lenox Public Library!

Monday:
Wiggle Worms @ 10:30 a.m. for babies (pre-walkers)
Movers & Shakers @ 11:15 a.m. for babies (walkers)
Treasure Hunters @ 1 p.m. for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years
Family Bingo @ 4:30 p.m. for all ages

Tuesday:
Itsy Bitsy Toddler @ 10:30 a.m. for toddlers between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years
Pajamapalooza @ 6:30 p.m. for ages 6 & up (registration required)

Wednesday:
Simply Silly Storytime @ 10:30 a.m. for all ages
WordPlay @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 3-8 (registration required)
Happy Books, Happy Cooks @ 7:00 p.m. for ages 3 and up (registration required)

Thursday:
Tales & Tunes @ 10:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. for ages 2 to 3 1/2 years
Book Adventures @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 1-8 (registration required)

To register for programs, stop by the library or call 815.485.2605.

Novel Ideas: The Graveyard Book

It's Monday, and that means ... Novel Ideas! Every Monday, we take a look at a juvenile fiction/chapter book. They won't always be brand-new books - sometimes we'll take a look at old favorites. Looking for a good read? Check out our Novel Ideas posts. Have a suggestion for a great book to review? Let us know!

This week's found novel is:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

New Lenox Library Call Number: J GAI

Nobody (Bod for short) is not like a lot of other kids. For one thing, he is the sole survivor of a murder plot that took his parents. But Bod's new caregivers aren't the typical foster parents - they're ghosts.

Bod ended up toddling into a graveyard on the night of his parents' murder. Only 18 months old, the inhabitants of the graveyard took pity on the child and decided to raise him as one of their own. Bod gets food, shelter, clothing and all the useful information his new "family" can give him. He lives a happy life, until his parents' murder shows up again...

This book is a great twist on the traditional orphan story, with spooky, funny and mysterious elements. Sometimes the story is a bit dark - it does start with Bod's family being murdered - but there are uplifting moments as well. It's fun to see what all the different ghosts have to say about Bod's education. This is a great read for anyone who liked Neil Gaiman's Coraline, or who are looking for something a bit different to read.

MLK Monday

Across the country, people are celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. today. Here's a look at some books to grab if you want to know more about this insightful leader's life:

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World by Christine King Farris and London Ladd
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J 323.092 FAR

As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom by Richard Michelson
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J 323.092 MIC

Martin Luther King Jr. Day by Trudi Strain Trueit
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: E 394.261 TRU

Martin Luther King Jr.: Preacher, Freedom Fighter, Peacemaker by Pamela Hill Nettleton
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: E B KIN

Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader and Nobel Prize Winner by Andrew Santella
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J B KIN

I Have a Dream: The Story Behind Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Most Famous Speech by Kerry A. Graves
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J 323 GRA

Newbery/Caldecott Winners Announced

The award-winning books for 2010 are:

Newbery Award:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J STE

Newbery Honor Books:
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J KEL
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J LIN
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J PHI
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Available through Inter-Library Loan

Caldecott Award:
The Lion & the Mouse illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: E PIN

Caldecott Honor Books:
All the World illustrated by Marla Frazee and written by Liz Garton Scanlon
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: E 811.6 SCA
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski and written by Joyce Sidman
New Lenox Public Library Call Number: E SID

For a list of more award winners, or for more information about the Caldecott and Newbery Awards, visit the American Library Association's Web site at www.ala.org.

This Week @ NLPL

Here's what's happening this week at New Lenox Public Library!

Monday:
Wiggle Worms @ 10:30 a.m. for babies (pre-walkers)
Movers & Shakers @ 11:15 a.m. for babies (walkers)
Treasure Hunters @ 1 p.m. for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years
Art Club @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 1-8 (registration required)

Tuesday:
Itsy Bitsy Toddler @ 10:30 a.m. for toddlers between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years
Pajamapalooza @ 6:30 p.m. for ages 6 & up (registration required)

Wednesday:
Simply Silly Storytime @ 10:30 a.m. for all ages
WordPlay @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 3-8 (registration required)
Happy Books, Happy Cooks @ 7:00 p.m. for ages 3 and up (registration required)

Thursday:
Tales & Tunes @ 10:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. for ages 2 to 3 1/2 years

Saturday:
Crazy Carnival Games @ 10:30 a.m. for all ages (registration is required)

To register for programs, stop by the library or call 815.485.2605.

Monday Means ... Novel Ideas!

It's Monday, and that means ... Novel Ideas! Every Monday, we take a look at a juvenile fiction/chapter book. They won't always be brand-new books - sometimes we'll take a look at old favorites. Looking for a good read? Check out our Novel Ideas posts. Have a suggestion for a great book to review? Let us know!

This week's found novel is:
Wild Things by Clay Carmichael
New Lenox Library Call Number: J CAR

Eleven-year-old Zoe doesn't get attached to grownups. In her life, they have just been temporary blips on her radar. When her mentally ill mother dies, Zoe is sent to live with her only remaining relative, her reclusive uncle Henry. Henry was once a world-class doctor, but traded medicine for art. Henry is a loner like Zoe, and the two of them have a hard time adjusting to life together.
While staying with Uncle Henry, Zoe meets - and begins to care for - a strange cast of characters, including a wild cat and a boy who seemingly lives in the woods. Zoe's beliefs about loyalty and family are turned upside down, and soon she has to decide what matters most.

This Week @ NLPL

Here's what's happening this week at New Lenox Public Library!

Monday:
Wiggle Worms @ 10:30 a.m. for babies (pre-walkers)
Movers & Shakers @ 11:15 a.m. for babies (walkers)
Treasure Hunters @ 1 p.m. for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years

Tuesday:
Itsy Bitsy Toddler @ 10:30 a.m. for toddlers between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years
Pajamapalooza @ 6:30 p.m. for ages 6 & up (registration required)

Wednesday:
Simply Silly Storytime @ 10:30 a.m. for all ages
World Explorers @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 1-8 (registration required)
Happy Books, Happy Cooks @ 7:00 p.m. for ages 3 and up (registration required)

Thursday:
Tales & Tunes @ 10:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. for ages 2 to 3 1/2 years

To register for programs, stop by the library or call 815.485.2605.

Winter Programming

It may be cold outside, but things are heating up at New Lenox Library!

Regular programming starts again next week for the six-week winter session.

Stop in to pick up a program guide, or check it out online at http://newlenoxlibrary.org/youthprograms.pdf.

Best Book of 2009: Vote!

Since November, the nominees for Best Book of 2009 have been on display at the New Lenox Library. We've reviewed some of them for the blog, and they've been flying off the shelf!

Even though all the books are contenders for the top spot, there can only be one winner, and you get to help us pick! Anyone who has read three or more of the nominees can vote for the Best Book of 2009. Not only will your vote count in our final tally, but all voters are entered in a raffle to win a bookstore gift card!

You get until Jan. 13 to cast your vote. Remember, you have to have read at least three of the nominees to vote!

Winter Reading Program: Pennies for Peace

When it's cold outside, there's really nothing better than settling in with a good book. And what if you could help underprivileged kids at the same time?

Starting today, kids can register for the New Lenox Library's Winter Reading Program. Now in its second year, the reading program gives kids a chance to change the world, one book at a time. Last year, readers raised money for the pups and cats at TLC Animal Shelter in Homer Glen.
This year, the charity of choice is Pennies for Peace, an organization founded by Greg Mortenson (humanitarian and author of the Three Cups of Tea books). Pennies for Peace is a global charity that promotes education, literacy and tolerance.

To register, participants just come into the library and donate one non-perishable food item. They are given a sheet of peace circles to track their reading time. For each 15 minutes they read, the participants fill in one of the peace signs on the peace circle. Each circle adds up to 2 hours, and when the circle is filled, kids can drop them off to be eligible for a weekly raffle.

In addition to the non-perishable food donation, we are asking that kids donate their pennies, too. It's suggested that for each 15 minutes they read, participants donate 15 pennies. These pennies will go to help students in underprivileged schools buy much needed supplies. But how can just pennies pay for anything? As little as one penny can buy a pencil, 15 pennies can buy a notebook, and only $20 is one child's school supplies for the entire year!

But what about the prizes?
The purpose of the winter reading program is to raise awareness for causes both local and international. Though we will offer bookmarks, weekly raffle prizes and certificates for those who finish, the program is more about teaching kids the small ways they can make a difference, while promoting literacy.

The program goes through February 27. For more information about the Pennies for Peace charity, visit www.penniesforpeace.org. To register, or with questions about the reading program, stop by the Children's Reference Desk.