Penny's Puppet Productions

Penny and her wonderful puppets are back for another visit at the library. Join us on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. in the Library Auditorium for "Mother Goose on the Loose". Mother Goose thinks no one cares or knows her rhymes and she runs away and hides. Join the lively cast of puppets as they try and get her come back and play. This program is for ages two to six years and an accompanying adult. GW

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Summer Reading 2009 Is Almost Here

The big day is almost here! The start of Summer Reading 2009 at the Beaverton City Library. The theme this year is "Be Creative @ Your Library." Summer Reading is for all kids, birth through those entering the fifth grade in September, 2009. Registration begins Monday, June 1st and continues through Friday, July 31st, 2009. You can register in person or online. Prizes include a paperback book and a coupon for Oaks Park Day on Wednesday, August 12, 2009. So don't miss out. Plan to spend some fun reading time over summer vacation and win prizes. What could make summer more perfect? GW

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Posted in: Summer Reading

Staff Favorites: April showers bring May flowers.

Planting a Rainbow
by Lois Ehlert (E Ehlert) (1988)
Flowers come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Why not plant them all?

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Lilly's Big Day
by Kevin Henkes (E Henkes) (2006)
Lilly would really love to be the flower girl at her teacher's wedding!

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Budgie and Boo
by David McPhail (Children's New Book) (E McPhail) (2009)

One friend grows flowers, and the other grows vegetables.
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Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms
by Julia Rawlinson (Children's New Book) (E Rawlinson) (2009)
A young fox mistakes the white spring ground for snow!

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Daisy-head Mayzie
by Dr. Seuss (E Seuss) (1994)
What do you do if you are Daisy McGrew and grow a daisy on the top of your head!?
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Wildflower ABC: an Alphabet Of Potato Prints
by Diana Pomeroy (E Pomeroy) (1997)
The flowers in this book are all illustrated using potatoes prints! A list of wildflower facts and folklore is included in the back of the book.
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Zinnia's Flower Garden
by Monica Wellington (E Wellington) (2005)
Zinnia eagerly plants her garden in the spring and tends it from the first seedlings appearance until harvesting the seeds in the fall.
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Junie B. Jones Is (Almost) a Flower Girl
by Barbara Park (J Park) (1999)
Junie doesn't get to be the flower girl in her aunt's wedding. She'll have to think of some other way to show off how grown-up she is!
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Oregon Wildflowers: a Children's Field Guide To the State's Most Common Flowers
by Beverly Magley (J 582.13 Mag) (1992)
A guide for children about our state's most common flora. check our catalog for this title



Fairyopolis: a Flower Fairies Journal
by Mia Posada (J 133.14 Fai) (2005)
Could this really be a secret diary kept in 1920? The water color illustrations are especially fine and add just the right touch to this scrapbook of fairyfolk.
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Posted in: Staff Favorites

New Book Review

Who Ate All the Cookie Dough?
by Karen Beaumont (E Beaumont) (2008)
A mother kangaroo is in search of the culprit who ate all the cookie dough! One by one she asks all the animals if they know who ate the dough. The story builds as she searches to solve the mystery. The surprise ending really makes this book fun to read with small children. The illustrations are cute and sparse, allowing the reader to focus on the story. For infants to preschoolers. SC
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Posted in: New Book Review,Picture Books

First Test recommended for ages 10 to 14
by Tamora Pierce (J Pierce) (1999)
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to live in the time of knights? Have you ever heard of a girl wanting to be a knight? Well, you can read about both in First Test by Tamora Pierce. This fantasy and adventure story is the first book in the “Protector of the Small” series, which follows Keladry on the long and difficult process of becoming a knight. Keladry faces many obstacles to just becoming a royal page, including the bully, Joren, and her fear of heights. Despite it all, Keladry courageously faces these challenges and always does what is right even when that is very tricky. Kind people and loyal animals help the girl page in this intriguing, exciting and inspiring tale.-SV

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Family Gaming Day, Saturday, May 16, 2009, 1:30 p.m.

Get your game on and test your skills at Super Smash Brothers on Nintendo Wii at this all ages program. No registration is required and no previous gaming experience required, just a desire to have fun.

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Pink Pig Puppet Theater, Saturday, May 16, 2009, 11:00 a.m.

Plan to celebrate Children's Book Week by visiting the library and coming to see the Pink Pig Puppet Theater. Mr. Steven Engelfried will be here with his puppet friends to tell the story of Moris and Boris, two very silly bears. The performance is for all ages and no registration is required. Don't forget, the Beaverton Farmer's Market has started for 2009, so allow plenty of time for parking. After attending the puppet show, you may want to go across the street and take in the market too and make a morning of it. We hope to see you at the puppet show and wish you a Happy Children's Book Week.

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Review for "LEGO Toys" by Kris Hirchmann

Age 9-12 years old
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 48

Call number: J 688.7 HIR

We didn’t have many LEGOs at my house when I was growing up. About the time my older sister started to enjoy building with them I was enjoying putting everything in my mouth. Instead we played with DUPLOs-- LEGO’s larger cousin. As a matter of fact I didn’t give much thought to LEGO’s until I read Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder, which asked “Why is Lego the most ingenious toy in the world?” And indeed, they are ingenious!


LEGOs are pretty neat. And they are the subject of Kris Hirschmann’s “LEGO Toys.” This 48 page book contains information on the creation of LEGO in Denmark by master carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen in the first chapter, and their transformation from wood to plastic. Chapter 2: “A simple idea comes to life” give further details about on the development of LEGOs from their early days in cellulost acetate--an early form of plastic, to the higher quality plastic, box sets, and Minifigs (those little LEGO people) that we know today. “A world of Change” introduces the uses of LEGOs today in education, engineering, entertainment, art (like the brick art of Nathan Sawaya), and of course, play. And the final chapter “The Cutting Edge” features the winners of the 2007 international contest for LEGO robots, from Portland (that’s right—OUR Portland), and explains the newest technology being applied to LEGOs. These technological advances and uses of imagination truly show that anything is possible.
LEGO Toys is complete with full color pictures, intriguing “did you know” boxes (with compact florescent light bulbs marking good ideas), glossary, a page for more information, and index.

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Still can’t get enough LEGOs? Join our Brick Buddies Club for children aged 7 to 11 years old for time to build, create, and play every second Saturday morning of the month. Attendance is limited, so you must register at the Children’s Desk by calling 503-350-3600.

-J-

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Posted in: New Book Review,Non-Fiction

Picture Books for Military Families

When a parent is away on active military service, it can be difficult for young children to cope with their feelings about being separated from mom or dad. Below are a few picture books written specifically to help children work through the emotions that arise when a parent is on deployment.

Love, Lizzie: Letter to a Military Mom by Lisa Tucker McElroy
"How long does defending freedom take?" asks Lizzie in a letter to her mom. Lizzie spends a year separated from her mother, who is on active duty overseas. With her father and brother's help she finds ways to stay close to her mom until the special day when mom and daughter are reunited.
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When Dad's at Sea by Mindy L. Pelton
Emily's dad lwill be leaving for six months service aboard an aircraft carrier. Before he goes, he and Emily cut strips of colored paper for each day he will be gone. They link them the strips together, forming a long chain. Emily hangs the paper chain in her living room and removes one link each day until the chain is gone and her dad returns home.
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Pilot Mom by Kathleen Benner Duble
Jenny's mom, Major Strom, flies fuel tankers in the United States Air Force. She takes Jenny and her friend, K.C, on a tour of the air base and for an inside look at the plane she flies.
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I Miss You!: A Military Kid's Book About Deployment by Beth Andrews.
This book is designed for both kids and parents or other adult caregivers. It is full of ideas and suggestions for helping families cope when a loved one is on active military duty.
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My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting
A little boy anxiously waits for his dad to return home from six months at sea. He and his mom bring along a red balloon when they go to meet the aircraft carrier, so his dad can find him in the crowd of people at the dock. While waiting for the ship to come into port, the boy loses his balloon. How will his dad ever find him?
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Posted in: Picture Books

Staff Favorites: The Sun

Staff Favorites: Sunshine makes me happy.

The Way To Start a Day
by Byrd Baylor (E Baylor)(1978)
How do other people in the world greet the sun?
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An Island in the Sun
by Stella Blackstone (E Blackstone)(2002)
A little boy's dog awaits him on a sunny island.
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Child's Good Morning Bookby Margaret Wise Brown (Children's New Book)(E Brown)(2009)
Various critters wake up with the sun. Illustrations by Karen Katz make this book especially endearing.
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Fun Dog, Sun Dog
by Deborah Heiligman (E Heiligman)(2005)
Tinka the dog is just the right kind of dog.
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Sun Bread
by Elisa Kleven (E Kleven)(2001)
Rhyming text describes how warm baking bread chases away the winter chills. A recipe for bread is included.
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Hello Day
by Anita Lobel (E Lobel)(2008)
Animals say hello to the sun, all except the owl who prefers the moon.
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Sun Song
by Jean Marzollo (E Marzollo)(1995)
The sun affects everything on the farm during the course of a day.
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Lucia and the Light
by Phyllis Root (E Root)(2006)
A little girl named Lucia lives in the Far North. One day the wind howls and the sun doesn't come up. Lucia and her white cat set out to find it. The illustrations are especially lovely.
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The Sun, Our Nearest Star
by Franklyn Branley (J 523.7 Bra)(2002)
This book answers a lot of questions about the sun, like what it is made of and how far away it is. There are two easy projects at the end.
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Arrow To the Sun: a Pueblo Indian Tale
by Gerald McDermott (J 398.2089 McD)(1974)
This Pueblo Indian myth describes how a boy looking for his father is turned into an arrow and launched toward the sun. After passing many tests, he returned to Earth with the spirit of the sun.
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Posted in: Staff Favorites