CONCRETE POETRY

What is it? Concrete poetry is different from regular poems. Some concrete poems are just a few words, or even one word written in letters to suggest the shape of what the poem is about. Some concrete poems use individual letters or colors, shapes, or sizes to give more meaning to the poem.
Where can you see it? Visit the Children's Section of the Beaverton City Library. Look for the large bulletin boards. You will find these poems and more:
"The Concrete Cat" by Dorthi Charles
"Popsicle" by Joan Bransfield Graham
"A Seeing Poem" by Robert Froman
We got the idea from a wonderful book, A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems, written by Paul B. Janeczko and illustrated by Chris Raschka. Our awesome volunteer display artist, Aubrey, painstakingly enlarged and traced the poetry onto bold background colors.
What can you do to create your own concrete poetry? Borrow A Poke in the I or another concrete or shape poetry book from the library. Get ideas for writing and illustrating some very unusual and eye-catching poetry! (AB)

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Posted in: Creativity,Poetry

Mud-O-Rama

Spring has been (so far) cold, wet and rainy. That means mud. The only thing more fun than playing in the mud? Reading stories about it!












Mud by May Lyn Ray
An ode to the thawing of the earth after the long winter.

Check our catalog for this title.

Mud Tacos by Mario Lopez and Marissa Lopez Wong
Let's make mud tacos out in the backyard. Yum!

Check our catalog for this title.

The Mud Fairy by Amy Young
Can Emmalina the fairy earn her wings by playing with the frogs in the mud?

Check our catalog for this title.

Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke
Little chick needs lots of help after getting stuck in the barnyard mud.


Check our catalog for this title.

I'm Dirty by Kate and Jim McMullan
It's a backhoe's duty to get dirty.

Check our catalog for this title.

-gw-

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Posted in: Picture Books

Heartsong Yoga at the Beaverton City Library, Monday, April 12, 2010

Heartsong Yoga will be here on Monday, April 12, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to teach some basic yoga moves for children and their parents. This program is for children in grades two through five and an accompanying adult. If you are interested in finding out about yoga and learning some basic postures, please phone (503)350-3600 to register or stop by the Children's Desk on the first floor of library to sign-up for this event. We hope to see you there. -gw-

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Posted in: Special Programs

Chapter Book Chips - "The Fast and the Furriest" by Andy Behrens

Twelve-year-old Kevin Pugh is the son of a former Chicago Bears star football player. Unfortunately, Kevin is not a chip off the old block. He is much better at gaming with Madden football than playing the real game. His dog, Cromwell, is a couch potato too. One day, while lying on the couch, Kevin and Cromwell watch a dog agility contest on TV. Cromwell is mesmerized by the event and this is the beginning of new chapter in Kevin and Cromwell's life. They enroll in Paw Patch, a dog agility training school. And they meet Elka, Paw Patch's slightly mystic trainer. Over the summer, the two begin their transformation from loafers to athletes. And when Paw Patch holds its' yearly dog agility championship, Kevin and Cromwell surprise everyone. But the race isn't over yet. Will they succeed beyond even their wildest dreams? Read, "The Fast and the Furriest" to find out. A great sports book for fifth and sixth graders. And a great story for dog lovers too. -gw-

Check our catalog for this title.

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Posted in: Chapter Book Chips

Lightning Thief still checked out??

Try one of these other great titles that weave together modern stories with classic mythology.


Odd and the Frost Giants
J Gaiman, N.

A twelve-year-old, Norwegian boy named Odd is lead on a journey in which he must save three Norse gods and face the dreaded Frost Giant.

Find this title in our catalog



The Beautiful Stories of Life: six Greek myths, retold
J 398.2093 RYL

Rylant puts a modern twist on the stories of Pandora, Persephone, Pschye, Orpheus, Pygmalion, and Narcissus.

Find this title in our catalog

The One-eyed Giant

j 883 OSB

The first book in Mary Pope Osborne's Tales From the Odyssey series.

Odysseus begins his long journey home following the Trojan War and encounters danger after danger along the way.

Find this title in our catalog

Pandora Gets Jealous

J Hennesy

Thirteen-year-old Pandora, Pandy for short, knows she is in trouble when the box her father Zeus gave her is accidentally opened during a her high school presentation.

Find this title in our catalog

-cm

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Posted in: Staff Favorites

Hooray for Spring!

Spring is finally here! Celebrate the season by reading a new picture book from the Beaverton City Library.

Waiting Out the Storm by JoAnn Early Macken
Mama makes it better when the thunder and lightning come.

Check our catalog for this title.

Seven Hungry Babies by Candace Fleming
Mama Bird is busy with seven hungry mouths to feed.

Check our catalog for this title.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes
Lovely pictures add to the story of some unusual things that grow in this garden.

Check our catalog for this title.

Ooh La La Polka-Dot Boots by Ellen Olson-Brown

Polka-dots and boots ... the perfect combination!

Check our catalog for this title.

Wee Little Bunny by Lauren Thompson
Bunny's busy day in the meadow.

Check our catalog for this title.

-gw-

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Posted in: Picture Books

Falling In

Falling In

by Frances O'Roarke Dowell (Children's New books)(J Dowell)(2010)

Isabelle Bean is no ordinary 6th grader. She's a dreamy girl, whose thoughts are rarely on the matter at hand. She's just eccentric enough that the other kids keep their distance. To Isabelle, life is too mundane, there's just not enough magic.

Her ordinary life suddenly changes when she follows a mouse and subsequently "falls in" to another realm. Tales of a witch in this new place send her on the trail to find this so-called witch. All the other children are running away, but not Isabelle. She and a girl she befriends along the way, wind up at an old woman's house, who lives in the woods. She and the other girl, Hen, stay with the woman and learn herbal healing techniques.

It's not long before Isabelle discovers that the woman IS the witch, except she's not really a witch. It's up to Isabelle to dispell the rumor that there is a witch-which then leads to everyone thinking that she is the witch!

You'll have to read the book to find out if she can persuade everyone that there is no witch! -SC-

Check our catalog for this title.

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Posted in: Fiction,New Book Review

Chapter Book Chips - "The Sixty-Eight Rooms" by Marianne Malone

Ruthie is a sixth-grader who thinks her life is pretty boring. She hopes that something "great" will happen. Her class goes on a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and while visiting the exhibits something "great" does happen. Ruthie and her best friend, Jack, find a very unusual key in front of the Thorne Rooms. The Thorne Rooms are a collection of sixty-eight miniature rooms from various periods in history. Ruthie discovers that this key allows her to shrink to five inches in size. She and Jack decide to explore the Thorne Rooms and they manage to sneak into the museum over a weekend, shrink down and discover the secret world hidden inside the rooms. What is the magic of these rooms and are Ruthie and Jack the first to discover their mystery? "The Sixty-Eight Rooms" is a fantasy adventure, perfect for grades four through six. -gw-

Check our catalog for this title.

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Posted in: Chapter Book Chips

A Selection of Graphic Novels for Early Readers

Stinky
By: Eleanor Davis

Stinky the monster is content with his life in the mud, playing with his pet toad, until a young human boy wanders into his swamp. A fun and humorous story about accepting differences and making friends.

Find this title in our catalog


Otto's Orange Day
By: Jay Lynch & Frank Cammuso

Otto loves all things orange and when a genie offers him one wish he decides he wants everything to be orange! Otto quickly realizes, however, that maybe he made a mistake.


Find this title in our catalog


Little Mouse Gets Ready By: Jeff Smith

Little mouse excitedly gets dressed when his mom says it is time to go to the barn. This simple, sweetly illustrated story is one of my favorites of last year.

Find this title in our catalog


Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!
By: Geoffrey Hayes

Benny and Penny are suspicious of their new neighbor and decide to sneak into his backyard even though they know this is a big no-no. A cute story about misunderstandings and friendship.


Find this title in our catalog

-cm-

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Posted in: Graphic novels,Staff Favorites

DIY Club Tuesday, March 16th at 3:30 p.m.

Feeling crafty? Come celebrate spring and the new green growth by creating some green crafts. We'll be making green worm bookmarks, turtles from reused compact discs and, if we have time perhaps another green craft surprise!

We supply all the materials, you just bring your sense of creativity and willingness to learn something new and have fun!

Join us for this FREE program on March 16th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. (Please arrive promptly so that you have time to complete the crafts).

For kids in Grades 3 through 6.

Registration is required. Please phone (503)350-3600 to register or sign up in person at the Children's Desk on the first floor of the library. -sv-

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New Picture Book Review: The hidden Bestiary of Marvelous, Mysterious, and (maybe even) Magical Creatures

By Judy Young, and illustrated by Laura Francesca Filippucci
Copyright: 2009
Best for grades: 1-5
Call number: E Young, J


Hidden Bestiary has engaged my thinking in some incredible new ways. Presented as the travel log of famous explorer Dr. Basil Bernard Barnswhitten (Dr. B.B.B.), this picture book features couple rhyming stanzas of text on each page about different animals from all over the world. Each illustration shows Dr. BBB studding animals in the wild and also has gorgeous two page spread of illustrations of plants and animals.

The highlights of this book are the hidden animals in each illustration. Each two page spread features one animal that is hidden somewhere in the beautifully detailed illustration-- animals like the Kakapo of New Zealand, the now extinct Dodo, and the deadly mysterious Kraken. Other animals can also be found in landscape, so young explorers would keep a sharp eye out even after finding the featured animal.

This booked sparked my curiosity and as I searched for each animal on the page I also pulled up webpages and encyclopedia articles about the animas. But if you’re not near a computer or books about animals then there is also a handy feature in the back of the book giving just a little information on the animals like their habitat, description, behavior, diet and status (ie endangered, extinct, nonexistent).

So for those kids and adults who enjoyed I Spy, Magic Eye, and art work by Bev Doolittle, here’s another amazing book to spend some time exploring.

To view this title in our catalog click here.

-JW-

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Posted in: New Book Review,Picture Books

Pooches on the Green, Saturday, March 20, 2010

All dog lovers are invited to attend Pooches on the Green, Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., rain or shine in the park across the street from the Beaverton City Library. There will be Irish music, dancing and lot's of wonderful dogs. For more information please phone (503)526-2559.
-gw-

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Posted in: Special Programs

Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award Nominees for 2011

The 2011 nominees for the Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award have been announced. This award is for books aimed at second and third graders and is named after the beloved children's author. Children vote for their favorite from the list of nominees. So get started reading and you will be ready to cast your vote next year.

The Homerun King by Patricia McKissack

Check our catalog for this title.









Frogs by Nic Bishop

Check our catalog for this title.









Bed, Bats and Beyond by Joan Holub

Check our catalog for this title.






Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and Other Scary Stuff by Lenore Look

Check our catalog for this title.








Puppy Power by Judy Cox

Check our catalog for this title.








Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel

Check our catalog for this title.

-gw-

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Posted in: Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award,Fiction

Early Literacy Workshops for Spring 2010

One of the best gifts you can give to a young child is time spent reading together. Please join us for our "Every Child Ready to Read" workshops in April, 2010 to learn why reading together is so important. At these free parenting workshops we will address early literacy skills for children birth to age six. Our focus is to help your child be ready to learn to read by the time they enter Kindergarten. These workshops are for parents, grandparents, teachers and caregivers of young children. Please note, no childcare is available.
Registration is required and begins one month in advance of each workshop. For more information or to register, please phone (503)350-3600.

Sharing Books with Young Children
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Come hear about our favorite books for children birth to age six. We will offer tips on how to read to your children at home and introduce the six early literacy skills that lay the groundwork for learning to read.

Early Literacy for Infants and Young Toddlers (Birth to 20 Months)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
This workshop focuses on things you can do with babies and young toddlers to get them excited about books.

Early Literacy for 2s and 3s (20 Months to 36 Months)
Monday, April 19, 2010
10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
This workshop focuses on tips and games you can use with your toddler to get them excited about books.

Early Literacy for Preschoolers
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
This workshop focuses on tips and games you can use with your preschooler to get them ready to learn to read when they enter Kindergarten.

Brain Development and Early Literacy
Thursday, April 29, 2010
7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Learn critical brain development concepts that impact early literacy for infants through children in primary grades.

-gw-

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Posted in: Special Programs

Chapter Book Chips - "Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever" by Wes Tooke

Just in time for Spring Training, a baseball story of the summer of 1961, when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle chased Babe Ruth's season home run record. Louis May is a devoted New York Yankees fan. He has a large baseball card collection and can recite almost any player's statistics. But he sees himself as a poor player who lacks luck. The summer of 1961 is a difficult one for Louis. His parents have divorced and he is living in a new house, with a new stepmother and stepbrother and facing a new school in the fall. The only thing that takes his mind off all these changes is the Yankees. While attending a game at Yankee stadium with his father, luck presents itself to Louis when he is given the opportunity to be a batboy for the team. Louis spends his summer gaining confidence in himself and his baseball skills. And he has a front row seat for one of the greatest moments in baseball. "Lucky" is a perfect book for any young sports fan in grades four through six and a great read for adults too. -gw-

Check our catalog for this title.

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Posted in: Chapter Book Chips