SPRINGTIME PLANTING

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
Getting that itch to put your hands in the dirt and put down some seeds?

Can't wait to have vegetables bursting from all the vines, spilling all over your garden?

This classic lovely picture book will help you get started. Follow the book and you will cook up a delicious vegetable soup tended by your very own hands.

Great for Preschool age - 1st grade readers.

EVER CONSIDERED JOINING THE MONKEY CLUB?

Most likely you haven't. But Lenny and Mel have. These two brothers are pretty wacky. That's probably why their parents suggested that they join an after school club. Maybe so they could cause a little less trouble at home and a little more at school? Well it turns out that there isn't a monkey club at their school. Actually they're not really sure which club to join. So they join the newspaper club, only temporarily though, to do some investigative reporting on their club options. And lets just say they uncover some pretty interesting facts about these clubs. Not only that, they get to try all sorts of new things. When Mel takes on a soap carving project, he decides to cut the big soap into tiny rectangles. Why you ask? He explains that is "for people who have trouble with, or are afraid of, big soap."

You'll have to read Erik P. Kraft's Lenny and Mel : After-School Confidential to find out more about their zany club search.

For grades 3 and up.

HERO IS A HERO

Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

Hero is named after a character in a Shakespearean play, but try explaining that to schoolmates who think it sounds more like a name for a dog. After moving into her new home, she hears the story of a lost necklace possibly hidden or left behind by the previous owners of her house. She sets out to find the lost treasure with the help of her mysterious crotchety elderly neighbor and a popular boy from school. As the mystery of the necklace's whereabouts unfolds, she learns about its history and to accept her unusual name.

A complex mystery that's even better than Chasing Vermeer. For readers in 6th - 8th grades.

LUCIA AND THE LIGHT

Lucia is very close to her family. She lives in the beautiful mountains with her mother and her newborn baby brother, a cow and a cat. Their days are filled with love and happiness. The cow gives them milk while their cat sleeps in front of the fireplace. Things get really scary when one winter day the sun disappears and darkness takes over their cabin. Lucia's mother reassures that everything will be fine. The mischievous Lucy does not believe her and she decided to go out in the mountain with her cat and bring back light. On her way, she almost loses her beloved cat, freezes terribly, gets lost in the big mountains and meets some very scary trolls. The illustrations are so well done, that you almost get to feel the cold, see the sun and believe in the trolls. LUCIA AND THE LIGHT by PHYLLIS ROOT with illustrations by MARY GRANDPRE is a story that you don't want to miss.

For K through grade 2.

YOUR FINES ARE FORGIVEN!

This April 16 - 22 ask for all of your past fines to be forgiven.
Sorry we can't forgive lost materials.

Other special events happening this week:
Wednesday at 3:30 in the afternoon come and make your own book with us.

Friday enjoy the movie Stuart Little at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Swazzle will entertain you with their puppets and stories.

SPECIAL PROGRAM AT THE LIBRARY

If you have ever wanted to draw cartoons this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Central Library is just for you. Jim Gilbert, cartoonist extraordinaire will be here to teach the art of cartooning to artists aged 4 and older as well as their families. Think you can't draw, Jim will prove you wrong as everyone in this program will learn to create a character or critter following his easy instructions.

UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER?

This is a hilarious twist on the classic fairy tale Princess and the Frog. However, these two are not living the "happily ever after" lives as promised in the books. The princess cannot believe why she kissed this slimy creature in the first place. They are always fighting about many things. They are miserable, so miserable that the prince leaves the castle in hopes of finding a witch that will turn him back into a frog and he can go on living his old life.

He does meet many witches on his way, however none of them can help him since they give him a hint as to what will happen to him. A nasty spell, a poisoned apple, etc. Helpless, he realizes few things about life... You need to read this book to find out if the prince will turn back into a frog or if he will find a way to live the "happily ever after" with his princess? This book is called The Frog Princess Continued by Jon Scieszka and the pictures are by Steve Johnson

For grades 1 through 5.

PEEWEE, THE LIBRARIANS AND THE CAR RACE

On the heels of a tornado, four young and determined female librarians, unlike any before, blow intoPeewee's life and little town. The librarians drive cars, have tea parties in the library, encourage storytimes and have taken tomboy Peewee under their wings. At 14, Peewee wants nothing more than to be a mechanic and work alongside her brother but the librarians and circumstances change everything. Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck captures that special moment in time and history when new and exciting changes come at a seemingly rapid pace.

For 6th grade readers and up. Loosely based on a real event.

GO AHEAD, PICK IT UP!

Did you know that archeologists have tasted the honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs? This led some to think it is the only food that would never go bad. Or that the only continent with no snakes or other reptiles is Antarctica? How about this one, the only country where cows have the same rights as people is India. Bet you also did not know about the secret members of you favorite bands huh? Well, during some concerts, other musicians play backstage out of sight. It's a clever way of making the bands sound more impressive. You have got to check out this book, called Pick Me Up: Stuff You Need to Know created by David Roberts and Jeremy Leslie. So go ahead, do as it says. Pick it up and you won't want to put it down. You definitely need to know this stuff for yourself and you can also impress everyone around you. It is full of interesting facts about famous people, buildings, countries, trains, music, art, games and so much more.
For grades four and up.

BARK LIKE A DOG, CLUCK LIKE A CHICKEN

After watching Lomax the Magnificent hypnotize someone into thinking she is a chicken, Calvin decides to do the same to his sister. Trouble is, hypnotizing Trudy into thinking she is a dog is not as much fun as he thought it would be. She barks so loudly that the neighbor complains, she eats all of his ice cream and he has to push her around in the heat when she falls asleep. Calvin has had enough, but when he tries to break the hypnotic spell he can't seem to remember the magic word!

Did Calvin really put her under a hypnotic spell, or is Trudy just pretending?

Read Probuditi! the latest book by Chris Van Allsburg.

For readers in 1st -3rd grades who enjoy a little twist in their stories.