Reflections from Joyce

I’d like to thank the wonderful people of the community who have supported the children’s
programs at Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library throughout the years. As I prepare to
retire at the end of this month, I’ve had time to reflect on my past twelve years as Children’s
Services Manager.

Input from our patrons brought about many changes, such as adding Accelerated Reader labels to
books and creating neighborhoods where all of the Clifford, Dora, Star Wars and other favorite
characters and specific holiday books and movies are shelved in their own little section.

The children’s room staff made changes in the programs that we offer. We were one of the first
libraries in the state to offer programs for children starting at birth based on the Every Child
Ready to Read early literacy program endorsed by the American Library Association. In fact,
I founded and led ITELL, a task force of children’s librarians that lobbied and succeeded in
getting a children’s consultant at the state library. We also trained Indiana children’s librarians
in the Every Child Ready to Read skills and petitioned Indiana University to add early literacy
workshops for students studying to become librarians. Over the years we’ve provided a variety
of craft, art, music, cooking, sign language, and Spanish programs. Some of my favorite
programs and activities have been the Summer Reading Club, Reading with Dogs, I Can Read
Club, Harry Potter: Welcome to Hogwarts, Plainfield Arts Festival, Gingerbread House
Decorating, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Boo at the Library. You may have seen
some of us outside of the library, too. The children’s staff received trophies for our Book Truck
Drill Team entries in the Quaker Day Parade, and we continue to meet many of you at the Kids
Summer Lunch Bunch and the 4-H Fair.

I’ve seen amazing changes in technology in the past decade. VHS tapes were the most popular
format for movies when I started working at this library, and who knew that we’d all be carrying
iPads, smart phones, and Nooks and be able to read books and magazines on them? Twelve years
ago children had to be in kindergarten and print their name before they could obtain a library
card. Now cards are issued to children of any age. Teens and tweens have been given more
respect and now have their own special space and some delightful librarians to accommodate
their needs.

I’d be remiss not to mention the wonderful support we’ve had from the Friends of the Library.
In fact, all snacks, craft supplies and performers are purchased with Friends of the Library
funding. No tax monies are used for these. Your membership in the Friends and support of their
projects, such as book sales, enable us to provide the wonderful Art Zone, craft programs and
Silly Safaris. You won’t want to miss the fantastic Water Show they’re sponsoring this summer.
It’ll be across the street on the grassy area of First Baptist Church. Be sure to wear your swimsuit
and bring a towel to dry off.

It has been my pleasure to work for you, please continue to enjoy the programs we offer and
remember that we are here to serve YOU, so your comments and suggestions are always taken very seriously. Please tell us how we can make your experiences at the library better.

Joyce Welkie
Children’s Services Manager

Father Goose

Once upon a time…Father Goose visited the Plainfield Library…and he's back again, inviting you to participate in the magical fun as our beloved nursery rhymes and fairy tales get a Mother Goose-approved make-over from musician/magician, Paul Odenwelder. Children of all ages are invited to join us on Thursday, January 17th at 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. for this fun adventure that is sure to end happily ever after. Register online or call 838-3801.

Mother Goose is well-known for fairy tales and nursery rhymes, but our Father Goose, Paul Odenwelder, tells the stories his own special way. He offers lots of kid participation, great music and some magic thrown in just for fun. The Father Goose Show brings these classic stories
to life in a way that beats TV and computers for attention and encourages reading. Both Children and adults are charmed and amused.

Holiday Books for Family Reading

What's your favorite holiday book to read as a family? Need some ideas for holiday books to read together?

Three of everyone's favorite children's room staff members have compiled their five favorite holiday books to read with families or children. Check out Laura's, Jan's, and Brenda's lists below:

The Night Before Christmas
Silent Night: A Mouse Tale
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Small One
Who is Coming to Our House?

Helping Santa: My First Christmas Adventure with Grandma
The After-Christmas Tree
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas
Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus!
The Money We'll Save

Polar Express
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Santa's Crash-Bang Christmas

 Have you ready any of these books? Add your favorites in the comments below!

Picture Book Month

Did you know that November has been declared Picture Book Month? This is great news here in the Children's Room because we love picture books of all types. Here are a few of my personal favorites—feel free to chime in with yours!

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina: A peddler walks down the road with hits caps piled on top of his head. When he stops to take a nap, a bunch of monkeys steal the cap and the peddler has to get them back. This is an older book, but it was one of my family's favorites growing up and it's a fun read-aloud since you can act out the part of the peddler and the monkeys. With colorful illustrations and lots of detail for children to find, this is a great classic.

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey: Speaking of classics, you don't get much better than the story of Sal and her mother who go picking blueberries on a hill. But on the other side is a mother bear and her baby. When a mix-up occurs, it's quite a shock for everyone! The illustrations for this story are really funny and there are lots of sound effects for the kids to echo.

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney: All right, one more classic. I grew up on the story of Alice, the Lupine Lady, who wants to go to faraway places, to live by the sea, and to make the world more beautiful. When she has worked in a library, traveled the world, and settled by the sea, she goes around scattering lupine seeds so that the ground is covered with blue and purple and rose-colored flowers. Without being preachy, this story has a great message.

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: When Annabelle finds a box filled with yarn of every color, she begins knitting with it. She has some extra yarn, so she keeps knitting. And then she covers her cold little town in yarn of every color. I love the deceptively simple illustrations and the slightly humorous tone of the story that at the same time inspires me to make the world a more beautiful place.

Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barnett and Dan Santat: "Oh no…Oh man…I knew it. I never should have built a robot for the science fair." So says our narrator at the beginning of the book. Then she has to deal with the fact that her giant science fair robot has gotten out and is busy destroying the world. Her solution is creative…maybe a bit TOO creative!

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen: Fair warning—don't read this book with those who are especially tender-hearted when it comes to animals. However, for those of us who are a little more thick-skinned, this story of a bear who has lost his hat is absolutely hilarious. There are wonderful little jokes between the story and the pictures

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems: Okay, basically, I love anything by Mo Willems. But lots of people know about the Pigeon books and Knuffle Bunny. Leonardo, the Terrible monster is also delightful and not so well known. Leonardo is a terrible monster. He can't scare anyone. He doesn't have scary teeth, he's not big, or just plain weird. Then he decides to find the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world and scare the tuna salad out of them. As usual, Willems' illustrations are fun, with lots of expression on the different characters.

Flotsam by David Wiesner: A wordless picture book. At the beginning, a boy finds a camera washed up on a beach. When he looks at the film, he discovers a magical underwater world of mechanical fish, cozy living rooms where octopuses read to their young, and mermaids wave to squid. An enchanting book for the imaginative reader, with always a little more to find in each picture.

Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace and LeUyen Pham: A little vampire dreams of becoming a ballerina, but it's not easy when you have cold feet, or when your smile scares the other dances, or when you're liable to turn into a bat when embarrassed. This is such a cute book, full of funny little details and a heartwarming story. Great for the ballet enthusiast at any time of the year.

~Maureen

Every Child is an Artist!

Every Child is an Artist!

There’s an art wall by the project table in the Children’s Room, where kids can always find supplies to sit down and make something creative. They can take their projects home, leave them to display, or make two, one to take and one to display.

The projects that go on the table are great for tactile learners and creative kids. They all support one of more of the five practices of the Every Child Ready to Read Initiative of the American Library Association.

The leaf project was to decorate a paper leaf with colorful paper bits. It’s amazing how different they were from each other! It tied in with the Writing aspect of the initiative. Picking up the mosaic bits and working with a glue stick helps develop the fine motor skills needed to write, and reading and writing go hand in hand.

 There’s a lot to do in the Children’s Room these days. When kids visit the library they can CREATE (project table,) DO (crawl through the giant caterpillar, play a board game,) READ (book, magazine,) PLAY WITH (train table, computers,) LISTEN TO (snuggle up with together on a cozy couch,) or ATTEND something (a library program- see what there is for your child!).

~Jan

Wolves, Hot Air Balloons and Gunpowder

Fifty years ago, long before the Lemony Snicket books were written, Joan Aiken published the first in her Wolves Chronicles series. Set in an alternate England where James III rules and wolves roam the countryside, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase has a wonderful combination of brave kids in danger, truly unpleasant adults, and slightly grim humor.

Although there are a few jokes that are funnier if you know something about English history, Aiken has really made a world that stands on its own. The main characters of the series, Simon, Sophie, and Dido, have to make their way through a dangerous world full of Hanoverian plots to overthrow the king, relatives plotting to steal fortunes, and even a few magical misunderstandings.

I first encountered the series when my grandparents gave me a copy of the third book, Nightbirds on Nantucket. It was one of the weirdest things I had ever read, and I loved it. Dido is not always perfect, but she is brave and always has a keen sense for when things are not right. I gradually read the whole series and they became some of my favorites.

I mentioned Lemony Snicket at the beginning of this post because I think that readers who like the Series of Unfortunate Events would like Joan Aiken's books as well. They have a similar mix of plucky kids, villains and a wacky but wonderful world. Although they were written fifty years ago, the Wolves Chronicles have a timeless appeal, not just for kids but for readers of all ages.

~Maureen

Rachel's Banned Book of Choice

A Wrinkle in Time won the Newbery Medal in 1963. It is a book filled with magic, mystery, and adventure, but the very core of it is the simple quest of a girl wanting nothing more than to find her father- a scientist who disappears after working on a mysterious project involving a wormhole technology (tesseract).

Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin travel to the planet Uriel. On this planet everything is good. While there, they discover, among other things, that the Universe is being attacked by a monster called the Black Thing. The Black Thing captured Meg’s father and took him to the planet Camazotz, which is dominated by a disembodied brain called IT. As Meg and her companions travel the universe she struggles with herself and her fears to a culmination packed with excitement.

Doesn’t sound like such a bad book, does it? Despite the elements of loyalty, friendship, love, and honor it has been suspect of satanic implications due to the use of magic and witchcraft and endorsing ‘New Age’ religions thanks to crystal balls, telepathy, and mystical elements in the story. Despite this, A Wrinkle in Time is still standing as a classic, groundbreaking work within fantasy and science fiction genres and an empowering book for young readers.



~Rachel

Tim's Top 10 Banned Books

Banned Books Week: 9/30 through 10/6

This week marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week across the country. Libraries, Bookstores, Journalists, and Book Lovers all join together to celebrate the freedom to read whatever you want! Did you know that there have been over 10,000 challenges to books since 1990? On average, that’s about 500 challenges a year to books in libraries and schools! Surprisingly, the Harry Potter series has been near the top of the list of the most challenged books in the country since it was released.

Books can be challenged for many reasons, including sexual content, offensive language, violence, or occult themes (what Harry Potter is normally accused of). Librarians feel that open access to books and knowledge is an integral part of any open society. You may not agree with the message or the content of a book, but that does not mean the book should be banned. We all have the freedom to read what we want, but we also have the freedom to NOT read what we don’t agree with or what doesn’t appeal to our taste.

Here are my Top 10 favorite Banned Books:

10. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
9. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
8. The Giver by Lois Lowry
7. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
6. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
5. 1984 by George Orwell
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

All of these books have been challenged over the past twenty years in this country. As you can see, any book can be challenged at any point, whether it is a classic or even a famous children’s title. Any reading list without Banned Books is not only missing out on some great literature, but is missing out on the opportunity to understand the different cultures, people, and the world around us. Celebrate the freedom to read this week and pick up your favorite Banned Book or try a new one from my list.

We want to know what your favorite Banned Books are! Leave a comment below.


~Tim

Banned Books Week 2012

Banned Books Week is Sunday, September 30 - Saturday, October 6, 2012. 

Books are banned for all sorts of reasons. Should people be able to ban books, or should everyone have the freedom to choose what they want to read?

Your library supports your freedom to read. Check out this video, by many of your favorite library staff members:


What's your favorite banned book? Why was it banned, and what is it your favorite?

Welcome to Our Neighborhoods!

It has just gotten easier to locate items in the children’s room through the creation of Neighborhoods. Some of the books and movies are being shelved together by topic rather than classified as fiction, non-fiction or format (such as DVD). The first Neighborhood created was based on the most popular requests from children of their Favorite Characters. These include Barbie, Clifford, Dora, Star Wars and Thomas. For children who love the airplane or train books, we have a Transportation Neighborhood with sub-categories of In the Air, In the Water, and On Land. Coming soon will be Neighborhoods on Holidays and the Town Values.

The call number on the spine of the book/DVD has not changed; the only changes are the location of the item on the shelves and listed in the Evergreen on-line catalog, plus the addition of a color-coded spine label. An example of a location change in the Evergreen online catalog will be “Children: Favorite Characters: Dora” instead of “children picture book”.

We hope these Neighborhoods make it easier for you and your child to locate the items you want. Please be patient with us as we take the time to transfer the items into Neighborhoods. If you need assistance finding items or have suggestions for improvements or additional Neighborhoods, please tell any of the children’s room staff.



~Joyce

Children's Books for Adults

Jan recently wrote about classic children’s tales and reading to your kids. While I totally agree with her about story time with children should be non-ironic, I personally love children’s picture books that have hidden adult meanings, or children’s-style picture books written for adults. Here are some of my favorites; parental guidance is suggested!

The Amphigorey Series by Edward Gorey. These books are filled with fabulous black and white ink illustrations and dark humor at its finest. This will sound crazy if you don’t know anything about these books, but if you are a fan of morbid humor and the alphabet, you will be trying to buy these with your rent money after reading them.

Go the F* to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. Yes, here it is. The f-bomb in all its glory, I know. However, if you have children, you will most definitely identify with this story. Told from a father’s point of view, this lovely book is a rhyming plea for his child to just go to bed already. Just don’t read this when your kids are taking a nap…your laughter will surely wake them up.

It’s a Book! by Lane Smith. In a world of computers, smart phones, Bluetooth, iPads, and Skype, where do books fit in? I think they fit in quite well, if your brain isn’t too fried to read one. This book is okay for kids, if they are old enough to understand the humor at the end.

All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen. Aw, so sad! All Dinosaur’s friends are dead. All the pirate’s friends have scurvy. This is a book about the downside of being anything, which is funny and sad all wrapped up in a cute 96 page picture book.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown.  A very cute picture book written for kids, but is such a good one, I couldn’t resist it. Lucy the bear finds a boy in the woods and takes him home. Mama bear warns her that “Children make terrible pets.” The pictures are fabulous and the story hilarious. I honestly wish I could see a bear with a kid as a pet.

Dick and Jane and Vampires by Laura Marchesani. Written and illustrated in the style of Dick and Jane, this book includes (gasp) a Vampire!  Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending. Spoiler alert: you will also see Spot run.

Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd. A clever parody of Goodnight Moon, this book takes a peek at all the electronics in our everyday lives. Brightly illustrated and full of pop-culture references, it’s a fun, two minute read.

These are all humorous books that will lighten up any bookshelf in the house…just make sure that they’re out of the kids’ reach!


~Michelle

Reading Aloud to Kids

Obviously I love reading. I read on a daily basis and one of my goals is to spread the joy of reading. I decided, even before my oldest son, Tim, was born, that my kids would grow up to be readers. I bought Tim Dr. Seuss books when he was 2 months old. Last year, I think my youngest son, Zeke, was the youngest child enrolled in Summer Reading, as he was born the day after summer reading started! His room is even decorated in Dr. Seuss illustrations.

However, despite all of this, I was unsure of how to read to my kids, so I went on a library adventure to find a book on the subject. What I found was The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. This is just me talking, but I feel as though this is the definitive guide on reading to your kids. Here are some tips that I use everyday that I gleaned from this book:

Start early, but better late than never! Story time is a lot of fun, but you don’t have to be elaborate if you don’t want to be. A short book before bed is a great way to “ease into” the idea of reading together on a regular basis. I read with both my boys before Zeke goes to bed, and then I read with Tim again before his bedtime, as he listens to the story and doesn’t chew on the books like his brother. The only problem I ever have is when Tim throws a fit for me to read him another story. I suppose if I have to pick a problem to have, this would be it.

Read your own material in front of your kids. Don’t allow them to think that adults don’t read! For example, you can read the newspaper at breakfast, and perhaps read aloud part of a story that may be interesting to them. You could read a recipe while cooking. Read a novel that you just picked up from the library on the couch. Kids learn by example, so show them that reading isn’t just for kids in school.

Don’t be afraid to read aloud to kids of any age. It doesn’t matter if your kid is 6 or 16, you can still take 5 or 10 minutes a day to have some quality reading time.

Don’t be afraid to read aloud because you don’t think you’re good at it. Practice makes perfect! Your child will enjoy the time you spend sharing a story even if you’re not an audiobook-quality, read-aloud, voiceover artist. At first, I was afraid that Tim wouldn’t like the crazy voices that I used for the characters in Steven Kellogg’s Jack and the Beanstalk, but now he won’t let me read it to him any other way!

Make reading aloud fun! Little kids like to read the same books over and over again. At least do yourself a favor and spice up the way you read—use silly voices, do sound effects, ask questions about the illustrations. Really get into what you’re doing, and the child will definitely follow your lead.

Take your kids to the library! PPL’s children’s department is awesome. There are zones for each age range to play, toys for little guys, puzzles and games for all ages, and a quiet area for reading. Let your child pick a book for herself. Let her grab a shopping cart and watch the books fly off the shelves! Show older kids how to search Evergreen for subjects that they enjoy.

Turn off the electronics! Television and Internet are great things in moderation. Unplug for awhile and watch your kids become more alert, imaginative, pleasant, and talkative. Maybe they’ll even do their chores without a fuss too. Okay, that’s wishful thinking.

A great adult book about reading aloud is The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma. It chronicles “The Streak” of reading aloud between a father and daughter for several years, and the profound impact it had on both of them. I only hope that the reading aloud that I do for my kids has the same effect!

Happy Reading!


~~Michelle

Nothing is Old to Young Children

There are a lot of new picture books every year, and competition for sales is intense. Many new picture books are really written to appeal to adults who shop for books, and they are sophisticated, full of references to other things and jokes that kids don’t get. It’s a good marketing strategy and everything. But… first things first.

The simple story of The Three Bears is still a new and exciting story to little kids. I read it to preschoolers because they really like it. Of course I know what will happen, and I’ve read it a thousand times! Most of the kids have never heard it though, and they don't know.

The Gunniwolf, The Turnip, The Gingerbread Man. These books are not trying to be clever, they are just simple, interesting stories for kids. They have been around for hundreds of years because they are timeless.

Author/illustrator Paul Zelinsky says, “From the point of view of very young children, nothing is old or hackneyed. Isn’t it important for them to be exposed to the most basic forms of things? Variations should come second. And winking third.” (You can read his article here: http://www.hbook.com/2012/05/authors-illustrators/interv%20%20iews/five-questions-for-paul-o-zelinsky/.)

 My suggestion: when you are reading a traditional kind of story, start with a basic version like The Little Red Hen by Galdone. Play around with it. Read it with goofy animal voices if you do that - your child can do those parts if you don’t. Later, pretend you are the hen. “Who will help me put away these groceries?”

Next read different versions and expansions like The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Sturges. and compare the pictures and story. Guess what? Not all versions of The Little Red Hen have the same ending. Sometimes the animals get to share the bread (or cake, or pizza) with the hen and sometimes they don’t.

Then go for take-offs or parodies like The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Sciesza (which rhymes with Fresca.) Your child will have the context to get the joke then.

A young child may latch on to a favorite story and choose it over and over again until you think you can’t stand it one more time. Studies have shown that it’s normal and developmentally appropriate. (Ever watched a TV box set or movie more than once? I thought so. Me too.) Don’t worry, the child will move on eventually!

Gold Star Books

If you have been in the Children's Room lately, you probably had to walk around our shiny new display, the Gold Star Books. We put it where most people walk to make it hard to miss…... as if all the gold stars won't catch your attention!

It is stuffed with staff picks. By looking at the bookmark inside, you can see which staff member recommended it.  A few of the books won awards, some are our top favorites, and the rest are books that make us say, "Oh, I liked that one, I want someone else to find it!"  If you read one, let us know what you think about it!

~Jan