June 21st - Summer Solstice and Longest Day of the Year!

Hey y'all! What are you planning to do with all that sunlight on Sunday? I know it's Father's Day, but besides spending time with your good ole' dad, why not pull out a good book to read? Or even better, pull out a book that you got at your local library? If you don't have one on Sunday, you can come in on Monday at El Dorado, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, or North Neighborhood Library Branches. The library will be closed this Tuesday, but we will be open again on Wednesday with the fresh continuation of our Summer Reading Club!!! Many of you have already received wonderful prizes of free books, and there's more to come. Here is a snipit of some of the books you can win for yourselves or your small child...YAY!

BE CREATIVE - Summer Reading Club 2009

Hey kids! Studies show that reading throughout the summer increases your reading skills for the next school year. Don't let your reading ability go down this summer - instead, join the summer reading club! Our club this year is open for all children through grade 6. Be creative - come in each week to Main Library and you can contribute to the decorations for the bulletin board. For every 5 days of reading, you can win a free book - yours to keep! Altogether, you can win up to 5 free books. What a way to brighten your day! Learn, grow and keep your reading skills up! Doesn't sound so bad to me! There are also programs happening throughout the summer at all our library locations. You could be bedazzled by magicians, pet animals, and more! Check our website http://www.lbpl.org/ for more information. So much is in store for you at your local library in Long Beach. Come join the fun!

Summer Reading Club starts on June 13th when the library opens. Thank you.

New Fiction Series Titles

For those of you interested, we have some new Children's fiction and Middle School series titles available for check out:

Book Five of Children of the Lamp: The Eye of the Forest by P. B. Kerr.
This is a New York Times bestselling series about the djinn twins John and Philippa who are tangled in their latest magical mystery. When a collection of rare Incan artifacts goes missing, the Blue Djinn of Babylon sends the twins and their Uncle Nimrod to recover them. The adventure leads them deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle to an enchanted doorway that is guarded by powerful Incan spells. Read the book to find out more...

World Weavers: Cybermage by Alma Alexander. (Middle School)

This is the first book in the Worldweavers series. The Wandless Academy feels all wrong to Thea. The Federal Bureau of Magic needs Thea's help to unlock the mysterious white cube - the one found over the summer in the professor's house, the same cube the dangerous Alphiri are still after. Thea needs the help of her friends to stay ahead of the Alphiri and the wiles of the FBM.

Storm: The Ghost Machine by E. L. Young

This is the second book in the Storm series. With one high-stakes assignment behind them, genius teens Will, Andrew, and Gaia are poised to take Venice by Storm. Two high-profile burglaries have hit the headlines in Venice, and news footage shows a strange spectral form at the crime scenes. Armed with high-tech speedboats, brilliant brains, and Will's cuttingedge gear, STORM is up against multiple threats. Very exciting!

No. 3 The Wednesday Tales: The Lightning Key by Jon Berkeley
Just in, read this finale in the Wednesday Tales series. Miles Wednesday has discovered his link to a magical Tiger's Egg, and he's suddenly at the wheel of a great voyage. Determined to recover the stolen stone and free the trapped soul within, Miles sets off with Little, a Song Angle, and the wisecracking blind explorer, Baltinglass of Araby. They head off far across the sea and desert to the home of Miles's Aunt Nura, who may be thier only hope in releasing the Egg's true power. They have many thrills and catastrophes along the way.

Chapter Books to Read Aloud

Hello,

Here is a list of chapter books compiled by our own Jennifer Songster, department and children's librarian of the Dana Branch Library:

Chapter Books to Read Aloud
(especially, but not exclusively, to children under the age of 8)



Avi. The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an even smaller ant) ~ Avon the snail and Edward, a take-charge ant, set off together on a journey to an undetermined destination in search of unspecified adventures.

Barrows, Annie. Ivy & Bean (series) ~ When Bean plays a mean trick on her sister, she finds unexpected support for her antics from Ivy, the new neighbor, who is less boring than Bean first suspected.

Briggs, Anita. Hobart ~ Four budding artists, a tap dancer, a poet, a singer, and an acrobat, who just happen to be pigs, live out their dreams and avoid becoming bacon.

Burnett, Frances H. The Secret Garden ~ Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

Carris, Joan. Welcome to the Bed and Biscuit ~ The family animals at the Bed and Biscuit begin to feel slighted when Dr. Bender returns from a fire with something that occupies the time usually reserved for them.

Christian, Mary Blount. Sebastian, Super Sleuth (series) ~ Dog detective, Sebastian, is on the job with stolen Egyptian artifacts and other mysteries in this series.

Cleary, Beverly. Henry and Ribsy ~ Henry wants to go fishing with his dad more than anything so Henry and his dad make a deal. If Henry can keep his dog, Ribsy, out of trouble for a month, then Mr. Huggins will take them both fishing.

Cleary, Beverly. The Mouse and the Motorcycle ~ A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.

Coombs, Patricia. Dorrie (series) ~ Dorrie, a little witch, has all sorts of adventures in this series.



Dahl, Roald. James and the Giant Peach ~ A young boy escapes from two wicked aunts and embarks on a series of adventures with six giant insects he meets inside a giant peach.

DiCamillo, Kate. Mercy Watson (series) ~ Mercy Watson is a pig who has many adventures in and around here own backyard.

DiCamillo, Kate. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane ~ Edward Tulane is a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, he loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him. He travels across the country finding new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.

DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread ~ The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the that princess he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

Dixon, Franklin, The Hardy Boys (series) ~ Frank and Joe Hardy, amateur, teen detectives, are always at the center of wholesome action, mystery, and suspense as they bring criminals to justice.
Erickson, Russell E. A Toad for Tuesday (series) ~ Warton the toad dons on a pair of homemade skis and ventures out in the dead of winter to visit Aunt Toolia.

Fleming, Ian. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: the magical car ~ The Potts family embarks on a rollicking adventure in their magical car in this hilarious story written by the infamous author of the James Bond series, Ian Fleming.

Gannett, Ruth. My Father’s Dragon (series) ~ Elmer Elevator stows away to rescue a baby dragon in a far-away land.

Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows ~ The adventures of four friends, Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger, who live in the English country-side.

Hurwitz, Joanna. Tales Julian Tells (series) ~ Episodes in seven-year-old Julian’s life, including getting in trouble with his younger brother Huey, trying to grow taller, and finding a new friend.

Jenkins, Emily. Toys Go Out ~ Three best friends, who happen to be toys, have a series of adventures.

Keene, Carolyn. Nancy Drew (series) ~ The intrepid girl detective solves crimes and captures criminals.
King-Smith, Dick. Babe ~ A piglet, destined for eventual butchering arrives at the farmyard, is adopted by an old sheep dog, and discovers a special secret for success.

King-Smith, Dick. Funny Frank ~ Gertie the Hen is appalled when her son Frank wants to swim with the ducks, but Jemima and her mother, the farmer’s wife, make him a special outfit so that his dream can come true.

King-Smith, Dick. The Nine Lives of Aristotle ~ A little white kitten goes to live with a witch in an old cottage where he finds so many opportunities for risky adventures that he soon has only one life left.

LeGuin, Ursula. Catwings (series) ~ Four young cats with wings leave the city slums in search of a safe place to live, finally meeting two children with kind hands.

LeGuin, Ursula. Tom Mouse ~ Tom Mouse befriends an old woman on the train he’s boarded looking for travel and adventure.

Lindgren, Astrid. Pippy Longstocking (series) ~ The escapades of a girl who lives with a horse and a monkey at the edge of a Swedish village.

Lowry, Lois. Gooney Bird Greene (series) ~ A most unusual new student who loves to be the center of attention entertains her second grade class by telling absolutely true stories about herself, including how she got her name.

MacDonald, Betty. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (series) ~ From her upside down house, the eccentric Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle cures such common children’s diseases as won’t-put-away-toys-itis and answerbackism and fighter-quarellitis.

Martin, Ann M. The Doll People ~ A family of porcelain dolls that have lived in the same house for 100 years is taken aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn’t follow The Doll Code of Honor.

McClosky, Robert. Homer Price ~ Six episodes in Homer’s life, including one in which he and his pet skunk capture four bandits, and another about a donut machine on the rampage.

Milne, A.A. Winnie-the-Pooh ~ The adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meets a Heffalump and Eyeore has a birthday.

Norton, Mary. The Borrowers (series) ~ A family of miniature people journey down a drain, live briefly in a tea kettle, and are swept away by a flood before finding a new home.

Reiche, Dietlof. I, Freddy: book one in the golden hamster saga ~ Fredy a remarkable intelligent golden hamster, learns how to read and write on a computer and escapes captivity to become an independent and civilized creature.

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de. The Little Prince ~ A fantasy about a young prince and a pilot who meet in the Sahara desert.

Spyri, Johanna. Heidi ~ A Swiss orphan girl is broken-hearted when she has to leave her beloved grandfather and their happy home in the mountains to go to school and care for an invalid girl.

Travers, P.L. Mary Poppins ~ The wind brings the Banks children a new nanny who can slide up banisters and introduces them to some delightful people and experiences.

White, E.B. Charlotte’s Web ~ The story of Wilbur, the smallest pig in the litter, who is raised by the farmer’s daughter and finds a friends in Charlotte, the spider.

White, E.B. Stuart Little ~ The adventures of the debonair mouse, Stuart Little, as he sets out in the world to seek his dearest friend, a little bird who stayed for a few days in his family’s garden.

White, E.B. The Trumpet of the Swan ~ Knowing how to read and write is not enough for Louis, a voiceless Trumpter Swan; his determination to learn to play a stolen trumpet takes him far away from his wilderness home.



To go directly to our catalog and place a hold, try this link: http://catalog.lbpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=main#focus and type in the title, or author. Thank you.


The plot descriptions for these books were taken primarily from NoveList, an electronic database available through the Library’s website at http://www.lbpl.org/. In addition to plot descriptions of books for all ages, children through adult, NoveList provides extensive searching capabilities (very helpful for when you remember the plot, but not the title or the author!), author read-a-likes, book discussion guides, lists of award winners, author biographies, articles about fiction genres, and much more. Check it out next time you aren’t sure what to read!

Long Beach Public Library and Information Center ~ Youth Services Division

National Library Month

Hello children and families of the Long Beach Public Library. We have quite a busy month this April in our Youth Services Department of the library. Many celebrations are taking place. First, it was International Children's Book Day on April 2, which has been celebrated since 1967 on or around Hans Christian Anderson's Birthday. This day is meant to inspire a love of reading and call attention to children's books. It is also National Poetry Month, and we have a bulletin board and trough book display at Main Library in honor of that. The bulletin board is made up of words that can be placed into any order to form a poem by anyone who stops by our children's department. This is reflective of the magnetic poetry word games that you see sometimes on people's refrigerators. It is a really fun display and there has been at least one poem created by a young gentleman on it in honor of the library.

Last week was National Library Week celebrated in libraries across the country. We are very lucky here in Long Beach because we celebrate our own National Library Month throughout the entire month of April! Hooray for Long Beach Public Library! Next Month, between May 11th and 17th, our country will be celebrating Children's Book Week, as well.

Here are some things happening at two of our branches:

At Mark Twain Library, there is a great bulletin board celebrating National Library Month which shows worlds connecting through books @ your library. It is loosely inspired by the book "My Librarian is a Camel" by Margriet Ruurs.

Also, "Break Free From TV" week (April 20-26) is being celebrated at the Mark Twain Library. There is a bulletin board display for this, and kids can sign up to turn their televisions off for the week. You can earn a treat for this, and please ask Carla at Mark Twain for more information.

Celebrate National Library Month with a Treasure Hunt. Follow the clues and find our mascot, El Dorado Ed. Win a free book. Every day except Sunday until April 30. El Dorado Neighborhood Library, 2900 Studebaker Rd., Long Beach, 562 570-3136.

Also - stop by Bay Shore Library on Saturday:

Bay Shore is celebrating its 50th Anniversary - music, refreshments and crafts for kids - and more!

Please stop by to see our lovely displays, as well as our book troughs at Main filled with poetry books and books to "Spring into Reading". Also, don't forget to take a look at our New Books - fiction, non-fiction, and picture books, all on display at the Main Children's Department. If you can't get to Main Library, please visit one of our local branches, who are all participating in what I've mentioned above. Thank you.