Happy Birthday Vivaldi!

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741

Antonio Vivaldi was a famous composer and violinist. Vivaldi was born and raised in Venice, Italy. The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best known work, but he also composed over 500 instrumental concertos, choral works, and operas.

Fun Fact: Vivaldi is known as "The Red Priest" because he had flaming red hair and he also was a priest.



Want to learn more about musical instruments?
Try searching the LBPL catalog for some book ideas!

Celebrate the Winter Olympics at Home

Just because the 2010 Winter Olympics are over doesn't mean you can't celebrate at home by playing ice hockey in your very own homemade mini-rink!



Materials Needed:
- drinking straws
- scissors
- tape
- baking pan
- buttons
- small stick

Cut a straw in half and then cut twice partway up the straw to create four splits. Flatten those against the bottom of the pan and tape them down, these are your goalposts. Next, fill the pan almost full with water. Place in the freezer for a couple of hours. Remove from freezer and place on top of a table. Use small buttons for hockey pucks and a craft stick for a hockey stick.

Play until it melts.


Want to read a hockey story at home?
Try Dino-hockey by Lisa Wheeler.

Long Beach Reads One Book

Parents and Teachers: Participate in Long Beach Reads One Book from March 3 - 14. The selection for 2010 is The Soloist: a lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music by Steve Lopez.

Check out scheduled events at Long Beach Public Libraries and around the city.

About the book:
Steve Lopez, a columnist for the L.A. Times spots a homeless man performing beautiful music on a shabby violin. Over the next few days, Lopez discovers that the homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers, was once a promising student at Juilliard, but various pressures - including schizophrenia and being one of the few African-American students - caused him to drop out. Enlisting the help of doctors, mental health professionals and professional musicians, Lopez attempts to help Ayers move off Skid Row, regain his dignity, develop his musical talent and free himself of the demons induced by his schizophrenia. --Adapted from Publishers Weekly review

Themes:
Friendship, Music, Art, Homelessness, Mental Health, Journalism

Celebrate Read Across America Day - March 2nd

www.seussville.com

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss' birthday and is also known as Read Across America Day, where children across the country celebrate by reading books by Dr. Seuss. Visit the Seussville website for some online Seuss fun or check out some books by Dr. Seuss from your local library.



The Cat in the Hat



Green Eggs and Ham



The Lorax



Horton escucha a Quién!



Un pez, dos peces, pez rojo, pez azul



More books by Dr. Seuss are
available @ your local library

NEW – Betwixt and Between Book Club at El Dorado, starting March 5th!

Betwixt and Between Book Club

Join Miss Laurie the 1st Friday
of every month at 4:00pm
at the El Dorado Library!

Age: Grades K-3
Date: 3/5/2010
Time: 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM

El Dorado Neighborhood Library
2900 Studebaker Rd.
(562) 570-3136


Each month Miss Laurie will introduce a new beginning chapter book. The group will start with round-robin reading and then book club members will finish the book at home. There will be a discussion of the selected book title when group meets the next month. Each month a new chapter book will be started together.


Visit the LBPL website for a complete calendar
of upcoming youth events @ a library near you!