Make-your-own costumes...what comes to mind?  Sewing, elaborate, taking lots of time?  It doesn't always have to be that way, right?! 

Many costumes can start with a sweatshirt or a box.  My favorite costume was in 4th grade; I was a pair of dice with my friend Kerry.  She and I painted the boxes, pasted on paper dots, and wore tights and a turtleneck.

Some DIY costume links:

A Seattle Times article, that links to FamilyFun and parents.com, so we might as well too!  FamilyFun also has creepy cuisine

A Baltimore Sun article with lots of links

About.com has costumes and family crafts too
 

HGTV has 3 minute video clips that include no-sew costumes and toddler costumes

Some DIY costume books for kids and adults:

Read and Reread all the Harry Potter books? Have no fear... Your Library is here...to recommend...

 Narnia Readalikes

We all know why it is good to read to children under 5 - it helps lay the groundwork for a successful experience in school (and life!). In order for young children to be strong readers, they need to be read to. As kids get older (and busier) it is harder and harder to find time to read those looooooong chapter books. There are a great many benefits to continuing to read to your older children! It contiunes to build their vocubalary, it strengthens their listening skills and most importantly, it provides time for you to bond with your children. 

Here are some titles from our collection to help you get started.  Remember, everyone has different personal values and your children's maturity levels vary, so we recommend that you read the books yourself before sharing them with your children.

For recommendations of books to read to your baby, toddler or preschooler please go to our First Five Years section for book lists.

Books for School-Age Listeners:

Bunnicula: a Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah & James Howe

Harold the dog shares a true story of the mysterious happenings in the Monroe household since the arrival of an unusual rabbit named Bunnicula.  The Monroes' cat, Chester, who has quite an active imagination, is convinced that the harmless looking bunny is a vampire. Chester observes Bunnicula rousing only at night to get sustenance from vegetables by draining their juices with his tiny fangs! Initially, Harold helps Chester warn the family that the strange white vegetables in their refrigerator are caused by a vampire bunny. Later though, Harold comes to Bunnicula's aid when he discovers that Chester is using garlic to starve his new fluffy friend. The story ends happily when Bunnicula goes on a liquid diet and the Monroes' vegetables are safe.

Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker

While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building. This is a funny story of a girl who can't seem to avoid trouble and both bpys and girls will apprecitae the humor. An added bonus - the grownups in this book are actually cool!  Follow this up with The Talented Clementine and Clementine's Letter.

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

After Chester, a cricket, arrives in the Times Square subway station from his native Connecticut via a picnic basket, he takes up residence in the Bellinis' newsstand. There tiny Chester is lucky enough to find three good friends; a little boy named Mario whose parents run the unsuccessful newsstand; a fast-talking Broadway mouse called Tucker; and Tucker's pal, Harry Cat.  Between escapades in New York City, the four somehow manage tobring success to the almost bankrupt newsstand.

Frindle by Andrew Clements

When he decides to turn his fifth-grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control. Always a hit with elementary school kids, this book also has some good talking points! Check out the discussion guide on Simon & Shuster's website for some questions and activities to do with your kids.

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

Mr. Popper, a house painter who dreams of the Polar region, receives a large crate containing a penguin. This is a silly book written in 1938, but a classic and an award winner. Even your younger listeners in Preschool would like this book! Follow it up with an exploration about penguins and their habitats. We've got 63 other books about penguins in our Children's Room! You can also find out more about penguins on Zoobooks - a online animal encyclopedia for kids.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

"Boy!" said Ralph to himself, his whiskers quivering with excitement. "Boy, oh boy!" Feeling that this was an important moment in his life, he took hold of the handgrips. They felt good and solid beneath his paws. Yes, this motorcycle was a good machine all right.

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. Follow this up with the Cleary's book Ralph S. Mouse.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Sarah, Plain and Tall  is an award winning tale set in the late 19th century. It is about Jacob, a widowed midwestern farmer, and his two children, Anna and Caleb. Jacob has advertised for a wife, but when Sarah arrives, she is homesick for Maine, especially for the ocean which she misses greatly. The children fear that she will not stay, and when she goes off to town alone, young Caleb, whose mother died during childbirth, is stricken with the fear that she has gone for good. But she returns with colored pencils to illustrate for them the beauty of Maine, and to explain that, though she misses her home, "the truth of it is I would miss you more." The tale gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillio

The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin. A modern fairy tale that is sure to delight listeners of all ages. Already read this one? Try another book by this author. Kate DiCamillo is a favorite author of kids and children's librarians alike!

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older. The story is historical fiction taking place in the 1880s blended with fantasy. Check out the Reading Guide on Scholastic's website for some good questions to ask your kids after you've finished.

Yay for Nutmeg Book Groups for grades 4 to 6!  We will continue through Fall 2008 and then break in November and December to get ready for the new library!!!  Call the Children's Room to signup.

Tuesday, September 16 from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

MVP*: *Magellan Voyage Project  Adam Story is chosen as a player in the MVP challenge. To win the four million dollar prize, Adam must circle the world in forty days - no flying allowed. Competing against other players through time zones and across continents, he faces danger and unknown risks. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime.

Wednesday, October 22 from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Eager Would you like to live in the future where robots do all the work? All Gavin and Fleur wanted was a normal robot. Instead they have Eager, who creates more problems than he solves.

Other Nutmeg Book Groups we did in 2008:

March: Shakespeare's Secret

April: The Homework Machine

July: Three Good Deeds

August: Gossamer

Vote for your favorite Nutmeg in January 2009--at the Darien Library or at school!

Eighteen of the 39 Groovy Gardeners who helped tend our library garden this summer gathered on August 21 to enjoy the fruits of their labors.  The lively and enthusiastic group enjoyed pizza accompanied by salad which included squash, cucumbers, pear tomatoes, peppers, and nasturtium blossoms nurtured by them.  In addition, we had eggplant dip, dill dip, basil dressing and iced mint tea made from vegetables and herbs we grew.  One young gardener wished we could have grown a pizza plant!  We topped off the meal with ice cream and cookies, and sang "Happy Birthday" to one attendee who chose to eat vegetables with us on her special day.

The Nutmeg Book Group discusses this year's Intermediate (Grades 4 to 6) Nutmeg nominees.  The Nutmeg Book Award is Connecticut's children's choice award.  Here's the fall schedule. 

- Tuesday, September 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. We'll be discussing MVP* Magellan Voyage Project by Douglas Evans.

- Wednesday, October 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. We'll be discussing Eager by Helen Fox

Register for each date.  Registration begins Tuesday, September 2. Copies of the books are available for check out in the Children's Room.