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April 26, 2006
A+ at the Library
It's definitely the time of the year when paper doesn't just mean an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of looseleaf. From 3rd graders with state reports to high school students with history term papers, those whopper homework assignments are in the air. Here are a few librarian-tested resources to give your paper that A+ feel.
State reports
Our favorite series of state books is America the Beautiful. They are colorful, full of facts, and even have a great section on famous people from each state.
If you want to use online resources for your state report, let me recommend CultureGrams database. A colorful, kid-friendly interface includes maps, state flags, and even recipes. You'll need your Library card from home.
Animal Assignments
My absolute first stop when helping with an animal assignment is the International Wildlife Encyclopedia in our reference area. It has brief, useful articles on most animals, and includes a great sidebar with a map of their habitat, their weight, size, lifespan and other needed facts. Result: A+ animals!
Inventors
Inventors are difficult, because often little is known or written about them. Using a recent "actual" question about the inventor of superglue, here are the resources I found most useful:
Book
Eureka! in the Children's Reference area. We have several other good invention sources in the reference.
Database
Believe it or not, I'm going to have to cast my vote for the good ol' New York Times. We found a nice article about the inventor using our Proquest Database. See the whole list of databases here.
Website:
Invent Now - National Inventors Hall of Fame had a nice biography of Harry Coover, inventor of superglue, with a decent amount of info.
Good luck with those assignments - only a month or two left!
Posted by Caitlin at 01:23 PM
April 20, 2006
Giggles and Rhymes
A little something for the stroller set this month. Giggles and Rhymes storytime is for prewalking babies and their caregivers on Tuesday mornings at 9:30. Storytime will take place April 25, May 2, and May 9. There is no need to pre-register, and all are welcome at one or all three of the sessions.
See you in storytime!
Posted by Caitlin at 03:22 PM
April 11, 2006
Thought You'd All Like to Know
I received an Acceptable on my Harry Potter W.O.M.B.A.T. exam. Hey, at least it's not T for Troll. You can find more about JK's latest frolic on www.mugglenet.com or www.the-leaky-cauldron.org - Rumors seem to abound that book 7 may make its spellbinding appearance sometime next year, although with OOTP (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, to the uninitiated) movie slotted to appear in theatres next July, it's hard to guess what the publication date might be.
Posted by Caitlin at 01:21 PM
April 03, 2006
In Other News
Lemony Snicket's 13th and final (we sincerely hope) unlucky book will be released on, you know it, Friday, October 13th. Stay tuned for more details of what promises to be a grisly end to all our favorite characters.
Posted by Caitlin at 03:06 PM
Knockin' on JK Rowling's Door
The 'Do Not Disturb' sign is off JK Rowling's door at jkrowling.com, and visitors are welcome... if they can figure out how to get in. www.theleakycauldron.org will provide some helpful tips on entering JK's private domain. Once in, sit for your W.O.M.B.A.T. exam; a series of devilishly difficult questions. JK promises the exams will be graded soon, but one wonders if this is just an April Fool's Day joke of Potter proportion.
P.S. Don't forget to water the plant while you're there.
Posted by Caitlin at 03:00 PM