April 24, 2008
School Visits

Your favorite Library is coming to your school to talk about new books and summer programs!
When will we be at your school? Here are the dates:
Holmes - May 6-7
Royle - May 13-15
Hindley - May 20-21
Ox Ridge - May 22
Tokeneke - June 10-11
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Summer Sign Ups Begin May 19
The summer is inching toward us! Just stand outside (without a coat!) and you'll prove my point. On that subject, sign ups for a few of our summer programs begin May 19. More details below, but can I tempt you to ... Plant a Garden, participate in a game show based on the books of Roald Dahl, learn how a book is made with picture book artist Sean Bryan, or join a Nutmeg Bookgroup? Sign ups begin (by phone at 655-1234 x117) May 19. We hope your family can join us for one or several of these special summer events! (Information about more summer events will be available soon!)

Planting Party
Ages 6 to 11
Friday, May 30
3:30 to 5 p.m.
Plant the seeds in the Library’s very own children’s garden! The garden will be tended to by “Groovy Gardeners” on Wednesdays, July 2 to August 13. (You can register for Groovy Gardeners in June).

Wonkavision
Grades 3 to 5
Wednesday, June 25
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Participate in famous TV game shows based on Roald Dahl’s books! Children should read two of these books to participate: Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, or The Magic Finger.

Craft a Story with Sean Bryan
Ages 4 to 6
Thursday, June 26
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
How does a book get made? Darien picture book author Sean Bryan will discuss his latest children’s book, The Juggling Pug, to explain the creative process. Then he’ll craft an original story with the group!

Nutmeg Book Group
Grades 4 to 6. Join us for a book discussion of the newest Nutmeg Book Award titles. Light dinner is provided. Register for each date.
- Tuesday, June 10 from 6 to 7 p.m. Title: Free Baseball by Sue Corbett
- Wednesday, July 2 from 6 to 7 p.m. Title: Three Good Deeds by Vivian Vande Velde
- Thursday, August 7 from 6 to 7 p.m. Title: Gossamer by Lois Lowry
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April 15, 2008
"Once Upon a Time"...
...the phrase holds the promise of adventure, enchantment, opulence!
Fairy tales are not the rite of passage they were as recently as a generation ago. A group of teachers with whom I worked last month indicated they had a passing awareness of fairy tale characters, but just barely.
And they were surprised by the realization.
No one (that we know of) decided to steer away from fairy tales; it just sort of happened. And it's time to steer back! Fairy tales and nursery rhymes are rich in language, drama and imagination. They have been part of our cultural heritage for hundreds of years and continue to offer the substance (verbal and visual) that hook kids on books. With a new generation of illustrators interpreting these tales, it is time to revisit Once Upon a Time.
See our display in the Children's Room this month. Share your favorite tales with your favorite children. Rediscover the magic!

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April 10, 2008
Mike Lupica Author Visit (Think Sports Fiction!)

We're so excited to announce that Mike Lupica will be visiting the Library on April 29th! Read all about it!
Mike Lupica, nationally-known sports journalist and author, will be at the Darien Library on Tuesday, April 29 at 4 p.m. to talk about his books for children and young adults. Families with children ages 8 and up are invited to attend.
Mike Lupica is a renowned sports journalist with a syndicated column at the New York Daily News. A TV anchor for ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters,” he has also appeared recently on The Today Show, The Early Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Lupica writes emotionally gripping sports fiction for adults as well as children and teens. While adults may recognize titles like Wild Pitch and Bump and Run, he is equally popular with young readers. Some of his most popular novels for children and teens include Travel Team, Summer Ball, and his most recent novel, The Big Field. In The Big Field, 14-year-old Hutch regrets losing his shortstop position and struggles to understand his father’s resentment of the game. One of his juvenile titles for children, Heat, is a 2009 Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award nominee. Copies of the author’s books will be available for purchase and signing during the event.
There is no registration required for this program. Seating begins 15 minutes prior to the program.
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April 01, 2008
Summer 2008 Storytime Preview
As I promised a few parents, the Summer 2008 Storytime schedule has been set. Preview days and times with this quick guide. The summer brochure will be out in May.
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