CEO, 05/10/10

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 342; May 10, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
One last “Make a Splash – Read” site……
Nancy Drew turns 80!
National Children’s Book Week
Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s Youth Literacy Grant
Free Shakespeare in the Park
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......


RUHAMA’S REVIEW

The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd
http://tinyurl.com/yzftvcs

Laura lives in England and is 16. Her life has just turned upside down because of climate change, the government deciding to do something about it and a family that is on the brink of collapsing. Severe weather has caused major changes around the British Isles and carbon rationing has been instituted: every family is only allowed so much fuel per week. This means a change in television watching, computer usage, eating, washing and every other habit you can think of. It also means Laura has to think about what she's willing to give up so she and her band mates can still practice (she plays bass for the dirty angels). Laura also has to deal with school (and flunking), the cute boy next door, her sister working in the black market and her dad deciding to go back to the land (he buys a pig and some chickens) in the middle of London.

Overall, I found this book to be disappointing. The love interests felt flat and more along the lines of a device to make her more of a teenager. The memorabilia 'taped' in the diary was hard to read and quite small. I never connected with the main character and just found her annoying (I liked the older neighbor Arthur better than Laura...). And despite the explanations of Britishisms in the back, this one was a little confusing to understand. As far as diaries go, though, this was written convincingly and felt like a girl writing entries. I also appreciated her band and the ups and downs that went with the territory. However, if you want a better 'end of the world' story, read Life As We Knew It. If you want a better 'school girl in England' story, read Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging.


ONE LAST “MAKE A SPLASH – READ” SITE……

These are too cute to resist!
http://www.ivillage.com/koi-pond-cupcakes/3-r-139108


NANCY DREW TURNS 80!

April 28th marked the 80th anniversary of the publication of the first three Nancy Drew titles. Here are a few sites to help you celebrate Nancy’s anniversary at your library!

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/yr/features/nancydrew/index.html

http://www.ndsleuths.com/

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/nancydrewpresskit.html


NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK

Celebrate books and reading during this week’s special celebration! Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated nationally in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs, private homes -- any place where there are children and books. Educators, librarians, booksellers, and families have celebrated children's books and the love of reading with storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances, and other book-related events.

It all began with the idea that children's books can change lives. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children's books. He proposed creating a Children's Book Week, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians.

Mathiews enlisted two important allies: Frederic G. Melcher, the visionary editor of Publishers Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, the Superintendent of Children's Works at the New York Public Library and a major figure in the library world. With the help of Melcher and Moore, in 1916 the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association cooperated with the Boy Scouts in sponsoring a Good Book Week.

In 1944, the newly-established Children's Book Council assumed responsibility for administering Children's Book Week. In 2008, Children’s Book Week moved from November to May. At that time, responsibility for Children’s Book Week, including planning official events and creating original materials, was transferred to Every Child a Reader, the philanthropic arm of the children’s publishing industry. Also in 2008, the Children's Book Council created the Children's Choice Book Awards, the only national child-chosen book awards program, giving young readers a powerful voice in their own reading choices.

For more information, go to http://www.bookweekonline.com/


DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION’S YOUTH LITERACY GRANT

Dollar General’s foundation provides funding to schools, public libraries and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. The maximum grant amount is $3,000. Deadline to apply is May 21, 2010. Go to http://www.dollargeneral.com/dgliteracy/Pages/youth_grants.aspx for more information.


FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

This summer, for the first time ever in the Festival City, Milwaukee will add free Shakespeare in the Park to her summer festival retinue and you're invited! Optimist Theatre, in partnership with Alverno College and individuals and organizations from all segments of the city, will create and share a fully local, fully professional, and fully accessible production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Shakespeare’s masterpiece of magic, humor, forgiveness, and redemption will be completely free to the audience, but of the highest creative caliber: simple, fierce, and imaginative. The Tempest stars James Pickering as Prospero, fearsome sorcerer and loving father; Angela Iannone as Ariel, nimble and powerful spirit; Tom Reed as Caliban, vengeful monster and damaged soul; and Jacque Troy as Antonio, scheming sister and seductive conspirator.

Shakespeare in the Park is free for all to attend, but seating space is limited, so RSVP now. Show dates and times are:

Friday, June 18 at 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 19 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 20 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, June 24 at 8:00 pm
Friday, June 25 at 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 26 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 27 at 8:00 pm

To RSVP, email your date preference and the total number of people who will be attending to SSFry@OptimistTheatre.org. You’ll receive a confirmation with more details including directions, parking, info on food concessions and other entertainment. Closer to the date, you’ll be emailed a reminder.

For the latest news about Optimist Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park and The Tempest, there are three places to check:

Optimist Theatre’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/OptimistTheatre
Our blog at http://optimisttheatre.wordpress.com/
The latest addition, our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/OptimistTheatre

And, of course, the Optimist Theatre website at www.OptimistTheatre.org


DATES TO REMEMBER

May 10-16 National Children’s Book Week
May 21 Special Needs Consultants meeting, Madison
June 24-29 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells


WEBSITE FAVES

Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/Matisse

This website is the online version of the current blockbuster exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917. The exhibition is a curator's delight - an in-depth examination of a specific, productive period in Matisse's long career. The exhibit is an opportunity to bring together works never seen before in the same place and many of the paintings in the exhibit were conserved before the show, dark varnishes removed, and colors brightened. Twenty-one works have been selected for the online exhibit, including Bathers by a River, one of Matisse's largest paintings. There is also a video of the installation of this large painting in the new modern wing at AIC, as well as a curators' overview. (Internet Scout Report, 5/7/10)


Neil Gaiman on Libraries - The Book Case
http://www.bookpage.com/the-book-case/2010/04/14/neil-gaiman-talks-about-his-love-of-libraries/

Gaiman explains why he believes that in these difficult economic times, despite the glut of free information from the net, "libraries are as important as they have ever been, and they may be more important than they have ever been." (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2009,4/23/10)


Road Trip Planning - Tips, Resources and Advice
http://roadtripamerica.com/

Offers advice on all aspects of road trip planning, including routes, destinations, road food, road trip gear, a fuel cost calculator, and lots more. Learn from other road trip adventurers and contribute yourself on the forum. (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2009, 4/23/10)


Ruhama’s Blog: C2E2 Evaluation
http://librariane.blogspot.com/2010/04/extravaganzaa.html

Jennifer Wharton, Sara Soukup, Ruhama and I attended C2E2 in Chicago last month. In addition the expo, several sessions of interest to librarians were presented that day. Here’s Ruhama’s blog entry about our day.


AND FINALLY…….

It looks like I’ll be returning to Seattle this fall, this time for the Sweet Adelines International convention and competition. My daughter’s quartet, Trouble Clef, will be competing in the Rising Star competition, which is for quartets comprised of young women under the age of 25. We’re all very excited!