Thursday, April 30, 2020

To accompany the fourth video in our library garden series, here are some great non-fiction books about gardens and the animals you might meet there.:
Garden Friends
Garden Friends takes a look at the creatures living in your own backyard, including butterflies and other insects.


Up In The Garden, Down In The Dirt by Kate Messner
Discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves . . . and down in the dirt. Explore the hidden world and many lives of a garden through the course of a year!



The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards
Explore the fascinating miniature world of spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, and more as stunning photography combines with expert information to create an up-close-and-personal look at the hidden lives of these tiny backyard residents.


Fly Guy Presents: Insects by Ted Arnold
In FLY GUY PRESENTS: INSECTS they go outside to learn all about other insects like Fly Guy!


The Buzz on Insects by Gina Shaw
We share our world with all kinds of flying, crawling, buzzing, even biting insects—in fact there are more of them than us! Drawing on material from the Smithonian's Insect Zoo, with its live insect exhibits, this lively, accessible reader uses exciting photographs and reader-friendly text to explore insect life all around us.


National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Birds by Catherine D. Hughes
This adorable reference introduces young readers to birds of all kinds: big and small, flyers and swimmers, colorful and plain.


Crow Smarts by Pamela S. Turner and Andy Comins
In the latest addition to the Scientists in the Field series, the creators of The Frog Scientist take us to a beautiful Pacific island, where a lively cast of both crows and scientists is waiting to amuse and enlighten us.








Just for fun, here are some of my favorite fiction stories about gardens and animals.:
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. With the help of two unexpected companions, Mary discovers a way in—and becomes determined to bring the garden back to life.


How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
People are always daring Billy to do zany things. But Billy may have bitten off more than he can chew when he takes his friend Alan's bet that Billy can't eat fifteen worms in fifteen days.


My Side Of The Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in New York City with his family, so he runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live in the woods—all by himself. With only a penknife, a ball of cord, forty dollars, and some flint and steel, he intends to survive on his own. Sam learns about courage, danger, and independence during his year in the wilderness, a year that changes his life forever.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Check out these books to improve your coding skills. Many use Scratch, the free coding program you can find here... For more online coding activities click here...


Coding Projects in Scratch by Jon Woodcock
Make a Dino Dance Party or create your own electronic birthday cards. Build games, simulations, and mind-bending graphics as you discover the awesome things computer programmers can do with Scratch 3.0.


Rosie Revere's Big Project Book For Bold Engineers by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
Do you like to make things? Dream up gadgets to improve your life and the lives of others? Then you are ready to join Rosie Revere and become a great engineer! Engineering is persevering, and this book is the perfect place for trying out, crossing out, and trying again.


Learn To Code and Change the World by Reshma Saujani
Bursting with dynamic artwork, down-to-earth explanations of coding principles, and real-life stories of girls and women working at places like Pixar and NASA, this graphically animated book shows what a huge role computer science plays in our lives and how much fun it can be. No matter your interest—sports, the arts, baking, student government, social justice—coding can help you do what you love and make your dreams come true.


Star Wars Coding Projects by Jon Woodcock
step-by-step visual guide to coding fun projects in Scratch and shows you everything you need to know to create cool computer projects, animations, and games. Create your own sprites and use them in your projects.


Friday, April 17, 2020

Some ideas for books that may be comforting to read...

Books to bring comfort, calm stress and encourage kids that they are capable in these trying times...


All of these titles can be checked out with a library card via our emedia site. Just click the title to find it. Don't have a library card? No problem. Get a digital card here.


Picture Books:

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld A book of endless good wishes sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet and uplifting book is perfect for wishers of every age.


Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin A fun and musical guide to taking life's little problems in stride.


Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich Hank is a prickly cactus who thinks he doesn't need a hug, but when he discovers he's lonely, Hank sets out to get a hug from a friend.



The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld When something sad happens, all Taylor's animal friends try to fix it, but the rabbit knows just what Taylor needs.


Meditate with Me by Mariam Gates Meditation does a body good, and can even help kids as young as four or five. This practical guide is gentle, clear, and a pleasure to use.


Drawn Together by Minh Le Two very different generations find a way to connect through art.


Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai Malala saw a world that needed fixing, and set out to change it. This beautifully illustrated volume tells Malala's story for a younger audience and shows them the worldview that allowed Malala to hold on to hope even in the most difficult of times.



A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood by Fred Rogers and Luke Flowers 75 beloved songs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and The Children's Corner are collected in this charmingly illustrated treasury, sure to be cherished by generations of children as well as the millions of adults who grew up with Mister Rogers.


Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Kindness by James Dean Pete the Cat shares some groovy words on kindness in this fun collection of his favorite famous quotes about sharing, lending a helping hand, and having compassion for others.

For older kids who may be feeling overwhelmed or out of control, here are a few stories of capable kids overcoming problems...


Chapter Books:


The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket



Nim's Island by Wendy Orr A girl. An iguana. An island. And e-mail. Meet Nim–a modern-day Robinson Crusoe! She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees, and start a fire with a piece of glass.


Coraline by Neil Gaiman In Coraline's family's new flat there's a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall—until Coraline unlocks the door and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. Only different.