Sensational Book Sale!

The Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale was a big success. There was a great selection books, videos and audio tapes at bargain prices.

Thank you to the Friends and volunteers for their many hours of work; and, to the shoppers for supporting the event.

Don't miss the Summer Sale in August!

SPRING BOOK SALE!

Earth Day @ Conway Public Library

Plant-A-Seed Party April 22 at 4pm for Age 5 and up.

Take home pumpkin and sunflower seeds you plant and watch them grow.

Be earth friendly - Save the trees!

Borrow your books from the library instead of buying them.

Ladybug Picture Book Nominees

Yesterday a committee of children's librarians from around New Hampshire announced the 10 nominees for the Ladybug Picture Book Award. Designed to promote early literacy and honor the best in recent children's picture books, preschoolers through third graders will vote in the fall for their favorite book. Look for these books in the Children's Room at the Conway Public Library.



Bebe Goes Shopping by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Steven Salerno (Harcourt, 2006)




Dog Needs a Bone! by Audrey Wood (Blue Sky, 2007)

Duck at the Door by Jackie Urbanovic (HarperCollins, 2007)

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach, illustrated by David Small (Atheneum, 2007)

Help! A Story of Friendship by Holly Keller (Greenwillow, 2007)

The Magic Rabbit by Annette LeBlanc Cate (Candlewick, 2007)

The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend, illustrated by John Manders (Candlewick, 2007)

The Wizard by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Brandon Dorman (Greenwillow, 2007)

Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski, illustrated by Lee Harper (HarperCollins, 2008)

Would I Ever Lie to You? by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Jack E. Davis (Dial, 2007)

What's so great about February?

In spite of the weather (as crazy as it can get here in New Hampshire) February has some great month long observances and holidays. February is American Heart Month, African American History Month, and Children's Dental Month. Special days in February include Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, President's Day, and this year is leap year with an extra day on February 29. Find out more about February by exploring some of these links.

I also like this link on the White House web site to biographies of the presidents.

Reading at Risk

NPR reported today that the Nation Endowment for the Arts had released an analysis of reading patterns in the United States. While I find the decline in voluntary reading distressing, I was troubled by the statements that

1. "Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers, a 14 percent decline from 20 years earlier. Among 17-year-olds, the percentage of non-readers doubled over a 20-year period, from nine percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004."

2. "On average, Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time on reading."

" Because these people then read less, they read less well. Because they read less well, they do more poorly in school, in the job market and in civic life."

The analysis To Read or Not to Read, examined all kinds of reading including online. The data was collected from more than 40 sources including academic, corporate and federal studies.
The entire report can be downloaded from the above link.

Stay tuned. I'm sure we will be reading?? more about this issue.

Thanksgiving

I came across some interesting statistics about Thanksgiving while browsing the Librarians' Internet Index this week. The US Census Bureau publishes "Facts for Features," a collection of statistics intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances.

Here is a sample:

272 million - The preliminary estimate of turkeys raised in the United States in 2007. That’s up 4 percent from 2006. The turkeys produced in 2005 together weighed 7.2 billion pounds and were valued at $3.2 billion.Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov/

Find out which state grows the most sweet potatoes, and a lot more about Thanksgiving at Facts for Features.

Are you interested in holiday cooking as our ancestors did it? At Thanksgiving Recipes From America's Past (Pilgrim Hall Museum (Plymouth, Massachusetts) you will find "recipes for mince pie (1832), chestnut stuffing (1891), roast turkey with truffle gravy (1905), and a variety of pies and other holiday dishes. Recipes are accompanied by vintage illustrations."

Turkey for the Holidays , the University of Illinois Extension, is more information than I could imaging "including information on turkey cooking techniques, selection, carving, side dishes, nutrition, food safety, and using leftovers. Also features interesting trivia and facts about turkey and Thanksgiving, ideas for family activities and craft projects, and related links. "

You might want to check out the library cookbook section. We just might have that recipe you are looking for!

Or try some children's craft ideas at Best-Ever Thanksgiving.