Children’s Chatter

Wheaton Public Library is joining libraries across the state in participating in “Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries” on Wednesday, February 10 to show how important academic, public, school, special libraries, and library systems are to the state of Illinois.

On February 10, WPL will compile statistics, customer comments, photographs, and other data chronicling a typical library day.  The results collected will be added to those of other libraries across Illinois to show how libraries provide invaluable services to Illinois citizens.

We really hope our loyal patrons will stop by.  Libraries are more important than ever to our communities.  We want all the citizens of Illinois, and particularly our Illinois lawmakers, to see what a typical day is like for an Illinois library.  Lawmakers have reduced state funding that is vital to help libraries like ours maintain current programs and services, much less provide new programs and services, purchase new materials, and support the delivery of materials from other libraries.

In addition to facing state cuts, WPL is facing budget cuts from the City of Wheaton.  When you stop in, please pick up our brochure, State of the Wheaton Public Library to get a more accurate view of how dramatically the library’s funding has decreased.

Your voice counts!  Please stop by on February 10 and share your opinions.  Also, if you fill out our Snapshot Survey on February 10, you’ll receive a coupon for one free DVD rental!  Thank you for your help!

Orignially posted by Eileen on Info@WPL

Friday, February 26 at 1:00 p.m.  

When a young girl is doused with an alien liquid, she turns into a 48 foot monster in this animated comedy. She joins forces with a ragtag group of monsters who are asked to save the world from the evil alien Gallaxhar.   

Ages: Grade 1 to Adult   

 Free tickets are available at the Children’s Department desk.  

(originally posted on wheatonlibrary.org) 

I have fallen in love (no pun intended) with Big Wolf & Little Wolf: The Little Leaf that Wouldn’t Fall!  It is a tale of friendship, patience, and beauty. Little Wolf must wait season after season for a leaf that hangs on a tree branch to fall.  When winter comes and the leaf still remains in the tree, Big Wolf climbs up to retrieve it for his friend.  As he reaches for it, the fragile leaf breaks apart and falls down onto Little Wolf.  Instead of disappointment, Little Wolf’s reaction is one of wonder. 

Nadine Brun-Cosme’s Big Wolf & Little Wolf was just named a Batchelder Award Honor book.  Learn more about the Batchelder Award here.

Here is a list of authors and illustrators who have their birthdays this month.  Check out some of their books to celebrate!

February 1: Langston Hughes, Jerry Spinelli

February 2: Eve Rice, Judith Viorst

February 4: Russell Hoban

February 7: Charles Dickens, Laura Ingalls Wilder

February 8: Anne Rockwell, Jules Verne

February 10: Stephen Gammell, E. L. Konigsburg

February 11: Jane Yolen

February 12: Judy Blume, Chris Conover

February 13: Eleanor Farjeon

February 14: Paul O. Zelinsky

February 16: Nancy Ekholm Burkert

February 17: Robert Newton Peck

February 22: Edward Gorey

February 24: Wilhelm Grimm

February 25: Cynthia Voigt

February 26: Sharon Bell Mathis

February 27: Uri Shulevitz

Can you guess what children’s book this first line comes from?  Give it a try!

“There was once a boy named Milo who didn’t know what to do with  himself-not just sometimes, but always.”

Did you guess?  Check here for the answer.

Here is a news release from the Library on Congress on Katherine Paterson becoming the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

To learn more about this extraordinary author, visit her website at http://www.terabithia.com/.

If you are interested in reading some of the wonderful books that Katherine Paterson has written, visit the Wheaton Public Library.  Find out what the library has by Paterson here.

The winners have been named for the Newbery, Caldecott, Geisel, and many more!

Click here to see a list of the winners announced by the ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children), a division of the American Library Association.

If you were to write a book…

what would your hero or heroine’s name be?

what would they look like?

where would they live?

what would be their favorite flavor of ice cream?

Here’s the third installment of staff favorites for the Children’s Department.  Enjoy!

Click on the titles to find these books in the Wheaton Public Library Collection.

  Chicken Soup with Rice

  Cherry and Olive

  Llama Llama books

  Don’t Fidget a Feather!

  Plantzilla

  The Kissing Hand