What to read, what to read...

Are you wondering what to read when the weather is blustery? Are you searching for a magical escape to a world of adventure? Visit us at the library for a few exciting picture books!

This particular story concerns a boy named Jack who wishes to bring the princess a birthday present. Jack does not own many possessions, but he is indeed clever. He will have to overcome many obstacles to achieve his goal (including cake-loving giants) Check out the book to find out if Jack is able to bring the princess a gift. If this isn't your type of story, be sure to ask one of our librarians for a suggestion.

Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole arrives

Legend of The Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole opens in theaters Friday! Even if you haven't read the books yet, who wouldn't love to look at talking owls this cute?

For those unfamiliar, here is a plot synopsis adapted from the one on Movie Insider:

The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from Soren. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences--causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls.

Be sure to check out the beloved "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series by Kathryn Lasky. Click here to place a hold on the first book!

And visit the official movie website here: http://legendoftheguardians.warnerbros.com/#/home

Flipped Has Arrived.

Incase you missed it, Flipped opened this past weekend in a few select theaters around Long Island! So exciting!

Haven't read Wendelin Van Draanen's fabulous book yet? Come in and check one out or click here to reserve a copy.

Here's a quick plot refesher from Movietickets.com for those who read it a while ago (that would be me-- thanks Movietickets):

When second-graders Bryce and Juli first meet, Juli knows its love. But Bryce isn't so sure. Girl-phobic and easily embarrassed, young Bryce does everything he can to keep his outspoken wannabe girlfriend at arm's length... for the next six years, which isn't easy since they go to the same school and live across the street from each other. But if Juli finally looks away, will it be Bryce's turn to be dazzled? "Flipped" takes Bryce and Juli from grade school to junior high; through triumph and disaster, family drama and first love, as they make the discoveries that will define who they are - and who they are to each other.

Awesome book, awesome author, hopefully awesome movie. Exciting stuff!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5

This fall, everything changes... because Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5 is coming out! Jeff Kinney's fifth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book will be released Tuesday, November 9th of this year. Exciting!

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion

Attention fans of Knuffle Bunny! Mo Willems' third Knuffle Bunny book, Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion is due to hit the shelves September 28th. I had the privilege of checking out an advanced reader copy, and as an adult, truthfully, (I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!) it was my favorite Knuffle Bunny book yet! Be sure to take a look ASAP by putting a copy on hold here.

New Pinkalicious

Are you a Pinkalicious fan? Yes? Then you've got to check out the newest books, Pinkalicous and the Pink Drink (which came out Tuesday) and Pinkalicous, Tickled Pink (which comes out July 27th).

In Victoria Kann's Pinkalicous and the Pink Drink, Pinkalicious gets a pinkariffic idea: she'll start a lemonade stand! She quickly gets to work, but she has to figure out what ingredients she'll need to make the most perfectly pink lemonade.

In Pinkalicious, Tickled Pink, "Tiffany challenges Pinkalicious to a laugh-off. The pressure is on to create the most pinkerrifically funny joke of all time. Even if Pinkalicious doesn't win the contest, she's going to have a lot of fun trying!"

For more information on new books by Victoria Kann click here!

Benny and Penny comics

Blog alert! Just a few weeks ago award-winning author and illustrator, Geoffrey Hayes created a blog for his graphic novel characters, Benny and Penny.

The all-original comics posted on this blog are specially designed for emerging readers, in terms of both vocabulary and content. Every Monday there will be a new story with Benny, Penny and their friends (you can print these out and color them). Plus every Wednesday there will be a new cartoon, where you'll get to suggest what Benny and Penny could be saying in the blank balloons, and Geoffrey will post his favorites!

You can even write to the author through the blog's in the comments and he’ll answer you personally!

Click here to put "Benny and Penny in Just Pretend: A Toon Book" on hold.

Or click here to put "Benny and Penny in The Big No-No!" on hold.

Meet the authors of the 39 Clues!

Monday, May 24th!

Mark your calendars because the authors of the "39 Clues" books are coming the Barnes & Noble in Huntington Station! At 6:00pm, you'll have your chance to meet four of the award-winning authors: Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson, and Peter Lerangis.

Bracelets for the event will be distributed Sunday, May 23rd at 10:00am. For more information, you can contact the store at 631-421-9886.

It should be exciting!

If you haven't read any of the 39 Clues books, click here to put a copy of the first one (Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan) on hold!

Earth Day 2010

Happy Earth Day!

Every year, since 1969, we have observed Earth Day on April 22nd. Earth Day's purpose is to increase public awareness of environmental issues such as recycling, pollution, energy, and global warming.

There are lots of easy, small things you can do to help care for our planet. Here are a few ideas:

1. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Or, better yet, if there's enough sunlight coming in, leave the lights off when you enter a room.

2. Reuse the back-sides of paper.

3. Turn off the water when you're not using it, specifically when brushing your teeth.

4. Don't leave the refridgerator open for too long. Decide what you want before opening the door because it takes more energy to cool the refridgerator down after the warmer air has come in.

5. Unplug unused electrical devices throughout your house. Anything plugged into an electrical socket, but not turned on will still use some amount of energy. This energy is being wasted! So besure to unplug old toys, stereos, and chargers that you aren't using.

6. Pack a greener lunch: Use a cloth bag instead of paper bags, and pack your food in reusable plastic or metal containers, instead of plastic wrap or foil. You can also pack your drink in a reusable bottle or thermos, and even try using a cloth napkin instead of paper ones.

7. Check out a book on Earth-friendly crafting, such as this one, for instance.

And why not read a few short storioes about the saving the Earth for inspiration? Here are some titles to get you started:

Just A Dream, by Chris Van Allsburg

Charlie & Lola: We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers, by Lauren Child

Stuff!: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, by Steven Kross

The Great Trash Bash, by Loreen Leedy

Abigale the Happy Whale, by Peter Farrelly

Ramona and Beezus are coming to the big screen!

A little sister goes a long way. We'll find out this summer when Beverly Cleary's Ramona comes to the big screen in Ramona and Beezus!

The movie, due out July 23, 2010, is written by Laurie Craig and Nick Putsay. It stars acting-newcomer Joey King (as Ramona Quimby), Selna Gomez (as her big sister Beezus), Ginnifer Goodwin (as Aunt Bea), Sandra Oh (as Mrs. Meacham), and several others!

"Ramona’s vivid imagination, boundless energy, and accident-prone antics keep everyone she meets on their toes. But her irrepressible sense of fun, adventure and mischief come in handy when she puts her mind to helping save her family’s home" (Walden Media).

If you haven't read Beverly Cleary's popular Ramona books, click below to try a few out:

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Ramona the Brave

Ramona Forever

Ramona and Her Mother

Beezus and Ramona

Or come into the library for others. There are a ton in the series!

And, if you can't wait these four long months (exactly, to the day!) for the movie, take a peek at the trailer below:

Let's Talk About Books: The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

Love the 39 Clues? Or want to try the popular series?

Here's your chance! If your in grade 5 or 6, come to "Let's Talk About Books" on Wednesday, April 7th from 5:30 - 6:30 pm. We'll be discussing The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

The 39 Clues book series has become one of the most popular choices among many young readers. Find out what all the fuss is about! We'll discuss the book, The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, as well as learn how to collect the playing cards and use them for an online adventure.

The first 15 to register receive a free copy of the book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trailer!!!!

As you may know, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is coming out in the theaters on April 2nd. We've been totally excited and now there's finally a trailer! Check it out!!!

Caldecott Medal and Caldecott Honor books!

The American Library Association (Association for Library Service to Children) has announced the official Caldecott Medal and Caldecott Honor Books for 2010!

And the Caldecott Medal winner is...

"The Lion and the Mouse" illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney, published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers

The Caldecott Honor books are:

"All the World" illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon, published by Beach Lane Books

"Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors" illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman, puslished by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Baby-Sitters Club!

Say hello to your friends! The much loved Babysitters Club are making a return! We're so excited! Scholastic is re-releasing the first two books in the series, as well as a prequel, called The Summer Before! Read the full article here.

Dogs Don't Brush Their Teeth

Liked that video? Then you have to see this book by Diane deGroat and Shelley Rotner. It'll have you laughing at every page.

Reserve a copy here!

And check out the official Dogs Don't Brush Their Teeth! website.

The Curious Garden

I saw this book on a segmant on the news and new I had to read it. It's called The Curious Garden by Peter Brown. It's about a boy named Liam, who, in a dreary city, discovers a small garden on some old train tracks. But what makes it amazing are the beautiful illustrations. They look like they could be in a museum! To take a look for yourself, reserve a copy here.

New York Times Best Sellers List, Picture Books!

1. FANCY NANCY, SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS, by Jane O’Connor. (Ages 4 to 8) Click here to reserve your copy!

2. THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER, adapted by Chris Schoebinger from the story by Glenn Beck. (Ages 4 to 7) Click here to reserve your copy!

3. LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft. (Ages 7 and up) Click here to reserve your copy!

4. SKIPPYJON JONES, LOST IN SPICE, by Judy Schachner. (Ages 4 to 8) Click here to reserve your copy!

5. NUBS, by Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery and Kirby Larson. (Ages 4 to 8) Click here to reserve your copy!

6. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, by Clement C. Moore. (All ages) Click here to reserve your copy!

7.WADDLE!, by Rufus Butler Seder. (Ages 4 to 8) Click here to reserve your copy!

8. LISTEN TO THE WIND: THE STORY OF DR. GREG AND "THREE CUPS OF TEA", by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth. (Ages 4 to 8) Click here to reserve your copy!

9. THE LION AND THE MOUSE, by Jerry Pinkney. (Ages 4 to 8) Click here to reserve your copy!

10. JULIE ANDREWS’S COLLECTION OF POEMS, SONGS, AND LULLABIES, by Emma Walton Hamilton and Julie Andrews. (Ages 4 to 8) Click here to reserve your copy!

Click here to read the full list of New York Times Best Seller's List for Children, for December 11, 2009

The Magician's Elephant!

Kate DiCamillo, beloved author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, led a book group discussion broadcast on Sunday, October 25th at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.You can now see the whole webcast, including an interview of Kate DiCamillo with Michele Norris of National Public Radio on the Magician's Elephant website below!

The Magician's Elephant

While you're there, check out some of the other information and links on Kate DiCamillo!

Or, reserve your copy of the book by clicking here.

Where The Wild Things Are Screening!

Last Wednesday was the Where The Wild Things Are private screening in NYC, and I had the opportunity to attend, along with fellow children's librarian, Nadine of the Sysosset Public Library. We were so excited; we planned and talked about it for weeks, and when we got there, it was all we had hoped for! Both before and after the movie, we got to take part in a Q&A with bunch of people from the cast and crew (and by "take part," I mean "listen to."), including Max Records (who plays Max), author Dave Eggers, director Spike Jonze (who also touched my camera!!!), comedian John Hodgeman (PC!), and musician Karen O. from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's who composed the soundtrack. Following the movie and the Q&A was a reception, just a few blocks away, where we got to do a bit of mingling with the stars. Here are some pictures of the exciting event.

It was so much fun and the movie was awesome; beautifully written and directed and PERFECTLY adapted; touching and fun at the same time. Some people say it's not for kids, but I disagree. If you haven't seen it yet, I think it's fine for younger children, but I absolutely agree that adults, teens, and older kids will get more out of its deeper meanings and darker undertones, and will probably be able to draw more parallels to real life. But no matter what age you are, I'd definitely recommend seeing this movie! It was one of the best I've seen EVER.

And don't forget to check out Maurice Sendak's book, the original Where The Wild Things Are. Reserve it here. Or if you want you can reserve the movie's soundtrack here!

-Ms. Laura, Children's Librarian

We're very excited!

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Release: October 16, 2009


We're so excited that this movie is coming out THIS COMING Friday! But HPL will be at the premier in New York City on Wednesday night! Can't wait to see it. We'll let you know it goes!