Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 7, 2014

Roar!

NYPL lion photo by Robert Hiscock via Flickr

This Sunday, August 10th, is World Lion Day, a day dedicated to celebrating and preserving the aptly-named but endangered King of Beasts.

In honor of lions and Leos everywhere, here are our favorite picture books about lions at the Montclair Library:

Picture Books About Lions - a list by the Friends of Montclair Library

Chloe & the Lion by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex
Typically Barnettian hilarity ensues when Mac, the author, fires Adam, the illustrator, over their artistic differences about Chloe, the main character of their book.

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
A lion starts visiting the local library but runs into trouble when he tries both to obey the rules and help his librarian friend.

The Lion and the Little Red Bird by Elisa Kleven
A little bird discovers why the lion’s tail changes color each day.

If I Were a Lion by Sarah Weeks
A little girl pleads her innocence from her time-out chair by contrasting her behavior with that of wild and ferocious animals.

Enchanted Lions by David T. Greenberg
One evening, Rose climbs on the back of an enchanted lion who takes her on a tour of outer space.

How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens
Iris understands that grown-ups are afraid of lions, but when she finds one in her playhouse she knows he is kind so she keeps him hidden from her parents for as long as possible.

Deep in the Jungle by Dan Yaccarino
After being tricked into joining the circus, an arrogant lion escapes and returns to the jungle where he lives peacefully with the animals he used to terrorize.

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (J 398.2 PINKNEY)
In this beautifully illustrated, wordless retelling of Aesop’s fable, a mouse proves that even small creatures are capable of great deeds when she rescues the King of the Jungle.

Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Claire Freedman
As night falls in the jungle, all sorts of animals settle down to sleep.

The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio
When the door to his house at the zoo is left open a lion decides to visit his friends, but he quickly learns that people are not nearly as polite or friendly in town as when they visit him at the zoo. (See also The Happy Lion Roars.)

Willoughby & the Lion by Greg Foley
When Willoughby moves to a new house far away from his friends, he meets an enchanted lion who shows him what is truly important in life.

Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty
In this retelling of Androcles and the Lion, Andy meets a lion on the way to school and wins his friendship for life by removing a thorn from his paw.

Photo: New York Public Library lion by Robert Hiscock via Flickr

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 3, 2014

This week at Montclair Library: August 4-10, 2014

Ice cream photo by Jessica Merz via Flickr

Wednesday, August 6, 2014
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:00pm
Kids! Come practice reading to a gentle dog. Practice your reading skills, earn a sticker in our Summer Reading Challenge and have fun.

Pop Up Teen Zone – 1:30pm
Come visit the Pop Up Teen Zone to do crafts, hang out and share suggestions for serving you better!

Thursday, August 7, 2014
Toddler Storytime (ages 18 months-3 years) – 10:15am
Baby Bounce (ages birth-18 months) – 11:30am

Saturday, August 9, 2014
Ice Cream Social – 2:00pm
Celebrate the end of the Summer Reading Program with ice cream and a scavenger hunt!

Photo: Jessica Merz via Flickr

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 30, 2014

Budget update

Here’s an update on the city budget situation and how it impacts the library system, from the Library Advisory Committee:

The City Council voted July 1 to place $500,000 into the OPL’s Measure Q Reserve fund — a start toward filling the projected shortfall of $2.5-$3.5 million that threatens to close 6-8 branches in Fiscal Year 2015.

“Like we heard (from library advocates) today, that’s a down payment on our challenge next year,” said Council Member Dan Kalb during the council meeting. He’s right — the work of protecting the Oakland Public Library’s budget is just beginning.

WHAT CAN WE DO? Click here for a handout that helps explain the OPL’s budget shortfall [and why libraries are important – ed.]. Print the handout, and pass it around — then do it again, and again! Give it to your neighbors and to the members of any group you belong to. Set out stacks of handouts wherever you can!

For example, Oaklanders will gather at hundreds of National Night Out block parties on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Whether you’re hosting or attending, this is a perfect time to hand out fliers. Your neighbors and friends probably don’t know 6-8 library branches will close in July 2015 — SPREAD THE WORD! Speaking of National Night Out, several OPL locations — including the Main Library and the Dimond and Temescal Branches — will host NNO events.

There are more tips and resources on the Save Oakland Library website.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 29, 2014

Writers’ Panel

As part of the adult summer reading program, 3 local writers will be at the Montclair Library Tuesday, August 19th from 6:00-7:30pm for a panel discussion exploring the process of writing and publishing and the various publishing options beyond mainstream publishing.

The writers will each read briefly from their work, then talk about their experiences with self-publishing and publishing with alternative and mainstream presses in print and electronic formats. There will be plenty of time for questions!

Panel members:

  • Jill Vialet, co-founder of MOCHA (The Museum of Children’s Arts) and the author of a children’s book called Recess Rules
  • Bruce Fessenden, author of a collection of prose poems
  • Laurie Doyle, who teaches writing at UC Berkeley and writes fiction, poetry and essays.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 28, 2014

This week at Montclair Library: July 28-August 3, 2014

Magic Dan photo by Skokie Public Library

Magic Dan photo by Skokie Public Library via Flickr.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:00pm
Kids! Come practice reading to a gentle dog. Practice your reading skills, earn a sticker in our Summer Reading Challenge, and just have fun.

Thursday, July 31, 2014
Toddler Storytime – 10:15am
Baby Bounce – 11:30am

Saturday, August 2, 2014
Magic Dan – 1:00pm
Kids of all ages will love Dan’s fast-paced magic show.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 27, 2014

Comic-Con is On

Lichtenstein cosplayer at Comic-Con - photo by Tony Aceves via Flickr

Comic-Con, the giant entertainment and comic convention held annually in San Diego, wraps up today.

Comic books may not be the first thing you think of when you think of the library, but over the years the genre has gained popularity and branched out to include everything from traditional comics to manga to comic-driven kids’ fiction to modern graphic novels. Today the genre encompasses an eclectic mix of entertainment, memoir and even non-fiction.

There are even graphic novels inspired by and adapted from other books, like Jane Austen’s books and Diana Gabaldon’s trending Outlander series.

The Montclair branch has a pretty sizable collection of comics and graphic novels, mostly in the Young Adult section. Whether you’d like to read graphic novels and comics or learn to make them yourself, you’ll find lots of options in the 741.5 sections for each age group. We’ve highlighted just a few selections from each category below (in addition to the books linked in the text above).

Psst! Your library card can get you a Family Pass (free admission for 2 adults and 3 children) to the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco through the Discover & Go program.

How to books:
Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost (J 741.5 STURM)

Heroes! Draw Your Own Superheroes, Gadget Geeks & Other Do-gooders by Jay Stephens (J 741.51 STEPHENS)

Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud (YA 741.51 McCLOUD)

Drawing Words & Writing Pictures: Making Comics, Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond by Jessica Abel & Matt Madden (oversize 741.5 ABEL)

The Art of Making Comic Books by Michael Morgan Pellowski (J 741.5 PELLOWSKI)

Lila & Ecco’s Do-It-Yourself Comics Club by Willow Dawson (J 741.5 DAWSON)

Graphic Novels & Comics:
Fairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists, edited by Chris Duffy (J 741.5 NURSERY)

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (J 741.5 YANG)

City of Spies by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan (J 741.5 KIM)

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley (YA 741.5 O’MALLEY)

The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman (741.5 GAIMAN v.3)

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast 741.5 CHAST

Photo: Lichtenstein-style girl at Comic-Con 2011 by Tony Aceves via Flickr

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 21, 2014

This week at Montclair Library: July 21-27, 2014

Bug magnet craft by The Country Chic Cottage

Bug magnet craft example from The Country Chic Cottage.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs –ย 1:00pm
Kids! Come practice reading to a gentle dog. Practice your reading skills, earn a sticker in our Summer Reading Challenge, and just have fun.

Thursday, July 24, 2014
Toddler Storytime –ย 10:15am
Toddler Yoga – 10:50-11:20am
Baby Bounce – 11:30am

Saturday, July 26, 2014
Make a Bug Magnet – 2:00pm
Make a bug to stick on your refrigerator.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 20, 2014

To the moon

Apollo 11 Astronaut Footprint on the Moon photo by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center via Flickr

Today is the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, on July 20, 1969. The next day, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step onto the lunar surface, followed by Buzz Aldrin. A third member of the mission, Michael Collins, piloted the command spacecraft in lunar orbit until Armstrong and Aldrin returned to it for the trip back to Earth.

If you’d like to know more about the Apollo missions and life in space, check out these selections from the Montclair library.

And don’t forget that your library card can get you a free Family Pass to the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda through the Discover & Go program. On July 24, 1969, the Hornet recovered astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins and their spacecraft Columbia when they returned to Earth after the first moon walk.

For adults:
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen (BIO ARMSTRONG)

One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong’s Stellar American Journey by Leon Wagener (LT BIO ARMSTRONG)

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (571.0919 ROACH)

In the Shadow of the Moon [videorecording] (DVD 629.454 IN)
In this documentary about the United States’ manned missions to the Moon, the surviving crew members from NASA’s Apollo missions tell their story in their own words.

For kids:
Neil Armstrong: A Space Biography by Carmen Bredeson (J BIO ARMSTRONG)

Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin (BIO ALDRIN)

Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy (J 629.45 McCARTHY)
Discusses the requirements for becoming an astronaut.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca (J 629.454 FLOCA)
The story of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon during the summer of 1969.

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh (J 629.454 THIMMESH)
Culled from direct quotes from the people behind the scenes, NASA transcripts, national archives and NASA photos, the whole story of Apollo 11 and the first moon landing emerges.

Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin, with Victoria Kohl (J 629.454 CHAIKIN)

Mission to the Moon by Alan Dyer (J 629.45 DYER)

Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds (J 629.454 McREYNOLD)
Depicts the 1969 Apollo 11 mission when man first walked on the moon.

Moon Over Star by Dianna Hutts Aston (J PICBK ASTON)
On her family’s farm in the town of Star, eight-year-old Mae eagerly follows the progress of the 1969 Apollo 11 flight and moon landing and dreams that she might one day be an astronaut, too.

Photo: Apollo 11 Astronaut Footprint by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center via Flickr

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 18, 2014

Under the big top

Children's books about the circus, a list by the Friends of Montclair Library

Tomorrow, Saturday, July 19th, Circus of Smiles will bring its “non-stop clowning and family-friendly theatrics” to Montclair Library at noon.

If you’re in the mood for circus books, step right up to the shelves of Montclair Library! There are mysteries and adventures for young chapter book readers, and magic and elephants for adult readers.

Not surprisingly, colorful, animal- and action-filled circuses are a popular topic for picture books. Here are 10 options in the Montclair children’s collection:

If I Ran the Circus by Dr. Seuss (J PICBK SEUSS)
In Seuss’s classic story, a young boy imagines the fantastic animals and incredible acts he will have for his greatest of all circuses.

Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer (J PICBK FALCONER)
At school, Olivia tells about her summer vacation and how, when she went to the circus and all the performers were out sick, she saved the day.

Tree-Ring Circus by Adam Rex (J PICBK REX)
In this cumulative tale, a tree becomes a hiding place for various animals, a runaway circus clown, and even an elephant.

Circus by Lois Ehlert (J PICBK EHLERT)
Leaping lizards, marching snakes, a bear on the high wire, and others perform in a somewhat unusual circus.

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen (J PICBK VAN DUSEN)
When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the animals win over the local townspeople, who help the animals when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them.

The Finger Circus Game by Hervรฉ Tullet (J BOARD TULLET)
Another interactive book by the author of Press Here, where your own fingers become a lion tamer, acrobats and more.

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming (J BIO BARNUM)
A biography of P.T. Barnum, showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Clifford at the Circus by Norman Bridwell (J PICBK BRIDWELL)
When the circus owner laments that everything is going wrong and he will not be able to put on a show, Clifford the giant dog thinks of ways to save the day.

Roarr: Calder’s Circus by Maira Kalman (J PICBK KALMAN)
Brings to life the miniature circus that artist Alexander Calder built from scraps.

Spot Goes to the Circus by Eric Hill (J PICBK HILL)
Spot goes behind the scenes at a circus to find his ball and learns a clever trick.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 14, 2014

This week at Montclair Library: July 14-20, 2014

Circus of Smiles

Circus of Smiles

Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Author Reading: Yiyun Li – 6:30pm
Yiyun Li will read from her latest novel, Kinder than Solitude. Her previous titles have won numerous awards and her new novel has been hailed by critics and author Salman Rushdie, who has said “This is an exceptional novel and Yiyun Li has grown into one of our major novelists.” Copies will be available for sale and signing courtesy of A Great Good Place for Books. FREE.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014
PAWS to Read with BARK Therapy Dogs – 1:00pm
Kids! Come practice reading to a gentle dog. Practice your reading skills, earn a sticker in our Summer Reading Challenge, and just have fun.

Thursday, July 17, 2014
Toddler Storytime – 10:15am
Toddler Yoga – 10:50-11:20am
Baby Bounce – 11:30am

Saturday, July 19, 2014
Circus of Smiles – 12:00pm
These acrobatic circus performers will make us all laugh, from toddlers to grown ups.

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