Holiday Week Fun

Come in from the cold during the holiday break next week (12/27-12/31) for lots of fun in the library. Monday, December 27, 1-3 pm Miss Kori will be hosting another gingerbread house activity. Children and their parents are welcome to build a wonderful edible creation. Tuesday, December 28 @ 3 pm, we'll be showing Merry Christmas, Olivia (G) starring everyone's favorite pig. Wednesday, December 29 @ 6 pm, patrons can enjoy the hilarious Steve Carell hit Despicable Me (PG). And as always, choose from any number of your favorite book titles, play some games in the children's area, or just stop in for a hot cocoa while you're out there sledding. No registration is required and all of these programs are free. Happy Holidays!

Gingerbread, Part 2

Miss our first gingerbread house program? Looking for fun activities during the holiday break? Join Miss Kori on Monday, December 27, 1-3 pm to keep the holiday spirit going with a gingerbread house craft. Children are invited to build their own entirely edible house and decorate it with lots of delicious holiday treats. It's loads of fun for both parents and children (ages 4 and up). First come, first served. No registration or cost required.

New Release Night!

Don't miss our next movie showing--Wednesday, December 15 @ 6 pm come to the screening of the hilarious Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (PG). "The ongoing war between the canine and feline species is put on hold when they join forces to thwart a rogue cat spy with her own sinister plans for conquest." --Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/) This event is free and refreshments are provided. We look forward to seeing you! Please remember, children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in the library.

Holiday Crafts

On Monday, December 13, 3-5 pm join Miss Kori in the Story Hour Room for some holiday crafting fun. Children will create their very own gingerbread houses. No registration is required; first come, first served until supplies run out. Don't miss it! It's holly jolly fun during this cold, cold December. To get your creative wheels turning, check out the wonderful, family-friendly Gingerbread Gallery at the Erie Canal Museum(http://www.eriecanalmuseum.org/EXHIBITS+SEASONAL.tab.aspx). Happy Holidays!

Holiday Story Hour & Tree Lighting

Don't miss out on this joyous Manlius tradition! Sunday, December 5 join Miss Karen and friends for activities, story hour, caroling, and a visit from Santa. Beginning at 2:30 pm, Manlius Village Centre will host games and sledding (snow permitting). Then at 3:30 pm Miss Karen will present her special holiday story hour in the village auditorium. The tree lighting ceremony will follow at 4:30 pm near the evergreen tree (located by the baseball field). Holiday spirit abounds as caroling heralds Santa's arrival. Come back inside for hot cocoa, donuts, musical entertainment and a chance to speak to "the Big Man" (parents and caregivers, don't forget your camera!).

Ring in the Holiday Season

This year, skip the malls and head to the library the weekend after Thanksgiving. On Sunday, November 28 @ 2 pm, we'll be showing Disney's newly released A Christmas Carol, starring the talented and humorous Jim Carrey (rated PG). Water, light refreshments and fun provided free of charge!

Game Day @ Manlius Library

Don't miss this one! On Saturday, November 13, noon-4 pm, be our guest for games, snacks, and family fun. In addition to the popular games currently in our children's area, Miss Kori has many new ones waiting to be played in honor of the American Library Association's National Gaming Day. You can come and go at any time. We'll be keeping track of the total minutes played to add to the Million Minute Challenge (http://www.millionminute.com). Another treat for gamers is our semi-annual fall book sale, which we will also be held in the library the same day. It's hard to imagine a better way to pass a cold, November day than spending quality time with family and friends playing games new and old. You're also welcome to bring your favorite game from home. We hope to see you there!

No Toy Left Behind!

Woody, Buzz, Josie, and Bullseye are back in one of America's most beloved family films. Toy Story 3 opens as Andy is going off to college. What will become of the toys? Join us to find out Wednesday, November 10 @ 6 pm for our second New Release Night! Admission is free and snacks will be provided.

LEGO Mania

Back by popular demand--it's LEGO Wednesdays at the Manlius Library Children's Coral Reef! Bring your friends, neighbors, parents, grandparents and enjoy some creative building with our 1000s of LEGOs. The LEGOs will be out each Wednesday, 3-8 pm, for come-and-go fun. Note: All LEGO creations must remain at the library. We look forward to seeing you!

New Release Night!

As the days grow colder and the nights longer, join us at the Manlius Library to snuggle in with snacks and watch recently released DVD hits. Our first New Release Night is coming soon--October 20th @ 6 pm. This program is free and open to all ages. How to Train Your Dragon (rated PG) is the movie adaptation of Cressida Cowell's wildly popular book of the same name.

All Children Flourishing

The Manlius Library is excited to announce this wonderful free program for parents. Wendy Pidkaminy will lead a workshop discussing techniques to help children and teens who struggle with such issues as anger, anxiety, lack of focus, ADD and ADHD. Wendy's focus is the Nurtured Heart Approach--a non-blame, non-traditional approach to helping parents instill inner wealth and greatness in children of all intensity levels, creating more success and peace at home and at school. The workshop will be held Wednesday, October 13, 6:30-8:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Please call for reservations (682-6400).

Spook-a-rific!

You won't be scared when you join us for funtastic crafts on Friday, October 8 in the Manlius Library story hour room. No registration is required; crafts are geared for children in Kindergarten or older. Drop in any time 1-3 pm and get into the spirit of the season!

Read A Winning Book Lately?

Beginning this Wednesday, September 15, stop by the library to vote for New York State's most popular title of 2011. Nomination forms are available in the library and will be accepted through October 15. To participate, all you have to do is decide on your favorite book (though this may be hard), fill out a nomination form, and return the form to the children's circulation desk. There are two categories we are nominating: Young Reader's Award (PreK-grade 2, ages 3-8) and the Children's Award (grades 3-8, ages 8-12). In December, our children's librarian, Miss Kori, will contact all participants with the statewide list of the 15 most popular titles and an outline of how you can take part in choosing the winner. All students who submit a nomination through the library will be invited to a celebration party on January 9 and will be entered to win a set of the top 15 nominated books for their age category. Note: If your school is participating and you nominate a title at school, you are not eligible to nominate one at the library. For more information, visit http://www.3applesbookaward.org/.

Try This Picture Book

Do you miss reading to your child? Some say, "they're never too old." That is certainly true with the latest installment from Michael Rex, who is writing some hilarious books for children, especially those in grade school. You may have already seen his other two parodies--Goodnight Goon and Runaway Mummy. Mr. Rex takes well-known stories and creates a very entertaining parody (def: a literary work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or ridicule). His new book, Furious George Goes Bananas, retells Curious George from the point of view of a not-so-accommodating ape. Funny and ultimately satisfying, Furious George Goes Bananas provides a great teaching tool as well as a fun read. The back cover blurb sums it up well: "You can take the ape out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the ape." Look for it on the new books table in the children's area!

You made a BIG splash!

Congratulations to Manlius Library young readers for your overwhelming success in our 2010 summer reading program. We had over 700 children participate in the program. They read 14,900 books and a total of 145,624 minutes (some record books read, others time read)!! Miss Kori and Miss Emily, along with all of our wonderful library staff, commend your efforts at continuing to read through the summer, and we hope you develop a love of reading that lasts forever. Make sure to visit us throughout the school year for pleasure reading, research projects, games, stories, fun programs, and more. We're already looking forward to next summer, too.

A Magical Ending

Sad, but true, dear patrons of the Manlius library: Our 2010 Summer Reading Program is coming to end. The last day to report for prizes is Saturday, August 14. You have made a HUGE splash this summer. Way to go! To celebrate, come see the always-entertaining Ron Cain and his Magical Underwater Adventure Friday, August 13 @ 1 pm. The show will be in the Manlius Village Auditorium. No registration is necessary but come early for the best seat. We'll see you there.

Splash into Science!

Have you ever wondered how you can make the biggest splash in the pool? Why stones skip on the top of water? Or what determines how deep you sink in the water when you zoom off the end of a water slide? Find the answers to these and other fascinating water science facts next Tuesday, August 10 @ 3 pm when we'll be hosting an exciting presentation by the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology. This 45-minute presentation is appropriate for school-age children. No registration is required but seating is limited.

This program is supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Acts Fund awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Crafty Kids

During our Summer Reading Program, patrons have been enjoying craft classes each week. We have two classes on Thursdays--one for patrons entering grades K-3 and one for those entering grades 4-6. They have made some fabulous creations--from Chinese lanterns to rainbow fish to sea-rific paper plate aquariums. Click the photo for a visual sampling of some of the classes. With three weeks to go, we're looking forward to more of this "craftacular" summer!

It's No Joke!

Last week, patrons entering grades 5-8 were treated to four days of drawing fun with cartoonist Jim Brenneman of Artboy Design (artboyalpha.blogspot.com/). During the four-day class, prospective cartoonists spent a lot of time working on technique, creating their own stories and designs, and discussing the field of cartoon art with Mr. Brenneman. Look out Diary of a Wimp Kid, the next best seller may be coming out of Manlius! Click the photo for more pictures from the program.

Frottage Fish

Young artists at the Manlius Library amazed friends and family last week with their textured aquatic creations. Art educator, Jamie Sedal, led the classes in using a variety of items to create textured fish, which the children then assembled into an aquarium scene. Splashy! Click the photo for more pictures.

What a Party!

Wednesday, June 30th, patrons young and old gathered for a fantastic start to our 2010 Summer Reading Program. Domino the Great entertained the crowd at 1 pm, followed by a touching reading of Amy Beth and Her Mismatched Socks by Miss Karen and dedication of our coral reef mural, donated in memory of Amy Rothenberg Fazzio. These pictures tell it all. Enjoy!

It's a Party!

This Wednesday, June 30th, 1-4 pm, join us as we kick off our 2010 Summer Reading program with an outstanding show by Domino the Great (follow this link for more on Domino http://www.dominothegreat.com/) at 1 pm in the Village Auditorium. Following the show, come down to the Coral Reef and be a part of our coral reef mural dedication which will include a reading of the story Amy Beth and Her Mismatched Socks by our beloved storyteller Miss Karen. Then stay for fun crafts and games, cake and punch. All ages are welcome. We look forward to seeing you!

Teddy Bear Picnic 2010

Some pictures of the end-of-year "Teddy Bear Picnic" story time. Children and their bears had much fun through the week.

Make a Splash @ Manlius Library

Summer reading program registration has begun. Stop by the children's circulation desk to sign up for summer reading. Earn great prizes just for "splashing" into a good book. We've also started signing up for our many popular summer programs. We still have space in quite a few--especially for our patrons entering grades 4-6. We look forward to seeing you soon. Reporting on reading begins the week of June 28th!

Congratulations!

And the winner is . . .

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

by Jeff Kinney

The New York State 3 Apples Book Award was announced recently, with the honor going to the fourth installment in the hot series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. With innovative text and illustrations, these books appeal to a wide range of readers, especially boys. Don't miss the next book, which will be released early November 2010.

2010 Children's Choice Book Awards

Is your child wondering what to read next? The Children's Choices Booklist is a booklist with a twist. Children read and review the books themselves. Sponsored by IRA and the Children's Book Council, the Children's Choice book awards list has been around since 1974. Follow the link below to find this year's titles. Happy reading!

http://www.reading.org/Libraries/Choices/CC_Bookmark_2010.sflb.ashx

To the Water

The week of May 22-28 is National Safe Boating Week. As warm weather approaches, what better time to review the basics of water safety with your family. For a fun video and other tips, visit the website http://www.safeboatingcampaign.com/.

Picture Book Bingo

What's so special about picture book bingo? Little hands have an easy time playing this classic game by recognizing favorite picture book characters. During April break, patrons played for over an hour, winning great prizes. And best of all, no one is left out. No bingo? No problem--there's a free book for every player. Join us this summer in July (3rd) and August (6th) for more rounds of picture book bingo.

Arr! Pete the Pirate Wows the Crowd

Wednesday, April 21, Pete the Pirate entertained many of our young library patrons. Pete sang swashbuckling tunes, often accompanied by our young library friends, told lots of jokes, and changed feather dusters to silk scarves. A great time indeed, matey!

Turn Off TV Week, April 19-25

Did you know this week is set aside by the Center for Screen-Time Awareness as a week to turn off TV and spend time together or outside? Take this opportunity to go outdoors, play a family game, or just cuddle and read. For more info, visit http://www.screentime.org/.

Library Stars

In honor of National Library Workers Day, Tuesday April 13, take a minute to nominate a special library employee. Here's the link: www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwdstars.html. Also, the week of April 11-17 is National Library Week, a time to remember that "Communities Thrive" at your library. We love to see you--at story time, special programs, after school, for research or play on the computers, for family games, or to help you find that book you simply must have. Visit us soon.

Our New Mural

Noticed our new look? One wall in our children's picture book room is being transformed into an underwater coral reef scene featuring an intrepid diver in mismatched socks. The mural was made possible through donations from a fundraiser in memory of Amy Rothenberg Fazzio. The muralist is decorative painting specialist Skip Frost. You can see more of his work at http://www.frost-decorative-painting.com/. Come see our mural as it continues to unfold. Also planned is a dedication ceremony June 30, 2010 during our Summer Reading Program kickoff!

NYS 3 Apples Book Award

This is a NYS Children's Choice Award developed to encourage the joy of reading for pleasure and the honoring of favorite books.
WHO: Patrons in 3rd-6th grade or ages 8-12
WHAT: Read at least 3 of the 15 books (list available in the Coral Reef) then vote for your favorite book.
WHEN: Votes are due April 15 to be eligible for raffle prize drawings.

A celebration party is planned for all participants on May 23. Save the date! Details will be mailed home.