WFPL Children's Book Awards

Remember our previous post about the WFPL Children's Book Awards?  There were so many wonderful books published in 2013 that we had quite the field of contenders!  We took suggestions of your favorite books from 2013, and our final winners have been announced!

Picture Book
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Bored with city life and the proper behavior it requires, Mr. Tiger has a wild idea that leads him to discover his true nature.

Fiction
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

Seven-year-old Billy Miller starts second grade with a bump on his head and a lot of worries, but by the end of the year he has developed good relationships with his teacher, his little sister, and his parents and learned many important lessons.

Nonfiction
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

An illustrated account of immigrant Clara Lemlich's pivotal role in the influential 1909 women laborer's strike describes how she worked grueling hours to acquire an education and support her family before organizing a massive walkout to protest the unfair working conditions in New York's garment district.

Check Them Out!

We've got multiple copies of each of these books, so give them a try!  You can click on the title or book cover to find out if the books are currently available and, if someone else has already nabbed them, you can place a hold using our online catalog.  Alternatively, you can stop in or call and we can tell you the books' availability and/or place a hold for you.

Thank you for your input, and enjoy these amazing, award-winning books!

Vacation Week Fun!

It's here! It's here! School vacation week is here!

We've got tons of fun activities going on during school vacation week!  The library will be busy with lots of children and families, and we've got a ton of stuff going on to make the week special!

Wednesday

Splash 'N' Boots Family Concert at 11:00 a.m.

This amazing music duo will be visiting us all the way from Canada to share their high-energy, interactive music and dancing! It's geared toward families with children ages 7 and under. No registration necessary.

Thursday

Dog B.O.N.E.S. at 3:30 p.m.

Kids who are learning to read have the chance to read to a certified therapy dog. This program does require registration, so stop in or call 617-972-6435 to sign-up for a fifteen-minute time slot.

Friday

Lego Club at 10:15 a.m.

Join up with other Lego enthusiasts to make all sorts of creative feats of engineering skill using our huge collection of Legos! For kids in grades K-5. No registration necessary.

Saturday

Digital Story Time at 10:15 a.m.

We'll share songs and stories using traditional books, then we'll explore digital book on our iPads. This is for children ages 3-5 with a grown-up. Each grown-up/child pair will get to play with an iPad loaded with educational apps! No registration necessary.

And of course, you can always come in to play in our play area and to find tons of books, movies, video games, audio books to check out and take home!

Award Season Is Here!

Yes, it's that time of year.  Award Season!  The Golden Globes, Grammys and Oscars; the Newbery and Caldecott Awards; and, of course, the Watertown Children's Book Award!

The 2013 Newbery Medal was just announced yesterday, and goes to Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo.  This is an exciting tale about a squirrel who get sucked up into a vacuum and has a near-death experience, from which he emerges with super powers!  Flora, the girl who revived him with squirrel CPR, utilizes her immense knowledge of comic books to help him navigate his new-found abilities.

The 2013 Caldecott Medal is awarded to Locomotive, by Brian Floca.  Train-lovers will adore this book about a cross-country train ride set in 1869.  The Caldecott Medal is an award for fantastic illustrations, and this book has certainly earned it!

These national awards are wonderful, but what about what you think here in Watertown?  Never fear, we are continuing our annual WFPL Children's Book Award!

There are just a few days left to let us know what you think!  Stop in and look for our big, orange display.  Write your name or initials next to the picture of your favorite book, or write a title/author that's not up there yet.

And keep an eye out, because very soon we'll make the announcement about our big winner!  We'll have a winner for fiction (chapter books), nonfiction (informational books), and picture books!

Lego Labs 2014 Starts on Wednesday!

Last year we introduced our Lego Labs: Simple Machines program, and it was a huge hit!  We utilize Lego kits over four weeks with first and second graders and learn about all sorts of simple machines.  The program was so popular that we're offering it again!  And it starts this Wednesday!

We will run this as a four-week class for kids in grades 1 and 2 on Wednesdays, January 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 3:30pm.  Interested kids should commit to coming to all of the sessions of the program.  Lego Lab does require registration, but a few spots are still left!  Call 617-972-6435 or stop in to reserve your spot today!

HOLIDAY HOURS

The Watertown Free Public Library will close at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25.  We will resume normal hours on Thursday, December 26.

That means, you should come visit us during the following open hours this week:

Monday (today) 9:00am-9:00pm

Tuesday 9:00am-12:00pm

Thursday 9:00am-9:00pm

Friday 9:00am-7:00pm

Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm

Super Hero Party on Friday!

Do you wish you had super powers?  Which super hero is your favorite?  If you love everything super, you won't want to miss our Super Hero Party on Friday at 3:30 p.m.  It's for kids in kindergarten through second grade, and there are still spaces available.  You'll get to come up with your own Super Hero name, we'll share some stories about amazing powers, and you'll make your very own mask and super hero cape!

Registration is required, so call 617-972-6435 or stop in and let us know if you're interested!

Story Time at Santa's Village in the Watertown Mall - 12/18 at 10:15am

You won't want to miss this!  On Wednesday, December 18 at 10:15 a.m., a librarian will be in Santa's Village at the Watertown Mall to share stories and songs to get everyone in a winter mood!

This program was added after a few December calendars were distributed, so if you grabbed one of our early calendars you may not see it on your calendar.  It's an end-of-the-year bonus program!

The stories and songs will be appropriate for families with children of all ages, and there's no need to register.  Just stop into the Watertown Mall on December 18 and join us!

Wanna know more?  Check out our online calendar of events, call us at 617-972-6435, or stop in for more information.