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.

Legoland Discovery Center Boston

Hey LEGO lovers!  Did you know that Boston's going to get it's very own Legoland Discovery Center?  And did you know that, starting on December 2, you can vote on what landmarks will be in the Boston Miniland?  If you visit the Legoland Discovery Center Facebook Page, you'll be able to vote and find out more about the soon-to-be Legoland, including some photos of the building's construction.

In January, Legoland Discovery Center is also hosting a unique event.  Each Discovery Center has a Master Model Builder who develops new features, exhibits, and models.  This person will play a big role in the experience of children who visit Legoland, and they don't get chosen lightly.  Legoland will be hosting auditions over the course of a two-day event, and families will be able to watch potential Master Model Builders earn their spot.  You can find out more at Legoland's website: http://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/boston/holding/

And of course, we've got all sorts of fun options for LEGO fanatics here at the library!  Each month we've got LEGO Club, where kids in grades K-5 can spend time creating whatever they can imagine with our huge supply of LEGOs.  We move the day and time around so people with different schedules can come.  The next LEGO Club will be on Friday, December 27 at 10:15am.

Throughout the year, we offer multiple sessions of LEGO Simple Machines programs (for grades 1 and 2) and LEGO WeDo Robotics programs (for grades 3-5).  We utilize LEGO engineering kits to help kids develop all sorts of STEM skills while having a blast.  Look for these programs coming up in the spring.

And everyday we've got two different LEGO sets that you can check out and play with here at the library: the LEGO Train (for younger kids) and a LEGO Simple Machines set (for kids who are a little bit older).  We just added the Simple Machines (check out our past blog post about it), but each kit can be checked out for 2 hours to play with here in the library.

So LEGO enthusiasts, make sure you check out the Legoland Discovery Center website, vote on your favorite Boston landmarks to be LEGO-ized, and stop by the library and check out some of our great programs.

Only 2 Days Till Our Hunger Games Party!

Do you have what it takes to survive?

In just two days, the Children's Department and Teen Department are teaming up to celebrate the upcoming movie release of Catching Fire, the second installment in the thrilling Hunger Games series.  Older kids (grades 5 and up) should bring all their friends to this amazing event.

Kids will get to find out what district they'd be from, create fashionable accessories that would be worn in the Capitol (their Capitol Couture), try their hands at some survival games, catch up on the first movie before, and so much more!

(Will a gift from your sponsor save you?)

This awesome event will be on Thursday, November 21 at 3:30 p.m.  And be sure to come dressed as your favorite Hunger Games character!  Prizes will be awarded for the best costume, and may the odds be ever in your favor!