A Polar Bear in the Snow

Local Writers' Science Fiction!

Fourth and fifth Grade writers from the New Hampton Community School have their science fiction work on display at the Gordon-Nash during our "Universe of Stories" Summer Reading Program. In early June, students were challenged to compose an original piece, then illustrate it by drawing a book cover. The last week of school, an assembly was held, with each contributor receiving a certificate for their work and first place prizes of a free book.

Fourth grade writing is on the bulletin board at the landing of the rear staircase. Fifth grade writing can be found in a basket in the periodical section. Please take a few minutes to a look at this creative and imaginative work by our local student writers!

Special thanks to NHCS teachers Melissa Markey and Angie Bergholm for working with us this year and in the past. Thanks to the Friends of the Gordon-Nash Library for sponsoring this program and providing wonderful science books as prizes. Kudos to Gretchen Draper - resident, “Friend”, and teacher-consultant for the National Writing Project in NH - for organizing this yearly collaborative program with our local school.

2019 Caldecott Award

The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. This year's winner is Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackwell. I took this beautifully illustrated book to the NHCS Kindergarten this month and we read it together. 

The book tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his mission to keep his light lit. Children were surprised and delighted to see that the lighthouse keeper lived in the lighthouse. Several liked the idea that a tender came to the lighthouse regularly to deliver food, mail, and even visitors! Kids noted that the lighthouse keeper and eventually his family took good care of the lighthouse and some were sad when they all had to leave. But everyone agreed that the ending was satisfying and happy. You will have to read Hello Lighthouse yourselves to see why!

Miss Jessica!

Artist, Author, and illustrator Miss. Jessica L. Fligg joined the children at the Gordon Nash Library this morning. Although the children missed Mrs. Hunewell this morning, while she is on vacation, the children enjoyed their time with Miss. Jessica. They listened to one of Miss. Jessica’s original stories titled Susie’s Painting Adventure! A very colorful story about a young girl and her dog. Susie is a little girl who loves to paint. In the story Susie and her dog Rufus help teach the children about mixing colors and learning which colors to mix to achieve the color that is desired. After the story Miss. Jessica guided the children in a project where they had fun recreating Susie’s masterpiece from the story. The children were very excited to complete this project and have a masterpiece of their own to take home with them! 

Miss. Jessica L. Fligg would like to invite the children and their families to come back to view her Artwork on display in the Gallery. The Gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon Nash Library. This display will remain up through the end of August. If you are interested in Jessica's children's stories check her author spotlight page here!

Happy Independence Day!

Who knows who illustrated this photo? We hope you see some fireworks with your family this Fourth of July!

Winners!

Congratulations to the kids in Mr. McCann's class at NHCS for correctly identifying all the Dr. Seuss titles in this month's puzzle. Their prize did include Red and Blue Fish, after all! Thanks for taking the challenge. Way to go, 4Mc!!

One More Award!

We have a brand new book that just arrived the week before the awards were announced - and it won the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children! It's called Parrots Over Puerto Rico, written by Susan Roth and Cindy Trumbore. The book's cover is beautiful! Just look at those parrots!

2014 Winners!

National book awards were announced today!! I love this day! Every January, the American Library Association names the best children's and young adult books of the year and bookstores immediately sell out of those titles. That's how well-known the awards are! Fortunately for you, our library already has many of the books that won awards today - and you won't have to buy them to read them!

As you read about each award-winning book, click on the book's title for book trailers or reviews.

The Newbery Award is given to the best children's book published the year before and usually goes to a "chapter book". This years award winner is Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, written by Kate DiCamillo (who also wrote Because of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, and The Marvelous Adventures of Edward Tulane - you know who she is, right?) What an unusual book this is - part chapter book, part graphic novel! You can find Flora and Ulysses in the juvenile section of the Children's Room!

Runners-up for the Newbery Award are called Newbery Honor books. This year, four books were named Honor books and our library has two of them: Doll Bones written by Holly Black and Paperboy by Vince Vawter. They are also in the juvenile section of the library. 

The Prinz Award is for literature for Young Adults. We have this year's winner - Midwinterblood, by Marcus Sedgwick, as well as two of the Honor books: Eleanor & Park, a love story written by Rainbow Rowell, and Navigating Early written by Clare Vanderpool, who won the Newbery Award a few years ago. These books are in the Young Adult section of the library.

Finally, my favorite award is the Caldecott Medal - given for illustrations in a children's book! This year's winning book has been standing up on top of a shelf in the Children's Room for months! It's called Locomotive, illustrated by Brian Floca. Two Caldecott Honor books are also in the picture book section of the library: Journey written and beautifully illustrated by Aaron Becker and Mr. Wuffles! written and illustrated by David Wiesner, who already has three Caldecott Medals!  

So grab your card and get a ride to the Gordon-Nash, where we have great taste in books!

Name the Snowmen

So many wonderful picture books have been written about the season of winter and the fun kids can have in the snow. Skiing, skating, sliding, snowball fights - and who doesn't love to build a snowman? 

Each of the snowmen below appears in a well-known children's book or series set in wintertime. Can you name the title of each book (or the series)? Leave your answer in the comment section. First person to correctly identify and post the names of all three wins a gift certificate for a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream!

 

"Secret" Santa!

Santa Claus has been portrayed in many Christmas books and has been drawn by many artists. Can you tell which children's book illustrators drew these jolly old St. Nicks? Click on the picture to make it bigger if necessary. Leave your answers in the comment section by clicking on this post's speech bubble!

Author & Illustrator: Jan Brett

Have you ever noticed how many books by author and illustrator Jan Brett have winter time for a setting? Jan Brett must love winter! She has also illustrated many books with a Christmas theme. Here are the ones we have in the Children's Room:

• Christmas trolls
• Home for Christmas
• The twelve days of Christmas
• Who's that knocking on Christmas Eve?
• The wild Christmas reindeer
• The mitten : a Ukrainian folktale

Jan Brett also has a fabulous website, here. Click on Hedgie's Holiday Workbench for lots and lots of Christmas activities you can do at home!