Crafts from a recent Children's program at the Laurence harbor Branch Library. For information on upcoming programs at the Harbor Branch, click here or call (732) 566-2227.

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Making paper owls during craft time at the Laurence Harbor Library. To learn more about Children's programs at the Laurence Harbor Library, please call (732) 566-2227.

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Garden State Children’s Book Awards/Garden State Teen Book Awards

It seems that there is always an adult telling kids what books are good reading, parents, teachers and of librarians. Did you know that there was a way for kids to tell us what they really like to read? It is called the Garden State Children’s Book Award and it has been around since 1977. The Garden State Teen Book Award dates from 1995. Children from all over New Jersey are invited to read as many of the nominated titles and vote for their favorites. Stuffing the ballot box is not only allowed, it is encouraged. And the kids can vote for as many titles as they want in each category. New Jersey Youth Services librarians (those pesky adults again) create the nomination lists (Easy-Reader, Easy-Reader Series, Fiction [grades 2-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12], and Non-Fiction [grades 2-5, and grades 6-8]) from the best reviewed titles. Then they step back and let the kids decide. They can vote by ballot or just by checking out the book. All of the 2010 nominated titles are currently on display in either the Children’s Room or the Teen Section of Old Bridge Public Library. Bring your child or pick one up to read yourself. These titles are not for kids only.

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Fun in the Youth Services Department! Preparing for a Valentine's Day Craft, and librarian Gretchen as a character from Where the Wild Things Are.

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Your children can learn new languages! Ask the Children's Department about borrowing Muzzy language learning kits.

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Librarian Lynn reads during a Family Storytime at the Library.

The Youth Services Department have begun a program called What's The Big Idea?

In Part 1 of the program, staff will be conducting a series of math and science related programs for children ages 4-6 on Friday afternoons in the summer. The purpose of these programs is to integrate science and math skills into our regular programing and make it fun.

In Part 2, the materials and concepts that we are using are available to children and their parents for use in the Children's Room whenever they would like. There is a binder on our desk with "discovery center" starters and lists of materials appropriate for each concept.

Question or requests? Contact the youth services desk, (732) 721-5600 ext. 5028, thanks!

Saturday will be a big day for children and teens at the Library: the Central Branch will be hosting a SAT practice exam for teens and a family storytime for young children, and The Laurence Harbor Branch presents Crafts w/ Miss Marcy! Call (732) 721-5600 x5028 for more info.

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It's bubble time with Miss Juley!

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Library staff member Darren Miguez hosted Family Fun Day at the Library this past Sunday. There were games, stories and crafts; and a good time was had by all.

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Librarian Chrissie recommends: Ellie McDoodle : New Kid in School by Ruth McNally Barshaw (JF Barshaw)

If you liked the sketch journal fashion of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you’ll enjoy Ellie McDoodle : New Kid in School. Ellie has moved into a new house in a new town is now in the situation where she must make new friends. She decides to record her daily happenings of what she describes as “the end” in her sketch journal. The kids at school force Ellie to play “New Kid at School” Bingo which causes embarrassment and some tears. She can’t even eat lunch because the lunch lines are so long that by the time she gets her lunch, the bell rings for her next class. Ellie writes a letter to the principal explaining the situation and she encourages her classmates that if they don’t speak up about a problem in the school then they have no way to fix the problem. In the end, Ellie leads her classmates in a protest against the long lunch lines and her new classmates see her in a way other than the “new kid at school.” The author tells the story through sketches and comic illustrations- a great story for any child that has experienced moving to a new town.

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This weekend at the Library

Friday, December 5

• 1:30 p.m: Senior Friday – Movie: Grumpy Old Men: Two elderly widowers, John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau), despite having been friends early in life and living next door to each other for years, do not get along nowadays and carry on a rivalry over basically anything and everything they can think of.
• 6:30 p.m: First Friday – Concert: Guitarist Anton Del Forno: Anton Del Forno is a prominent guitar virtuoso who is tireless in his efforts to introduce listeners to his instrument's rich repertoire. Not only is Del Forno an enthusiastic and acclaimed performer of the classical and modern guitar, but he has enriched the guitar literature by his own compositions and transcriptions.

Saturday, December 6

• 10:00 a.m: Teenagers - Pi Eaters Math Club: Need a little extra help in math? Drop in to our "Pi Eater's Club" Best part about it? It's free and the tutors are excellent! No registration needed, grades 6-12 only.
• 11:00 a.m: All Ages- Family Time: Stories and fun games for the whole family.

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Children's Book Reviews from Librarian Chrissy

Walking Beauty by Leah Wilcox (P Wilcox)

Talk about putting a humorous twist on an old fairy tale. Must of us know that in order to wake Sleeping Beauty, the prince must wake her with a kiss. However, the prince in Leah Wilcox’s Waking Beauty has some other creative of ways to try and awake the princess. Each time the fairy godmothers try to inform him there is only one way to wake her, he interrupts and comes up with another way to wake her on his own. He tries shooting her out of a cannon, pouring a pitcher of water over her head, and yelling in her ear. Finally, he listens to the fairy godmothers and wakes her with a kiss (even though the prince is completely grossed out about it!) But he’s in for a big surprise when he finally wakes her with a kiss!

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Actually, Halloween has nothing to do with it... children's librarian Juley dresses like this all the time :-)

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Librarian Jane G. leads a troop of Boy Scouts and Scout Masters on a tour of the Library.

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Darren celebrates Read Across America Day in grand style.

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A busy Sunday in the Library's Children's Department: Jeanne leads a reading of The Cat in the Hat while Mary looks up information for a patron.

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Darren Miguez leads a raucous story time in the Children's Room.

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There are new exhibits in the Children's Display Cases! If your child has a collection he or she would like to display at the library, please call the Children's Room at (732) 721-5600 ext. 5028.

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Head of Youth Services Darren Miguez leads a story time in the Library's Children's Room. For more information on the Library's programs for children, please click here.

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