Splat the Cat.

Today I'm sharing my obsession with Splat the Cat, the adorable character created by Rob Scotton.  I love to share Splat with everyone!  When I go on school visits the kids always ask me if I have a Splat book to read.  He's just such an adorable character.  I even have a Splat doll the comes on visits with me now.

Update: SPLAT came for a visit in February 2014!

Here's a few of my favorite Splat books to share:

iPads in the Library

As I mentioned yesterday our library will be getting a few iPads-any day now!  At a recent meeting a fellow children's librarian (Anne Hicks) demonstrated how she uses an iPad in storytime.  I thought it was so cool and cannot wait to get my iPad so I can start incorporating it into my storytimes.  To help us out Anne put together a list of some of her favorite apps to use in storytime.

Anne's Favorite Apps:

• Feed the Animals by Curious Fingers
• Wheels on the Bus by Duck Moose
• Peek-a-boo Halloween by Night and Day Studios
• Robot by Toca Boca
• Animal Sounds-Fun Toddler Games by Innovative Mobile Apps
• Nursery Rhymes with Storytime by ustwo
• Rhyming Words by Grasshopper Apps
• Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App by Disney
• SketchMoo 2 by Mooofka Ltd
• Grandma's Garden by Fairlady Media

Here are a few websites that you can visit to check out reviews of Apps for kids:

www.bestkidsapps.com

www.apps4kids.net

www.kidsbestipadapps.com

Best Books Review of 2012

I know I recently posted some books that I really enjoyed from 2012, but I thought I would share the list the all the Teen Services Librarians from our library system put together.  This list is called Rave Reviews 2012.  I thought it would be fun to end the year by looking back at some great books that have come out recently.  We are currently working our reviews for 2013.  I've created a display for the 2012 reviews and books that have been published in 2012 that I thought were great reads.

Here's the display:

Happy New Year!

Here is a copy of the Rave Reviews 2012:

New Literacy Computers!

This year has been great for us at the Parma Public Library.  Senator Robach gave our library some money to purchase new items for the children's section.  I was able to order three literacy computers and install them this past week.  They've only been in the library for three days and the kids are constantly at them.  Here is a picture of what they looked like when we first set them up.

Next to come: two iPads!  We will be loading the iPads with tons of apps for children to use in the children's section of the library.

In addition to all this technology we got a puppet theater for the children's section as well as some awesome puppets.  new furniture will also be arriving any day now.  Once the section is complete I will be posting some pictures of our new and improved area.  It already looks a million times better.

THANK YOU SENATOR ROBACH!

Highlights of 2012

Here's a list of books that I thought were really great this year:

• Rapture (final book in the Fallen Series) by Lauren Kate
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith
• Life Happens Next by Terry Trueman
• The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
• Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle
• In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
• Skinny by Donna Cooner

New YA Book Review

I just finished reading Skinny by Donna Cooner.  It was refreshing to read something different from all the dystopian and fantasy novels out there.  This story follows Ever who lost her mother to cancer and comforts herself with food.  Ever is in high school and weighs 302 pounds.  She is a very unhappy girl who has a voice in her head she calls Skinny who reminds her constantly that no one likes her and everyone is judging her based on her size.  Ever covers her pain with sarcasm and mean comments to fellow students.  She decides to have gastric bypass surgery to help her lose weight.  This book is about her weight loss journey and self discovery.  This is a great book that has believable characters and story that won't disappoint.  Skinny is a great read for all.

Picture Book Winter Book List

·         There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

·         Is That You , Winter? By Stephen Gammell

·         Snow day! by Barbara Joosse

·         Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner

·         Dream Snow by Eric Carle

·         The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

·         Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Yee

·         It’s Snowing! It’s Snowing! by Jack Prelutsky

·         Snow in the Woods- Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick

·         Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson

·         Snow Day for Mouse by Judy Cox

·         It’s Snowing! by Gail Gibbons

·         Snow Happy by Patricia Hubbell

·         Let It Snow by Maryanne Cocca-Leffler

·         Snowbots by Aaron Reynolds