Thursday, May 26, 2011

Pigish Wednesday!

I, unfortunately, wasn't able to perform story time this week. I got to go on a special school visit, instead, to help promote our library Summer Reading Program. My fabulous coworker, Ms. J (which is what she'll be called until I can think of a good nickname for her!), so graciously filled in and performed a FANTASTIC story time!!! I'm not exactly sure how everything went down, but here are the books that were read, and a couple of Ms. J's favorite story time songs!!

Opening Song: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi

Books:
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff


Pig in the Pond by Martin Waddell


Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman


I'm a Pig by Sarah Weeks


Songs: I'm a Little Teapot
Itsy Bitsy Spider

Craft: Pigs! Taken from DLTK-Kids - Easy Pig Craft


It's weird not writing an FMRNS post here, since A and I switched the day!! I'm not sure what we'll be watching next week, but stay tuned - I'm sure it'll be FABULOUS!!!

Bedtime stories!!

I was really excited to plan a special Bedtime Stories program. I encouraged the kids to wear their pajamas and bring a special stuffed animal or a blankie they like to sleep with. I got me some spiffy PJs, and some extra special fuzzy socks, and brought my own stuffed animal to play along!!

Opening Song: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi

Book:
The Napping House by Audrey Wood


Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Book: The Goodnight Train by June Sobel


Rhyme: 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Book: Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems


Craft: Tuck me in!


I can't wait to do another Bedtime Stories!! There are so many great books out there for this, it was really hard to pick!!

Buggin' out

I don't know if y'all know about Cicadas, but they are out in full force here!! They are almost deafening with their song, and they are EVERYWHERE!!! It is because of this reason that I chose books about bugs for my Toddlers!!

Opening Song: If You're Happy and You Know It from Favorite Children's Songs CD.


Book: I Love Bugs by Emma Dodd


Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Book: I Love Bugs by Philemon Sturges


Rhyme: Bees in the Hive
This is the beehive, but where are the bees? They're hidden inside where nobody sees! One, two, three, four, five...BUZZZZZZZ!!!! (bring out fingers while counting to 5)
Taken from Perpetual Preschool - Bug Songs

Song: I'm a Big Cicada (to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot) I have to admit, this one was more for the parents - they appreciated it!!
I'm a Big Cicada with eyes of red,
I fly around and hit you on the head.
I crawl up from the ground and climb a tree,
I make a funny noise that's just for me!
Taken from Perpetual Preschool - Bug Songs

A special treat for the Monday post - A and I decided to reschedule FMRNS and had it on Monday night instead! It was an amazing movie - a deep foreign drama from 2004 called The Sea Inside, starring Javier Bardem.
This week is full of excitement on TV!!! First, the season finale of Glee (which was awesome - I mean, come on...you can't get any better than Brittany's original song "My Cup!!"), then the season finale of AI (**spoiler alert!! I'm kinda surprised Scotty won, but Lauren is gonna do great things anyway!!).
But, the thing I am MOST excited about... The Season Premier of SHOOBIE!!! (Also known as So You Think You Can Dance). Shoobie is what A and I have called it for seasons. This is actually a little more exciting that American Idol - gotta be honest!!! That's tonight, and I can't EVEN WAIT!!!!!!!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Librarian or Songwriter?

Have I ever told you that I'm a songwriter? Ok, so not really, but I do tend to make up random songs on a very regular basis.

I do have one song that has quickly become a staff favorite here at the Fabulous Public Library. In fact, we sing it almost every night at closing. It is, after all, The Library Closing Song. Please, feel free to incorporate this song into your nightly ritual - it adds a nice sense of solidarity for the staff to have a sing-a-long. Also, it's awesome, if I do say so myself.

So, this song is to the tune of "Lock the door, keep out the devil." And now...the lyrics...

Lock the door, keep out the patrons!!
Lock the door, keep the patrons in the night!!
Lock the door, keep out the patrons!!
When they're gone, everything is alright!!
When they're gone, everything is alright!!

Now, if I were a braver librarian, I would record the staff singing it and post it here - but then again, maybe not...

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Mind your Manners!

Happy Wednesday, y'all!!! It's been an interesting week so far - did y'all read about Gabby? Also, we've got a little bit of a patron personal hygiene problem happening around these parts. Man, it's great to be the person in charge!!

Anyway, back to the fact that it's FABULOUS WEDNESDAY!!! WHOOOOT!!!! I decided to do some books about manners, and they were a hit!! I got lots and lots of "please" and "thank you" and man those kids are cute!!!

Opening Song: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi

Book:
Say Please by Virginia Austin


Song: If You Have Manners and You Know It
If you have manners and you know it, just say please
If you have manners and you know it, just say please
If you have manners and you know it, then don't be afraid to show it,
If you have manners and you know it, just say please
Say thank you
Say You're welcome
Say excuse me (etc)
(Taken from The Perpetual Preschool - Manners theme)

Book: Yes, Please! No, Thank You! by Valerie Wheeler


Rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock

Counting and Alphabet: Count to 5, Sing alphabet song

Book: Excuse Me! A Little Book of Manners by Karen Katz


Craft: Cover Your Cough!


And, of course, it's FMRNS!!! I look forward to this every week!!! Last week, we watched The Name of the Rose, and while it was kinda looooooong in parts, the content was (of course) fabulous. Go Sean Connery (mmmmm, Sean Connery), and Christian Slater!!

This week is gonna be good too!! We're watching the season finale of ANTM!!! And then next week, it'll be the season finale of AI!!! I'm kinda surprised that James left last week. I think out of the three that are left, the winner will probably be Lauren... but who knows - I never expected Hailey to get this far!

Anyway, tonight's FMRNS feature is a documentary from 2003 called The Corporation. This documentary "looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance." It'll be interesting, I'm sure!!!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Zoomin' through Monday

I don't know what's wrong with me, but once again I almost forgot about my Toddler Story Time!!! It's a good thing I'm awesome, so I could just pull it out again! Ha, I'm kidding...well, mostly kidding.

Anyway, I found some good books about Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, so it all worked out perfectly!!

Opening Song: If You're Happy and You Know It from Favorite Children's Songs CD.


Book: I Love Trucks! by Philemon Sturges


Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Book: Who is Driving? by Leo Timmers


Song: This is to the tune of Old McDonald:
Pete the Pilot had a plane, zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom!
And on his plane he had some wings, zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom!
With a Zoom, zoom here, and a zoom zoom there,
Here a zoom, there a zoom, everywhere a zoom zoom!
Pete the Pilot had a plane, zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom!
(Continue with Dave the Driver had a Car, beep beep beep beep beep!)
Taken from Perpetual Preschool - Transportation Songs.

Interactive Playtime

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Some people never learn

We have a patron who comes in frequently to use the computer. I've blogged about her before - I like to call her Gabby. Well, Gabby is in desperate search for a job (I guess Cracker Barrel didn't work out), and has been coming in to the library to use the computer to submit job applications. This exchange happened the other day:

Gabby: Real Librarian, can you help me with something?
Real Librarian: Sure, what's up?
Gabby: Well, I am stuck on this question. How should I answer?
RL: Um, is this a job application?
Gabby: Yes.
RL: Well, I'm sorry, I can't help you answer the questions on your job application.
Gabby: Why not?
RL: Because they don't want to know how *I* would handle the situation, they want to know how *YOU* would handle the situation.
Gabby: Oh, well, I didn't know.

And this one:

Gabby: I'm trying to log into this site, and it won't accept my password.
RL: Well, are you a returning user to this site, or are you a new user? (Keep in mind that I had already asked her this question 10 minutes before when she first got to the site, and said she had a password)
Gabby: I set up my email address the other day.
RL: On this specific site or a different site?
Gabby: My email.
RL: Did you already start to fill out an application on THIS SPECIFIC WEBSITE, or is this the first time you've been to this specific site?
Gabby: Oh, I haven't been here before.
RL: **smacks head on desk** Well, then you are not a returning user, you are a new user.
Gabby: Oh, well, I didn't know.

Other questions from Gabby:

Gabby: What do I choose here?
RL: Well, it's asking you what state you live in.

Gabby: What does this mean?
RL: Well, it's asking you how many years of job related experience you have.
Gabby: In school?
RL: No, job related experience.

Seriously, these are the SAME questions you have answered 100 times on 100 different job applications. How can you STILL be having the SAME problems?!?!

It's time like this you wonder how some people make it through the day.

I also got an earful about how she hasn't been sleeping well the past three nights, and she's tried taking some pills for it, and she has a headache. I suppose I shouldn't complain, I would rather hear about her being tired than her sisters menstrual cycle like last time, right??

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Yum! Yum!

Happy Wednesday, y'all!! Seriously, best day of the week!!!

This week, I decided to do a food theme, because my friend A came up with a perfectly awesome craft that I just HAD to do!!!

Opening Song: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi

Book: Yum! Yum! What fun! by Mara Bergman


Rhyme: 5 Sticky Lollipops
5 sticky lollipops fixed on sticks,
Take a sticky lollipop, and you lick, lick, lick! (continue countdown)
(Taken from The Perpetual Preschool)


Book: Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott


Song: I wish I were a (type) pizza. (We sang pepperoni first, then marshmallow by request!)
I wish I were a pepperoni pizza.
That is what I truly want to be!
'Cuz if I were a pepperoni pizza,
Then everyone would be in love with me!
(Taken from Everything Preschool)

Book: "Hi, Pizza Man!" by Virginia Walter


Craft: Spaghetti and Meatballs


And, of course, how could anyone forget!!! Tonight is FMRNS!!! WHOOOT!!!! After we watch the season finale of ANTM, we'll be watching a period drama from 1986 called The Name of the Rose. This film stars the GREAT Sean Connery and Christian Slater.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Meeow Monday!

Oops, I kinda forgot to plan story time... But, I pulled something together pretty quick, and it turned out great!!! And I even managed to pull together a theme!! Thank you, thank you!

Opening Song: If You're Happy and You Know It from Favorite Children's Songs CD.


Book: Meeow and the Big Box by Sebastian Braun


Song: The Cat Says Meow (To the tune of Farmer in the Dell)
The cat says meow,
The cat says meow,
It likes to purr and run and play,
The cat says meow!

Book: What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas


Activity: Wiggle toes, wiggle fingers, wiggle nose, wiggle ears.

Song: Twinkle, Twinkle

Interactive Playtime

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Review: Everyone Loves You When You're Dead by Neil Strauss

I have to be honest, I don’t really follow music journalism. However, reading Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss was more entertaining that I had imagined!

Neil Strauss has interviewed countless celebrities for the likes of The New York Times and Rolling Stone Magazine. This book is a collection of some of the more gritty scenes from some of his interviews. Most of this material has never before been published.

This is a compilation of interviews from Snoop Dogg, who had to run to the store to buy Pampers, to Curtis Mayfield, who talks about his perspectives on life after he was paralyzed in a freak accident.

One of my favorite lines was from an interview with Lady Gaga:

Neil Strauss: Your fans seem to really like what you stand for, because some people need to be reminded that it’s okay to be different.

Lady Gaga: I love what they stand for. I love who they are. They inspire me to be more confident every day. When I wake up in the morning, I feel just like any other insecure twenty-four-year-old girl. But I say, “Bitch, you’re Lady Gaga, you better f*cking get up and walk the walk today,” because they need that from me. And they inspire me to keep going.

The subjects of these interviews share some amazing things. From stories of inspiration to tales of drug use and crazy sex adventures. They talk about time spent in jail and their constant worrying about what people will think about their music. Neil uncovers some intimately personal details from the lives of these celebrities, and of course, I devoured every word.

If you are even remotely interested in music journalism, or like following the lives of celebrities, then I highly recommend this book. It is almost hard to believe that one person has interviewed the likes of Brian Wilson, Dolly Parton, the Wu-Tang Clan, Otha Turner, Rick James, Ben Stiller, Marilyn Manson, Cher, Chuck Berry, Merle Haggard, Sacha Baron Cohen, Tom Petty and countless others!!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Mother's Day Wednesday

Like Monday, I decided to do Mother's Day stories for the pre-schoolers today!! Of course they loved it, and got to make their mommies a very special craft!!!

Opening Song: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi

Book: My Monster Mama Loves Me So - Laura Leuck


Song: Happy Mother's Day (to the tune of Happy Birthday)

Book: Is Your Mama a Llama - Deborah Guarino


Song: I'm a Little Teapot/Itsy Bitsy Spider/ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (they kept requesting songs!!)

Book: Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? - Eric Carle


Craft: Mother's Day collage


WHOOT WHOOT for FMRNS!!! I am super pumped, as always. Tonight, after we watch ANTM, we will be watching an Action Adventure film from 1994 called The Professional, starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and Natalie Portman.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

From the Book Jacket:
One soft, summer night in a small Vermont town, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door - hidden among the ruins of an old town long forgotten - that led to a magical place. A place where she would meet Teilo, the King of the Fairies, and become his queen.
Sam didn't believe in fairies, ghosts, or anything supernatural back then, and now, fifteen years later, he still doesn't. It's one of the many things that his girlfriend, Phoebe, loves about this practical, sensible man. But a series of eerie occurrences challenges Sam's hard-headed realism. As events spin out of control, the couple finds themselves questioning their reality and Sam is reminded of a terrible promise he made years ago...a promise that could destroy them all.
After reading the description of Jennifer NcMahon’s novel Don’t Breathe a Word, I knew I couldn’t turn down this review. From the minute I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down. It has a mystery that won’t let you rest until you know what happens next. This novel was unpredictable, and actually had me second guessing the existence of fairies.

Written in two points of view, this novel follows Pheobe, modern day Sam’s girlfriend, and Lisa just before the fateful time when she went missing. Strange things start happening to Pheobe and Sam as they are reminded of Lisa’s disappearance in the form of a mysterious phone call. Having these different perspectives allow us to be let in to Lisa’s family and the events that lead up to her disappearance, as well as see how events unfold to reveal the dark secrets of this mystery.

Each of the characters added depth to the story. They were all well written and carried with them interesting and easy to relate to characteristics. I felt like each one brought something different to the story and they were all having to deal with turbulent pasts.

I really enjoyed this book! It was creepy in a way that kept you guessing. It was a great mystery, and I promise it will keep you hooked!!

Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon for review!!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Mommy Monday!

Since Mother's Day is coming up next Sunday, I decided this week would be devoted to mothers!! I found some great books to read to the toddlers!!

Opening Song: If You're Happy and You Know It from Favorite Children's Songs CD.


Book: Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle


Song: Shake your Hands (to the tune of London Bridge - do actions along with words)
First we shake our hands up high, hands up high, hands up high!
First we shake our hands up high, then we clap them!
Next we wave our hands down low, hands down low, hands down low!
Next we wave our hands down low, then we hide them!

Book: I Love My Mommy by Sebastien Braun


Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Interactive Playtime