Pablo Neruda's shyness renders him silent in a world of sights and sounds. When the principal of his school in Chile opens his mind to the world of literature, Pablo Neruda becomes one of the world's most distinguished poets and is awarded the Noble Prize in Literature. With lines of his poetry scattered throughout the text, Deborah Kogan Ray offers an enlightening look into the life of Pablo Neruda.

You think large print is for when you’re old?
Not when you talk to the folks we’ve polled
Large print type’s great for reading outside
It lowers the glare so you’re not glass-eyed

For readers who don’t like to read too much
You can read large type while you do thus and such
16 point font if you have to ask
Is ideal for those who multi-task

Henry's Freedom Box tells the amazing story of one of the most famous slaves to travel on the Underground Railroad. Henry "Box" Brown got his name because he traveled to freedom in mail crate. Ellen Levine's short poetic sentences tell the story with clarity and awe. While Kadir Nelson's use of water and oil color illustrations lends a photographic air of realism to the text. An excellent read for young readers.

Got wheels? Let's GO !!
But Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!.
In Mouse Tales "The Journey", Mouse sets out to visit Mother. And if you are very courageous, see what it's like to get In The Driver's Seat. These are the stories for Malletts Creek and Pittsfield Branch Storytimes this week.
Now pick out something by Richard Scarry like Richard Scarry's Cars And Trucks And Things That Go and study those pictures when you get home.

Kids have asked for books about dragons. The pictures were the treasures! Look for The Book Of Dragons with illustrations by Michael Hague. Dr. Ernest Drake's dragonology : the complete book of dragons. If you like to draw, find Ralph Masiello's dragon drawing book and get out your colored pencils! For stories of girls who went up against dragons look for The Serpent Slayer: And Other Stories Of Strong Women with illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman.

Some twelve year olds might be prodigies. Artemis Fowl, however, is a criminal mastermind. While plotting to restore his family's wealth after his father's disappearance this young Irishman discovers an entire world below Ireland, full of fairies, elves, and all manner of creatures of legend. But gone are the days when magic is their only weapon. These mythical folk are armed with high-tech gadgetry and they bring it all out in defense of their gold.

All the audiobooks are read by Nathaniel Parker who does excellent Irish accents and voices for all the characters. The stories also start and end with a techno-rock theme that, while some may find cheesy, I quite liked and I thought it definitely fit the tone of the story. I liked the audio versions so much that I listened to the entire series which is currently five books long with a sixth (Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox) scheduled to come out July 15th. It is also worth noting that the audio versions are the original Irish editions and not changed or edited for America. There are very few changes, but if you'd like the original versions, audio's the way to go.

See the piggy? See the puddle? See the Piggy In The Puddle?
We'll do "Piggies" in Storytimes at Malletts Creek and Pittsfield Branches.
Once you know a traditional version of a folktale, revisions are fun.
Begin with traditional The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone; Try a revision of The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall;
And when you know the story, you can read ....
The wolf's point of view by Jon Scieszka in The True Story Of The 3 Little Pigs.

I was not the only Helen Keller obsessed girl in my 1963 classroom. We read everything about Helen and Annie that we could get our hands on and we would have eaten this book alive! This dramatic tale, told through the suffering eyes of Annie Sullivan, will create a whole new generation of Helen and Annie fans and remind older children that words are filled with power.

"The COUNTRY REPORT"! DUE! AND the BOOK is checked OUT! Aaargh!!

Relax!
Get ARTICLES from "authorized" sources, through the Library Website!
Reach CULTUREGRAMS from HOME.
Choose "My Account" tab, and Login "username" and "password".
Choose "Research" tab and find CULTUREGRAMS.
It provides up-to-date information on countries and people.
It includes a State Edition with profiles on each state,
AND it tells you how to cite the article in your report.

Another great online resource for country information is the CIA World Factbook.

Storytime @ Malletts Creek and Pittsfield will feature stories from Africa this week. We did Rachel Isadora's new Princess And The Pea and Anansi And The Moss-Covered Rock.
Rabbit Ears: Anansi is a DVD production of Anansi stories based onthe book illustrations and text. Rabbit Ears Productions publish, "stories read by well-known actors accompanied by music from top-notch groups".
Look for the Rabbit Ears DVDs in the Library collections.

Celebrate our connection to nature in There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker.

School Library Journal provides an "Online Science Fare" resource list for Science Fair season.
Here it is, and hope it HELPS !
Science Fair Project Resource Guide from the Internet Public Library.

Online (and Hands-on) Activities created by the San Francisco Exploratorium.

Science Fair Project Resource Guide created by Librarians, "a well-known classic among science fair veterans". And

ZOOMsci with simple experiments especially good for elementary students and teachers looking for in-class projects

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) follows the story of Lyra Belacqua, the secrets surrounding her birth and future, and travel between the worlds.

With the recent film and a revival of the controversy that has always surrounded the Golden Compass series, these books are once more in the public eye. I've been told that even people who like them find the books difficult, but I throughly enjoyed listening to them on audio. This is possibly because they're performed by a full cast complete with sound effects and narration from Philip Pullman himself, making the whole experience more like an old fashioned radio drama than your average audio book. I highly recommend the entire series.

That very question is posed in Searching for Bobby Fischer when a chess teacher talks with the father of a 7-year-old boy, Josh, who shows an amazing gift for playing chess. The teacher goes on to say that, "Bobby Fischer got underneath it like no one before and found at its center, art." And what's Josh's answer? When talking on the phone with a buddy, Josh explains, "Chess. It's a game, like Monopoly."

If you've never seen this flick, check it out. And, if you enjoy playing chess, come this Sunday, April 6 (1-4 p.m.), to Pittsfield Branch for Chesstastic. It's a chance to play a whole variety of opponents from the youngest age to senior citizens.