Wells Branch Bookworms

2010-11-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

I work at the Wells Branch Community Library

Wells branch library

New Blog

2010-03-10T08:05:00.001-08:00

Wbbookworms Blog has been moved! Find the new blog at wbbookworms.wordpress.com

Wacky Science 3/3 - Kite Making Workshop

2010-03-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Let's go fly a kite!

This week in Wacky Science, we will be having a kite making workshop! We will learn the science behind kite flying and experiment with different kite shapes and materials. Then we will make our own kites to fly at home, at the park, or at the Austin Kite Festival.

March 2, 1904 - Dr. Seuss' Birthday

2010-03-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

In storytimes this week, we will be reading Dr. Seuss books to celebrate his birthday! Check out these great links to learn more about the man behind The Cat in the Hat and many more classic stories:

http://www.seussville.com/
http://www.catinthehat.org/history.htm
http://www.drseussart.com/artofseuss.html
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/250.shtml

Storytimes:
Monday @ 10am - Preschool (3-5)
Monday @ 10:45 - Monkey in the Middle (12-24mos)
Friday @ 10am - Baby Bookworms (0-18mos)
Friday @ 10:45am - Toddler (18-36mos)
Friday @ 11:30am - Preschool (3-5)

Star Party Pajamarama Tonight!

2010-02-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Join us tonight, February 26 at 6:00pm, in your pajamas for a special family program all about the night sky. We will learn about stars and space, then make our own planesphere, a tool used to find stars and constellations. Then we will go stargazing through telescopes and drink hot chocolate! This program is intended for children ages 5 and up, but all ages are welcome to attend.

March Selection for the Mother-Daughter Book Club: Little Women

2010-02-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

In celebration of National Women's History Month, we will be reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for the March meeting of the Mother-Daughter Book Club. The library has many copies of this book available for check out.

March 30 @ 6:30pm : Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The Mother-Daughter Book Club meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm. It is for mothers of all ages and daughters ages 7-12.

Mother-Daughter Book Club - Meeting 2/23 @ 6:30pm

2010-02-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

Join us tonight for the Mother-Daughter Book Club as we discuss the book Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass. This story takes place at the Moon Shadow Campground before and during a solar eclipse. To learn more about this book and solar eclipses, check out these links:

http://www.wendymass.com/
www.skyandtelescope.com
www.space.com
www.eclipsechaser.com
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
www.astronomy.com
http://worldwidetelescope.org
http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/birthstars/
http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/9780316002561.asp

The Mother-Daughter Book Club meets on the last Tuesday of the month. It is for mothers of all ages and daughters ages 7-12. The next book we will be reading is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. We will disucss this book on March 30 @ 6:30pm.

Snow at the library!

2010-02-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

Check out the photos of the library covered in snow! Snow days are great for staying cozy inside and reading a good book!

Wacky Science 2/24 - Sharpie Tie-Dye

2010-02-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week in Wacky Science, we will continue to learn about chromatography as we make our own Tie-Dye creations! By using permanent markers and rubbing alcohol, you can make tie-dyed fabrics without the mess! Bandannas are provided, but feel free to bring a shirt, pillowcase, or any other fabric item from home to tie-dye!

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm for kids ages 7 and up.

New Shelving!

2010-02-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

Come by the library to check out our new shelving in the kids area!
We now have:

a special shelf just for juvenile series books
a reference bookcase with the 2010 Encyclopedia Britannica set (in the study room)
a bookcase full of puzzles and games available for in-house only checkout (in the study room)

Wacky Science 2/17 - Black Marker Experiments

2010-02-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

Is a black marker really only black? Join us this week in Wacky Science to learn about chromatography as we experiment with black markers and color separation! How many colors do you see in the photos above?

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm for kids ages 7 and up.

Happy Valentine's Day! - Storytimes

2010-02-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

In Storytimes this week, we discussed Valentines Day and read special valentines stories. Then we made our own beautiful valentines! I hope everyone has a very happy Valentine's Day! Come by the library to check out some great books all about Valentines Day:

Valentine Books we Shared:

E-1 BRI   Clifford's Valentines by Norman Bridwell
E RYL    If You'll be my Valentine by Cynthia Rylant
E WEE   Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine by Sarah Weeks

Other Valentine Books:

E BOU   Franklin's valentines   by Bourgeois, Paulette
E BRO   Arthur's valentine   by Brown, Marc Tolon
E JAC    The ballad of Valentine    by Jackson, Alison
E PAR    Amelia Bedelia's first Valentine    by Parish, Herman
E ROC    Valentine's Day    by Rockwell, Anne F
E SHA    Nate the Great and the mushy valentine    by Sharmat, Marjorie
E SPI    Somebody loves you, Mr. Hatch    by Spinelli, Eileen
E WAL    The Valentine Express    by Wallace, Nancy
E-1 GRA    Happy Valentine's Day, Miss Hildy   by Grambling, Lois G
J 394.2618 GIB    Valentine's Day is-    by Gibbons, Gail
J 745.5941 175    175 easy-to-do Valentine crafts
J 745.5941 EIC    Valentine's Day crafts    by Eick, Jean
J 745.5941 ROS    All new crafts for Valentine's Day    by Ross, Kathy

Wacky Science 2/10 - Color Mixing Workshop

2010-02-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today in Wacky Science, we will be experimenting to see how many different colors we can make out of the combinations of the colors red, yellow, and blue. Then we will create fun and unique names for the colors! Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm for kids ages 7+.

Fantasy Book Club - First Meeting 2/9 @ 6:30pm

2010-02-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Wells Branch Community Library Fantasy Book Club will be meeting this Tuesday at 6:30pm. We will discuss how the book club will run and suggest titles for future meetings.

The book for this month is The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I encourage you to not only read the book, but go see the movie for our discussion on March 9!

Watch the trailer at: http://www.percyjacksonthemovie.com/

Come to the library for a new book club for fantasy fiction fans! Kids ages 7-12 will read the book of the month, then meet up on the 2^nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm to discuss the chosen book.

The library will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 3rd & Thursday, Feb. 4th

2010-02-02T12:45:00.001-08:00

No Wacky Science or Arts & Crafts on Wednesday!

2010 Bluebonnet Award Winner : "Help me, Mr. Mutt!: expert answers for dogs with people problems"

2010-02-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

The votes are in! The winner of the 2010 Texas Bluebonnet Award is Help me, Mr. Mutt!: expert answers for dogs with people problems written by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel ; illustrated by Janet Stevens. This book was a favorite of the Bluebonnet Book Club members! Help Me Mr. Mutt takes a comical look at what problems dogs might write complaint letters about if they could. Stop by the library and check it out!
E STE

Love Your Library!

2010-01-29T15:26:00.000-08:00

February is Love Your Library Month! In Storytimes this week, we will be sharing stories all about libraries! To find out more about Love your Library Month, visit the ALA website ilovelibraries.org.

Storytime books about libraries:
Read it, Don't Eat it! by Ian Schoenherr - E SCH
Maisy Goes to the Library by Lucy Cousins - E COU

Other books to check out about libraries:
Read All About It by Laura Bush - E BUS
Mr. Wiggle's Book by Paula Craig - E CRA
Library Dragon by Carmen Deedy - E DEE
I.Q. Goes to the Library by Mary Ann Fraser - E FRA
Miss Smith Books (series) by Michael Garland - E GAR
Library Lion by Kevin Hawkes - E HAW
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies - E LIE
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra - E SIE
Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk - E KIR

Nonfiction books about the library: J 027

Every Soul a Star - Mother-Daughter Book Club

2010-01-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

The Mother-Daughter Book Club is for mothers of all ages and girls 8-13. The book club selects a book each month that the mothers and daughters will both read, then we meet on the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm at the Wells Branch Community Library for discussion and activities!

We had a great discussion of Riding Freedom for the first book club meeting! The book we selected for the next meeting of the Mother-Daugher Book Club is Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass.

From the author:

"Ally, Bree, and Jack meet at the one place the Great Eclipse can be seen in totality, each carrying the burden of different personal problems, which become dim when compared to the task they embark upon and the friendship they find."

We will discuss this book on:
Tuesday, February 23 at 6:30pm

Mr. Johnny & Sharon Concert

2010-01-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the Mr. Johnny & Sharon concert. It was such a fun and interactive musical event! Visit Mr. Johnny's website and kid events page. Here are some photos of the concert:

Counting Books

2010-01-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

This week's Storytime is all about counting!

For our craft, we will make objects using dots like in the book Ten Black Dots and practice counting. How many apples are on the tree?

Counting books we shared:

Baby Bird Count by Tom Arma - E BOARD ARM
Quack and Count by Keith Baker - E BAK
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang - E BAN
Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews - E CRE
Ten Apples Up On Top! by Theo LeSieg (Dr. Seuss) - E-1 LES

Other books about counting:

Doggies: A Counting Book by Sandra Boynton - E BOARD BOY
1,2,3 by Charlie Harper - E BOARD HAR
Arlene Alda's 1,2,3 by Arlene Alda - E ALD
Anno's Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno - E ANN
Five Little Ducks by Ivan Bates - E BAT
Count on Clifford by Norman Bridwell - E BRI
Goodnight Moon 1,2,3 by Margaret Wise Brown - E BRO
Ten in the Den by John Butler - E BUT
1,2,3 To the Zoo by Eric Carle - E CAR
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow - E CHR
Click, Clack, Splash, Splash by Doreen Cronin - E CRO
Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert - E EHL
Can you Count Ten Toes by Lezlie Evans - E EVA
Turtle Splash by Cathryn Falwell - E FAL
One, Two, One Pair! by Bruce McMillan - E MCM
Count! by Denise Fleming - E FLE
Each Orange had 8 Slices - by Paul Giganti - E GIG
26 Letters and 99 Cents by Tana Hoban - E HOB
Count and See by Tana Hoban - E HOB
One More Sheep by Mij Kelly - E KEL
Chicka Chicka 1,2,3 by Bill Martin Jr. - E MAR
Five for a Little One by Christopher Raschka - E RAS
Curious George Counts from 1 to 100 by H.A. Rey - E REY
Carlo Likes Counting by Jessica Spanyol - E SPA
The Big Storm by Nancy Tafuri - E TAF
Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh - E WAL
Max Counts his Chickents by Rosemary Wells - E WEL
Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood - E WOO
Let's Count by Tana Hoban - J 153.2 HOB

These books about numbers can all be found in the children's section of the Wells Branch Community Library

1/27 - Wacky Science - Homemade Play Dough

2010-01-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

This week in Wacky Science, we made homemade play dough! Using household ingredients, you can make your very own customized play dough at home! I used purple food coloring, glitter, and peppermint oil to make my play dough unique. Here is the recipe we used:

1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Salt
1 TBSP Cream of Tartar
1 TBSP Oil
1/2 cup Water
Food Coloring

-In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, salt, cream of tartar)
-In a separate bowl, mix water and oil with food coloring
-Pour water, oil, and food coloring into a pot and heat on the stove
-Slowly stir in flour mixture
-A doughy ball should start to form
-Let dough cool
-Play with the dough!

If dough is too sticky, add more salt.
For fun, add glitter, sequins, sand or scented oil such as peppermint oil.
Look online for more recipes, some are even edible!

Mother-Daughter Book Club 1/26 @ 6:30pm

2010-01-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Join us this Tuesday, January 26 at 6:30pm for our first meeting of the Mother-Daughter Book Club! We will be discussing the historical fiction book Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan. We will also choose the book selection for February's Book Club. This book club is for mothers of all ages and daughters ages 7-12. Happy reading!

Free Family Concert - Sat. 1/23

2010-01-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

Free Concert: Mr. Johnny & Friends- Saturday, January 23^rd at 1pm

Mr. Johnny & Friends will perform an interactive sound and music show! Your youngster can sing, jump, dance, and play with props along with the music! Space is limited, so arrive 10 minutes early.

Check out the Mr. Johnny website to listen to their music and check out other kids events!

2010 Literary Award Winners

2010-01-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Today, the ALA's 2010 Literary Awards for Youth have been announced! To learn more about the awards, visit the ALA website.

John Newbery Medal - “When You Reach Me,” written by Rebecca Stead

Newbery Honor Books - “Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice” by Phillip Hoose; “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” by Jacqueline Kelly; “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin; and “The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg” by Rodman Philbrick.

Randolph Caldecott Medal - “The Lion & the Mouse,” illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.

Caldecott Honor Books - “All the World,” illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon; and “Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors,” illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman.

Michael L. Printz Award - “Going Bovine,” written by Libba Bray.

Printz Honor Books - “Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith” by Deborah Heiligman; “The Monstrumologist” by Rick Yancey; “Punkzilla” by Adam Rapp; and “Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973” by John Barnes.

Coretta Scott King Book Award (Author) -“Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal,” written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.

Coretta Scott King Honor Book (Author) - “Mare’s War” by Tanita S. Davis.

Coretta Scott King Book Award (Illustrator) - “My People,” illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr.

Coretta Scott King Honor Book (Illustrator) - “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award - “The Rock and the River,” written by Kekla Magoon.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement - Walter Dean Myers

Pura Belpré Award (Illustrator) - “Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros,” illustrated by Rafael López.

Pura Belpré Honor Books (Illustrator) - “Diego: Bigger Than Life,” illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand; “My Abuelita,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston; and “Gracias Thanks,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora.

Pura Belpré Award (Author) - “Return to Sender,” written by Julia Alvarez

Pura Belpré Honor Books (Author) - “Diego: Bigger Than Life,” written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz; and “Federico García Lorca,” written by Georgina Lázaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro.

Schneider Family Book Award - Ages 0-10: “Django” written and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen.

Ages 11-13: “Anything but Typical” written by Nora Raleigh Baskin.

Ages 13-18: “Marcelo in the Real World,” written by Francisco X. Stork.

William C. Morris Award - “Flash Burnout,” written by L.K. Madigan.

Odyssey Award (Audiobook) - “Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken” by Kate DiCamillo and narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.

Odyssey Honor Audiobooks -“In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber,” produced by Listen & Live Audio, Inc., written by L. A. Meyer and narrated by Katherine Kellgren; “Peace, Locomotion,” produced by Brilliance Audio, written by Jacqueline Woodson and narrated by Dion Graham; and “We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball,” produced by Brilliance Audio, written by Kadir Nelson and narrated by Dion Graham.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award - “Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!,” written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Books - “I Spy Fly Guy!” written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold; “Little Mouse Gets Ready,” written and illustrated by Jeff Smith; “Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends,” written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yeet; and “Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day,” written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by R. W. Alley.

Margaret A. Edwards Award - Jim Murphy

Robert F. Sibert Medal (Informational Book) - “Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream,” written by Tanya Lee Stone.

Robert F. Sibert Honor Books - “The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors,” written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani; “Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca; and “Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice,” written by Phillip Hoose.

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award - “Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith,” written by Deborah Heiligman.

Andrew Carnegie Medal (Video) - Paul R. Gagne and Mo Willems of Weston Woods, producers of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!,” based on the book written and illustrated by Willems; it was narrated by Willems and Jon Scieszka with animation by Pete List.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award -“A Faraway Island” is the 2010 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Swedish in 1996 as “En ö i havet,” the book was written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck.

Alex Awards (Teens) -

“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope” by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
“The Bride’s Farewell” by Meg Rosoff
“Everything Matters!” by Ron Currie, Jr.
“The Good Soldiers” by David Finkel
“The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir” by Diana Welch and Liz Welch with Amanda Welch and Dan Welch
“The Magicians,” by Lev Grossman
“My Abandonment” by Peter Rock
“Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel,” by Gail Carriger
“Stitches: A Memoir” by David Small
“Tunneling to the Center of the Earth” by Kevin Wilson

Newbery and Caldecott

2010-01-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

On Monday, January 18, the 2010 Newbery and Caldecott Award winners will be announced! The winners will be posted on the ALA website and on the wbbookwoms blog! Come to the library to check out our Newbery and Caldecot display!

"The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." (www.ALA.org)

"The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children."(www.ALA.org)

Miss Kristin's Newbery and Caldecott Award Picks:
If I could choose the 2010 Newbery and Caldecot Award winners, these would be my selections. What would you choose?

Newbery Award: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
J FIC STE
(ages 9-14)

- I absolutely loved this book! This story follows a girl named Miranda as she learns about friendship, family, and time travel while receiving mysterious messages. Throughout the book there are many details that don't seem significant until they are all tied together at the end. Fans of Madeline L'Engle will enjoy the references to A Wrinkle in Time. This is a great read for lovers of realistic fiction, science fiction, and mystery books.

Caldecott Award: Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins
J 591.779 JEN
(ages 4-8)

-Down, Down, Down takes its readers deep into the depths of the ocean. Seve Jenkins' books are both beautifully illustrated and informative. Each creature in this book has its name next to it and there are diagrams with more information about each level of the ocean in the back of the book. Each page represents a level of the ocean, with a scale to show how deep the levels are from the ocean surface to the ocean floor. The illustrations are constructed in a beautiful paper collage style, but are also realistic. I found this book to be fascinating and loved how the reader could use the scale to better understand the life found in the various depths of the sea. This is a great read for kids who love nonfiction and Eyewitness books.

2010 Lone Star and Tayshas Reading Lists

2010-01-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Lone Star and Taysha book lists have been announced!Click on the links below to check out the lists!

2010 Lone Star - Grades 6-8
2010 Tayshas - Grades 9-12

Mother-Daughter Book Club

2010-01-05T17:07:00.001-08:00

New Program!

Mothers of all ages and daughters ages 7-12, join us at the library for a mother-daughter book club! Each month, mothers and daughters will read the same chapter book. Then we will meet on the last Tuesday of the month to discuss the book together!

The book for January is Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan.We will have our first meeting January 26 at 6:30pm.

Science Fair Workshops

2010-01-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

Need some help with your science fair project? Come to the Science Fair Workshops at the library on January 13 and 20th from 5-7 pm! All ages are welcome. Feel free to bring your experiment or display board to share.

Jan 13 - Experiment Workshop - Come to the library to find great experiment ideas and learn about the scientific process.

Jan 20 - Presentation Workshop - We will make a mock display and learn about the components needed to showcase your experiments.

Kids Programs Resume Jan 4., 2010

2009-12-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

2010 Kids Programs

Storytimes:
Baby Bookworms (0-18mo) - Fridays @ 10am
Monkey in the Middle (12-24mos) - Mondays @ 10:45am
Toddler Storytime (18-36mos) - Fridays @ 10:45am
Preschool Storytime (3-5yrs) - Mondays @ 10am & Fridays @ 11:30am

New Storytimes!
Sign Language Storytime (all ages) - 1st and 3rd Saturday @ 1pm
Spanish Storytime (all ages) - 2nd and 4th Saturday @ 1pm

A to Zzzs (3-6yrs) - Tuesdays @ 5:30pm

Wacky Science (7+) - Wednesdays @ 5:00pm

Arts & Crafts - Wednesdays @ 6pm

New Program!
Mother-Daughter Book Club (7-12) - Last Tuesday of the month @ 6:30pm

8th Annual Polar Express Party

2009-12-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

December 18 at 6:00pm - Join us for holiday crafts, songs, stories, cookies, hot chocolate and a bedtime reading of the story The Polar Express! Wear your best pajamas and bring your family, your teddy, and your pillow! Seating is limited, so plan on arriving early!

12/2 Wacky Science - Crystal Snowflakes

2009-12-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

Join us for Wacky Science this Wednesday at 5pm to make Crystal Snowflakes. We will be using borax, hot water, and pipe cleaners to create real crystal formations that are in the shape of snowflakes. Ages 7+.

Gingerbread Workshop

2009-11-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

Join us at the library for a Gingerbread House Workshop!
December 5 at 10:00am.

$10 Fee per house and pre-registration required.

Bring the whole family to create and decorate your very own Gingerbread house! We will make a non-edible real gingerbread creation that is sure to be fun for the whole family. All supplies are provided. Register in person at the library's information desk. Payment is due at time of registration. Must register and pay by November 30 to attend.

2010-2011 Bluebonnet Nominees!

2009-11-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

At the Texas Book Festival, Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett announced the 2010-2011 Bluebonnet Award Nominees. The books have arrived and are now ready for checkout! Look on the top of the bookshelves in the Children's Library for books with the Bluebonnet Award logo sticker on the spine. Go to http://www.txla.org/groups/tba/ to see the list and read summaries. There are some great nominees this year! Happy reading!

New Moon Release Party 11/23

2009-11-09T11:22:00.001-08:00

November 23 @ 6pm

Join us at the library for a New Moon release party! There will be Twilight Scene It, New Moon book vs. movie discussion, and FREE PIZZA! Test your twilight knowledge with trivia to win the grand prize! Ages 13+

Wacky Science 7/4 - Owl Pellets!

2009-11-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

Join us for Wacky Science this Wednesday at 5pm. We will be learning all about owls through dissecting owl pellets. Owl pellets are masses of bones, teeth, hair, feathers, and scales that are regurgitated by birds of prey. Our pellets are synthetic, but they do contain real entire birds skeletons!

Spooky Storytime - Oct 30 - Come in Costume!

2009-10-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

This Friday is a special Spooky Storytime. Come in costume to read spooky stories and do a fun craft!

10am - Baby Bookworms - ages 0-18mos
10:45am - Toddler Storytime - ages 18-36mos
11:30am - Preschool Storytime - ages 3-5

Wacky Science 10/14 - Slime!

2009-10-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Join us for Wacky Science this week as we explore polymers through making some ooey gooey slime! Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm in the Storytime room. The experiments are intended for children ages 6+.

NEW PROGRAM - Bluebonnet Bookclub

2009-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Bluebonnet Bookclub begins Tuesday October 6 at 6:30pm!

Join us at the library for a Bluebonnet Book Club! Each week children ages 7-10 are invited to explore the 2009-2010 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees followed by discussions, activities, and crafts! Kids will earn prizes for each Bluebonnet Nominated book they have read.

NEW PROGRAM - A to Zzzs

2009-09-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

A to Zzzs begins Tuesday October 6 at 5:30pm!

A to Zzzs is an evening literacy program for children ages 3-6 to promote letter recognition, letter sounds, and pre-reading skills. Each week we will focus on one letter of the alphabet. Join us at the library as we make our way through the alphabet with songs, stories, activities, and crafts.

Storytime - 9/21&25 - Construction!

2009-09-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Put on your hard hats! This week in storytime, we will be learning all about construction and big machines! We will read stories and learn the names of construction machines through songs. We will read the book I'm Dirty by Kate&Jim McMullan and then make our own dirty construction machines!

Storytime Schedule:
0-18 mos - Baby Bookworms - Fridays @ 10am
12-24 mos - Monkey in the Middle - Mondays @ 10:45am
18-36 mos - Toddler Tales - Fridays @ 10:45am
3-5 yrs - Preschool Storytime - Mondays @ 10am & Fridays @ 11:30am

Wacky Science - 9/23 - Candy Molecules

2009-09-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

What do molecules look like? This week in Wacky Science, we will be making big molecule models using gumdrops and toothpicks. Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm. The program is intended for children ages 7+.

Sept. 19 & 20 Kids Special Events!

2009-09-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Join us at the library for special events for the family!

Saturday Sept. 19 at 1:00pm - Spanish Storytime with Miss Elda - We will read stories in Spanish and learn Spanish words together!

Sunday Sept. 20 at 1:00pm - Staci Gray Family Concert - Staci Gray is an Austin performer who gets kids to dance and have fun to her original songs! To hear samples visit her website at www.stacigraymusic.com.

Both events have limited seating, so plan on arriving 10 minutes early to secure a seat! Hope to see you there! For questions call (512)989-3188 or email kids@wblibrary.org.

All Aboard! Trains Storytime 9/4

2009-09-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

All aboard! Join us at the library this week for a storytime all about trains! We will read the book Freight Train by Donald Crews and Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown. Then we will make our own steam engines. ChoooooChoooo!

What story time is right for my child?

0-18 months: Baby Bookworms - Fri 10 A.M.

12-24 months: Monkey in the Middle - Mon 10:45 A.M.

18-36 months: Toddler Story Time - Fri 10:45 A.M.

3-5 years: Preschool Story Time – Mon 10 AM & Fri 11:30 A.M.

Wacky Science 9/2 - Fatty Foods

2009-08-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

How much fat is in the foods we eat? This week in wacky science, we will be using brown paper bags to discover which foods we eat contain the most fat!

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm in the storytime room. The experiments are intended for children ages 7+. Seating is limited to 20.

Miss Kristin's Picks - The Mysterious Benedict Society

2009-08-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart follows four children, Reynie, Constance, Kate, and Sticky through mysterious adventures involving puzzles, tests, and challenges. Each of the children have special talents and unique problem solving skills. Although they are very different from each other, the children learn to work together as the Mysterious Benedict Society.
This is a great book for boys and girls ages 7-10.
You can find this book and the sequel The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey at the library in the Juvenile section under J FIC STE.
Check our library catalog to see if it's available.
Visit the Mysterious Benedict Society Website

No Wacky Science this Week!

2009-08-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

There will be no Wacky Science this week. We will resume Wacky Science on Wednesday, September 2 at 5:00pm. Hope to see you there!

Summer Reading Statistics

2009-08-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading has come to an end! Everyone did such a great job and read so many hours this summer!

We had 327 kids and 21 teens register for the Summer Reading Club. Kids read a total of 5,400 hours and teens read a total of 484 hours!

Last year we had 169 kids and 6 teens register. The kids read 2,691 hours and teens read 240.

We doubled the number of participants and hours this year! Great job!

Summer Reading Finale!

2009-08-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to turn in your reading log! Make sure they are all turned in by 6pm on August 14. The Summer Reading Finale is tomorrow August 15 at 1pm! We will have a special presentation by Mad Science, followed by the awarding of the Grand Prize Winners! Readers must be in attendance to receive prizes! Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to ensure a seat.

TURN IN YOUR READING LOGS BY AUGUST 14!

2009-08-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

Remember to fill out and bring in your reading logs! All reading logs must be turned in by Friday, August 14! The Summer Reading Finale will be on August 15th at 1pm. 100hr+ readers must be in attendance to be eligible for the grand prize drawing!

8/5 Wacky Science - Can Constellations

2009-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today in Wacky Science, we will be making constellation viewers out of Pringles canisters! We will use constellation templates to make star slides that can be viewed by pointing the canister at a light source or by shining a flashlight through the canister. We will learn how to identify many different constellations! Wacky Science is on Wednesdays at 5pm. Ages 7+.

7/29 Wacky Science - Goldenrod Paper

2009-07-29T09:50:00.001-07:00

Today in Wacky Science we will experiment with Goldenrod Paper. Goldenrod Paper is the world's largest pH indicator! We will use it to determine what liquids are acids or bases. Then, we will use our knowledge to make artwork! Wacky Science is on Wednesdays at 5:00pm. The experiments are intended for children ages 7+.

LIBRARY CLOSED 7/23

2009-07-21T10:30:00.001-07:00

The Wells Branch Community Library will be closed all day on July 23, 2009.

7/22 Wacky Science - Oil Spill Clean-Up!

2009-07-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

Join us for Wacky Science this week as we learn about the amazing properties of polymers! This special polymer was developed to absorb oil. We will learn about how scientific inventions like this one are helping to clean up our oceans after oil spills. Wacky Science is on Wednesdays at 5:00pm. Ages 7+.

Summer Reading Safari Kickoff!

2009-06-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading Kickoff: June 13 @ 11:00am -
Concert by Lucas Miller and Cake!
Stop by for this free family show and pick up a reading log!

READING CLUB

Registration and Rules:

1. Sign up at the desk in the Children's Library.

2. You will receive a reading log and a bookmark.

3. Keep track of the time you spend reading on your log.

4. Turn in your first log to the Children’s Library desk after you have completed 10 hours of reading. You will receive a Summer Reading Certificate, prizes from our sponsors, and a Wells Branch Summer Reading T-Shirt that you can decorate at the July 11th and August 15th programs!

5. Turn in additional logs after 25, 50, and 100 hours to receive prizes from our prize box and more prizes from our sponsors.

Keep reading until you reach the goal of 100 hours! Once you reach 100 hours, you are entered into our special Grand prize drawings.

Grand prizes include passes from Austin Park, Round Rock Express, Volente Beach Waterpark, Putt ‘n Fun, Austin Zoo, and IMAX!

If you need to print an extra log click here

All logs must be fully filled out and turned in before proceeding to the next log.

What Can I Read?: Books, Graphic Novels, Magazines, and Poetry.

FINAL LOGS MUST BE TURNED IN BY Friday, AUGUST 14th, 2009

DRAWINGS TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 15th at 1:00pm, AT THE FINALE PARTY WITH MAD SCIENCE.

Programs:

Weekly Storytimes

0-18 months – Baby Bookworms – Mondays and Fridays at 10am

12-24 months – Monkey in the Middle – Mondays at 10:45am

18-36 months – Toddler Story Time – Fridays at 10:45am

3-5 years – Preschool Story Time – Fridays at 11:30am

Summer Reading Weekly Programs

Wacky Science - Wednesdays at 5pm – Join us for fun and messy science experiments and demonstrations! Ages 7+.

Arts & Crafts - Wednesdays at 6pm – Arts and crafts for families including painting, crafting, creative art projects. All ages!

Go Wild! - Wednesdays at 4pm – Come explore the animal kingdom through stories, activities, and crafts. Ages 5+.

Teen Tuesdays – Tuesdays at 6pm – Alternating weeks of Books to Movie screenings and crafty workshops. Ages 13+.

Free Shows for the Family

- Lucas Miller the Singing Zoologist –
June 13th @ 11am

Let the Summer Reading Safari begin! Lucas Miller brings his blend of science-oriented songs and stories to the library on June 13 at 11:00 a.m. Recognized as an American Masterpiece by the National Endowment for the Arts, this “singing zoologist” presents multi-media events for nearly one hundred thousand children annually at schools, libraries and family concerts. Join us after the concert to learn about the summer reading program, pick up a reading log, and have some cake!

- Tim Cole Reptile Specialist – July 11th @ 1pm

Austin Reptile Service is an organization dedicated to the conservation of native Texas reptiles through education. Tim Cole has been keeping reptiles for over four decades and has professional experience working with zoos and scientific field studies. He will be bringing live reptiles to the library to educate the community about them. If you have read 10 hours or more

- Summer Reading Finale: MAD SCIENCE – August 15th @ 1pm

Come celebrate the end of the library’s summer reading program! Mad Science will conduct interactive, fun experiments that the whole family will enjoy! After the program, we will award the grand prize winners of the summer reading program!

NO WACKY SCIENCE 6/3 and 6/ 10

2009-06-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, there will be no Wacky Science over the next two weeks due to school letting out for summer. Classes will resume June 17 at 5pm!

5/6 Wacky Science - Homemade Mother's Day Cards

2009-05-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

Make a special homemade Mother's Day card this week at Wacky Science and Arts & Crafts. We will be offering two sessions of this program at 5:00 and 6:00pm. We will transform the recycled paper we made last week into beautiful cards with meaningful messages.

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm. The program is intended for ages 7+. Younger children may attend if assisted by an adult.

5/2 - Kidz Art Workshop at 1:30pm

2009-04-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

If you can dream, you can draw!

Join us at the library for a free

Kidz Art program! Ages 5-13.

KidzArt is an art-enriched experience that astounds and inspires. Through fun interactive exercises and personal encouragement, student energies are channeled into brain storming, problem solving, and practical application. www.kidzart.com

For more information visit our website at www.wblibrary.org

Or call (512)989-3188 or email kids@wblibrary.org.

4/22 - Wacky Science: Earth Day

2009-04-20T09:54:00.001-07:00

Come celebrate Earth Day at the library! We will learn how to garden by planting native Texas plants in the library's garden. Then we will be making seed starters in biodegradable egg carton pots that you can plant in your garden at home!

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm. The program is intended for ages 7+. Younger children may attend if assisted by an adult.

4/8 Wacky Science : Paper Airplanes

2009-04-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

How do airplanes fly? Through our experiements with paper airplane contstruction in this week's Wacky Science, we will learn all about flight and Bernoulli's Principle. Then we will take our planes out for a test flight!

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5pm. The program content is intended for children ages 7 and up. Younger children may attend, but must be assisted by an adult.

4/10 Storytime : Spring!

2009-04-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! This storytime will celebrate spring through stories and songs about flowers blooming and the weather changing. For a craft, we will make handprint lilies.

Storytime Schedule:

0-18 mos: Baby Bookworms - Mon & Fri at 10:00am
12-24 mos: Monkey in the Middle - Mon 10:45am
18-36 mos: Toddler Story Time - Fri 10:45am
3-5 yrs: Preschool Story Time - Fri 11:30am

Photos from Drawing Workshop with Scott Sutton

2009-04-07T08:40:00.001-07:00

Photos from Wacky Science : Mentos Geyser

2009-04-07T08:36:00.001-07:00

4/1 - Wacky Science : Mentos & Cola Geyser!

2009-04-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Get ready for an explosion! Today in Wacky Science we will combine mentos and different types of sodas to make soda geysers! We will explore the science of soda and discover why this reaction takes place. This activity will take place outside, and it will definitely be messy! Smocks are provided.
For more information about this experiment visit: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000109
Wacky Science is intended for children ages 7+. Children younger than 7 must be assisted by an adult.

Join us for Wacky Science every Wednesday at 5:00pm!

4/3 - The Art of Eric Carle Storytime

2009-03-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is 40 years old! Join us as for storytime this week as we read Have You Seen My Cat?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Mixed-Up Chameleon. We will explore Eric Carle's illustrations and then make our own works of art using tissue paper!

0-18 mos: Baby Bookworms - Mon & Fri at 10:00am
12-24 mos: Monkey in the Middle - Mon 10:45am
18-36 mos: Toddler Story Time - Fri 10:45am
3-5 yrs: Preschool Story Time - Fri 11:30am

3/25 - Wacky Science: Penny Parachutes

2009-03-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

What goes up must come down!
This week in Wacky Science, we are going to conduct experiments in gravity by creating and decorating parachutes with penny cargo. We will learn about gravity, lift, and pull.

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00pm. All ages are welcome, but children under 7 must be assisted by an adult.

Rainbow Fish!

2009-03-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

After reading the book Rainbow Fish in last week's storytimes, each child created a unique scale to decorate our giant fish. Here is the final result after all of the storytimes! Great job everyone!

3/20 Friendship Storytime

2009-03-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

How can you be a good friend? Join us for storytime this Friday as we sing and read all about friendship. We will read the book Rainbow Fish and make our own giant rainbow fish craft after the story.

0-18 mos: Baby Bookworms - Mon & Fri at 10:00am
12-24 mos: Monkey in the Middle - Mon 10:45am
18-36 mos: Toddler Story Time - Fri 10:45am
3-5 yrs: Preschool Story Time - Fri 11:30am

3/18 Wacky Science BUBBLES!

2009-03-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

Join us for Wacky Science this Wednesday at 5:00pm as we experiment with BUBBLES! We will test out different types of bubble solutions and soaps. From our findings, we will develop our own bubble recipe to make the biggest, best bubbles! We will discover different types of bubble makers and find out if it's possible to make a square bubble. All ages are welcome, but children under 7 must be assisted by an adult.

Miss Kristin's Pick of the Week

2009-03-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

Love that Dog is the story of a boy named Jack who struggles with poetry in school. Through exploring and mimicking other poets' styles, Jack learns to express himself and cope with the loss of his dog, Skye. This is an excellent book to encourage a child to write poetry.

"I guess it does
look like a poem
when you see it
typed up
like that."

Reading level: 9-12 yrs
Call number: J FIC CRE

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2009-03-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

"The more that you read,
The more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
The more places you’ll go."
-Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut (1976)

Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss and Theo LeSeig was born on March 2, 1904. (That's 105 years ago!) We will be celebrating his contributions to children's literature this week at the library. During Monday and Friday Story Times, we will read In a People House, Hop on Pop, Green Eggs and Ham, and There's a Wocket in my Pocket, followed by a Seuss craft! Wacky Science this week is Seuss Science! On Wednesday, we will read Bartholemew and the Oobleck and then make our own ooey gooey oobleck to take home.
Dr. Seuss easy reader books are excellent for beginning readers. They have a limited vocabulary and have illustrations for each noun and action in the text. Check the wblibrary catalog for E-1 titles by Dr. Seuss or Theo LeSeig, or check out our Seuss display in the Children's Library.
Take time this week to read a Seuss book with your child!

Miss Kristin's Pick of the Week

2009-02-23T10:44:00.000-08:00

DINOSAUR VS. BEDTIME! by Bob Shea

Watch Dinosaur as he fights and conquers a pile of leaves, spaghetti, the slide, talking grown-ups, and more! Dinosaur always wins! Then, Dinosaur meets his match with the most challenging opponent....bedtime! Will he win?
Dinosaur vs. Bedtime has fun and bright illustrations that also incorporate photography. The simple vocabulary along with many dinosaur "roaaars" and exclamation points makes this an excellent book to read out loud. It is a great bedtime book that I would highly recommend. "Roaaaar!"

Interest Level: 2- 6
Reading Level: 4-6
This book can be found in the children's library under E SHE

2/25 Kite Making Workshop 5-7pm

2009-02-23T10:35:00.000-08:00

Let's go fly a kite! Wacky Science and Arts & Crafts are having a special combined workshop this Wednesday to prepare for the Zilker Kite Festival at Zilker Park on March 1st from 10:00am-5:00pm. We will design, create, and decorate paper kites and then take them outside for a test flight! Children 8 and under must be assisted by an adult.

2/20 Story Times: 1, 2, 3

2009-02-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

1, 2, 3
This story time is all about numbers! We will read the books Ten Apples up on Top by Theo LeSeig and Click, Clack, Splish, Splash by Doreen Cronin. For the craft, we will put apple stickers up on top of our heads and count them! We will sing some of our favorite number songs such as "This Old Man" and learn some new number rhymes. You can count on having fun at this story time!

Story time Schedule:
Baby Bookworms (ages 0-18mos) Mon&Fri - 10:00AM
Monkey in the Middle (ages 12-24mos) Mon - 10:45AM
Toddler Story Time (ages 18mos-3yrs) Fri - 10:45AM
Preschool Story Time(ages3-5) Fri - 11:30AM

2/18 Wacky Science: Baby Diaper Experiments

2009-02-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

Baby Diaper Experiments:
How much liquid can a baby diaper hold? How can diapers hold so much liquid? What's inside of a baby diaper? We will experiment to find out the answers to these questions. We will estimate, measure, and chart our findings. We will learn all about different types of polymers and find out about their water-retaining properties.

Wacky Science is every Wednesday at 5:00PM at the Wells Branch Community Library. This program is intended for elementary aged children. Children under 8 must be assisted by an adult.

Miss Kristin's Pick of the Week!

2009-02-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

Woolbur
written by Leslie Helakoski, Illustrated by Lee Harper.

My pick this week is a great story about a little sheep named Woolbur who doesn't follow the flock. He is a free spirit who does things a little differently than the other sheep. His unique attitude makes his parents worry and his teachers angry, but in the end, his individuality makes him a leader rather than an outsider. This is a great book to help children understand that we all have differences that make us who we are and stand out from the rest of the flock.

Interest Level: Lower Grades (K-3)
Reading level: 2nd Grade
This book can be found in the children's library under: E HEL