Welcome to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Children's Room!

Ms. Clara Webber was the first children's librarian of Pomona Public Library. A long time correspondent with Mrs. Laura Ingalls Wilder, she was instrumental in having the Children's Room named in honor of Mrs. Wilder on May 25, 1950. Today, we house the original hand written manuscript for the novel Little Town on the Prairie. Every February, we host the Laura Ingalls Wilder Sociable in honor of Mrs. Wilder's February 7th birthday.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Interesting New Books



Hello again young Pomonans! Aren't I the chatty one today? Both of my co-workers are off and I need to talk to someone!!

Two new books came across my desk today that I thought would interest you. Both are about Hurricane Katrina. The first one is "The Storm: Students of Biloxi, Mississippi, Remember Hurricane Katrina" compiled by Barbara Barbieri McGrath. This book is for older elementary kids and has children writing a paragragh or so of what they went through. Each paragraph is accompanied by a drawing they made. Some are longer than others and several are heart wrenching.

The other book is: "Story of a Storm: A Book About Hurricane Katrina" by Reona Visser & Children of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This book is aimed at younger children. The illustrations are collages created by the children. "One child might have drawn the leaf, another painted it, a third cut it out and another placed it on the collage," Visser says, "which enabled each child to contribute to the project at his or her own level of ability."

Both are really well done and worth the effort to come in and check them out. McGrath's book says that a portion of the proceeds to benefit Biloxi Public Schools. Visser's says proceeds benefit Mississippi relief efforts.

As for next week, I will be on vacation. Too many vacation hours again. I'll be in Tuesday morning for story time and I'll be in Saturday the 7th. Since I do enjoy blogging, I'll probably post from home.

Joke of the day: Teacher: George, go to the map and find North America.
George: Here it is!
Teacher: Correct. Now, class, who discovered America?
Class: George! :)

Pomona Public Library's Doll Collection






Good afternoon young Pomonans. This post is dedicated to our doll collection. We have so many cool secrets here at the Pomona Public Library. One is that we house the Goddess of Pomona. We also house the original hand written manuscript of "Little Town on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Another would be that we house a very large doll collection.

The Pomona Public Library's doll collection numbers over 800 dolls. The collection is a varied one with dolls representing all corners of the globe and many historical periods. Some of the dolls are over 200 years old.

The first 85 dolls were collected and donated to the Library by Miss Clara J. Webber, the Children's Librarian at the Pomona Public Library from 1948-1970. Some of her dolls depict historical characters, such as Queen Victoria, Buffalo Bill, Thomas Edison and Winston Churchill. Some depict literary characters, such as Hitty, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and the March sisters from "Little Women."

Of special note are Miss Webber's character dolls of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books. One set of dolls representing the Ingalls family as hand carved by Minnesota artist Harvey Hultquist. The other set, created in the 1950's by Pomona doll maker B. Brooks, is based on the books' original illustrations by Helen Sewell. Miss Webber had Mrs. Brooks make a second identical set as a gift to Mrs. Wilder.

The doll collection increased dramatically in size in 1963 when Mrs. Sarah Lorena McArthur, a resident of Pomona since 1892, passed away and willed her collection of over 600 dolls to the Library. Mrs. McArthur's husband, John A. McArthur, had been a Civil War Veteran, fighting in the Union Army under General Sherman. He ran a popular barber shop in Pomona. When he retired in 1920, his faithful customers would line up at his house for haircuts and shaves. He eventually opened up a barber shop in the barn behind his house with Mrs. McArthur as his assistant. After his death in 1924, she continued to run the show until she was 87 years old. She is reputed to hold the record for being the country's oldest woman barber.

Mrs. McArthur began collecting dolls with her daughter Pearl Lorena McArthur in the 1930's The dolls are made of a variety of materials, including china, wood, metal, cloth, apples and hickory nuts. They especially enjoyed collecting dolls from other countries. The dolls include historical figures, including George and Martha Washington. Mrs. McArthur made clothes and repaired many of the dolls herself. Every doll in the collection was given a name.

The Pomona Public Library intended to put the dolls on public display when the new Library building was completed in 1965, but adequate dispay space to house most of the dolls was not available for many years. In 1999 the Friends of the Pomona Public Library purchased display cases for the dolls, with the help of a grant from Wal-Mart.

The doll cases have a lively mix of dolls. General Douglas MacArthur and William Shakespeare share space with Mary Poppins and Doctor Dolittle. An Eskimo boy shares space with a Japaneses geisha. An original Kewpie smiles down on an antique bisque baby doll. Work continues on the identification and labeling of the dolls. The Pomona Public Library is proud of its unique collection of dolls and is pleased to have them on display for the community to enjoy.

So if you haven't seen them or paid any attention to them, come on in and appreciate the beauty and the history of them.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Homework


Homework
Originally uploaded by magnusmagnus
Ahhhhhh!! Give students a break and they come back with a vengeance! We have been very busy Tuesday and Wednesday. I have a feeling reports are due and the last minute is at hand. We are here for you! Our homework center is here for you!

I know it seems like time is short and you can't possibly get everything done that you need to, but you can. You are also not by yourself, you have thousands of students going through what you are going through. What, that doesn't help? OK, then. Come on in and see for yourself. Let us help you get the best possible grades you can.

And, to give you that prize, we will begin the Summer Reading Program June 23rd. We will be giving away free books more than we ever have before.

Our reading buddies will begin that day as well. Reading buddies is where we pair an elementary student with a high school or college student to practice your reading. It is a wonderful program!

That's just a teaser. We will be posting more information in the coming weeks. Hang in there!

Joke of the day: Do you want to hear the story of the broken pencil?
Answer: No, thanks. I'm sure it has no point. :)

Friday, May 23, 2008

Memorial Day 2008


Memorial Day 2006
Originally uploaded by megzie212
Have a really good weekend, everyone. Please remember our service men and women and all that they have done for us. Stay safe!

Next week's activities are:

Tuesday: 10:15am Story time
4-6pm homework center

Wednesday: 10:00am Toddler time
3:30pm Grandparents and Books
4-6pm homework center

Thursday: 10:00am Infant story time
4-6 homework center

Joke of the day: What do computers do when you tell them a joke?
Answer: They LOL! :)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Flower Craft





Our craft today was fun!! We didn't have a lot of people, but we had quality people. If you don't know what I'm talking about: look the words up in the dictionary!

The last few days you having been asking about country books. If you need a book on a certain country, please come in soon. We are running low and a lot of you are doing the same country. We can give out encyclopedias, but books are better. (You get more information.) The same is true for California Mission books and science projects. We don't have much longer until school is out so please don't wait too long to come in. I've seen some children and parents come in at the last minute and it's not pretty!

Joke of the day: Why did the sun get straight A's?
Answer: Because he was very bright! :)

Monday, May 19, 2008

Sping Flower Craft


This is a picture of our craft on Wednesday. You'll be coloring, cutting, and putting it together. Grandma Sue is great at crafts and it is easy to follow her direnctions. I'll try to not get in the way. :) The craft begins at 3:00pm.

There will be one more craft program before the Summer Reading Program begins. We will be making snakes. Woo hoo! Then we will be having weekly crafts every Tuesday at 3:30pm beginning July 3rd. The reading program will run for six weeks so we (we meaning Grandma Sue) have six crafts. (I wouldn't want to scare you thinking I was going to try to help.)

The Summer Reading Program is coming faster than we can believe. We will post more of our activities when the time is appropriate. Keep Reading!

Joke of the day: What's the difference between a cat and a frog?
Answer: Well, a cat has nine lives, but a frog croaks every night! :)

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Life In the Library!



Happy Saturday! It's been a nice cool Saturday at Pomona Public Library. Our air conditioner works well and we're very happy for that. The fires in Pomona are out and life is good.

The activities for the week are:

Tuesday: 10:15am Story time
4:00-6:00pm Homework Center

Wednesday: 10:00am Toddler Time
3:00pm Flower Craft
4:00-6:00pm Homework Center

Thursday: 10:00am Infant Story time
4:00-6:00pm Homework Center

Joke for the day: What did Mona Lisa say when she was hauled into court?
Answer: "I was framed!"

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Author visit, Mr. Jay Winderman of Claremont






We had a great time today with Jay Winderman who told us all about tortoises. He brought two of them to show everyone. As you can see in the pictures, they were huge! Did you know that tortoises chase each other? They're not exactly speedway material, but still.

Lucky for me, Mr. Winderman didn't require me to eat anything tortoise. After the animal program with the mealworm incident I'm rather leery. If you want to hear that story, come in and ask. I'll try not to throw up.

Joke for the day: What did the snail say when it went for a ride on the turtle's back?
Answer: Whee!!!

Monday, May 12, 2008

ELF is Early Learning Family




We have more new toys for our ELF program! We have ELF every Moday morning at 10:00am. Come in with your infants and toddlers and play with these and many other inter active toys. Of course we always have books for infants and toddlers as well.

By the way, for all you David Allen fans, we had a David Allen sighting today in the Library. I was too chicken to ask him if I could take a picture of him for the blog but maybe next time!

Joke of the day: Two muffins are baking in the oven. One muffin says to the other, "Isn't this great! We're turning such a lovely golden brown." The other muffin screams... "AHHHHHH! A TALKING MUFFIN!" :)

Friday, May 9, 2008

Children's Book Week!


Childrens books scoop
Originally uploaded by robot_shop
Next week (May 12 - 18) is children's book week! We are celebrating on Wednesday May 14th with an author visit! Jay B. Winderman has written three books: "Thunder in the Desert", "Thunder on the Reservation", and "Thunder in the Backyard". Thunder is a California Desert Tortoise and these three books are animal fantasy books for middle-grade readers. They are written in such a way that the readers will come to understand, respect, and admire these wonderful creatures.

I believe Mr. Winderman will bring one of his tortoises to share with you. Come on in on Wednesday and ask our guest author some questions!

So come out of your shell and into the library:

Wednesday May 14, 2008 at 3:00pm

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Author Visit!


Author Jay B. Winderman will come to Pomona Public Library on May 14, 2008 at 3:00pm. This is a picture of one of his books, "Thunder in the Backyard." Mr. Winderman loves tortoises and shares his knowledge of them in his children's books. He resides in Claremont and has agreed to come here May 14th. Be sure to mark your calendars now! I hear tell he will bring at least one of his tortoises!

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Special Events in May


Do to Special Event
Originally uploaded by SymbolicSymbolism
OK. So maybe we aren't closing the street for these events. But that doesn't mean they aren't special!

May 14th: 3:00pm Please mark your calendars for this. We are having an author visit. This means that the person who wrote a children's book will be here to talk with you. He will even sign books! I will give you the name of the author and book closer to the time of the event. Just mark your calendars now! Hint: He wrote a book on tortoises!

May 21st: 3:00pm Monthly craft. Grandma Sue will be leading this craft. We will be making flower mobiles. If you don't know what this is, come and find out!

Every Tuesday 10:15am: Preschool and toddler story time (ages 2-5). This is every Tuesday from now through August 12th.

Every Wednesday in May: 10:00am Toddler story time (ages 18-36 months).

Thursdays May 2, 8, 15, &22: 10:00am Infant story time (ages 0-18 months).

May 29th: 10:00am ELF. Come into the library and play with your child with interactive toys. ELF stands for Early Learning Families.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 4-6pm: Our homework center is open. This is for students in grades 1-6.

Every Wednesday 3:30-4:30pm is Grandparents and Books. Grandma Jean is here faithfully every Wednesday to spend time with you. She is our own treasure that we cherish very much. Do yourself a favor and come in to meet her.

That's it! Next month the Reading Buddies starts as well as the summer reading program. It's all good stuff at the library!

Joke of the day: Why did the children wear their swimsuits to school?.
Answer: They rode in a car pool! :)

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Cinco de Mayo


Cinco de Mayo
Originally uploaded by Paola: mirrormirror
Don't miss out on our Cinco de Mayo celebration this Saturday:

What: Cinco de Mayo Celebration
When: Saturday, May 3, 2008
Where: Civic Center Plaza Pomona, California
Time: 11:00 - 5:00pm

Come on out and have a great time. While you're here, you might as well come into the library. We have something for everyone!

Joke for the day: What is the coldest country in South America?
Answer: Chilly Chile.