Read Across America Day at Mendoza Elementary

Good day, young Pomonans! It was a great day to share the love of reading at Mendoza Elementary school. The Cat in the Hat showed up as did Thing 1 and Thing 2! Also Goldie the Eagle, which is Mendoza's mascot, After Shock, who is mascot for the Quakes (Trembler couldn't make it this year.) We had fire fighters, police officers, Assemblywomen Norma Torres, as well as commuity workers from all over the city. It was great fun!

One of Pomona Public Library's own patron won as the best in her grade. I have to get permission from her parents in order to post about her but hopefully I can get that soon. I was soooooo proud of her! She loves to read and it really helped her.

Have a great weekend everyone! It is a great time to be alive and live here in the City of Pomona!

Joke of the day: What do you get when you combine Dr. Seuss and Shakespeare?
Answer: Green Eggs and Hamlet! ;)

Puppetry Workshop!

Good Wednesday, young Pomonans! I sure missed all of you yesterday but I went to an AMAZING puppetry workshop! Many children's librarians got together at the Long Beach Public Library yesterday to learn how to use puppets in story time and in all aspects of our job.

Several puppet experts in Southern California were there. Our first presenter was our own Johanna Smith who lives here in the City of Pomona and teaches at Cal State San Bernardino in the area of Theatre Education. She was fabulous!

Pictured above is Shappy the bookworm puppet. I know some of you might not believe this but I made Shappy myself!! Yes, that's right! Ms. Lois who knows nothing about crafts made a puppet! I am so very proud of this that I had to post it!

Also pictured is a puppet theater I was given. This theater belonged to my children's librarian, Betty Maxie, who recently passed away. Her family gave me her theater and some puppets. This is quite an honor for me so I went to the workshop to learn a few things. I did.

Our new puppet theater currently resides in our storage area because it was too big to keep in our story hour room. But it is portable and I will be able to take it upstairs when I need to use it.

So come one come all to see some puppets. I will post when I am ready to do my first show.

Joke of the day: Where do finger puppets get their outfits?
Answer: They're all hand-me-downs! ;)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Dr Seuss' Birthday Cake at the Vineland Library.
Originally uploaded by San Jose Library

Good Tuesday, young Pomonans! We will be celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday on his actual birthday this year! Tuesday, March 2, 2010 we will be celebrating his birthday in story time at 11:45am. We will be reading several of Dr. Seuss' books. Get ready to hear some rhyming!

Because of his birthday, it is also "Read Across America Day" and several of our Pomona schools will be celebrating as well.

So come to story time and expect a great time!

Joke of the day: What is an archaeologist?
Answer: Someone whose career is in ruins! ;)

A Great Time Was Had By All!

The 44th Annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Gingerbread Sociable was a success! Ms. Helton was marvelous as Laura. She told stories that you read about in the books and she tells you which stories are in which book. I never ever get tired of those stories!

The pioneer craft went well and the gingerbread was wonderful! Our own Pomona Bakery made the gingerbread muffins and they were really good! They were easy to work with and we will definitely go back and back to them.

The picture with the boy holding the paper lantern has a story to it. This is Anthony and he has been coming to the library most of his life. He went through story times and the reading programs as well as the gingerbread sociables. But has Anthony ever won anything? Not until today! Today Anthony won the paper lantern that Ms. Helton made. It was great!! At one point I wanted to give Anthony a "good citizenship" award for being such a good sport. But Anthony's number finally came up and we are glad!

Thanks to all of you who came today to support our program. It really was fun!

Joke of the day: Why did the pioneers cross the country in covered wagons?
Answer: Because they didn't want to wait 40 years for a train. ;)

LAURA INGALLS WILDER GINGERBREAD SOCIABLE IS THIS SATURDAY!

Good day, young Pomonans! This picture is of Judith Helton who will be with us this Saturday. Ms. Helton is a professional storyteller who specializes in Laura Ingalls Wilder. As you see, Ms. Helton dresses as they did in Laura's day and she tells Laura's stories as if she were Laura.

Her performance is "based on the LITTLE HOUSE books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Presented by arrangements with the copyright owner, Little House Heritage trust."

Another reason we are pleased to have Ms. Helton is that she was friends with Clara Webber who was the first children's librarian here at PPL. Ms. Webber was responsible for having our children's room named after Laura Ingalls Wilder. Ms. Helton told me she recorded Ms. Webber remembering what it was like to convince others to name our room after Laura. But Ms. Webber did prevail! And we are glad that she did. Ms. Helton has agreed to give us a copy of that tape. Yee haw!!

Remember: This Saturday, February 6, 2010
1:00-2:00pm Program with Ms. Helton
2:00-3:00pm Pioneer crafts and Gingerbread and Apple Cider.

NEW THIS YEAR: OUR OWN POMONA BAKERY WILL BE MAKING THE GINGERBREAD FOR OUR EVENT!

Hooray for Pomona Bakery!

We very much hope that you will be part of this event. It really is fun to remember what it was like to live in Laura's day.

SEE YOU HERE!!

Joke of the day: Why did the cowboy buy a dachshund?
Answer: He wanted to get a long little doggie... ;)