Craig Newton, Musician!

What a great time we had with Craig Newton! We love having Craig here because he is so good at what he does. It would be easier telling you which instrument he DOESN'T play than what he can play! He was also fun by involving the children with clapping rhythms. After showing them several rhythms, he said now clap your hands as fast as you can. When they did he said, "Thank you, thank you!" :)

He did many bug songs. The familiar was "There Ain't No Bugs on Me" and "The Ants Go Marching". He did several others and he told me after the show that he had written them especially for the "bug theme." What a talented guy! If you missed the show, don't worry. We will definitly have Craig back.

The other news is that the Reader's Theater began their reheasals this week. What a great group we have and most of all we are having fun. Our show will be August 6th so please plan on coming to support your peers.

All in all, we are having a fabulous summer. Our attendance at EVERYTHING is surpassing anything we have done before. So keep coming in and having as much fun as we are. You all are wonderful!

Joke for the day: Knock-knock.
Whose there?
Zounds.
Zounds who?
Zounds like the last knock-knock joke! :)

Grandma Sue's Spider Craft

The Spider Craft was great. Grandma Sue had everything in order and ready to go. I had Reader's Theater Rehearsal at 2:30pm and we had a good show up as well. Things are moving so quickly this summer it's hard to believe we're more than half way through.

The great thing is that our numbers on everything is up. As of 5:00pm this evening we have signed up 918 readers for our Summer Reading Program. Our goal is 1,000 and I think we will make it. So go tell everyong about our program. Bring in your cousins, friends, their friends and anyone who would like to have fun this summer. We sure are having a great one. See you here!

Joke of the day: Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Mikasa.
Mikasa who?
Mikasa es su casa! :)

New Furniture!

We have new furniture! The furniture you see in these pictures are where the cabin used to be. Don't worry! We still have the cabin. We just moved it out on the patio. We got the furniture and the new toys you see around the library through a grant called ELF (early learning families.) We have all of the toys available on Mondays from 12:00-2:00pm. These are mainly for young children.

As of our last count, we have 840 readers signed up for the reading program! Our goal is to reach 1,000 so if you haven't signed up, come on in!

Another joke of the day:
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Sahara.
Sahara who?
Sahara on your head is standing up! :)

Wonders of Wildlife

What a great time we had yesterday with our friends Wonders of Wildlife! Cheryl and her Mom (sorry I didn't ask for her name) gave us a wonderful show with wildlife and bugs. Yes, bugs. Lots and lots of bugs. We also saw a baby fox, pot bellied pig, and everything else you see in these pictures. We even had a snail race! Alexia's snail won and she got the gold medal. Hooray Alexia! The good news is that they didn't ask one of us to eat a mealworm. I was a little disappointed as I was hoping to see Grandma Sue hurl...

Next week our Reader's Theater begins rehearsal. I'm calling everyone that signed up this morning because our rehearsals begin Tuesday the 22nd at 2:30pm. Remember that everyone who signed up promised to be at every rehearsal. We only have five rehearsals and every minute is vital. We need to be familiar with the material so that our audience has fun. (Remember that our theme this year is "Catch the Reading Bug", so we will have some rather discusting reading material.) What fun!

Our Reader's Theater schedual is this:

Tuesday July 22: 2:30-3:30pm
Wednesday July 23: 2:30-3:30pm

Tuesday July 29: 2:30-3:30pm
Wednesday July 30: 2:30-3:30pm

Tuesday August 5: 2:30-3:30pm
Wednesday August 6: 2:30-3:30pm
Performance: 3:30-4:00pm
Cast party: 4:00-4:30pm

Thanks again to Wonders of Wildlife for a really great show and I'll see you at rehearsals next week!

Joke of the day: Why did the dogcatcher catch so many large dogs?
Answer: Because he was getting paid by the pound! :)

Space Bug Craft

The Space bugs were a hit! Everyone's bug looked different because all of you are different. We had space bugs with spiked hair, space bugs with stars for eyes, yellow bugs, pinks bugs, red bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs! It was fun and as usual Grandma Sue did a great job explaining things to you. (She let me pass out the eyes, nose, and mouths.) The pressure was tough! (Crafts aren't my thing.)

Tomorrow we have Wonders of Wildlife coming with bugs and animals. I mentioned before that they made me eat a mealworm before. I have decided to share the joy with my co-workers! The problem is that Ms. Nissa is out of town tomorrow (very convienent) and Grandma Sue says she will hurl if she tries. So come in and see what happens. You'll either find a hurling Grandma Sue or a grossed out Ms. Lois. Should be interesting!

Joke of the day: What do you get when you mix Snoopy and Sunday brunch?
Answer: A beagle and cream cheese. ;)

Space Bug Craft!

It has been very busy and very exciting here at the Pomona Public Libray! Many of you have come in to sign up for the Summer Reading Program and to the crafts and to our programs. Everything here is free and the air conditioning is wonderful! It's the best deal in town. As of now, 677 children have signed up and 112 teens have signed up, for a total of 789 readers! We are hoping to top 1,000 this year so come in and let that happen.

Today's picture is a picture of the craft that Grandma Sue will be doing tomorrow. It's a space bug! Cute isn't it? Here is a list of activities this week:

Tuesday 7/15/08:
12:15pm Preschool story time
12:00-5:00pm Reading Buddies
3:30: Space Bug Craft

Wednesday 7/16/08:
12:00-5:00pm Reading Buddies
3:30pm Wonders of Wildlife
(This is an animal program were they bring real animals and bugs. One time they made me eat a mealworm. I hope they don't do that again!)

Thursday 7/17/08:
12:00-5:00pm Reading Buddies
12:15pm Infant story time

Come on in and join the fun. This is really the best part of the year for us because we get to see you more often. Have a great week!

Joke for the Day: When is a basketball player like a baby?
Answer: When he dribbles! :)

Buster Balloon!

Oh my goodness, we had the BEST time with Buster Balloon yesterday. He was excellent at making things with balloons and he had a laugh out loud sense of humor! I was still laughing this morning over things he said and did. The very best part was watching the children react to him. They were completely caught up with him and enjoyed every single minute of it. I wish I could describe this accurately to you but words don't do it justice. Ms. Nissa, Grandma Sue and I kept saying to each other "look at the kid's faces." It was the best feeling to watch their reactions and to see such joy in their faces. If you missed the show, don't worry because we will definetly have him back. The end of the show was the best part. Buster blew up this large woopie cushion and actually got inside of it! He was walking around in it and acting like he couldn't get out. Again, the kids went wild with this (in a good way.) I wish I had the words to descibe this. Maybe next time I'll invite David Allen to the performance. He is much better with words than I am. :)

So far, this is the BEST Summer Reading Program that I have had the privilege to be a part of. There are more kids and more happy energy than I have ever seen before. We had about 350 people crowded into our Laura Ingalls Wilder room yesterday. We have weekly crafts that the kids love and several story times that have been going well.

I've said this before and I will say it again: Yes, our programs have been pushed to the afternoon. But we have great air conditioning and we are still here for you. Come in and check it out or come back in for some more fun. We love it here and we would love to share it with you. See you soon!

Joke for the day: Who says "Quick, Quick"?
Answer: A duck with the hiccups! :)

Butterfly Craft

Hello young Pomonans! We've been having one great time here at the Pomona Public Library! Today we had a Butterfly Craft. Grandma Sue did her magic again and explained the craft in a way that you understood. (I almost understood it.) A good time was had by all. :)

Don't forget that tomorrow is Buster Balloon. We have never had him before and he does a fantastic job of entertaining everyone with balloons. He has one that is so big that he gets inside of it! You DON'T want to miss this.

Joke of the day: How do cats stop their favorite videos?
Answer: They put them on paws! :)

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July
Originally uploaded by the accidentalist

Everyone please have a nice, fun, and safe 4th of July. The library will be closed Friday through Sunday.

Remember Kaboom will be at the Fairplex tomorrow. You can check out their hours at the fairplex websight.

Our activities next week:

Monday: 12:00-4:00pm Reading Buddies

Tuesday: 12:15pm Story time
12-4pm Reading Buddies
2:30pm Craft

Wednesday: 12-4pm Reading Buddies
3:30pm Buster Balloon Show

Thursday: 12-4pm Reading Buddies

Joke of the Day: What do you get if you cross a cocker spaniel with a poodle and a rooster?
Answer: A cockapoodledoo! :)

David Cousin, Juggler

Oh my goodnes we had a great time today! David Cousin, our juggler, was in fine form. He is so good at what he does that he makes it look so easy! He can juggle anything, from balls, to bowling pins, eggs (yes, raw), and even a bowling ball! Yes, a heavy bowling ball mixed in with two other balls. It was a great way to begin our summer reading program.

Our attendance was great as well. We had over 200 people crowded in to see him perform. Last year we had a mere 175 so this was a treat for all of us.

Next Wednesday we will have Buster Balloon. We have never had him perform here so this will be fun. "Buster" does all sorts of tricks with balloons. He even gets inside a great big balloon! You are NOT going to want to miss this.

Joke #2 of the day: What is the daily special at the Doggie Diner?
Answer: Fleasburgers! :)

Ant Infestation in the Children's Room!!!

That's right! Giant ants are all over our carpet to show you the way into the children's room! There is no excuse now to come in and have fun. Our "Catch the Reading Bug" program has really caught on (pun intended.) At last count we are just about 25 children away from 600 kids! Woo hoo! One of the prizes for finishing five hours of reading is a bug finger puppet. These things are so gross that they are almost cute. It's a little disturbing to open up our desk drawer and see all of these life like creatures in it. But you all seem to love them, so we're getting used to it.

More later after our fabulous juggling program with David Cousin. Be here or be regretting it!
Joke #1 of the day: What do you get when you cross a snake and a kangaroo?
Answer: A jump rope! :)

Catepillar Craft!

What a great craft! Wow, our room was full of children making catepillars. As you can see, they were cute little critters. (The children and the craft!) Some children used their own creativity and put the fuzz balls on their own face! (see picture.) Once we figured out where to seat everyone it all went quite smoothly. Grandma Sue did a great job on this craft. (She trusted me to pass out glue, and I don't take that lightly.) :)

Remember tomorrow at 3:30pm is David Cousin, who is an amazing juggler. Be here or wish you were!

Joke of the day: Did you hear about the kid who ate yeast and shoe polish each night before going to bed?
Every morning he would rise and shine! :)

New Library Hours Begin Monday, June 30, 2008

These pictures were taken today in our Laura Ingalls Wilder room. Summer is a great time to come to the library and read with your family and friends.

Just a note to remind all of you that we begin our new hours this Monday. The new hours are:

Monday - Thursday: 12:00pm - 8:30pm
Friday - Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:30pm

This week's activities:

Tuesday July 1: 12:15pm Preschool Storytime
3:30pm Craft

Wednesday July 2: 3:30pm Juggler David Cousin

Thursday July 3: 12:15pm Infant Storytime

The new hours push all activities to the afternoon but please remember that our air conditioner works really well and that we are still here for you. I'll see you all summer!

I found an interesting knock knock joke:
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Lois
Lois who?
Lois one on the totem pole! :)

Summer Reading Program Prizes!!

Hey ho young Pomonans! The word is out! Hot off the press: the prizes for the reading program are set! Do you want to know what they are?? Are you sure??

Okay. Enough fun. Here they are:

Sign up: Bookmark and pencil
5 hours read: Book bag, finger puppet, Skate Express certificate, reading certificate
10 hours read: Door Hanger, bug eraser, Spiderman tatoo (optional) Boomers! certificate
15 hours read: Round Table certificate and a book
20 hours read: Quake (baseball) tickets and a book
25 hours read: (Teens)In-N-Out coupon and a book
25 hours read: (Optional for kids)Hometown Buffet coupon and a book

Sound good? You betcha. We give prizes for the amount of time read. So keep track of your time in your reading logs. Remember, these prizes are all while supplies last. These pictures are of the children's and teen's logs. "Catch the Reading Bug" is for children and the Metemorphosis @your libray is for the teens.

You may notice that we are giving away more books this year. In the past, we gave away one book as a final prize. The Friends of the Pomona Public Library dug a little deeper in their pockets and funded more books for our reading program. Hooray to the Friends!! So get those reading hours logged and come in next Monday for your prizes.

Another joke of the day: What did one eye say to the other?
Answer: Between you and me, something smells! :)

The summer reading program is off to a wonderful start. We have been very busy and we appreciate your patience as you wait to sign your children up for the reading program.

These pictures were taken today as we had an impromtu storytime in the back of the room. It looked so cute I couln't resist taking pictures. They were good little listeners as well and could answer questions asked of them about the story.

As of 2:30pm this afternoon, we have signed up 316 children and 42 teens for a total of 358 readers! All this in 3 1/2 days! This week we signed up children for the reading program and began the Reading Buddies program (see previous posts.) Next week we will be handing out prizes for those of you who have read their five hours. Also next week we will begin the weekly crafts on Tuesdays at 3:30pm and we will begin our weekly special programs on Wednesdays at 3:30pm. Our first program on July 2nd is David Cousin, one of our favorite jugglers. He is very good so you won't want to miss this.

Joke of the day: What did the hat say to the scarf?
Answer: You hang around while I go on a head. :)

Summer Reading Program

Summer Reading Club 2007
Originally uploaded by Itasca Community Library

Oh my goodness! We were sooooo busy today. It was the first day to sign up for our Summer Reading Program. We also began the Reading Buddies (see previous post). At the end of the day when all is said and done, we signed up 98 children and 11 teens for a grand total of 109 readers! That is a very good beginning for what we know to be a great summer.

If you haven't signed up yet, come in and get started! This week just for signing up you get a bookmark and pencil with the "Catch the Reading Bug" theme on them. The teens get a bookmark and pencil with the "Metamorophosis @ Your Library theme. Read your five hours this week and next week come into claim your prizes. You may only read five hours per week so your library experience will go longer into the summer.

It's all happening HERE at YOUR library. See you soon! (I'll be the one looking a bit frazzled! :)

Joke of the day: Is it okay to eat french fries with your fingers?
Answer: No, you should save your fingers for dessert! :)

Reader's Theater

Readers Theater Group
Originally uploaded by bill kralovec

For the past several years, we have had a Reader's Theater during our Summer Reading Program. Let me explain what it is:

Our Reader's Theater is a group of children and teens who read together as a group. As in this picture, you will be reading from a script, nothing is memorized. We read together, split into groups one and two, and have solo readers. It's like standing in a chorus or choir but instead of singing, we read. Actually this year since our theme is "Catch the Reading Bug", we will be singing several songs: "There Ain't No Bugs on Me", "The Ants Go Marching...", to name a few. It's a lot of fun!

If you are interested in signing up for Reader's Theater, go to the children's reference desk located in the children's room. However, if you do sign up, you MUST be present at the five rehearsals. If you are not present, you lose the parts that have been given to you. We only have five one hour rehearsals and each minute is vital! Also, you must be 8 years old or older to participate.

Here is the schedule for our Reader's Theater:

July 22: Rehearse 2:30 - 3:30pm
July 23: Rehearse 2:30 - 3:30pm

July 29: Rehearse 2:30 - 3:30pm
July 30: Rehearse 2:30 - 3:30pm

August 5: Rehearse 2:30 - 3:30pm
August 6: Rehearse 2:30 - 3:30pm

August 6: Performance 3:30 - 4:00pm
August 6: Cast party 4:00 - 4:30pm

Reader's Theater is a lot of fun and it is a commitment. So commit yourself to read this summer and have some fun as well!

Joke of the day: Why was the insect such a bad baseball player?
Answer: It kept hitting fly-balls. :)

Snake craft

Our computers aren't working properly right now so I can't post the pictures of our craft yet. Hopefully soon. We have been so busy preparing for the reading program that we haven't had time to post. That will change when we actually begin the reading program.

Our craft today was fun. We made snakes! As of yet, these snakes haven't frightened anyone. This particular craft was fairly easy. I believe I could actually have pulled this off! (I don't do crafts. I have no talent in that area.)

We will be doing crafts every week this year! Beginning Tuesday, July 1st, we will be offering crafts every Tuesday at 3:30pm for six weeks. Our theme for the reading program this year is "Catch the Reading Bug" so we will be making six different types of bugs. Cool!

Be sure to join us on Wednesdays as well because we will be having six different programs every Wednesday at 3:30pm. I will be doing a post soon about that.

Joke of the day: Why couldn't the sesame seed stop playing cards?
Answer: Because he was on a roll! :)

Pomona Public Library's Catch the Reading Bug Summer Reading Program

MPL's Catch the Reading Bug Summer Reading Kickoff
Originally uploaded by Squid!

In just two short weeks, we will be kicking off the Summer Reading Program. "Catch the Reading Bug" is our theme this year so prepare yourself for a really buggy summer. You'll see staff in these green t-shirts and the lucky readers of the week will win a t-shirt plus other prizes.

Beginning June 23, 2008, we will be signing people up for the reading program. This program is for children ages 2 to 12. Our teen program is for teens 13-18. We will be counting hours instead of books again this year. It worked out really well last year. Keep track of the hours you read or are read to. Have one of your parents sign your reading log when you get up to five hours. Bring it in and get a prize! We will be giving prizes for five hours, ten hours, fifteen hours, & twenty hours. The teen program will go up to 25 hours.


The other program is called the Reading Buddy Program. This is a really great program where we put together an elementary school child with either a high school or college age student. You practice reading for a 30 minute session. Our sessions will be in the afternoon from 1:00-5:00pm. Come in anytime during that four hour period and have your 30 minute session. This is a really great program. The elementary kids love reading with the older ones and the older ones love being the "expert." The child must be able to read. This is not a tutoring session but a practice session. The elementary child must be going into 1st grade to participate in this program.

I'll be doing more posts about the prizes and the special programs we will be having this summer. Keep checking in!

Joke of the day: What do you get when a police officer surprises a skunk?
Answer: Law and odor. :)

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! :)