Family Fun

"Madame Lanita"

Madame Lanita (a.k.a. Kris Winter) entertained the children October 18th at the Colfax Public Library.  Her gypsy storytelling caught the attention and imagination of our youngest patrons!

Who can resist dressing up and learning a new dance?

Even the youngest dancer enjoyed the song and dance, while decked out in pretty jewels.  Whoever said the library has to be a quiet place???

October Picture Book Picks

Here are some favorite pumpkin and Halloween themed books from storytime.  Share them with a child in your life!  Click on the links to take you to the MORE to request a book.



Boo To You, by Lois Ehlert is a fun book where mice take on the scary role.

 It's Pumpkin Time, by Zoe Hall is a classic book with bright illustrations and simple text that takes kids through the life of a pumpkin from planting time to harvest.

The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin by Margret Wise Brown, tells the tale of a little pumpkin who has big dreams of how big and scary he'll be someday.

Pumpkin Shivaeree by Rick Agran tells the story of a pumkin's life in poem form from seed to jack-o-lantern.

Happy Halloween and happy reading!

An Evening of Food & Fun

Thursday October 21, 2010 @ 6:30 pm.

Come and join us for a fun evening with Karen Burrell, author of, "The Spirit Within."  After working on her cookbook for ten years, Karen is excited to be introducing her new book.  Filled with lots of yummy recipes, Karen's book will be available for purchase the night of her program.  Samples will also be available, so don't miss this delicious evening of food and fun.

For more information about Karen Burrell, visit her webpage.  For questions about the book talk, please call the library @ 715-962-4334. 



Social Security Online Services @ the Colfax Public Library

Social Security Program @ the Colfax Public Library, Thursday September 30, 2010 @ 6:30 pm.


The local Social Security office staff from Eau Claire will be hosting a program at the Colfax Public Library to bring awareness to using their online services. By logging on to the Social Security Administration website (www.socialsecurity.gov), you now have access to checking your status of a recent application, earning statements, estimated retirement benefits, reporting fraud and locating a local Social Security office in your area. You will also have access to a variety of forms and publications, which can be printed out from the website.

Need to ask a Social Security question? Go online and type your question and receive your answer. No need to call your local office!

Attend this program and learn how to use the Social Security online services, plus much more. For more information, call the library @ 715-962-4334, or email: colfaxpl@ifls.lib.wi.us . This program is free to the public.

Picture Book Picks of the Month

Fall is a great time for kids, with so many fun things to do outside from jumping in leaf piles to looking for animal tracks and just enjoying the cooler weather and beautiful autumn colors. But when it is time to come in and rest from all that fun, there is no better way to relax than with a good book. Here are some of my favorite picture books that I love to share with children.

Fall Leaves Fall by Zoe Hall has wonderfully bright illustrations and easy text that younger children will love. This is a great pick for a short simple read.

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (a Wisconsin author) is fantastically imaginative and will take you on an autumn tour with illustrations constructed out of real leaves. This book will encourage you and your children to get creative with the things of nature.

By the Light of the Harvest Moon by Harriet Ziefert is a new favorite that encompasses a tale of leaf men that come to life by the light of the harvest moon. The bright fun pictures are a joy to look at.

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins starts as a countdown of apples from ten. Various farm animals help Mr. Farmer pick the apples from his tree as you help count. Kids will have fun with the counting theme and the great illustrations.

Count Down to Fall by Fran Hawk is full of fall counting fun with wonderful lifelike illustrations that inspire you to go explore the Autumn outdoors.

To request a copy of any of these books just click on the title links and they will take you to the request page on the MORE.

Happy Reading.

Jenny

Story Time Begins - Yippee!

Our Story Time for preschoolers resumes again in September.  Story Time will run every Wednesday @ 10 am through mid December.  No registration is necessary.

Sept. 1 - Oceans - Come  make a splash with some great ocean tales and make a flying fish!

Sept. 8 - Pets - Listen to fun stories about lots of different kinds of pets and make your own pet.

Sept. 15 - Shapes - Explore the world with shapes.  We'll look at books that help tell a tale with shapes and make a picture using different shapes.

Sept. 22 - Farm Animals - We'll read some wacky tales about animals you'd find on the farm and decorate a rooster picture.

Sept. 29 - Fall Leaves - Celebrate the colorful fall season with some great stories and a fun fall tree craft.

Be sure to come and enjoy the fun!

Two Good Reads

I've seen this book being requested and checked out quite a bit so I thought I would give it a try and read it.  I like history and a good story and this was both. 

The book follows the life of Rachel, a young Hawaiian native, around the turn of the century.  Her life is tainted by leprosy, the lost of loved ones to that disease, plus the eventual contact of it herself.  As a young child Rachel is shipped off to Molokai, the Hawaiian island set aside as a leper colony. 

I was intrigued as the story unfolds of how Rachel survives despite her limitations and leads a life among the lepers of Hawaii. 

I highly recommend this as a good read, it's the kind of book that would make a great movie.

 

Another title I ran across lately is the 13th Tale by Diane Setterfield.  I simply loved this book.  It has the essentials I like to see in a good story, a bit of history, love, and mystery all well told and wrapped in a Victorian setting without the smothering vernacular.  The story enfolds the past and the present as a writer struggles to leave her last tale amidst the living...a tale of deception, love and mystery.  It is the 13th tale.

Hope you give these books a try!

Jenny