Storytime Theme!

The storytime theme this week is...

well,.. you can just see here for yourself...



You already missed Toddler Power Hour, where we made these awesome duck beaks!

Be sure to check out Toddler Time and Family Preschool Storytime for all your duck needs.

Zine Machine

What?!?! You haven't gone to ZINE MACHINE yet?

It's creative writing and artistic projects for kids ages 8-13. We meet the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at4pm. At meetings we work on various projects for submission to a quarterly published zine we create. This zine is something that will be at the cataloged in the zine collection Main Library.

This means... Your child's creativity becomes part of the library collection!

See you soon!

Read more about the zine machine program at:
http://librarystorytime.wordpress.com/

And visit's the zine collection's blog at:
http://jplzinelibrary.wordpress.com/

Like Lemony Snicket?

Did you like the humorous darkness of the Lemony Snicket series? Then you might enjoy some of these...

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell
When Emmy discovers that she and her formerly loving parents are being drugged by their evil nanny with rodent potions that can change people in frightening ways, she and some new friends must try everything possible to return things to normal.

The Fall of Fergal or, Not so dingly in the Dell by Philip Ardagh (first in The Unlikely Exploits series)

When Le Fay McNally becomes a finalist in the "Tap 'n' Type" typewriting competition, she and her four unusual siblings stay at the Dell Hotel, where they encounter joy, tragedy, and a variety of interesting characters.

Holes by Louis Sachar
As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

AND MANY MORE BY ROALD DAHL!!!

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trent Lee Stewart
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

Pure Dead Magic by Debi Glori

When their father is kidnapped and danger looms, the Strega-Borgia children, their mysterious new nanny, and a giant tarantula use magic and actual trips through the Internet to bring peace to their Scottish castle.

Rare Beasts by Charles Ogden (first in the Edgar & Ellen series)
The sinister siblings, twins Edgar and Ellen, kidnap the pets of Nod's Limb's youngest citizens and turn them into "rare beasts" in hopes of making money to finance future pranks.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

The four Willoughby children set about to become "deserving orphans" after their neglectful parents embark on a treacherous around-the-world adventure, leaving them in the care of an odious nanny.

The Wooden Mile by Chris Mould (first in the Something Wickedly Weird series)

Eleven-year-old Stanley Buggle discovers, soon after arriving in the seemingly peaceful village of Crampton Rock, that along with the house he has also inherited some sinister neighbors, a talking stuffed fish, and a host of mysteries surrounding his great-uncle's death.

And, of course, other books by Lemony Snicket....

The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snicket

There's dreadful news from the symphony hall, the composer is dead! If you have ever heard an orchestra play, then you know that musicians are most certainly guilty of something. Join the Inspector as he interrogates all the unusual suspects. Then listen to the accompanying audio recording. Hear for yourself exactly what took place on that fateful, well-orchestrated evening.

Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid by Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket's work is filled with bitter truths. It is for all of life's ups and downs, its celebrations and its sorrows, here is a book to commemorate it all – especially for those not fully soothed by chicken soup. It is witty and irreverent.

Like Harry Potter?

Then you might like some of these...


Half Magic by Edward Eager
Faced with a dull summer in the city, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha suddenly find themselves involved in a series of extraordinary adventures after Jane discovers an ordinary-looking coin that seems to grant wishes.

Hidden Stairs and Magic Carpet by Tony Abbott (first in The Secrets of Droon series)
Three kids follow a soccer ball into the small room under the basement stairs, the floor suddenly evaporates to reveal a rainbow staircase to another world! Before they have a chance to look around, they are caught in the midst of a battle.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressinda Cowell
Chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third as he tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan, the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans, by catching and training a dragon.

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight, and when their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor bent on stealing their singing magic books, Igraine has an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
Small for his age but artistically talented, twelve-year-old Jeremy Thatcher unknowingly buys a dragon's egg.


The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (first in the Percy Jackson Series)
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.

Magyk by Angie Sage (first in the Septimus Heap series)
After learning that she is the Princess, Jenna is whisked from her home and carried toward safety by the Extraordinary Wizard, those she always believed were her father and brother, and a young guard known only as Boy 412--pursued by agents of those who killed her mother ten years earlier.

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo (first in the Charlie Bone:Children of the Red King series)
Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking.


So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension.


Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen
A young apprentice wizard saves the wizard's training hall by trusting and believing in himself.

Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid?

Then you might like some of these books....

Amelia's 6th Grade Notebook by Marissa Moss
Problems arise for Amelia when she starts sixth grade at the same middle school where her older sister Cleo is an eighth-grader, and she gets the school's meanest teacher for three of her classes.

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

When George and Harold hypnotize their principal into thinking that he is the superhero Captain Underpants, he leads them to the lair of the nefarious Dr. Diaper, where they must defeat his evil robot henchmen.

Dork Diaries: Tales from a not-so-fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell
Fourteen-year-old Nikki Maxwell writes in her diary of her struggle to be popular at her exclusive new private school, then of finding her place after she gives up on being part of the elite group.

Frindle by Andrew Clements
When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.

Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight

Fourth-grader Frankie Piccolini has a vivid imagination when it comes to cleaning his disastrously messy room, but eventually even he decides that it is just too dirty.

Melvin Beederman, Superhero: The Curse of the Bologna Sandwich by Greg Trine

After graduating from the superhero academy, Melvin Beederman heads for Los Angeles, where he unexpectedly teams up with Candace Brinkwater, school play actress, to nab the evil McNasty Brothers.

Prince of Underwhere by Bruce Hale

When Zeke, his twin sister Stephanie, their neighbor Hector and Hector's cat Fitz slide into the world of Underwhere, Zeke is hailed as a prince who will free the Undies from the evil UnderLord's rule by finding and destroying his throne.

Star Jumper: Diary of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch
Asch addresses two timeless subjects: the evil of little brothers and the joys of invention. Alex's younger sibling is "the biggest pain in the butt this side of Alpha Centauri."

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
In Stink's first solo adventure, his special style comes through loud and strong-enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the book.

Wolverine: Worst Day Ever by Barry Lyga

Collects blog entries from Eric Mattias, a socially awkward mutant at Xavier's School for Gifted Students, in which he chronicles his life and experiences with the X-Men. Bonus content: three comic book stories starring Wolverine.

February Activity Calendar