New picture books with pizazz!

As summer comes closer, we of the Matteson Public Library are working hard to purchase some new books for fun summer reading! Here are some of my favorite new picture books for young children:

For the "princesses" out there, I would like to recommend Polly's Pink Pajamas by Vivian French. Polly loves to wear her pink pajamas all the time, but she is invited to a party and needs to find just the right outfit! Luckily, she has friends to help her! Pink Me Up by Cherise Mericle Harper is another title for lovers of the color pink! A cute little bunny named Violet is invited to attend a pink party with her mother! Unfortunately, the pink spots on her mother's face mean that she is sick and can't attend. Daddy offers to bring Violet, but boys aren't pink! Violet's Daddy gets in the spirit and he looks "pinktastic!" Finally, for the little ballerinas, try My Friend Maya Loves to Dance by Cheryl Willis Hudson. The illustrations feature a lovely African-American dancer performing everything from ballet to african dance in beautiful costumes. Share this one with the little dancer in you life!

For your fire truck fans, try Firehouse by Michael Teague. Edward and his cousin Judy are visiting a fire station to learn what it takes to be a real firefighter. When there is a real emergency, it's Edward to the rescue! Big Rig Bugs by Kurt Cyrus, combines the appeal of trucks and bugs into one eye-catching package! As the "big rig bugs" work to clean up at mess left by a "litter bug," in the background there are trucks worling on completing there own project. The text is simple enough to be share with toddlers, but the pictures will pull in the preschoolers! For a bedtime treat, choose Willoughby and the Moon by Greg Foley. When Willoughby's closet magically opens onto the moon's surface, he helps a giant snail search there for its favorite silver ball.

Finally, here is a list of great books for everyone:


Love-A-Duck by Alan James Brown

Chavela and the Magic Bubble by Monica Brown

Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke

The Eensy Weensy Spider Freaks out! (Big Time) by Troy Cummings

What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson

Kid Tea by Elizabeth Ficocelli

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

Mimi's Dada Catifesto by Shelley Jackson

One Too Many by Gianna Marino

The Sleep Sheep by Anna McQuinn and Hannah Shaw

Nibbles: a gree tale by Charlotte Middleton

Basil's Birds by Lynn Rowe Reed

Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton

Creak! said the Bed by Phyllis Root

Stop by the Matteson Public Library beginning June 1st and register for the Summer Reading Program, "Be a Star at your Library!"

The DS games are now in!

Yes, the Matteson Public Library is now circulating ds games! The games can be found in the Media Room on the shelf above the Wii games. We have approximately 50 games to start with in this growing collecting with more to be added as they become available. Games are free to borrow but must be checked out on your library card from your local library.

To celebrate, this summer we will be hosting a series of open mulitplayer sessions where kids entering 3rd grade and up can come and play games together from a single card! We are going to see how many kids we can get playing the same game at the same time. Maybe we will set a new world's record! Kids will need to register for the sessions and bring their own ds. We will supply the games.

To be eligble to attend, kids will need to be signed up for our summer reading club, "Be A Star at Your Library." Regstration for the summer reading club begins on June 1st and must be done in person at the Youth Services Desk. Club members must read library books during the summer to win prizes and be eligible to attend fun activities. The program is free to all, but you must have a library card from a local library to check out materials.

One Crazy Summer!

Here at the Matteson Public Library, we are putting our finishing touches on plans for our summer reading program, "Be a Star at your Library!" The whole program will be revealed online and in the library in two weeks. I would like to recomend a book that I just read as a great way to get the summer started for kids in grades 4-7.

In "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, 11-year-old Delphine is sent to Oakland California with her two younger sisters to spend time with her mother who abandoned them years ago. The year is 1968, and Oakland is a turbulent place with riots and rallys as the community responds to the civil rights issues of the day. Delphine's mom still has no interest in taking care of her children, so they rely on the local Black Panther's sponsored summer camp for breakfast and something to do during the day.

This book teaches children an important history lesson about what the Black Panther's Party was and the positive things it did for African American children growing up during this troubled time. It is also one very funny story with characters drawn so realiatically that I felt I knew them. This is one terrific book. I would not be surprised if we see it mentioned next year in conjunction with a children's book award like the Newbery Award or the Coretta Scott King Award. Remember Matteson, you heard about it here first!