Hooray for Summer Reading!

Here are two of our prize winners from our Summer Reading Club weekly raffle! Congratulations to you both! Keep reading!

It's a Cool New Book! Creative Costumes

We love to recycle and we love costumes! I've heard from lots of camp counselors, daycare educators, and other teachers that they are really concentrating on reusing and recycling this summer. This book has lots of ideas for reusing common items (some of which you could practically pop right into the recycling bin when you are done) into costumes to become knights, dragons, princesses, and more!

Click here to reserve Creative Costumes by Dawn Brend

Save the date for the Beginning with Books Early Literacy Conference

Our friends at Beginning with Books are hosting an Early Literacy Conference on September 26, 2008. Below is the information they want you to have!



Featured Speaker
Mary Renck Jalongo, Ph. D.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Featured Author/Illustrator
Candace Fleming
Award Winning Children’s Author


September 26, 2008

at Community College of Allegheny County North Campus

Experience a full day of learning about the latest research and best practices in early literacy.

Please contact Barbara Stolarz at Beginning with Books at 412-361-8560
or stolarzb@mybwb.org
You may also visit our Web site at www.beginningwithbooks.org

Act 48 and State Professional Development Hours Available

Looking for a good prank?

Apparently someone who frequents the Children's Department has learned how to make the computer display upside down! I went over to log in the computer for the day and had to stand on my head to make it work! Luckily my friend Larry and Mark from the Help Desk had the answer - to fix it, you press Ctrl+Alt+Up. Just that easy!

Ctrl+Alt+Down arrrow will display your whole monitor upside down. Have fun!

Spread Your Wings: A family program with curriculum-related concepts

Spread Your Wings is a series of programs which will encourage the family flight along the learning curve. Each program will feature stories, activities and exploration into curriculum-related concepts.

These will be held on selected Thursdays at 6:30-7:30 pm.


June 19th: In the Garden
(science)

June 26th: Comparatively Speaking
(mathematics)

July 10th: We're having a Field Day!
(Physical and health concerns)

July 17th: Over the Hills and Far Away
(Social Studies)

July 24th: Express yourself!
(Creative Arts)

Next Monday morning Baby Lapsit is June 23!

Day: Monday
Date: June 23
Time: 10:30AM
Come bounce with us!

Children's Librarians & Children's Authors: Megan McDonald

Storypockets looks at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s rich tradition of author-librarians. Our previous installments featured Sorche Nic Leodhas, Laura Cathon, Margaret Hodges, Elva S. Smith, and Elizabeth Sechrist. This week we focus on Megan McDonald.

Megan McDonald was a children's librarian in the Children's Department of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh from 1986 to 1990. Her first book, Is this a House for Hermit Crab, grew from a tale she created for her storytime audiences.

Pittsburgh history is a theme of several of Megan's books, including The Bridge to Nowhere, and The Potato Man.

Megan's books have won numerous awards, including Carolyn W. Field Award, 1993, for The Great Pumpkin Switch.