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Happy Love a Tree Day

By Children's and Teen Services on May 16, 2013 in Books and Authors, Children, Nancy

Today is Love a Tree Day! This relatively unknown holiday falls every year on May 16th. It’s a good day to plant a tree, water a tree, learn about a tree, and yes, hug a tree.

On a more personal note, the holiday falls during my parents’ visit this year. And that’s perfect timing. My dad has a bit of Johnny Appleseed in him. For the first several years of his retirement, he was all about trees. On a piece of land in Oregon, he walked miles and miles, digging and planting. With 100 pounds of Douglas Fir seedlings on his back, he planted the first mile. He then hiked back to the car for another 100 pounds to plant from mile two to mile three. Back to the car for another load of seedlings, another mile, and another round of digging and planting. When I asked why, he simply responded that this would be a good forest one day. It’s getting closer – the first year’s trees are now twenty feet tall. In another generation or two, this will be a grand old-growth forest. My dad is no longer planting his forest, but this year on Love a Tree Day, Johnny Appleseed is In The House. And we are celebrating.

For a celebration of your own, check out our growing collection of tree tales.

Follow a young boy as he wanders through a forest of giant redwoods, using only his imagination and a book he finds as he’s riding the New York subway.

Many know the legend of Johnny Appleseed, the Massachusetts man who planted apple trees all the way to California. But this true story of Johnny Appleseed, or John Chapman, is even greater than the legend.

This award-winning new book asks, “What do you see, when you picture a tree?” Lyrical language and sculptured illustrations invite readers to take a new and creative look at trees.

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E-I-E-I-O

By Children's and Teen Services on March 28, 2013 in Books and Authors, Children, Gardening, Local, Nancy

Lenore and Brutus

Jon Katz, author of the children’s book Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm, has a new tale to tell. When puppy Lenore comes to Bedlam Farm, she doesn’t quite fit in. She only wants to socialize while all the other animals have work to do. In Lenore Finds a Friend, Katz uses his own colorful photography to tell a story of surprising friendship. If you’ve not yet seen the Bedlam Farm books, check them out. For regular updates on the happenings at Bedlam Farm, visit Jon Katz’s Bedlam Farm journal.

It might be hard to get to upstate New York to see Bedlam Farm in person, but if your family wants a day on the farm there are lots of options closer to home.

Hidden Villa is located in Los Altos Hills, adjoining the Rancho San Antonio open space preserve. Visitors can tour the organic farm and gardens or explore open wilderness on over eight miles of groomed trails. Hidden Villa offers special events throughout the year, including sheep shearing day coming up this April 6th.

An operating family farm since 1922, Webb Ranch covers over 230 acres near Stanford University. Riding lessons are offered through Webb Ranch stables and trail rides can be booked on Saturdays as weather permits. Local produce in season is available at the on-site farmer’s market.

In what is now known as the city of Fremont, Robert Patterson and his family settled on 205 acres of fertile farmland and called it Ardenwood. Visitors can go back in time to the 1850′s Patterson Ranch – a working farm complete with a restored Victorian mansion, elaborate gardens, and a horse-drawn railway. Docents are dressed in vintage garb and a blacksmith shop is open for public demonstrations.

It’s all about the goats at Harley Farms. Set on nine acres in the coastal town of Pescadero, this restored 1910 dairy farm is home to 200 alpine goats. Visitors can take a tour (which includes the chance to milk a goat) or simply stroll the grounds to see goats and llamas in the pens and pasture. No visit is complete without samples of fresh ricotta, chevre and goat milk feta from the Harley Farms cheese shop.

May through September is berry picking time at Phipps Country Store and Farm. Kids can roam acres of Pescadero farmland while picking organic strawberries and olallieberries. An extra treat is the post berry picking stop at the Country Store, which offers fresh jam, dried herbs, local honey, and over 75 varieties of heirloom and exotic dry beans.

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Knitting, Lanyards, and the Next Big Thing

By Children's and Teen Services on February 7, 2013 in Books and Authors, Children, Music and Art, Nancy

What’s hot in children’s crafts seems to run in cycles. I remember when my daughter was in the third grade and knitting was all the rage with her group of friends. Her (very patient) teacher allowed the kids to knit during certain subjects in class. He described the girls as a bunch of miniature grandmas with knitting needles going clickety-clack, clickety-clack in time to his lessons. My daughter and I went to the store to buy knitting needles and fancy yarn, only to find the most coveted colors sold out.

That was years ago, but the pattern continues with school-aged kids. When I first arrived at the Sunnyvale Library, we were flooded with requests for books on lanyards. There were not a whole lot of craft books dedicated to lanyard-making, but with some searching, we were able to get a nice selection of guides for those kids wanting woven plastic doo-dads. Now lanyards have gone quiet, and ORIGAMI is in. We got the jump on that craze. Not only are there Origami books on the shelves, there are more arriving each month.

How do we know what to buy – not just for the crafts section but for all the Children’s Department shelves? We read reviews, talk with other librarians, follow well-known authors, check Amazon top-selling lists, keep an eye on forthcoming books in publisher journals, and generally keep our ears to the ground for what’s new, popular, unique, or useful. Some of our best reconnaissance, however, comes from the kids in the Children’s Department. We’re happy to take requests and see if we can add special items to our collection. If the kids all are talking about something new, please let us know! Whether balloon animals or button spaceships – when the newest craze starts appearing in backpacks, we want the how-to books ready for check-out.

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A Haunting Read

By Children's and Teen Services on January 3, 2013 in Books and Authors, Children, Nancy, Uncategorized

A new children’s nonfiction title caught my eye last week – Horrible Hauntings by Shirin Yim Bridges. Sure, it’s about ghosts – always a crowd-pleaser. But in this case, the main characters literally leap from the pages in swirls of howls, screams, and hoofbeats. Horrible Hauntings may look like an ordinary book, but through the magic of 3D augmented reality, readers can interact with spirits that appear to materialize from the pages. Download the free app from Google Play or the Apple App Store, aim your device at the page, and watch as ten different well-known hauntings come to life. For a little taste of the supernatural, check out the demo here.

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Google goes to Washington

By Children's and Teen Services on November 15, 2012 in Books and Authors, Children, Nancy

You may have seen a Google van around town, whirring camera on its roof, taking in 360° for Google Maps Street View. This same Google technology recently roamed the corridors of the White House, capturing panoramic views of public rooms in an effort to make the White House accessible to as many people as possible. Sound enticing? If so, take a virtual step Inside the White House and see the East Room or the State Dining Room, the Red Room or the Vermeil Room. Walk behind the red velvet ropes and see fabulous works of art up close. No tickets, no lines, no Secret Service – just you and history, no further away than your computer screen.

If this tour whets your appetite for other fresh perspectives on life in the White House, check out these titles available in the Children’s Department.