Reaching and Reading

Reaching and Reading is the Aurora Public Library District’s children’s book blog.

February Storytimes

Posted on January 24, 2023December 15, 2022 by Olivia

Hearts, love, red, and penguins usher in our February Children’s Storytime.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day stories will have your child’s creativity flowing with hearts and the colors red. R-E-D red, we can all spell red, but can we find books where the covers and spines are red or have the word “red” in the title of the book?

What better way to wind up our February Storytime than with those cute little fellows in tuxedo-looking feathers! That’s right: penguins! Look for further details on our upcoming Penguin Pals show on February 25th at the Aurora Public Library. We don’t mean the stuffed ones either! Real live penguins will be stopping by the library, so come to our penguin storytime to get ready to meet these feathered friends!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!

Chapter Chat Reads “Drama”

Posted on January 19, 2023February 3, 2023 by Olivia

So you love reading, but have no one to gush about books with… Look no further! The Aurora Public Library has the answer for you: The Chapter Chat Book Club at the Aurora Public Library, meeting every month to talk books with kids just like you.

In January, Chapter Chatters are reading Drama by Raina Telgemeier! This story follows Callie, a theatre fan who wants to put on the best production her middle school has ever seen, but drama on and off-stage creates chaos aplenty.

Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school’s production of Moon over Mississippi, she can’t really sing. Instead she’s the set designer for the drama department’s stage crew, and this year she’s determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget.

But how can she, when she doesn’t know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen.

And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

We are meeting in February at the Dillsboro Public Library on February 11th at 10:30 am and at Aurora Public Library on February 15th at 4:00 pm. Snacks, drinks, and fun, themed activities will be provided.

Registration is recommended for everyone ages 9 and up! You can pick up your book at either location. We look forward to seeing you there!

Fly Guy Celebration!

Posted on December 30, 2022December 15, 2022 by Olivia

Bzzzzz… Bzzz… Bzzzzz…

What’s that sound? It must be FLY GUY!

Are you ready for Buzz, Fly Guy, and Tedd Arnold? Tedd Arnold is the famous children’s author of the book series Fly Guy. Our Aurora Public Library District will feature a special storytime on Tuesday, January 17th at 5:30 p.m.! Fly Guy stories, crafts, and activities as well as snacks will be “buzzing” around for the kids to enjoy.

The Dillsboro Branch will also be holding a special storytime on Thursday, January 19th at 4:30 p.m. featuring Fly Guy books. We look forward to having all kids help us celebrate Tedd Arnold and his famous Fly Guy books!

January Storytimes

Posted on December 28, 2022December 15, 2022 by Olivia

Welcome, 2023!

Our storytime for children in January will start off with fun activities using the numbers in 2023. What do the words hibernation, arctic, and nocturnal all have in common? Why, animals of course! We cannot forget about snow, ice, and the color white to fit into our January storytimes also. There is going to be SNOW much fun! We hope you don’t miss out on this! There may be a surprise author study also on 2 special dates!

We hope to see all the kiddos at our storytime! Happy New Year!

January storytime has all kinds of cold-themed activities. We will start off the first week of January by celebrating our new year and incorporating the numbers 2, 0, 2, and 3 into our storytime. Books with numbers in their titles will be featured this week as well as New Year books… maybe books that just came out! Kids will enjoy making party poppers as well as participating in challenges involving building with 2 or 3 items. Imaginations will soar in this first-week challenge.

Happy New Year to everyone and we look forward to seeing you at our storytimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Dillsboro Public Library and Wednesdays and Fridays at the Aurora Public Library at 10:30 am!

January’s Chapter Chat

Posted on December 17, 2022December 15, 2022 by Olivia

In January, Chapter Chatters are reading The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani, now a hit Netflix Motion Picture! Of course, the book is always better than the movie, but see for yourself by checking out your book today at the Aurora Public Library!

With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.

The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.

But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are?

We are meeting in January at the Dillsboro Public Library on January 14th at 10:30 am and at Aurora Public Library on January 18th at 4:00 pm. Snacks, drinks, and fun, themed activities will be provided.

Registration is recommended for everyone ages 9 and up. You can pick up your book at either location. We look forward to seeing you there!

Aurora Public Library District Presents: StoryWalk®!

Posted on July 5, 2022July 5, 2022 by Sarah

Please join the Aurora Public Library District in our StoryWalk® event between July 10 and July 24, 2022! Take a walk at your leisure along Second Street in Aurora or around the Dillsboro Community Park in Dillsboro. As you walk, you will encounter the pages of a picture book to read and questions to discuss. Complete the story and scan a QR code with your smartphone or tablet to register for entries in the prize drawings for our Reading Moves You summer reading program. Registration for summer reading is NOT required to earn prize entries! Prizes will be drawn during the Summer Reading Sled Dog Finale on July 28, 2022.

The Aurora StoryWalk® will start outside the Aurora Public Library lower-level entrance and feature the book The Little Engine that Could, written by Watty Piper and reimagined by Dan Santat. The Dillsboro StoryWalk® will begin by the soccer pavilion playground at Dillsboro Community Park and feature the book The Littlest Airplane, written by Brooke Hartman and illustrated by John Joseph.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Published in Your Birth Year: 2021-2010

Posted on March 14, 2022March 11, 2022 by Sarah

Welcome to a new series, “Published in Your Birth Year”! We’ll be starting with 2021 and working backward in time, with each book being appropriate to the age of the reader born that year. For this initial post, we’re covering the years from 2021 back to 2010, and subsequent posts will cover 10 years each.

2021
A Day On the Farm with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by: Eric Carle

2020
Wake Up, Let’s Play!
by: Marit Törnqvist

2019
Hey Diddle Diddle: Touch and Trace Nursery Rhymes
by: Emily Bannister

2018
Zoogie Boogie Fever!: An Animal Dance Book
by: Sujean Rim

2017
Imagine That!
by: Yasmeen Ismail

2016
A Tiger Tail: (Or What Happened to Anya On Her First Day of School)
by: Mike Boldt

2015
Pete the Cat’s Train Trip
by: James Dean

2014
Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page
by: Cynthia Rylant

2013
The Notebook of Doom: Attack of the Shadow Smashers
by: Troy Cummings

2012
Claws
by: Mike Grinti

2011
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
by: Jonathan Auxier

2010
Touch Blue
by: Cynthia Lord

You can place any of these books on hold through your online library account or by calling the library at (812) 926-0646 for APL or (812) 954-4151 for DPL.

The Newbery Medal Turns 100

Posted on January 15, 2022January 25, 2022 by Peggy

The most prestigious American award in the world of children’s literature is the John Newbery Medal. 2022 will mark the 100th time this award has been given to the author of the year’s most distinguished children’s book. It was the first children’s book award in the world, and today the selection process is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ASLC). The 2022 Newbery Medal will be announced on Monday, January 24th as part of the Youth Media Awards.

Through the years, the committees selecting the Newbery winners have truly highlighted some exceptional books for kids. There has also been a fair amount of controversy, and there have been years when librarians have groused that the wrong book was selected. Since selection as the Newbery Medal winner often means that the chosen book will stay in print for many years, another topic that is often raised today is the question of how to deal with books that have racial stereotypes or other matter that is unacceptable today. I guess you can state with certainty that librarians just like to discuss books! You can find a complete list of Newbery Medal winners and also the Newbery Honor books here.

Here are a few of my favorite Newbery medal books:

I read the 2021 winner When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller and loved it!

From 2013: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

In 2004, Kate DiCamillo took home the gold with The Tale of Despereaux.

She also won the Newbery Medal in 2014 for Flora & Ulysses.

Lois Lowry also has two Newbery Medals, winning in 1994 for The Giver (You should read the book, even if you disliked the movie!) and in 1990 for Number the Stars.

I love the characters E. L. Konigsburg created in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,

the story of two children who run away to New York City and hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Konigsburg won Newbery gold 29 years later for The View from Saturday in 1997.

Do you have a favorite Newbery Medal book? Or do you have a favorite book that you think should have won the medal? Let us know below, and be sure to check back after January 24th to see the 2022 winner!

Update from 1/25/22: The Newbery Award for 2022 goes to The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. I didn’t expect that! It sort of slipped in under the radar, but sounds great. Copies have been ordered. This title also won the Pura Belpre Award for best book representing Hispanic culture.

Don’t Overlook These Children’s Series

Posted on January 10, 2022 by Peggy

If you only look for the “new” books on the library shelves, you might miss some of the series that were popular ten or fifteen years ago (or even longer). Although not every book or series ages well, there are many that stand up well in comparison to our newest books. That may be especially true about fantasy series. Here are some fantasy series for elementary and middle school kids that will bring hours of reading enjoyment. Remember, you can also ask a library staff member for help if you need a book suggestion!

The Spiderwick Chronicles were written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black and follow the adventures of the Grace children who discover a world of fairies. There were 5 books in the original series and three in the spin-off series Beyond the Spiderwick. These series are great for kids who want to read fantasy, but who aren’t ready for really long, complicated books.

Lloyd Alexander was a prolific writer of fantasy books during the 1960s and 1970s. His Chronicles of Prydain drew heavily from the legends of King Arthur and Welsh mythology. One book of the series was named as a Newbery Honor book and another won the Newbery Medal. Don’t let the well-worn covers stop you; these books have just been loved by several generations of kids.

The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan has always reminded me of The Lord of the Rings, probably because of the Rangers. The series follows the adventures of Will, an orphan who is chosen as an apprentice Ranger, and includes skilled trackers, archers, and warriors in the service of the King of Araluen. Will strives to keep the Kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors, and threats. There was also a prequel series and a spin-off series.

The Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke explores the question of what might happen if characters could come out of our storybooks.

In The Five Kingdoms series, Cole Randolph sees his friends whisked away to some mysterious place underneath a haunted house and he dives in after them. They end up in the Outskirts, five kingdoms that lie between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. With the magic of the Outskirts starting to unravel, it’s up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to rescue his friends.

Step into these fantasy worlds, but hang on to your hat! You’re bound for some exciting adventures.

Waiting for the Caldecott

Posted on December 29, 2021January 25, 2022 by Peggy

Around this time each year, I start looking forward to the announcement of children’s book awards for 2022. On January 24th, announcements will be made for the Caldecott, the Newbery, and the Printz medals, as well as many other book awards. Many blogs focus on possible contenders for the biggest awards, but the voting is actually done just one day prior to the announcement and is a carefully guarded secret.

The Caldecott Medal will be awarded to the best illustrated book for children from 2021, and actually goes to the illustrator, not the author. As I read through blogs, there does not seem to be any consensus developing yet, but here are some of the books that are being mentioned as contenders.

Out of these 12 illustrators, six already have at least one Caldecott Medal or Caldecott Honor to their credit. All are exceptionally talented and have created illustrations that make these books a joy to read. Keep in mind, though, that there is not an official list of nominations. These have just been mentioned by readers and critics as potential winners. Sometimes the Caldecott committee will go off in an unexpected direction. As for me, I’m crossing my fingers for Loren Long (he’s from Cincinnati) or Floyd Cooper (he died in 2021 and has never won). All will be revealed on January 24th. Meanwhile, treat yourself to one of these books.

Update from 1/25/22: The 2022 Caldecott Medal winner is Watercress by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin! The book also received a Newbery Honor and was named as the best picture book promoting Asian/Pacific American heritage and culture. Gathering watercress by the side of the road sparks a conversation among a family about their family history, heritage, and memories. Award-winning author Andrea Wang draws upon her childhood, growing up in a small, mostly white, rural town in Ohio as a child of Chinese immigrants in this autobiographical account illustrated by celebrated author and artist Jason Chin, who incorporates painting styles and techniques from both western and Chinese cultures.

Aurora Public Library District

Locations

Aurora Main Branch

Dilsboro Branch

Local History Library @ The Depot

Category: Reaching and Reading