Holiday Book Sale and Storyhour

While you are out and about in downtown Red Wing tonight for the Holiday Stroll, don't forget to stop by the library. The Friends of the Library holiday book sale will take place from 3-6 downstairs in the Foot Room, and the Miss Red Wing Royalty will be reading stories from 4 to about 4:45. Refreshments will be served!

The Wheel of Time rolls on!

When author Robert Jordan died in 2007, it wasn't clear if and when someone could finish the massively popular (and just plain massive, at 11 books and counting) Wheel of Time series. Award winning author Brandon Sanderson was given the job, and the first (of 3) remaining books in the series has just been published. The Gathering Storm has received enthusiastic reviews - many are saying it's one of the best books in the series. Come check it out!

Final story hour of 2009

Tomorrow's story hour will be the last one of 2009. Story hours will resume in January - including our special Saturday story hours. See you then!

Thanksgiving

The Library will be closed on Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 26) but will be open with regular hours on Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28.

Werewolves galore!

Werewolves have long taken a back seat in fiction to their more popular rivals, vampires. now with the release of the film New Moon, werewolves are suddenly a hot item! If you'd like to read other books featuring shapeshifting heroes (or villains) our library is a good place to start!

If you think global warming is bad...

...just take at look at Flood, the latest apocalyptic novel from Stephen Baxter. In it he chronicles the desperate attempts by individuals and countries to cope with oceans that suddenly begin to rise dozens of meters per year - and show no sign of slowing. Reviwers call it "engrossing," "compelling" and "deeply scary."

Teen Library Group

T.O.O.L. (Teens of our Library) is meeting this coming Monday, November 16, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Foot Room of the library. A SELCO project librarian will be there. He will be creating "kits" for teen programming with your input. If you are in any grade from 7th through high school you are welcome to attend. Bring your ideas -- what program would bring you in? Here's your chance to have a say!

Library Closed Wed. 11/11 for Veterans Day

With Veterans Day upon us, here is a book for children about World War II: The Good Fight: How World War II was Won. Written by noted historian Stephen Ambrose, his introduction honors all the GIs who fought in that war. Every other page includes a full page photograph or map, with a box of "quick facts" on the opposite page, along with information and stories about the war that will draw you in. You'll find this in juvenile nonfiction j940.53 AMB. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Easy Nonfiction book

You may only see the head of a gorilla and not much more than the eye and ear hole of an elephant, but these life size photographs of over 20 animals from zoos in Japan will capture your attention. Brief, interesting facts are on each page, making this oversized book just right for your animal lover child from preschool age on up. Did you know that baby elephants suck their trunks? Or how to tell the difference between a sea lion and a seal? It's all in Life-Size Zoo edited by Teruyuki Komiya with photographs done by Toyofumi Fukuda (Easy Nonfiction j636 KOM). This book can be found in the Easy Nonfiction section in the children's area, at the end of the juvenile nonfiction. Look for the books with red stickers with a big white "E" on their spines. You'll find plenty of other books here for preschoolers through approximately first graders who like their books to be factual; be it concrete mixers, dinosaurs, or other topics they may discover.

Preschool Story Hour

Wednesday mornings at 10:30 your children ages 3 to 5 are invited to Preschool Story Hour. During this half hour session we share children's books, fingerplays, and songs. We use shakers, scarves, or flannel board stories to add to the enjoyment. The theme based books range from classic to brand new. This story time helps your child develop vocabulary skills, letter knowledge, narrative skills, and an interest in reading -- all important preliteracy skills that will help your child get ready to read.

There will not be a preschool story hour session this coming Wednesday, November 11, for the library is closed for Veteran's Day. But please join us the following week for a "Forest Animals" story time. We will continue through November, take a break in December, and resume January 6 through the end of March. Parents and caregivers are expected to remain in the library during story hour or may stay in the story well with their child.

Toddler Tales

Come join us for a 20 - 30 minute session of interactive books, songs, and rhymes. This is a story time for children ages 18 - 36 months and their parents or caregivers. Toddlers are busy, and there's lots going on in the story well to keep these children active. Whether it's listening to stories, helping with flannel board activities, following rhymes, or moving in a circle game, it all helps your children with their preliteracy skills. These are held weekly Thursday mornings at 10:30, October through March, with a break in December. Siblings are welcome too. You don't need to register -- just drop by.

Baby Storytime

If you have a baby from ages birth through 18 months, consider joining us for weekly Baby Storytime. It's every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. We'll be continuing through November with a December break, then resuming January through March. Two books are shared, with lots of songs and lap bouncing rhymes thrown in. It's a great opportunity to share focused time with your baby without other distractions, as well as a chance to be with other families with babies. Whether you're a grandparent, mom, dad, or caregiver, you are welcome. Bring along the older children too -- they also have fun with the songs and books. We wrap up with free time with library toys and books after the 20 minutes or so of structured time. And while you're here, look in our picture book bin for our 60 plus new board books. What a great way to build up your baby's brain power -- read, talk and sing!

Early Readers

If you have young children learning how to read, please take some time to browse through the "early reader section" and "reader" section. The books are located on the front shelves of the easy books. The early readers are for those just learning how to read, with word repetition and fewer words. The readers are for those who have mastered the basics and are ready to read more independently. Many of these are beginning chapter books, a good transition before going on to juvenile fiction.