In this issue:

Children's Programs

National Book Award

HCPL Children's Staff

New Children's Books & Audio

Harris County Public Libraries offer a wide assortment of programs for children.  There are movies, crafts, book discussions, games and all kinds of special programs.  Programs are offered after school on a weekly or monthly basis.  Children's programs are planned for ages 6-12 and are free. 

You can look at the branch calendar for your local library to find out what they offer.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

Miss Carolyn

Carolyn Dial is the Children's Librarian at the North Channel Branch Library.  She has been at North Channel for over two years.  The children call her "Miss Carolyn" in that fine old Southern tradition!

What do you like to read?

I like to read all kinds of books!! New children's books, fiction books and biographies.  My favorite new children's book is Ivan the Terrier by Peter Catalanotto.  This is SUCH a funny story!

What was your favorite book when you were a kid?

My favorite book was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  There is a whole series of books about Oz and I eagerly read ALL of them!

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy music, both listening to it and making it.  I am now learning to sing alto in the church choir.  I also enjoy storytelling.  I collect stories, learn them and tell them to children as often as I can.  I especially like family stories.  I present a program each summer for the kids entitled "Little House on the East Texas Prairie."  I share stories from my family and show old photos, tools and clothes to enrich the experience.  I wrote some of these stories for a book entitled, Trinity County:  A Legend of Its Own.  My book is now "in processing" at the Library of Congress!  I am SO excited!!

What was your favorite subject in school?

My favorite subject in elementary school was Library Time--any surprise??  In junior high and senior high, I took advanced math classes and I really enjoyed these.  In college, I was an English major and took many Humanities classes as I also love music and art, but I still found time to take calculus!

What do you like best about your job?

I love sharing tales with kids in Story Time!  It is also fun to help kids and parents find the books, videos and web sites that they need.  I also like to find good new books to order for our library.

Anything else you want to share about yourself?

When I attended Sarasota (Florida) Junior High School, the kids called me silly names based on my last name, like "Sun Dial" and "Soapy."  Since I smiled all the time, they also called me "Smiley."

Miss Carolyn with a young Harry Potter.

Arrgh!!  A pirate's life for me!

Mrs. Samantha

Mrs. Samantha

Mrs. Samantha is the Children's Librarian at the Northwest Branch Library.  She has been at the library for over a year.

What do you like to read?

I like to read a little bit of everything.  In the adult department I like British mysteries by authors Jacqueline Winspear, Marion Chesney and Agatha Christie and the crazy Janet Evanovich series for laughs.  In Young Adult I enjoy spy adventures by Anthony Horowitz and fantasy by Eoin Colfer; I also like to read the books by Stephenie Meyer.  In children's I like to read fantasies like the Peter and the Starcatchers series and Harry Potter and any adventure Will Hobbs wrote.

What was your favorite book when you were a kid?

When I was very young my parents read Winnie the Pooh and Beatrix Potter stories before I went to bed.  When I could read all by myself I enjoyed the books by Syd Hoff especially Danny and the Dinosaur.  Later on my favorites were Heidi, A Wrinkle in Time and Alice in Wonderland.

What are your hobbies?

My family is musical, so I play many instruments:  I play piano, violin, cello and lots of other odd instruments.  I love to play sports and regularly play golf and tennis with my husband.  I like to go on long bike rides and I am currently restoring an old Schwinn to cruise around on at the beach.  Doing artist things like taking photographs and scrapbooking them online as well as taking photos with my old stereoscopic camera for my antique stereoscope.  I also paint, draw and carve.  I am working on carving a soapstone chess set.  I collect stuff like coins, first edition signed books and sports cards.

Do you have any pets?

Buster is the name of my pet dog, a beagle and terrier mix.  He is 10 years old and we call him out little boy.  He goes with us everywhere.

What do you like best about your job?

I like that it is a creative ever changing colorful fun place that I get to share with everyone.  I love to learn and share what I know with children that are eager sponges that get as exited about learning and creating as I do.

Mrs. Samantha and her husband, Jeffry

Davide Cali.  Piano, Piano

Marcolino hates practicing his scales on the piano, but feels he must because he is the reason his mother never became a grand pianist--until his grandfather lets them both in on a little secret.

Caroline Jayne Church.  Digby Takes Charge

Digby is a very good sheepdog, but when faced with six unruly sheep who ignore him even when he goes to extremes to make them obey, the farm's cows and pigs give him some sage advice.

Jan Brett.  The Three Snow Bears

Retells the story of Goldilocks, set in an Inuit village and featuring a family of polar bears.

Laura Crawford.  In Arctic Waters

Arctic animals play and chase each other around the ice until they are interrupted by someone. Contains some facts about Arctic animals.

Penny Dale.  The Boy on the Bus

Various farm animals make their own sounds as a young boy takes them on a bus ride through the countryside. Who wants to ride on the bus?

Rebecca Frazer.  Winter Wonderland

Barbie can't wait for her tree-trimming party! She makes glittering garlands, dazzaling decorations, and crunchy Christmas cookies. But when a blizzard blows through town, Barbie is snowbound! Luckily, her pals come to her rescue just in time to make it the merriest Christmas ever!

Nathan Hale.  Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School

On his first day of school, Yellowbelly brings along his best friend Plum, a stuffed bear, but when Plum goes missing, Yellowbelly discovers that they both have made a lot of new friends.

Rose Lewis.  Every Year on Your Birthday

Each year on the birthday of her adopted Chinese daughter, a mother recalls the moments they have shared, from the first toy to the friends left behind in China.

Jacqueline Ching.  The Missing Pirate

James Norrington of the Royal Navy does not like anyone taking the law into his own hands. Now, a strange pirate ship has been spotten in Port Royal. Norrington vows to stop the captain and bring him to justice.

Catherine Hapka.  Cera's Shiny Stone

When Cera accidently loses Tria's shiny stone she and her friends set out to find a replacement.

Pamela Hickman.  How Animals Eat

Shows how animals chomp, slurp, and swallow their food.

Jane Kurtz.  What Columbus Found

A rhyming, illustrated story about how Columbus found America--along with the pumpkins that we grow and bake into pies today.

Erica Zappy.  Curious George Plants a Seed

Curious George watches Jumpy the squirrel bury an acorn in the yard. Upon learning that Jumpy is storing food for later, George decides to do the same. The man with the yellow hat comes home to find the kitchen empty and its contents buried in the yard!

Lloyd Alexander.  The Golden Dream of Carlo

Chuchio   Naive and bumbling Carlo, his shady camel-puller Baksheesh, and Shira, a girl determined to return home, follow a treasure map through the deserts and cities of the infamous Golden Road, as mysterious strangers try in vain to point them toward real treasures.

Annie Barrows.  Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil

Record   Everyone in second grade seems set on breaking a world record and friends Ivy and Bean are no exception, deciding to become the youngest people ever to discover a dinosaur skeleton.

Alison Hart.  Gabriel's Horses

In Kentucky, during the Civil War, the twelve-year-old slave Gabriel, contends with a cruel new horse trainer and skirmishes with Confederate soldiers as he pursues his dream of becoming a jockey.

Sue Wilkowski.  The Bad Luck Chair

After having to sit in the legendary Bad Luck Chair at school, nine-year-old Addy is determined to break its curse, but first she and her friends have to figure out the puzzling directions written by one of the chair's earlier victims.

Johanna Hurwitz.  Squirrel World:  A Park Pals

Adventure   When Lexi the squirrel and his cousin Lenox leave Central Park to find the New York City streets for which they were named, they discover that the human world is wilder--and more dangerous--than they had ever imagined.

Candace Fleming.  The Fabled Fourth Graders of

Aesop Elementary School  An unlikely teacher takes over the disorderly fourth-grade class of Aesop Elementary School with surprising results.

Edwin Brit Wyckoff.  The Man Who Invented

Basketball:  James Naismith and his Amazing Game  Biography of the man who is credited with inventing the sport of basketball.

Dan Abnett.  The Battle of Gettysburg:  Spilled

Blood on Sacred Ground  Many famous battles were fought during the Civil War, but none is more famous than the Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863. On those days, the course of American history was forever changed.

Peggy Archer.  From Dawn to Dreams:  Poems for

Busy Babies   Simple poems and color illustrations describe the various activities that a baby goes through from morning until nighttime.

Carrie A. Braulick.  U. S. Air Force Spy Planes

Describes spy planes, their design, equipment, weapons, crew, missions, and role in the U.S. Air Force.

Michael A. Dispezio.  Optical Illusion Experiments

Kids can be both scientists "and" magicians all at once! With just a little practice, and these 50 super experiments, they will amaze people with fool-the-eye illusions that also illustrate basic principles of visual perception.

Steve Jenkins.  Living Color

Discusses how animals use their colored feathers, scales, shells, and skin to warn predators, signal friends, attract a mate, or hide from their enemies.

H. A. Rey.  Curious George Goes Camping

Curious George gets into mischief while camping but is able to redeem himself in an emergency.  Read by Mara Sidmore.

Sarah Stewart.  The Money Tree

In summer the leaves on the strange tree growing in Miss McGillicuddy's yard are harvested by many people, but when Miss McGillicuddy thinks about needing firewood for the winter, she realizes the tree may have another use.  Read by Randye Kaye.

Ilona Bray.  Nikki, the Invisible Girl

It's hard being a middle schooler left out of the "in crowd." After a lonely day when Nikki wishes to be invisible, she discovers she really can't see herself in the mirror.  Read by Ilona Bray.

Matt Haig.  Samuel Blink and the Forgotten Forest

Accompanied by his aunt's Norwegian elkhound, Ibsen, twelve-year-old Samuel ventures into a weird forest filled with strange and dangerous creatures to rescue his younger sister, Martha, who has been mute since their parents' recent death.  Read by Simon Vance.

My Bedbugs.  Bedbug Party!

Music from the award winning children's television series.