Main Library Children's Department

Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the potty snatchers

2012-01-11T14:52:00.002-05:00

Are you a fan of Captain Underpants? Check out the new graphic novels by George and Harold, the co-stars of the awesome Captain Underpants books!

Did you know that Dav Pilkey also wrote picture books? If you're a fan, you have to check out:

Kat Kong

Dog Breath

The Paperboy

Cook a Book

2012-01-10T13:35:00.000-05:00

100 Favorite Picture Books

2012-01-06T16:16:00.001-05:00

The votes are in! Jacksonville Public Library staff voted on their favorite picture books. Check out the winning books. Did your favorites make the list? Maybe you'll discover some new favorites!

Come into the library to see the poster in person and take a few of the titles home!

Super Saturdays

2012-01-04T16:37:00.001-05:00

School aged kids, are you wondering what to do with your Saturday afternoons? Spend them with us! We have a wonderful series of programs starting on January 7th. There's so much to do at the Main Library!

January Calendar

2012-01-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T16:55:00.001-05:00

Enjoy the holidays! Jacksonville Public Libraries will be closed December 24th- 26th. We will reopen on the 27th.

December Calendar

2011-12-01T15:49:00.001-05:00

Cook a Book

2011-11-28T10:37:00.001-05:00

One Is a Feast for Mouse

2011-11-22T09:26:00.000-05:00

One is a feast for Mouse : a Thanksgiving tale by Judy Cox

On Thanksgiving Day while everyone naps, Mouse spots one pea, a perfect feast, but he cannot help adding all of the fixings--until Cat spots him.

Enjoy this Thanksgiving treat with your family. Be sure to stop by your library and pick up Thanksgiving books to share.

Festival of Trees

2011-11-21T16:21:00.001-05:00

What a fun line up we have... starting with Santa! Mark your calendars and join us for the Festival of Trees.

Duck For Turkey Day Children's Book Trailer

2011-11-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

What's on your menu this Thanksgiving? Could it be duck? When Tuyet finds out that her Vietnamese family is having duck rather than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, she is upset until she finds out that other children in her class did not eat turkey either.

Check out Duck for Turkey Day and read some of the different ways families celebrate Thanksgiving.

Digital Bookmobile

2011-11-03T10:43:00.000-04:00

The digital bookmobile is coming to the Main Library next Wednesday. It is sure to be an awesome event. Come check out how to download books and audiobooks from the library FOR FREE!! Kids books are available.

Also, bring the flier to the BOOKtique to receive a discount.

For a printable flier, click here.

Cook a Book

2011-11-02T10:54:00.000-04:00

Join us in the Children's Department TODAY to make brownie pops and read cool books!!

November Calendar

2011-10-31T11:40:00.003-04:00

Vampire Boy's Goodnight by Lisa Brown

2011-10-31T08:14:00.014-04:00

Have you picked out your Halloween picture books yet? If not, why not try one of these about vampires!!

Spooky enough for Halloween but fun enough for any time, try:

Vampire Boy's Good Night by Lisa Brown

When Morgan, a young vampire, and his witchy friend Bela set out one night to see if human children really exist, they find themselves at a Halloween party.

Dear Vampa by Ross Collins

A young vampire writes a letter to his grandfather complaining about his new neighbors.

Vunce Upon a Time by J. Otto Seibold

A fearful young vampire, who prefers candy to blood, bravely ventures into the human world on Halloween night to satisfy his sweet tooth.

Happy Halloween

Halloween Scavenger Hunt!

2011-10-29T15:08:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful time with our Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt!

Some interesting characters stopped by.

Vampire queen Jaslene and Vampire Joshua

Captain Aakarsh

Ninja Aakash
(holding an awesome ninja book- Wink: the Ninja who wanted to Nap by J.C. Phillipps)

Thank you to everyone who came and made our afternoon such a wonderful one!

Happy Halloween

Halloween Storytime

2011-10-29T11:30:00.001-04:00

We had such fun with our Halloween Storytime. This is what we did:

Songs, Rhymes and Fingerplays

Open Shut Them

Open shut them, Open shut them,

Give a little clap clap clap!

Open shut them, Open shut them,

Put them in your lap, lap, lap!

Creep them, crawl them,

Right up to your chin, chin, chin!

Open wide your little mouth,

But do not let them in!

The Spider in the Web

(tune: Farmer in the Dell)

The spider in the web,

Spin, spin oh watch it spin,

The spider in the web

The spider gets a…

...bear, skunk, lion, monkey

Spin, spin oh watch it spin,

The spider in the web

A Haunting We Will Go

A haunting we will go,

We’ll catch a ghost, put him on a post,

And then we’ll let him go!

…cat, hat

…witch, make her itch

… ghoul, duel

Two Little Monsters

Two little monsters, sitting on a hill

One named Jack and one named Jill

Stomp away, Jack, stomp away, Jill

Come back, Jack and come back, Jill

Two little monsters sitting on a hill

One named Jack and one named Jill

Ten Little Monsters

1 little, 2 little, 3 little monsters

4 little, 5 little, 6 little monsters

7 little, 8 little, 9 little monsters

10 little monsters can’t scare me!

Haunted House

(tune: Wheels on the Bus)

The ghost in the house goes “Boo! Boo! Boo!”

“Boo! Boo! Boo! Boo! Boo! Boo!”

The ghost in the house goes “Boo! Boo! Boo!”

On Halloween.

The steps … “Creak, creak, creak…”

The cats … “Meow, meow, meow…”

The bats … “Squeak, squeak, squeak…”

Monster Stomp

If you want to be a monster, now's your chance.

'Cause everybody's doing the monster dance.

You just stamp your feet, wave your arms around

Stretch 'em up, stretch 'em up,

Then put them on the ground.

'Cause you're doing the monster stomp,

That's right! You're doing the monster stomp.

Where is Blue Bat?

Me: Where is [blue] bat? Where is [blue] bat?

You: Here I am! Here I am!

Me: How are you this morning?

You: Very well, I thank you!

All: Fly away! Fly away!

…black, red

Good-Bye Song

(Tune: London Bridge)

Bye, good-bye we’ll see you soon,

See you soon, see you soon

Bye, good-bye we’ll see you soon

On another day!

Books:

Rex, M. Brooms are for Flying

Thomas, J. Can You Make a Scary Face

Thompson, L. Mouse's First Halloween

Williams, L. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Halloween!

2011-10-28T12:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Be sure to stop into the children's department to pick up some awesome Halloween books. There are plenty to choose from such as:

Mouse's Halloween Party by Jeanne Modesitt

Spooky Boo: A Halloween Adventure by Lily Karr

Over in the Hollow by Rebecca Dickinson

Come in on Saturday at 2pm for our Trick-or-Treat Scavenger hunt!

See you there!!

Bedtime Storytime

2011-10-24T10:59:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, October 25th at 7pm.

Families with kids of all ages are welcome to attend this storytime.

What a perfect way to end your Tuesday- relaxing with stories at your library.

Feel free to wear your pajamas... and bring a teddy bear too!

Hope to see you there!

Pumpkin Storytime

2011-10-15T15:43:00.002-04:00

So excited that fall is here!! Guess what that means? Pumpkins!! That is what we did in storytime today.

Songs and Fingerplays

Open Shut Them

Open shut them, Open shut them,

Give a little clap clap clap!

Open shut them, Open shut them,

Put them in your lap, lap, lap!

Creep them, crawl them,

Right up to your chin, chin, chin!

Open wide your little mouth,

But do not let them in!

Shake Your Sillies Out

We're gonna shake, shake, shake our sillies out,

Shake, shake, shake our sillies out,

And wibble our wobbles away!

We're gonna nod… our noddies out…

We're gonna clap… our crazies out…

We're gonna jump… our jiggles out…

We're gonna stretch, yawn, stretch and yawn again…

We're gonna shake… our sillies out…

Pumpkin positions

A tiny little mouse (squeak, squeak, squeak)

Walks up to a pumpkin (sneak, sneak, sneak)

He hides BESIDE the pumpkin and shivers in fright

Because it is cold and spooky on a dark fall night

…in, on, behind, in front of

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate

(hold up five fingers and point to each in turn)
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate

The first one said, Oh My it's getting late

The second one said, Let's have some fun

The third one said, Let's run, Let's run

The fourth one said, Let's dance, let's prance

The fifth one said, Now is our chance

When whoooo went the wind

(blow hard)

And out went the light

And away went the pumpkins

On a cold fall night.

If You See a Pumpkin

(tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If you see an orange pumpkin, clap your hands

If you see an orange pumpkin, and you want to see some more

If you see an orange pumpkin, clap your hands…

… green, white, red

Found a Pumpkin

(tune: Found a Peanut)

Found a pumpkin

In the garden,

A big old pumpkin fat and round

I will have to stoop and pick it if I want a pumpkin treat

I pick one pumpkin

And another

And one more from the vine

Do you know how many pumpkins?

Can you count them- up to nine?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Good-Bye Song

(tune: London Bridge)

Bye, good-bye we’ll see you soon,

See you soon, see you soon

Bye, good-bye we’ll see you soon

On another day!

Books

Hall, Z. It’s Pumpkin Time

Ochiltree, D. Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins

Rockwell, A. Apples and Pumpkins

Scott, M. Five Little Pumpkins

Wallace, N. Pumpkin Day

Cook a Book

2011-10-06T13:41:00.001-04:00

Look what we did in Cook a Book!

We read awesome stories, including:

Never Say Boo by Robin Pulver

Edgar, Allen, and Poe and the Tell-Tale Beets by Natalie Rompella

and

Bone Soup by Cambria Evans

Then, we made monster cupcakes! They were delicious. We followed this all with racing spiders and awesome trivia.

Check out the next Cook a Book on November 2nd at 3:30. Hope to see you there!

Cook a Book

2011-10-02T15:30:00.000-04:00

Dragon Storytime

2011-10-01T14:29:00.000-04:00

This week's theme was dragons! This is what we did:

Songs and Fingerplays

Little Dragon

(suit actions to words)

Little Dragon counts to three,

Little Dragon bends one knee.

Little Dragon touches his toes,

Little Dragon touches his nose.

Little Dragon makes a funny face,

Little Dragon runs in place.

Little Dragon lays on the floor,

Little Dragon starts to snore.

Swing Your Dragon Tail

(suit actions to words)

Turn around once and swing your dragon tail.

Turn around twice and flap your wings like sails.

Turn around three times, stomp your feet and roar.

Jump up high, then sit down on the floor.

I’m a Little Dragon

(Tune: I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little dragon,

strong and stout.

Here is my tail and

here is my snout.

If you get me upset,

you better watch out!

I’ll give you something

to shout about

Three Knights in Shining Armor

Three knights in shining armor,

Fearless and brave,

Went dragon hunting

Deep in a cave.

The dragon started breathing fire,

The knights’ knees were all aquiver,

So one little knight

Took off running for the river!

One little knight in shining armor….

So the last little knight

Took off running for the river!

Dragon Pokey

(version of Hokey Pokey!)

You put your right claw in,

You put your right claw out,

You put your right claw in,

And you shake it all about,

You do the dragon pokey

and you turn yourself around

That what it's all about.

... left claw
...tail

... dragon self

Breathing Fire

(tune: London Bridges)

Little Dragon, breathing fire

Breathing fire, breathing fire

Little dragon breathing fire

Little dragon!

…toward the ground

…on your head!

…on your nose

….in the sky!

Five Little Dragons

One little dragon with scales of blue;

Ran to meet the green one,

And then there were two.

Two little dragons sitting under a tree;

The red dragon joined them,

And then there were three.

Three little dragons, wishing there were more;

Along came the purple dragon,

And then there were four.

Four little dragons, happy to be alive;

Found a yellow dragon,

And then there were five.

Five little dragons all out to play;

“Watch out, they breathe fire,” is all I have to say.

Books

Broach, E. Hiding Hoover

Hunter, J. Little Ones Do

Larochelle, D. The Best Pet of All

Mayhew, J. Who Wants a Dragon?

Thomas, S. Good Night, Good Knight

October Calendar

2011-09-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

Bedtime Storytime

2011-09-28T10:57:00.001-04:00

We had a blast at our first ever Bedtime Storytime. Missed it? Well, here's what we did!

Rhymes and Lyrics

Open Shut Them

Open shut them, Open shut them,

Give a little clap clap clap!

Open shut them, Open shut them,

Put them in your lap, lap, lap!

Creep them, crawl them,

Right up to your chin, chin, chin!

Open wide your little mouth,

But do not let them in!

Sun and Moon

Moon comes out. (Hand forms crescent)

Sun goes in. (Place other hand behind back.)

Here is a blanket to cuddle your chin. (Place hands under chin)

Moon goes in. (Place moon behind back)

And Sun comes out. (hold out hand)

Throw off the blanket and wiggle about.

Five little monkeys

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

So Momma called the doctor and the doctor said

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!

…4…3…2…1

There were five in the bed

There were five in the bed and the little one said Roll over! Roll over!

So they all rolled over and one fell out

…4…3…2…1

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are. (hold hands up high and sway them)

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky. (make diamond shape with fingers)

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are! (hold hands up and sway)

Two Little Blackbirds

Two little blackbirds sitting on the hill

One named Jack and one named Jill

Fly away, Jack

Fly away, Jill

Come back, Jack

Come back, Jill

Two little blackbirds sitting on the hill

One named Jack and one named Jill

Baby Monkey Go To Sleep

(to the tune of London Bridges)

Baby Monkey go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep….

Baby Monkey go to sleep,

Baby Monkey…

...wake up now, jump around, go to sleep

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear, touch the ground

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, wink an eye.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, reach up high.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the lights.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good-night!

If You’re Sleepy And You Know It

If you’re sleepy and you know it yawn like this (yawn)

If you’re sleepy and you know it and you really want to show it

If you’re sleepy and you know it yawn like this (yawn)

… stretch like this… (stretch)

… go to sleep… (pretend sleeping)

Good-Bye Song

(Tune of London Bridge)

Bye, good-bye we’ll see you soon,

See you soon, see you soon

Bye, good-bye we’ll see you soon

On another day!

Books

Markes, J. Shhhhh! Everybody’s Sleeping

Rosenthal, A. Little Hoot

Stein, E. Interrupting Chicken

Willems, M. Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late

Hope to see you on October 25th at 7 pm for the next Bedtime Storytime.

Pirate Storytime

2011-09-15T15:24:00.002-04:00

September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. In honor of this most wonderful of observations, we had a pirate storytime!

Songs, Rhymes and Fingerplays

The Ship on the Waves

(tune: The Wheels on the Bus)

The ship on the waves goes rock, rock, rock

Rock, rock, rock – rock, rock, rock

The ship on the waves goes rock, rock, rock.

On the deep blue sea.

Other verses: The pirates on the ship sing Yo-ho-ho…..

The wind in the sails goes swish, swish, swish….

10 Little Pirates Raise the Sail

1 little, 2 little, 3 little pirates

4 little, 5 little, 6 little pirates

7 little, 8 little, 9 little pirates

10 little pirates raise the sail!

The Day I went to Sea

(suit actions to words)

When I was one, I sucked my thumb

The day I went to sea.

I jumped aboard a pirate ship

And the captain said to me

We're going this way, and that way

And forward and backward

Across the deep blue sea.

When I was two, I tied my shoe...

When I was three, I scraped my knee...

When I was four, I shut the door...

When I was five, I learned to dive...

Pirate, Pirate

Pirate, pirate turn around

Pirate, pirate touch the ground

Pirate, pirate show your shoe

Pirate, pirate that will do

Pirate, pirate reach up high

Pirate, pirate wink an eye

Pirate, pirate slap your knees

Pirate, pirate sit down please

Two Little Pirates

Two Little pirates sailing on a ship

One named Chuck and one named Chip

Sail away Chuck, sail away Chip

Come back Chuck and come back Chip

Over the Waves

Over the waves (Make waves with hands)

With his boat and his oar (row)

One little pirate came to shore (Hold up one finger)

He buried his treasure deep in the sand (Pretend to dig)

Got back in his boat, and left the land (Place finger(s) on cupped hand (boat). )

I’m A Pirate

(tune: If You’re Happy & You know it)

I’m a scary pirate on my ship! Argh! Argh!

I will sail to each new place with this scary looking face

I’m a scary pirate on my ship! Argh! Argh!

….silly…happy…angry

Books:

Bloom, S. Treasure

Fox, C. Pirate Piggy Wiggy

Mitton, T. Once Upon a Tide

Peck, J. Pirate Treasure Hunt

Shaw, N. Sheep on a Ship

Thomson, N. Pirates, Ho!

Pirate Party

2011-09-15T15:14:00.000-04:00

Cook a Book

2011-09-03T10:55:00.001-04:00

School is back in session. This means Early Release Wednesdays!

Do you have plans?

Come check out Cook a Book!

Kids 5-12, join us September 7th at 3:30 pm

to make piratey snacks, share books, play games, answer trivia questions and win prizes!

Hope to see you there!

Labor Day

2011-09-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

All branches of the Jacksonville Public Library will be closed on Sunday, September 4th and Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day.

Libraries will reopen on Tuesday, September 6th.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Cooking With Henry and Elliebelly - Book Trailer

2011-09-01T10:47:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wanted to have your very own cooking show? Henry and Elliebelly do! With the magic of imagination, they transform an everyday task into a television sensation with Elliebelly adding comic relief at every turn.

If you like to prepare (or eat!) food, you should come to Cook a Book. This program is on the first early release Wednesday of every month and is for ages 5-12. We prepare a snack, share books, play games, answer trivia and try to win prizes. It is seriously fun and the next one is September 7th at 3:30.

See you there!

September Calendar

2011-08-31T10:46:00.000-04:00

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk by George Beard and Harold Hutchins

2011-08-11T10:57:00.001-04:00

Are you a fan of Captain Underpants? Wondering what else to read?

How about one of the graphic novels by your favorite characters, George Beard and Harold Hutchins? They have created two books (so far!), The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby and this hilarious story, The Adventures of Ook and Gluk.

Library Day at the Jacksonville Suns

2011-08-03T14:21:00.000-04:00

Library Day is this Sunday, August 7th! Kids get free admission with the purchase of adult admission.

Check your local library for entry forms to win a bike at the game!

August Calendar

2011-08-01T10:44:00.000-04:00

Music Club w/ After The Bomb Baby!

2011-07-27T13:27:00.004-04:00

We recently had our 4th Music Club program. This one featured a local band called After The Bomb, Baby! I'm not sure who had more fun - the parents or the kids. Either way, we all got to learn about some new instruments, and of course how to dance to the 'Backwards Frankenstein", a song that kids were singing all the way home I'm sure.

...After learning about the vocoder and a new dance!

Guest vocals for the song "Viper."

A special guest recording a sample for the magic glove!

And of course all the kids had to hear "Doing the Backwards Frankenstein" one more time!

Thanks again to After The Bomb, Baby!

It's A Book - By Lane Smith

2011-07-26T17:37:00.000-04:00

In this hilarious new book by Lane Smith, two readers compare print to digital media- and find out that books are still valuable (and funny!).

Like Lane Smith? Why not try some of his other books like:

The Big Elephant in the Room

Madam President

John, Paul, George and Ben....

not to mention the many that he has illustrated.

Check them out!

Ron Anglin- Juggler!

2011-07-24T15:07:00.000-04:00

Have you been to any of our Summer Reading programs? If not, you're really missing out. Be sure NOT to miss Ron Anglin. He will be performing in the auditorium on the conference level of the Main Library this Tuesday- July 26th at 11 am. Want to know more about him? Check out his website at: http://www.quiteacatch.net/

Music Club!

2011-07-21T10:23:00.003-04:00

Our newest program series, Music Club, has really taken off. Check out some of the special guests we'd had so far!

Von Barlow's Jazz Journey taught the kids about Jazz.

Tony Steve taught the kids about an array or percussion instruments and how they are used in film.

Tropic of Cancer taught the kids about world music.

... and even got the kids up on stage for a jam session.

Our next Music Club program is July 26th and features After The Bomb, Baby! Learn more about it here.

See you then!

I'm a Shark: Bob Shea's AWESOME Book

2011-07-20T10:25:00.000-04:00

In I'm A Shark by Bob Shea, a boastful shark is not afraid of anything, which impresses his underwater friends until they ask about spiders.

Like this book? Well why not try other books by Bob Shea like:

Dinosaur vs. The Potty

Oh, Daddy

Race You to Bed

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime

and my personal favorite....

NEW SOCKS!!

Music Club with After The Bomb Baby! July 26th

2011-07-19T09:38:00.001-04:00

Our special guest for this July 26th Music Club program is electro-punk party band After the Bomb, Baby! ATBB's eclectic multi-instrumental lineup includes guitar, bass, electronic and acoustic drums, four synthesizers, bongos, a trombone, and even a cowbell. For this installment of Music Club, the band will demonstrate how each individual musical instrument in the band contributes to form a complete song. The program will showcase ATBB’s most fun, danceable tunes and children will be invited to try out the instruments themselves!

Music Club is geared towards children ages 8-12, although children ages 6-14 may attend. We’ll explore different types of music, and learn about particular artists / composers, instruments and theory. And we'll have special guest performers and speakers!

Join us in the Hicks Auditorium on the conference level of the Main Library for this event on July 26th at 4pm.

Ronald McDonald Storytime

2011-07-18T15:55:00.001-04:00

Summer Reading is going strong- as are the Summer Reading programs!

Tomorrow (July 19th) at 11am, Ronald McDonald will be at the Main Library in the auditorium on the conference level! He will be reading books, telling jokes and being generally hilarious. If you are between the ages of 6 and 12, this is the program for you!

After hanging out with Ronald McDonald, come upstairs to show us your reading log or sign up for summer reading.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

2011-07-13T09:55:00.000-04:00

Have you read any of the Kid's Choice books?

The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angelberger is one of the choices. Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making Origami Yoda. It is sure to be a hilarious story!

Voting has begun so come into your library and check out some of these books.

Summer Reading

2011-07-11T11:31:00.000-04:00

Have you signed up for Summer Reading yet?

Check out the One World, Many Stories programs.

Sign up at the Children's desk. Set a goal for how many books you will read over the summer. Keep track of the titles you've read in your reading log. Every week, come back. We'll give you a small prize just for reading! For every book you read, we'll put up an airplane- come be a part of our flight path!

Every week we'll also give you an entry form. You can choose which prize you'd like to try and win. At the end of the summer, we'll draw names and you might win one of the big prizes. Prizes include:

Red Wagon

$20 gift card from Chamblin's book store

Cummer Family Membership

MOCA Family Membership

4 tickets to Wild Adventures

If you meet your reading goal, you'll win a book at the end of the summer. Not bad for reading, right?!?

Scaredy Squirrel at night

2011-07-09T11:12:00.000-04:00

Another hilarious book by Melanie Watt! Scaredy comes up with a Bad Dream Action Plan to avoid sleep but between counting stars, playing cymbals and making scrapbooks, disaster still strikes and exhaustion takes its toll. Will Scaredy survive this ordeal? Will he find sweet dreams?

Check out awesome books by Melanie Watt such as:

Scaredy Squirrel

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach

Scaredy Squirrel at Night

Chester

Chester's Masterpiece

Augustine

You're Finally Here

Have I Got a Book for You

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

Have a happy Independence Day!

Remember, Jacksonville Public Libraries will be closed Sunday, July 3rd and Monday, July 4th in observance of the holiday. The Main Library will open again on Tuesday, July 5th at 9am.

July Calendar

2011-07-01T10:42:00.000-04:00

Music Club with Tropic of Cancer - July 12th

2011-06-29T13:48:00.002-04:00

On July 12th come meet and hear the six musicians that are Tropic of Cancer. They have a sound and style derived from a variety of musical influences, combining odd time signature, angular rhythms with Jazz, Reggae, Samba and African rhythms. They are called Tropic of Cancer since much of their inspiration came from the warm latitudes of Jamaica, West Africa, India, the Middle East and Latin America. Come learn about the band’s "New World Lounge” sound of drums, percussion, vibraphone, saxophone, guitar, and fretless bass. They’ll also be bringing instruments for the kids to use to play along!

Music Club is a program series geared towards ages 8-12, although ages 6-14 are more than welcome to come. The program is held in the Main Library Auditorium the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 4pm. Call 630-2417 for more information.

Kid's Choice 2011

2011-06-28T12:04:00.001-04:00

Voting for the Kid's Choice Award 2011 has begun!

Wondering what to read this summer? Well, why not try one of the nominees for the Kid's Choice Award?

There are 9 books to choose from and we'd love to know your pick!

Music Club with Tony Steve! June 28th!

2011-06-16T11:49:00.005-04:00

Our next Music Club is June 28^th in the Main Library Auditorium and it starts at 4pm. Remember the class is geared to children ages 8-12, but we welcome children ages 6-14.

Our very special guest for this program is Tony Steve! He'll be using our big movie screen to show some silent film shorts as he produces a live soundtrack with percussion instruments. He'll be talking to the children about different percussion instruments, and how they create different moods in cinema.

Tony Steve is a professor of percussion and composition at Jacksonville University. He has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony (member 13 years), Israeli Festival Orchestra, Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, North Eastern Pennsylvania Symphony, Greenwich Symphony, and Bridgeport Symphony as a percussionist.

He has toured with “A Chorus Line” in Europe, appeared in Korea as marimba soloist with the Brooklyn Percussion Ensemble, and performed as percussionist at Madison Square Garden for “A Christmas Carol”. In addition, he has worked with Henry Mancini, Lou Rawls, Sheri Lewis and The Xaiver Cugat Orchestra. Professor Steve has also won numerous ASCAP writers awards and his music is performed in America as well as Europe and Asia.

We're very excited to have such a unique and amazing performer for our next installment of Music Club!

You can listen some of Professor Steve's own compositions here. And here is a .pdf of our flier.

And here's a small sample of some of the film he'll be providing a soundtrack for...

See you June 28th!

Music Club!

2011-06-15T14:59:00.001-04:00

Our first Music Club program was amazing. Von Barlow and his band playing a few songs for the kids and mixed things up with plenty of discussion about what instruments they played and how the instruments worked. He even got all the kids on stage to play his new drum invention the clix sticks.

Check out a video of the band playing at the library here.

A big thanks to Von Barlow and his band for coming to our debut Music Club program!

Summer Reading

2011-06-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

Have you signed up yet? Here's how it works...

Summer Reading

2011-06-03T13:51:00.000-04:00

Summer Reading has begun at your library! So,

Why not visit the Main library?

For kids 6-12, we have awesome events just for the summer:

Tuesdays @ 11- Special Presenters

6/14- Jacksonville Zoo

6/21- Curious Moon

6/28- TheatreWorks - must 353-3500 call to make reservation

7/5- Didgeridoo Down Under

7/12- Diane Delange- Sign Language Storyteller

7/19- Ronald McDonald

7/26- Ron Anglin- Juggler

8/2- Kate Byrnes- Traditional Storyteller

... and of course we have our full calendar of regularly scheduled programs; from Storytime to Music Club, Dramarama to Tween thing. Check it out!

June Calendar

2011-06-01T16:57:00.000-04:00

Music Club with Von Barlow's Jazz Journey!

2011-05-26T16:05:00.003-04:00

We are starting a library program in June simply called Music Club. It will be held every other Tuesday at 4pm and geared towards children 8-12, although any child 6-14 may attend. We’ll explore different types of music, and learn about particular artists / composers, instruments and theory.

We're already getting musicians and performers for the classes! They’ll be talking about their personal history as a musician, what sort of places they play and record, going into depth about the instrument they play, is it the main source of income for them.. etc. The class is an hour long, and while they certainly don’t have to take up that entire time slot, they are being given free rein to do so. And hopefully at the end of class we can break the kids up into groups and have them go to instrument stations – getting to hold and play some of the instruments.
Our Music Club kicks off June 14th at 4pm with Von Barlow's Jazz Journey! He's played with Ray Charles, Etta James, Harry Connick Jr and Bunky Green (...just to name a few) and he'll be coming to play with his band and talk with kids at the Main Library in the auditorium.

If you have any questions, give us a call at 630-2417.

Thanks!

-Josh

PS. For our second installment (June 28th) we'll be having Tony Steve, a Jacksonville University professor of world and contemporary music, with a specialization in percussion. He'll be sharing with us how percussion instruments can be used for soundtracks for silent films.(!!!)

Thank you Trad's Garden Center!

2011-05-19T16:56:00.001-04:00

The Main Library Children's Department wishes to express a formal thank you to Trad's Garden Center for coming out last month to teach our young patrons about Butterfly Gardening! This is the third year in a row that Trad's has donated their time and their plants to our library community. We appreciate such generosity and hope our patrons get a chance to stop by Trad's Garden Center to see their new children's area!

Wanderful Wizardry

2011-05-19T08:53:00.000-04:00

Calendar

2011-05-01T13:46:00.000-04:00

Library Advocacy

2011-04-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

We've heard from a lot of you that you are concerned about the proposed budget cuts at city and state level and how this will impact the service and materials at your library.

We know you want to help- and here's how. Let the decision makers know what is important to you. Advocate for us- and for the services that make up your library experience. Click on the banner above or go to: http://ilovejpl.com/ to get more information about the possible cuts, how this will affect us (and you!) and who to contact.

Easter Closing

2011-04-21T13:18:00.000-04:00

The library will be closed on Sunday, April 24th in observance of Easter. We will reopen on Monday, April 25th at 9am.

Grossology

2011-04-20T13:37:00.001-04:00

Magic Tree House Book Club

2011-04-19T13:28:00.002-04:00

National Library Week

2011-04-09T09:22:00.000-04:00

Welcome to National Library Week! Obviously, we love our libraries every day of the year but it is good to have an event to showcase our devotion!

Have you been into the library this week and seen the posters showing the library's worth? Check it out:

- Libraries produce $4 in value for each $1.

- Volunteers contributed 30,867 hours.

- 198,154 people attended library programs, including 163,324 children.

- Children spent 5.6 million minutes on library computers.

- Every 1.5 seconds, people use the library.

- Librarians answered 1 million questions.

- Three times more people visited libraries than attended live sports events.

Are you curious about what the library is worth to you? Click on the image below to calculate the library's value to you and your family.

Don't forget to stop by this week for all of our great programs:

4/13

10:30- Portuguese Storytime

11- Preschool at the Library

11:45- Preschool Project

4/14

10:30- Toddler Power Hour

1:00- Parent and Child Playtime

3:00- Art Club

4:00- Dramarama

4/15

9:30- Mother Goose

10:00- Toddler Time

10:30- Toddler Art

11:00- Family Preschool Storytime

11:45- Family Art Time

4/16

9:30- Mother Goose

10:30- Toddler Art

11:00- Family Preschool Storytime

11:45- Family Art Time

2:00- Storybook Theatre

Riverside Arts Market

2011-04-08T08:41:00.000-04:00

Jacksonville Public Library will be at the Children's Creativity Corner at the Arts Market this Saturday (April 9th).

Join us to make your very own bookmark out of old catalog cards. It is almost National Library Week and how better to celebrate than by having a piece of library history as your very own bookmark?

Check out the Arts Market website for more things you can see and do @: http://www.riversideartsmarket.com/

Don't forget all the fun things happening at your library this week- and every week. Check us out @:

http://jaxpubliclibrary.org/

Happy Birthday....

2011-04-07T14:40:00.000-04:00

Jackie Chan!

Jackie Chan was born on April 7th, 1954 in Hong Kong.

What better way to celebrate his birthday than with books? Check out some Jackie Chan Adventures today!

Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre

2011-04-05T13:53:00.000-04:00

Not only can you check out awesome material with your library card, but it can save you money! Just click on the flier above for more information on how you can save $$ at the Florida Theatre- just by showing your card!

Guitar Lessons for Kids Start in May!

2011-04-04T14:49:00.001-04:00

Group Guitar Lessons at The Main Library
Wednesday night classes start in May!

* FREE GUITAR LESSONS for children ages 9-14.
* Guitar ownership not mandatory, but highly recommended for practicing.
* Learn basic guitar technique, chords, songs and more!
* Register at the children’s desk at the Main Library!
* Limit of 10 children per session.
* Please only register if child can attend all four classes in the session.

* Direct inquires to Josh Jubinsky in the Children’s Department, 630-2417.

April Fool's!

2011-04-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

It is April Fool's Day! What better way to celebrate this day than with tricks, pranks and other foolishness? In France, today is called Poisson D'Avril- April Fish. All day, people try and stick paper fish on each other's backs. So, if you come to the library today- watch your back... and laugh!

There are lots of fun books to check out to continue the celebration at home. Some of our favorites are:

Arthur worries about remembering his magic tricks for the April Fool's Day assembly and Binky's threats to pulverize him.

Grandma, Grandpa, and the grandkids enjoy April Fools' Day on the farm. Hilarity ensues as the kids try to trick Grandpa.

On April Fools' Day, Gilbert is unhappy that everyone is tricking him and he is unable to get them back, but then he thinks of a great way to fool his best friend

Calendar

2011-03-31T13:14:00.000-04:00

Trad's Presents: A Butterfly Garden Event

2011-03-30T13:46:00.001-04:00

The Children's Chapter

2011-03-24T11:39:00.008-04:00

Were you able to make it to the Children's Chapter on Saturday?

Jane Wood was there! She did a wonderful presentation and signed some of her books.

Have you read Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, a Princess and a Buried Treasure?

Come on in and check it out!

Kimberly Willis Holt read her new picture book The Adventures of Granny Clearwater & Little Critter and a chapter from her popular series Piper Reed Navy Brat.

Guess who Piper Reed is based on? Did you think it would be Kimberly Willis Holt? Nope! Piper Reed is based on her younger sister. The character Tori is actually based on the author!

After her presentation, Ms. Holt was available to sign some of her books.

Come in and check some out- see if you can find the ones with her signature in them!

Dr. Katie Monnin (the coolest UNF professor ever!) talked about why graphic novels are awesome, important reads for kids.

She also talked about her upcoming book Teaching Early Reader Comics and Graphic Novels as well as her book Teaching Graphic Novels: Practical Strategies for the Secondary Ela Classroom.

They are both really cool, useful books for teachers as well as anyone who wants to be able to talk about how and why to use graphic novels with kids.

And did you spot Clifford? Our favorite big red dog made an appearance, delighting children throughout the day.

These were just a few of the great things Saturday had in store. Keep an eye out for upcoming programs- you just never know who you'll find at the library!

Too Many Fairies: A Celtic Tale

2011-03-17T10:44:00.000-04:00

Looking for a good book to read on St. Patrick's Day? Why not try this Celtic tale by Margaret Read?

--- First page---

There once was an old woman who hated housework! Wash the dishes! Sweep the floor! Make the bed! Do the knitting.

One day she began to grumble.

Work! Work! Work!

How I hate it! Hate it! Hate it!

No sooner were these words out of her mouth than there came a knocking at the door...

Knock! Knock! Knock!

----------------

What could possible go wrong in this story of fairies, housework and a little old Irish woman? Check it out to read more- and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Conversation Station/ Imagination Squared

2011-03-15T17:27:00.001-04:00

Have you seen the new display in the Conference Center at Main? Local artists decorated 5x5 inch squares- 910 of them in total! They are now permanently installed in the Main Library. Come check them out. Kids, when you're here, visit the children's department and decorate your own 6x6 inch paper square to help us make a display in our department.

To learn more about Imagination Squared- click:

http://jaxpubliclibrary.org/progs/main/imagination-squared.html

Much Ado About Books

2011-03-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

The Children's Chapter of Much Ado About Books will be at the Main Library on March 19th. It is a cool, free event with author readings, activities and more. For more information, check out http://www.muchadoaboutbooks.com/

Savvy book trailer

2011-03-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Turning 13 can be hard- would it make it easier if you were given a superpower, a savvy, on your birthday? Read what happens has Mibs Beaumont reaches this important day- just as her father is injured in a terrible accident. Gripping read- and if you like this title, check out the sequal, Scumble.

Activity Calendar

2011-03-01T14:01:00.000-05:00

School Age Calendar

2011-03-01T13:21:00.001-05:00

Al Capone Shines My Shoes

2011-02-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

In the follow up to Al Capone Does My Shirts, Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that noted gangster Al Capone- a prisoner there- wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose.

Intrigue and adventure abound in this much anticipated sequal.

Happy reading.

Downloadable Media

2011-02-22T13:42:00.000-05:00

Have you checked out the E-books and More link on our homepage? You can download movies, e-books and audio books all from the comfort of your own home. There is a large selecetion and included children's fiction.

Happy browsing!

Presidents' Day

2011-02-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

We will be closed on Monday, February 21st in observance of Presidents' Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, February 22nd at 9am.

Presidents' Day Celebration

2011-02-17T09:53:00.001-05:00

Magic Tree House Book Club

2011-02-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

Love, Splat

2011-02-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is very near. There are many great books to help you celebrate that loving feeling. Check out one of our favorites.

Splat has a very special valentine for someone in his class. Read all about it in...

Love, Splat.

Be sure to stop by the library to pick up wonderful books to share with your valentine.

Traveling Tales

2011-02-07T08:58:00.004-05:00

Do you love storytime and wish you could do the programs at home?

Well, you can!

We've done all the work for you by collecting books, puppets, songs, activity ideas, and flannel board stories relating to one theme.

For a full list of the themes, click here.

The Library’s free Traveling Tales is a unique collection of thematic story time programs. Each Traveling Tales box contains a children’s program you can check out and take home.

Traveling Tales boxes encourage reading readiness and language skills for children ages two through five.

You can borrow up to 5 boxes for three weeks and return them to any Jacksonville Public Library location.

Call (904) 630-2417 to reserve Traveling Tales. Give the staff the box number listed beside each theme when you order.

For a full list of the themes, click here.

Have a happy storytime!

Author and Illustrator Week

2011-02-04T12:07:00.007-05:00

It is still National Author and Illustrator Week and to continue the celebration, we are featuring one of our favorite authors AND illustrators.

Remember Summer Reading 2009?

David Catrow urged us to be creative at our library through his bright, eye-catching illustrations. He has been doing this through his illustrations in some awesome books for years:

The Emperor's Old Clothes written by Kathryn Lasky

This book is a continuation of "The Emperor's New Clothes" in which a simple farmer finds the emperor's old clothes on his way home from the market and decides to put them on.

Cinderella Skeleton by Robert San Souci

A rhyming retelling of the story of a young woman who finds her prince at a Halloween ball despite the efforts of her wicked stepmother. The main characters are skeletons.

Take Me Out of the Bathtub by Alan Katz

Well-known songs, including "Oh Susannah" and "Row Row Row Your Boat," are presented with new words and titles, such as "I'm So Carsick" and "Go Go Go to Bed."

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More written by Karen Beaumont

In the rhythm of a familiar folk song, a child cannot resist adding one more dab of paint in surprising places.

Now David Catrow is delighting early readers with his Max Spaniel Series. He is both author and illustrator of these wonderful books.

Max Spaniel: Funny Lunch written and illustrated by David Catrow

Max Spaniel is chef at his own diner, where he serves up one hysterical meal after another.

Check out more books written and/ or illustrated by David Catrow or find your own favorite to celebrate with this week- and throughout the year!

February Calendar

2011-02-01T08:45:00.002-05:00

February Calendar- for Kids 6-12

2011-02-01T08:30:00.007-05:00

Did you know that we offer programs for school aged kids too? We have always had these programs on our monthly calendars but we know that sometimes they get lost among all the preschool programs so here is a calendar of events just for school agers. Hope to see you at one (or all!) of our fun programs.

Author and Illustrator Week

2011-01-31T14:08:00.000-05:00

This week is Author and Illustrator Week and what better way to celebrate than to feature some fun books with cool illustrations?

The Recess Queen -written by Alexis O'Neill ; illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith is a great book.

Mean Jean is the biggest bully on the school playground until a new girl arrives and challenges Jean's status as the Recess Queen. The vibrant illustrations throughout will help bring home the message against bullying.

Watch the book trailer on Youtube-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_kj5ZLrIJw

and print out and enjoy a great bookmark at

http://www.childrensauthorsnetwork.com/author/dl/AO_Recess%20Queen%20Bookmark.pdf

Llama Llama Red Pajama read aloud by Anna Dewdney

2011-01-27T10:00:00.002-05:00

Enjoy storytime at home as Anna Dewdney, author of the Llama Llama books, reads "Llama Llama Red Pajama". Once you've fallen in love with her style and illustrations, check out other Anna Dewdney books such as:

Grumpy Gloria

Nobunny's Perfect

Roly Poly Pangolin

And the winner is....

2011-01-25T09:53:00.001-05:00

You voted. It won!

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix is an exciting suspenseful mystery introducing a new series of books about "the missing". A plane landed thirteen years ago, unexpectedly, at an airport with no crew, no adults- just thirty six babies. Who are these children and what will become of them? Read to find out!

Keep checking back to see what the nominations for Kid's Choice 2011 will be and let your vote decide this year's winner.

Nana Cracks the Case

2011-01-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

When you think of grandmas, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I bet it is warm cookies, knitting, telling stories- that kind of thing, right? Well, not the Nana in this story. When she answers an ad in the paper to become a detective, she gets involved in a big case and big adventure!

This was one of the picks for Kid's Choice Award 2010. Who knows what will be in store for 2011! Stay tuned.

Odd and the Frost Giants - Book Trailer

2011-01-20T12:29:00.000-05:00

Newbery award winner, Neil Gaiman, penned this short tale about Odd, a boy with a bad leg who must do great things. He draws on Norse mythology to create this interesting tale.

This was one of the nominations for the 2010 Kid's Choice awards. Check back for more of the nominations from last year and this year's picks!

More About Boy: Tales from Childhood

2011-01-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

Are you a fan of Roald Dahl's amazing books? Love Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to name but a few? Us too! Ever wondered where he got the ideas for his books? Well, his childhood has some of the answers. Check out "More About Boy" to learn about Roald Dahl's exciting childhood.

This was one of the nominations for the 2010 Kid's Choice Award. Keep checking back to see more of the nominations (and the winner) before we reveal the picks for 2011.

Martin Luther King Jr Birthday

2011-01-16T12:51:00.000-05:00

Remember tomorrow, January 17th, is Martin Luther King Jr Day.

All Jacksonville Public Libraries will be closed in observation.

We will reopen on Tuesday at 9:00 am.

Make sure to check out some of the books about this inspiring man and learn more about the civil rights movement.

Book Trailer: My Rotten Life by David Lubar

2011-01-13T09:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a really, REALLY bad day? So bad, you thought your life was rotten? Well imagine if it was! For Nathan, becoming a Zombie was an accident- but can it be reversed before its too late?

"My Rotten Life: Nathan Ambercrombie, Accidental Zombie" was one of the picks for potential 2010 Kid's Choice Award winner. It is a fun read, you should check it out! Stay tuned as we remember all of last year's books before we reveal the nominations for Kid's Choice 2011!

Language of Conservation: Richard Lewis

2011-01-12T11:22:00.001-05:00

Jacksonville Public Library is pleased to host poet Richard Lewis for this program, specifically for children. Hope to see you all there!

Preschool at the Library/ Jacksonville Zoo

2011-01-12T09:08:00.002-05:00

Preschool children between the ages of 3 and 5, join us today as we welcome the Jacksonville Zoo for a storytime with some of their favorite animals. See you at 11 for a unique Preschool at the Library!

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

2011-01-11T17:47:00.001-05:00

Can you imagine being an orphan, living in the barn with your brother with a mean uncle as your guardian? It would seem like things couldn't get worse... until your uncle sells your brother into the army and he must go and fight in the Civil War. What would you do? For Homer, the choice was to follow his brother. He manages to get into a lot of hilarious, frightening and awesome adventures (such as flying in a hot air balloon, being a pig boy in a freak show and helping on the Underground Railroad). Will he find his brother? What will become of them?

Find out in "The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg".

This was one of the nominations for Kid's Choice Award 2010. Stay tuned for more about last year's books and the big reveal- which books will be up for the award this year?

Cook a Book

2011-01-11T13:20:00.002-05:00

The Magicians Elephant

2011-01-09T17:36:00.000-05:00

This clip is a little longer than most we've posted but is a rare treat! Kate DiCamillo is reading the first chapter of her book, "The Magician's Elephant." This was one of the books that was up for the Kid's Choice Award 2010. Stay tuned for more book trailers of the other nominations before we reveal the books you can choose from for the Kid's Choice Award 2011.

Guys Read: Funny Business - The Joke

2011-01-06T10:07:00.002-05:00

Some of the best authors in children's fiction tell "The Joke."
You think it is funny?
So do we! Check out the book "Guys Read: Funny Business" from your local library to read more stories just like this!