Save money @ Stratford Library

Have you used the Stratford Library to help save money during tough times? Share your story with Woman’s Day magazine! Do you have a story about using the resources and services at the library to save money, search for a job or manage your small business? If so, you could be selected to appear in Woman’s Day magazine. Between February 17 – May 18, women 18 and over are invited to tell their story in 700 words or less and send it to womansday@ala.org. Up to four stories will be highlighted in the March 2010 issue of Woman’s Day. For more information and to read the official rules, visit www.womansday.com/ala. The initiative was developed by Stratford Library Association, Woman’s Day and the American Library Association’s (ALA) Campaign for America’s Libraries, (ala.org/@yourlibrary) ALA's public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. To read the Women's Day March 2009 article "The Library Made Me Healthier" click here

Sensory Storytime

Sensory Storytime will meet this Saturday, March 14th at 10:30 a.m. And ... this week's theme is blocks! I've had a peek in the box, and there are crunchy blocks, squishy blocks, and blocks with bells inside. Share stories and songs and then use all your senses to enjoy everybody's favorite toy ... blocks!

Sensory Storytime is designed for special needs children with tactile interest. Please call the Children's Department at 385-4165 to register, or for more information.

Read Around The World

Travel the world through books! Last week, we displayed India-themed books to celebrate the Oscar wins for the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." This week, check out the fiction books from or about Ireland, currently displayed in the lobby. Later in the month? Who knows where you'll go!

Stratford Library in your in-box!

Would you like to sign up for email-delivered news about great books, movies, library events and more? Then look no further than the bright yellow Post-it note on our library's home page! When you click on the Post-it, you will see a list of terrific topics such as "Audio" or "Book Club Choices" or "Libros en Espanol" and much, much more. Sign up for email delivery of any or all the newsletters, or select the RSS Feeds option to the left of the long list of newsletter descriptions. Enjoy!

Award Winning Books

Okay, so I'm a few weeks late, but we're all busy people, and if you're like me, you may not have yet read this year's award winning children's books. Probably the book with the most media buzz is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It won this year's Newbery Award, which, to refresh our collective memory, is for excellence in literature. The winner needs to be an American or living in America. In his book, Gaiman describes a human baby raised by ghosts with all the concomitant sadness and humor. Gaiman is also well known for twittering in, um, colorful language, upon receiving the news of his award. But, hey, I'm sure it was an exciting moment. The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson won this year's Caldecott book. The Caldecott award is for excellence in illustration, so while the words are important, it is much more about the pictoral elements. It is based on an old rhyme, and it's a cumulative story. I would consider it a quiet, bedtime book. The illustrations are black and white scratchboard with gold embellishment. I can't quite decide on an age range; maybe 3 or 4 on up. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta is probably my favorite of the three winners. Jellicoe Road won the Printz Award for excellence in teen literature. This winner does not need to be an American, and I believe Ms. Marchetta is Australian. Jellicoe Road is the story of a boarding school and the mysteries several of its students keep. Students from a military school visit the area each year to camp, and while they are there, an unofficial war takes place. Boarding students, townies, and 'army' boys fight over territory and rights. But this year, the students find out how the war first started, proving the point there are no coincidences. Wonderfully rich and winding.

Be sure to check one out today!

Career Coach Returns!

The Department of Labor will return to the Stratford Library on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 with open sessions from 10-12, and from 1-3 on the very popular, helpful Career Coach bus. Free and open to job seekers 16 years of age and older, this service aims to help with basic computer skills and job hunting. First come, first served. The Career Coach parks on Main Street in front of the library.

Abraham Lincoln - Our Favorite Books

I loved the idea of Obama's favorite books so much, I thought I'd show y'all a smattering of the new crop of Abraham Lincoln books that have been emerging in children's literature lately. Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek by Deborah Hopkinson. This tall tale starts out with the true fact that Abe Lincoln was rescued from a raging river by a friend. Then the book speculates with different stories what would have happened if history hadn't turned out quite the way it did. Honest Abe's Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Doreen Rappaport. Written in free verse, this epic covers the course of Lincoln's life. Spectacular illustrations make this one worth looking at. It received notable reviews from many sources. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming. A unique couple in American history, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln have piqued our interest all along. Now explore portraits, maps, and other primary source materials to decide for yourself what made these great Americans real.