Free Library Blog

Dispatches from the Techmobile

Joel N. — 2012-05-16T12:54:00-05:00

We have had a busy and adventurous week aboard the Techmobile. From geography and map literacy programs for third graders to lots of open access time where adults registered for online banking services, worked on their resumes, set up their new Kindles and learned to download free music from the Free Library's website, we are ready to help with any digital literacy need.

We also visited a Literacy Fair at St. Christopher's Hospital, but our biggest challenged this week has been getting gas. Pumps at the first two depots we visited were out of service, but our third try was a charm. The friendly and generous firefighters at Squad 47 on Grey's Ferry Avenue helped us access their pumps so we could make sure we were rolling today with full air conditioning.

So, a big thank you to the Philadelphia Fire Department from the Free Library's technology outreach team!

To request a visit from the Techmobile, please visit freelibrary.org/techmobile.

Fun With Wordless Picture Books!

Rachel F. — 2012-05-15T11:23:00-05:00

It may seem obvious – but wordless picture books are books with no words!

Since there is no text, wordless picture books are a great way to share books with children -- you can even get your child “read” to you. Talk with your child about what is going on in the pictures -- describe what you think the characters are doing or thinking. Try open ended questions that start with one of the 5 w’s (who, what, where, why, when) to encourage your child to interpret what is going on in the pictures. See if you can guess what is going to happen on the next page based on what is happening on the page you are looking at. As they tells you what is happening in the story, it’s a great way for them to learn that stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. How does the story start (beginning)? What happens next (middle)? How does the story end?

For more titles, check out this list of Fun Wordless Picture Books!

Have favorites not on the list? Please share them in the comments!

Children's Book Week Posters

Andrea Z. — 2012-05-10T10:37:00-05:00

Children's Book Week was established in 1919 and almost from the beginning the Children's Book Council enlisted an illustrator each year to design a commemorative Children's Book Week Poster and Bookmark. A complete collection of Children's Book Week Posters is always on display on the ground floor of Parkway Central. As you walk the hallway you will see the artwork of legendary illustrators including Mercer Mayer, Maurice Sendak, Lauren deBrunhof, and David Wiesner.

Wiesner, who created the original artwork for the Free Library’s 2007 Philadelphia Book Festival, has walked down this hall and is excited to see his newest poster added to the collection. You can listen to him describe the posters and his experience at the 21:10 mark of the 2012 Children's Choice Book Awards Red Carpet Interviews.

The Free Library's Living Library: Everyone Has a Story

Grace R. — 2012-05-08T11:41:00-05:00

Everyone has a story worth sharing and hearing. Discover more about the lives of those around you at the Free Library's first "Living Library" event, which will take place at the Parkway Central branch on Wednesday, June 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. During this special evening, human "books" will be available for three fifteen-minute "reading" periods wherein they can be claimed by patrons interested in learning more about their particular stories. Attendees can ask the books questions about their lives, careers, passions, and interests; participants include the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, the President and Director of the Free Library, and many more! Check out the invite on the right and mark it down on your calendars- this will be a night to remember!

Rest in Peace, Maurice Sendak

Grace R. — 2012-05-08T10:40:00-05:00

Maurice Sendak, beloved children's author/illustrator and noted curmudgeon, died today from complications suffered from a stroke at his home in Danbury, Connecticut. He was 83. Best known for his classic story, Where the Wild Things Are (for which he was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1964), Sendak wrote over a dozen books and illustrated many more. He received the National Medal of Arts in 1996 for his contributions to illustration and to children's literature. To celebrate the man and his wondrous achievements, make sure to check out his hilarious interview with Stephen Colbert from January of this year and keep these words of wisdom from the man himself in mind:

"My big concern is me and what do I do now until the time of my death. That is valid. That is useful. That is beautiful. That is creative. And also, I want to be free again...I want to see me to the end working, living for myself. Ripeness is all. Now, interpreting what ripeness is our own individual problem. … So, what is the point of it all? Not leaving legacies. But being ripe. Being ripe... In other words, you must not waste a second of this deliciousness which for [Keats] was life and being a great poet. That you savor every, everything that happened. I want to get ripe."

Check out our memorial booklist here and read a Sendak story today!

Better a Rhino

Lindsay F. — 2012-05-07T08:53:00-05:00

How do you write a children’s book about political corruption? It becomes quite simple when the real life story features a rhinoceros. Little Una by Elizabeth Olds is about a rhino that lives in a zoo and is beloved by the city’s children. When the mayor and city council decide to sell the rhino in order to build a monument to themselves, the children decide to teach them a lesson. They nominate Little Una for mayor and on election day the rhino wins by a landslide! Appropriately humbled, the city council leads a parade to the zoo and agrees not to sell Little Una.

The book was inspired by real events that took place in São Paulo, Brazil in 1959. The citizens were so fed up with the rampant government corruption that they created a campaign to write in the rhinoceros from the local zoo. Her name was Cacareco, which makes “rubbish” in Portuguese, and she became the mascot for a reform movement. People printed up ballots that listed her as part of the “Independent Party” and her unofficial slogan was, “Better a rhino, than an a**.” When all the ballots were counted she had received a stunning 100,000 votes and beat 11 different political parties in a massive victory!

Elizabeth Olds based her book Little Una on these real life events, but it takes place in a land “far, far away.” The colorful pictures Olds created of the children and animals in the zoo are a combination of several artistic techniques including collage and wood block printing. At the end of the book, the animals watch a wonderful fireworks display and the children bring Little Una flowers on the anniversary of the election. The election in São Paulo was not such a happy tale and was not so easily resolved. Olds’s version makes for a much better picture book.

-Lindsay Friedman

To find out more about the real life story of Cacareco, check out this article from Life Magazine, " Rhino Horns in on a Brazilian Election."

For more about Elizabeth Olds and all of our other authors and illustrators, visit our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for more updates from the Children’s Literature Research Collection.

Hip And Hidden Philadelphia: The Unexpected House In A City Of Tradition - Lecture and Book signing

Karen L. — 2012-05-04T15:54:00-05:00

Thursday, May 10, 2012

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Room 108, Parkway Central Library

Followed by a book signing. Books will be available for purchase.

For most people, Philadelphia is a place of red-brick, Revolutionary War-era structures, or 19th-century townhouses, with 20th-century row-houses added into the mix. But there is more to the story. All across the city – one here, a few there – are unique, surprising homes that are as much a part of the Philadelphia picture as the usual suspects.

Authors Virginia Restemeyer and E.I. Weiner brought together years of research and traveling to every part of the city, looking for and recording these one-of-a-kind houses. In their talk, the authors will show some of the best of the 90-plus properties spotlighted in their book: houses by some of the finest, boldest, most thoughtful, whimsical and singular minds who ever worked and lived in Philadelphia – resulting in the Hip and Hidden city that it is.

Congratulations, Toni Morrison!

Grace R. — 2012-05-03T09:45:00-05:00

"We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives."

-Toni Morrison, “The Nobel Prize in Literature 1993”

Toni Morrison is one of the best examples of those who, in her own words, “do” language -- create it, play with it, enrich it, and further its evolution. Language is a complex system of expression, signification, destruction, and creation. It is performative, symbolic, and all-encompassing. The idea of “doing” language speaks to the need to throw oneself fully into this linguistic labyrinth, poke around, and play. I once heard Morrison deliver a lecture on the “invisible ink” that connects writers to readers who are particularly receptive to their work. This unseen language draws the reader into the story and involves them in its intricacies on a more intimate level. I have always loved her books and her particularly rich way of writing. To celebrate Morrison's receiving this year's Presidential Medal of Freedom, check out our featured podcast from Morrison's talk on her 2008 novel, A Mercy; buy tickets for her forthcoming talk on May 18 at Parkway Central in support of her new book, Home; or check out one of her fantastic books at the Free Library branch nearest to you!

Celebrate Children's Book Week

Sarah S. — 2012-05-02T12:01:00-05:00

Celebrate Children’s Book Week at Your Library

Next week, May 7 to 13, is the longest running literacy initiative in the United States, Children’s Book Week. Every year, we celebrate the best of the best in children’s books.

Wondering what’s going on at your library? Check out your closest library’s page here, or take a look at the list below for a taste of what’s happening all across Philadelphia to celebrate kids and books. From author events to story times to book clubs and even a story time in the park, we've got a lot going on for kids, their parents and educators!

Monday, May 7th at 10:30 am - Dan Gutman, author of the My Weird School, Baseball Card Adventures, and Genius Files series, at the Central Library Montgomery Auditorium. School classes must call the Central Children's Department at (215) 686-5369 to register in advance.

Tuesday, May 8th at 10:30 am - Toddler Story Time at the Roxborough Branch. Bring your children for a program of stories, songs, and activities. The program is designed for children 18 months to 3 years old, but older siblings are welcome too. Groups are welcome but must call (215) 685-2550 in advance.

Wednesday, May 9th at 6:30 pm – Books Aloud! At Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library. Books Aloud! is an educational enrichment initiative that promotes emergent literacy and library services for parents of preschool children, day care providers and preschool teachers. Through a series of monthly workshops, adults are provided with the resources and skills needed to read aloud successfully with young children. To register for the current month, please call the Office of Public Service Support at (215) 686-5372.

Thursday, May 10th at 10:30 am - Preschool Story Time at the Wynnefield Branch. Children and their caregivers are invited to enjoy stories, songs and rhymes. Stories are suitable for children 3-5 years, but all are welcome to join in. Groups must schedule in advance by contacting the library at (215) 685-0298.

Friday, May 11th at 10:30 am - Michael Townsend, author of the Kit Feeny series, Billy Tartle, Monkey and Elephant’s Worst Fight Ever, and Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunder at the Central Library Montgomery Auditorium. School classes must call the Central Children's Department at (215) 686-5369 to register in advance.

Also on Friday, May 11th at 10:30 am - Story Time at Malcolm X Park, 52^nd and Pine Streets. Join us for story time outside at Malcolm X Park, weather permitting. For rainy and inclement weather days, story time will be moved into the Children’s Departments story hour room. For more information, contact the Children’s Department at (215) 685-7422 or visit us on Facebook for our meeting location.

Saturday, May 12th at 2:00 pm - The one and only Jacqueline Woodson, author of The Other Side, Show Way, Feathers, and Locomotion at the Central Library Montgomery Auditorium. For families with children in Kindergarten through grade 4. Call the Central Children's Department at (215) 686-5369 for more information.

Also on Saturday, May 12th at 3:00 pm - Book Club for 3rd and 4th Graders at David Cohen Ogontz Branch. Each week boys and girls in the third and fourth grades read together and share their ideas with Ms. Prather. Call (215) 685-3566 for more information.

Ravens on the Rooftop

Kayleigh M. — 2012-05-02T10:39:00-05:00

THURSDAY, May 31, 2012
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Parkway Central Library Terrace
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine Street, 4^th Floor

Looking for a great way to take advantage of the warmer weather and support the Free Library? Kick off the summer season with the Raven Society and celebrate the best of Philadelphia at its inaugural summer fundraising event, Ravens on the Rooftop.

On Thursday, May 31 from 6-9 p.m., the Raven Society and dozens of young Library supporters (21+ only, please) will gather on the Parkway Central Library's Skyline Terrace to spend a Philly-inspired evening enjoying the best views, local food, craft beverages, prizes, and music that the city has to offer.

Tickets are $20 for Raven members, $30 for general admission, and include all-you-can-eat gourmet cookout and foodtruck fare; an open bar featuring beer, wine, and a specialty cocktail; an entry into a drawing for a great door prize; and the chance to win some fabulous silent auction items. Ticket prices will increase by $5 at the door.

The Raven Society, created for Library supporters who are in their 20s and 30s, hosts a variety of events throughout the year aimed at supporting the Library, advancing its mission, and connecting with other Library lovers in the city. Each year Ravens are invited to literary happy hours throughout the city, meet and greets with talented, up-and-coming young authors, and a variety of other exclusive special events and receptions, such as Ravens on the Rooftop. Join today to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities and help the Free Library continue to be a centerpiece for lifelong learning!

Please email raven@freelibrary.org or call (215) 567-7710 for more information. All proceeds from Raven Society events benefit the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation.