4 Kids | And the Winners Are

....Well, you've probably already seen the names of the winners of the Children's Book Week Writing Contest. Before I list them here, let me say one thing:

You 4th, 5th and 6th graders rock!!! I read over 600 stories and they were all so very, very good. Some of them left me hanging (in a really good way). Some made me laugh. But they ALL made me want to stand up and raise some serious jazz hands.

It was tough to pick 3 winners because they were all so good, but we had to pick 3 winners, and we think we picked 3 really good ones.

Read the winning stories right here. Congratulations Sienna Smith (4th grade winner), Stephanie Mendez (5th grade winner) and Jacob Esplin (6th grade winner). Keep writing. Please!!!

And I can't thank our distinguished authors enough: Deborah Underwood, Bruce Hale, and Gennifer Choldenko. Boy let me tell you...you won't meet three cooler people anywhere. I was lucky enough to get to hear all three of them speak. Talk about some serious inspiration. And if you want to be inspired by the creative genius of these three authors, check out the library's catalog and type in one of their names. You won't be disappointed.

So now I must apologize that I haven't read any children's books this week because I was a little busy. But I'll be back to it soon and have some great reading recommendations for you next Tuesday.

Until then, happy reading!

4 Kids | Stand Up! Be a Leader!

This has seriously happened to me more times than I can count. I tell people I'm a librarian, and their response is something like: "I just don't like to read."

How do we learn about history and about what's going on in the world? How do we learn about new things? Let's ask President Abraham Lincoln.

"A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others." -- Abraham Lincoln

And by the way, pick up Lane Smith's Abe Lincoln's Dream to enjoy a quick and beautiful story of a little girl's conversation with the ghost of our 16th president.

How can we expect to make it in the world without being able to read? Let's ask the famous cartoonist and creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening.

"I can't believe it! Reading and writing actually paid off!" -- Matt Groening

How do we spend our free time? Do we spend hours in front of the TV instead of doing something that expands our mind and opens us up to new worlds? For a little on this, let's ask one of the most famous comedians of the modern era, Groucho Marx.

"I find television very educating. Everytime somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book." -- Groucho Marx

There are no guarantees in life, but I really, truly believe a successful life is more achievable when one is a reader. Do you want to be a leader or a follower? Do you want to make an impact on the world, or sit back and let the world happen to you? For some insight on this, let's ask our country's 33rd president, Harry S. Truman.

"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." -- Harry S. Truman

 

For a little reading inspiration, join us at the Cesar Chavez Central Library for a special Families Reading Together program on Monday, April 29th at 6:30 pm. It's for children of all ages, and parents must come with their kids! And to get even more excited, here's some great news: Each child that comes to the program gets a free book! No kidding!!

 

One last thing: there is still time to enter the Children's Book Week Writing Contest. Contest information can be found here.

 

Be a reader. You won't be disappointed.

 

Until next week, happy reading!

 

--Suzy

4 Kids | Your Chance to Meet Somebody Famous

That's right. In honor of Children's Book Week (May 13-19), the Library is hosting a special writing contest for students in 4th, 5th and 6th grades. We will select one winner from each grade, and a famous children's author will visit the winner (and his/her classmates) during Children's Book Week. 

I've got your attention now, don't I?

Oh, did I mention that each winner also receives a Kindle? Yep. 

thewritersalleys.blogspot.com

All you have to do is finish the story started by one of our famous children's authors. Your story should be no longer than 250 words, including the part started by the author.

Get creative. Let your imagination go wild. You can do this!!

You've got about 3 weeks. If you're going to mail in your story, it must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2013. If you email your story, the deadline is May 6, 2013.

Ok, ok. Click here for all the information on the Children's Book Week Writing Contest. And thank you to the Library & Literacy Foundation for San Joaquin County for their support of this fun contest! 

And to read books written by our famous children's authors, click on the following:

Books by Deborah Underwood, author of the 4th grade story starter

Books by Bruce Hale, author of the 5th grade story starter

Books by Gennifer Choldenko, author of the 6th grade story starter

Happy Writing! And good luck!