What is YOUR 4-2-1?

Even if you are not a football fan, you have to admit that Green Bay Packers' quarterback Brett Favre accomplished an incredible feat on Sunday, by breaking Dan Marino's all-time touchdown record with 421.

If you decide to incorporate any sports-related themes into your upcoming storytimes, it might be fun to ask the kids to illustrate what record, silly or serious, THEY would like to break?

Maybe they think they can climb 421 steps? Eat 421 carrots?
I collect shot glasses when I travel, and I am only up to 90! I probably will never get to 421!

Great Programs Geared Toward Kids @ WLA

For those of you who have not registered for the WLA Conference yet (held right here in Green Bay!), there are some great programs geared toward youth and teens! Some of the highlights include:

* Reaching Out to the Spanish-Speaking Community
* Bookmaking 101
* Teen Time
* CCBC
* Manga and Anime: It's All Japanese To Me

Click here for a full list of programs!

Halloween Ideas

Isn't Halloween one of the most fun holidays to celebrate? Last year I asked if you would share favorite Halloween books, storytime ideas or activities that you like to do at your library. Please email me any ideas you would like to share, and I will post them.

Here is a great site for Halloween crafts, including "footprint ghosts" and "Halloween Bags."

Book Conference Review

I never win anything. That has been my fate all my life. I faithfully buy a lottery ticket on Saturday, but alas, I am still working.

So when Jamie told me that I won the trip to the Northwest Wisconsin's Children's Book Conference in Cable, WI, I thought my luck had changed. I drove up to Cable last Thursday morning. The weather was beautiful, and the leaves were changing colors. It is quite a hike to Cable, five hours to be exact. They say that we live in the "sticks" in NE Wisconsin. This trip gave a whole new meaning to the word "sticks!"Not having a children's program at the Oconto Falls Library, I felt that I had much to learn.

I attended the presentation from CCBC for 2008 titles. Great as always. I also attended Storytelling 101 by Stuart Stotts. His workshop was on telling a story telling instead of reading, using expression, gestures, and voice to add character to your story. He is also presenting this workshop at WLA this month. The second workshop was Story Time Techniques by Susan Santner. She presented a DVD that she developed for story time. She received a grant at UW Madison to develop this dvd on techniques. She will be presenting this workshop at WLA. She also said that all libraries will be receiving the dvd soon (hopefully by Children's Book Week). So, I already attended 3 WLA workshops! The final workshop was called Where No Reader Has Gone Before.

It is about Science and Science Fiction in Middle Grades and Teens. This couple from my old stomping grounds of Plymouth MN also told about the history of science fiction. They gave lists of recommended science fiction for our libraries. Even though you may think that you are not a science fiction reader, you would be surprised at how many that you may have already read.

So I can't say any more that I have never won anything in my life, but the lottery would have been nice.

~ Joan Denis

Happy Scarecrows

Preschoolers attending storytime at Farnsworth Library in Oconto made their own "happy" scarecrows to take home after enjoying the story, The Falling Leaves, and The Scarecrow, by Steve Metzger.
~ Wendy Spice