Summer Science: Birds of a Feather

Summer is the perfect time to explore and learn fun new things about the world around us! Take advantage of the longer days and (hopefully!) more free time to get outside with the kids in your life and celebrate science.

There are fifty-nine different kinds of birds in Missouri, and many of them live right here in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Bird hunting is a great way to spend a lazy summer day, and you can use the opportunity to not only learn about different types of birds, but to teach taxonomy to your kids. The great thing is that you can do it in your neighborhood, or you can go to any number of bird-watching sites, like the Wild Bird Sanctuary, the Aviary at the zoo, or Colombia Bottom Nature Preserve. Don't forget to check out some books at the library!

 "Birds" by Kevin Henkes

For your youngest birders, give them this classic by beloved author Kevin Henkes.

"Spotter's Guide to Birds of North America" by Philip Burton

Be sure to take a field guide as you hunt for birds!

"Birdsongs" by Betsy Franco

This beautiful book all about singing birds is illustrated by the amazing Steve Jenkins.









Happy birding!

--Andrea W., Headquarters

The First Day of School

It's that time of year: school supplies are in the stores, class lists will be up soon, new clothes and shoes are being bought and not worn yet.  The first day of school is exciting, but it can also be scary for Kindergartners going to school for the first time.  Here are a few recommendations to read before the big day.

"First Day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg
This is my favorite book for the first day of school.  It's great for students starting Kindergarten all the way up to high school.  Sarah is scared and doesn't want to start her new school.  What if the kids don't like her?  But everyone is in for a surprise ending!

"Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes" by Eric Litwin and James Dean
You probably already know Pete and his white shoes.  This time, he's wearing them all over the school.  He visits the library, the cafeteria and the playground.  As always, Pete keeps on singing all school day long.






"The Night Before Kindergarten" by Natasha Wing
The night before the first day of school can make you as anxious and jittery as any holiday!  This book will calm fears and explain what to expect in Kindergarten.  On the first day everything goes well and of course it's the parents who have the hardest time.







"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Going to School"
Not a book, but this DVD is a great resource for parents and caregivers of preschoolers.  Mister Rogers loves to show his television neighbors around and introduce them to new experiences.  In this episode, you can meet a bus driver and see what it's like on the school bus.  This is an oldie but a goodie!






--Angie RH, Headquarters

Staff Review: "Boom Snot Twitty" by Doreen Cronin

We all know and love Doreen Cronin for her smart, sophisticated and subversive yet gentle books for kids ("Diary of a Fly," "Click Clack Moo," "Wiggle," etc.). Cronin's latest book, "Boom Snot Twitty,"  shows her simply sweet side in a minimalistic tale of friendship.

Boom (a bear), Snot (a snail), and Twitty (a robin) spend an eventful day together. With sparse prose, the three friends ponder what to do. Everyone has a different idea and sets off to do just that. Eventually the weather takes a turn and they all ride it out in their own way, only to come back together for a sweet good night.

I personally love Snot and her simple contentment the best, but all three friends are adorable and rendered perfectly by Renata Liwska. This is a snuggle-down-and-read-with-your-best-stuffed-animal kind of book, and it's meant to be shared with the ones you love. Best for preschool to first grade.

--Andrea W., Headquarters

Kids Music Friday: "Sing to Me" by Walter Martin

I dare you to watch this lovely little video by Walter Martin (from his album We're All Young Together) just once! If this sweet little love song and charming music video doesn't make you smile, you should check with your doctor. So watch, enjoy, then take your family for a drive with the windows rolled down.

--Andrea W., Headquarters

Babaloo Concert

Summer is coming to a close and what better way to celebrate the end of a summer filled with fun than a free concert!

Everyone's favorite master of mayhem, Babaloo, will be at the Headquarters branch for a free concert. This prize winning pied piper is popular for packing more fun than seems possible into every show. Space is limited. Early arrival is recommended.

Saturday, August 2, 2014
6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:15 p.m.)
Headquarters 
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Staff Review: "The Night Gardener" by Jonathan Auxier

Fans of "Coraline," "Doll Bones," and "The Dollhouse Murders" take note! There's a new book in town, and it's guaranteed to give you shivers and make you pull your covers up over your head at night. "The Night Gardener" by Jonathan Auxier (author of the delightful book "Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes") is touched by the dark side of magic, with curses and a ghost and graves aplenty. Auxier has written yet another love letter to literature with this deliciously creepy book, and you'll want to get your hands on it before word gets out.

What would you be willing to give up in order to have the thing that you want most? Your family? Your friends? Your health? Sister and brother Molly and Kip are faced with these questions as they take on jobs on the secluded and mysterious Windsor estate.  Pale, sickly, and unhappy, Mr. and Mrs. Windsor and their two children Penny and Alistair live in an old house built around a dark and gnarly tree. They spend their time picking on each other and furtively sneaking through the strange little door at the top of the stairs, which Molly and Kip have been forbidden to use. After emerging from the forbidden room, each member of the family carries away something they want--candy, a story, a ring, and money. At night, Molly catches glimpses of a man in a tall hat, creeping around the house with a watering can while the family sleeps and leaving crumpled leaves and muddy tracks behind him as he goes. Does he have something to do with the terrible nightmares that plague everyone in the house? What is really going on?

In a tale as forbidding and twisted as the tree that possesses the Windsor house, Jonathan Auxier explores the power of consuming desire and what we are willing to sacrifice in order to get what we want. With the atmospheric heaviness and foreboding of a classic gothic novel, "The Night Gardener" will fill your creep factor and give you plenty to ponder. 

--Andrea W., Headquarters

Maker Monday: "The Most Magnificent Thing" by Ashley Spires

Making begins at an early age, and so does the frustration that goes along with it. You have a grand vision, but somehow you just can't seem to make it come out right. That's the story behind Ashley Spires' inspiring new picture book, "The Most Magnificent Thing."

One day, a regular girl has a brilliant idea to make a magnificent thing. So she sets out with her best friend to create, and when she's done it just doesn't seem right. She fusses and feels let down, but after stepping away for a bit, she keeps creating until she realizes that each of her creations has a perfect bit to them. So she puts them all together, and voila! Her magnificent thing is created. 

With fun illustrations and a funny sort of story, this book is sure to please the frustrated young makers in your home. And hopefully, it will inspire them to keep trying. For kindergarten to second grade.

--Andrea W., Headquarters