Melvil Dewey's Birthday!

It's Melvil Dewey's birthday! He was born December 10th, 1851 in New York. That means, if he was still alive, he'd be 162 years old today! In 1874, Melvil Dewey earned his bachelor's degree and in 1877, he earned his master's. But he's famous for something you, as a library goer, use all the time-- the Dewey Decimal System! The Dewey Decimal System is a library classification system that uses a three-digit number for main classes (such as "Earth Science," or "Dogs") followed by decimals as expansions for more detail (such as "Volcanoes" or "Golden Retrievers"). We, as librarians, assign a Dewey Decimal number to every book so that it can be located in the library and then returned to its proper place. This system is used in 200,000 libraries in at least 135 countries around the world!

Melvil Dewey is also known for other, less popular, library-related innovations: (1) the idea of the state library controlling the school and public libraries within that state, (2) the creation of hanging vertical files, and (3) The Library Journal, which we librarians still use in our profession today. As far as his personality, it's said that Melvil Dewey was "difficult" to deal with, establishing a pattern of making enemies, although he had a handful of friends throughout is life and also got married twice. Melvil Dewey died on December 26th, 1931 in Lake Placid, Florida.

Here is The Dewey Decimal Rap, which features a modern Melvil character himself, who explains the Dewey Decimal System for you!


For more, try checking out a book on Melville Dewey. Here are two you can reserve right now:

Melvil Dewey: Library Genius by Jill Sherman

Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey by Wayne A. Wiegand

Remembering Bernard Waber on his Birthday

Today would have been the birthday of Bernard Waber, a classic and local (to me) children's book author/illustrator. He would have been 92 today if he had not died this past May. He's probably most known for Lyle the Crocodile but is also very well known for Ira Sleeps Over. All of his books were favorites of mine as a child. Here is a list of his work.

Bernard Waber introduced Lyle to readers in 1962 in The House on East 88th Street. This book was about Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Primm and their son, Joshua. One day, they find a young crocodile in the bathroom of their new house.

"They take the animal in and, for the next four decades, Lyle would take readers on adventures filled with life lessons on acceptance, inclusion and the importance of enjoying the journey. The covers of the books sometimes suggested they were best suited for ages 4 to 8, but Mr. Waber’s understated wit appealed to plenty of parents" (New York Times).

 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile also inspired two different musical adaptations: an animated musical that was shown on HBO and a theatrical musical staged by Theatreworks USA.

To me, Bernard Waber's legacy will live forever in the form of the HBO animated musical, most particularly, in the scene shown below. This isn't my video (and is the only one I could find online) but I watched this so many times as a kid that I'll have a spot in my heart for it forever. Enjoy:



"I tried to smile, but darn you Lyle, I would never leave you."

Bernard Waber was born 92 years ago today in Philadelphia. He briefly studied accounting at the University of Pennsylvania before enlisting in the Army during World War II. After the war, he enrolled in the Philadelphia College of Art, and in the 50's, he moved to New York. He worked as a designer and illustrator for several magazines, including Life, where he worked for 20 years. Casually, he created his Lyle character, but when he pitched it early on, the concept was rejected by publishers. In 1961 he published his first book, “Lorenzo,” about the adventures of a young fish. This was when Lyle was finally given a chance! The House on East 88th Street was published on August 13, 1975.

"'I don’t know where the idea came from,' Mr. Waber told The Times in 1995. 'But I always loved drawing animals. I especially like to draw crocodiles. I like the way they walk, and I like their eyes and their teeth and everything about them'" (New York Times).

Why not celebrate Lyle at home? This page has everything you need to have a Lyle party for children ages 3 and up.

Or check out one of his many, wonderful books.

Roald Dahl Day!

It's officially Roald Dahl Day! This day takes place every year on September 13th, Roald Dahl's birthday. This year (today), Roald Dahl Day coincides with Friday 13th, making it the perfect excuse for even more mischief and mayhem than usual. So this year, the day celebrates all the tricky characters that fill Roald Dahl's books, including George and his medicine, the Witches, and Matilda's parent-scaring tricks.

Want to join the fun? Click here for all kinds of fun printable activities, like posters, games, and activity books!

And, remember to check out one of Roald Dahl's wonderful stories at the library!

Happy Birthday, Ann M. Martin!

Today Ann M. Martin's birthday and she turns 58-years-old! In honor of this day, here are 5 fun Ann M. Martin facts:

1. When Ann was born, she was the biggest baby in the hospital.

2. When Ann was 11-years-old, she fell off of a ladder while climbing down from her treehouse and had to have her spleen removed.

3. Ann loves scary books, and Stephen King is one of her favorite authors.

4. One summer, when Ann was a kid, she and her friends set up a library in Ann's room with lots of books for the kids on Dodds Lane to check out. They had due dates and late fines, too.

5. Ann loved writing about Karen, Kristy's little sister. She thinks that Karen is her alter ego, the kind of girl she wished she could have been at the same age.

For the complete list of fun facts (29 of them), click here!

I read SO MANY Ann M. Martin books when I was younger (and not-so-young), but if you haven't and you're looking to start, here are a few recommendations:

The Baby-Sitters Club #1: Kristy's Great Idea

A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray

A Corner Of The Universe

The Doll People

The Summer Before (The Baby-Sitters Club)

Main Street #1: Welcome to Camden Falls

Happy Birthday, J.K. Rowling

Today J.K. Rowling turns 48-years-old! And Harry Potter turns 33-years-old!

Joanne Rowling (J.K. Rowling) was born in July 1965 in England. In college, she earned her degree in both French and Classics, and then worked as a researcher at Amnesty International. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a delayed train trip (Manchester to London King’s Cross), and during the next five years, she outlined the plots for each book and also began writing the first novel.

Joanne then moved to Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. In 1992 she got married and in 1993 she gave birth to a daughter (Jessica). When the marriage ended, she and Jessica returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, where Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone was eventually completed. The book was published under the name J.K. Rowling. The “K”, for Kathleen, was added at the request of her her publisher, who thought that a woman’s name would not appeal to the target audience of young boys.

Today, J.K. Rowling lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three children. Her latest book is her first novel for adults! It's called The Casual Vacancy and was published in English in September 2012.

Check out J.K Rowling's website here!

Chris Van Allsburg's Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Chris Van Allsburg! Today Chris Van Allsburg turns 64-years-old!

For those of you who don't know, Chris Van Allsburg is the author and illustrator of many famous children's books: Jumanji, Zathura,  The Polar Express, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, Two Bad Ants, and The Sweetest Fig.

He also has a pretty sweet website with a story writing contest: http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com

Check out one of his books today and celebrate his marvelous work!

Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak would have been 85-years-old today and Google's made note! There is a video of the adorable memorial here:


Check out one of Maurice Sendak's books today!

Everyone's E-Birthday!

Happy eBirthday to you! YES, YOU!

Mo Willems is the creator of today's holiday (everyone's eBirthday) and talks about it on his blog today. It all started many years ago:

In error, somebody once posted on some website that Mo Willems was "an Italian who was born on May 24." This is not the case (He was actually born in February), but for some reason, it stuck. Since then, Mo Willems has been recieving birthday wishes in his fan mail every May 24th for years! So he decided to declare it his eBirthday! But not only his eBirthday-- Everyone's eBirthday! So today, we can all consider ourselves Italians (or eTalian) who were born May 24! And we can have a birthday ice cream!

So have a great eBirthday, everybody!

A big day for author birthdays!

Today is a big day for author birthdays! Three very famous children's writers were born on various November 29ths throughout history-- Louisa May Alcott (1832), C.S. Lewis (1898), and Madeleine L'Engle (1918). Those are some big names!

Why not check out a book by one of those big names? Here four by each author to get you started:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The Brownie and the Princess & Other Stories by Louisa May Alcott
Eight Cousins: Or, The Aunt Hill by Louisa May Alcott

Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott

The Chronicals of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle
An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle

...or stop by the library for lots more recommendations.

Happy November 29th!

Happy Birthday Shel Silverstein!

Today is such an exciting day that it gets TWO blog posts! I'd already posted about the awesome release of A Wrinkle In Time: The Graphic Novel, but how could I go without mentioning the birth-anniversay of the talented author of The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein!?

If Shel Silverstein was alive today, it would be his 72nd birthday!

Shel(don) Allan Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, IL. He started writing and drawing at the age of 12 and began studying art at the University of Illinois after he graduated high school. He was forced to leave due to bad grades, but moved onto the Art Institute of Chicago after that, and then Roosevelt University after that. He was first published in the Roosevelt Torch, a student newspaper at Roosevelt University.

For much of the 50's and he published military cartoons (he was drafted into the army), magazine articles, and even a cartoon book for adults called "Now Here's My Plan: A Book of Futilities" in 1960. He was also a singer-songwriter, composer, and screenwriter. However, what he is best known for are his children's books, which have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold over 20 million copies.

Some of his most famous of these children's books include: A Light In the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook, Uncle Shelby's Story of Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back, Falling Up, and of course The Giving Tree.

Check one out at your library today and celebrate the talent that he had!

Roald Dahl's Birthday!

If Roald Dahl was still alive, today would mark his 96th birthday! In celebration, check out one of these wonderful Roald Dahl books or biographies.

On his last birthday (95!), Puffin Books released a beautiful pop-up version of Roald Dahl's most famous book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

For more information about this awesome Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, check out Puffin Books.

Also take a look at Roald Dahl's website,  http://www.roalddahl.com for lots of information and games!

Happy Birthday John Green!

Today marks the 35th birthday of one of my favorite YA authors, John Green.

In honor the day (as he's one of my favorites), I've decided to compile of list of fun John Green facts that you may or may not already know!

1. He grew up in Orlando, Florida.

2. He currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. However he used to live in New York City, and before that, in Chicago.

3. He graduated from Indian Springs School in Alabama, then got a B.A. from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

4. He has never considered writing a book for adults. YA only!

5. He has a YouTube account, which he and his brother, Hank, collaboratively update pretty frequently. According to his website, since January 2007, the two brothers have made more than 950 videos, which have been viewed more than 235 million times!

6. For several years, he wrote commentaries for Chicago Public Radio and, sometimes, for "All Things Considered" on NPR.

 

7. He has an interesting Tumblr.

8. He also has an interesting Twitter!

9. He is always working on a novel (although not always a novel that pans out into anything). His typical writing work day starts at 8am and ends at 6pm.

10. He and his friends and fans (partularly his YouTube buddies) have a sort of "group" (Ok, I admit, I can't find the right word for this so "group" will have to suffice) called the Nerdfighters. The Nerdfighters are a sort of active "group" of people who do things like communicate online through YouTube and John's Tumblr. Also, they create videos like the today-appropriate 2009 birthday video below:

Put one of the following John Green books on hold today:

Looking for Alaska

An Abundance of Katherines

Paper Towns

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The Fault In Our Stars

Happy Birthday, Eric Carle!

Happy Birthday to Eric Carle! He was born June 25, 1929 making him 83-years-old today!

Eric Carle is most famous for his beautifully written and illustrated picture books. Probably his most famous work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (written in 1969), has been translated into over 50 language and sold to more than 33 million people! Pretty impressive, right? Eric Carle has illustrated more than 70 books, most of which he also wrote.

He was born in Syracuse, NY, then moved with his family to Germany at the age of six. He graduated from a pretty famous art school there called the Akademie der bildenden Künste, in a city called Stuttgart.The whole time, however, he'd dreamed of returning to America, where he had his happy, childhood memories. A few years later, with $40 and a portfolio, he returned back to NY. He first found a job as a graphic designer for the New York Times, then later moved on to be the art director of an advertising agency.

One day Bill Martin Jr, called to ask him to illustrate a story he had written called Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? This was the beginning of Eric Carle’s true career.

>Here are a few of Eric Carle's most famous (or my loved by me) books:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Have You Seen My Cat?

1, 2, 3 To The Zoo: A Counting Book

From Head To Toe

Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too?

Little Cloud

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

Today Is Monday

Or come into the library for tons of other Eric Carle favorites!

Also, but sure to visit Eric Carle's website here! It's full of links to fun and interesting information about the author, including the Photo & Video Gallery, where you can see how he makes his brilliant pictures!

Read Across America Day!

Today is Read Across America Day and, to celebrate, the cast of the upcoming film, The Lorax (which is out TODAY!), wants to share their love for reading:



National Education Association's Read Across America Day is an annual reading motivation program that brings thousands of kids and teens in schools, libraries, and community centers together with books. Each year, it's celebrated on Dr. Seuss's birthday, and today Dr. Seuss would have been 108!

So, what are you reading today to celebrate?

This year's Read Across America theme is "Read for the Trees." NEA's campaign will showcase The Lorax book as well as the upcoming movie, The Lorax.

To download a printable The Lorax Reading Certificate, click here!

And for more Dr. Seuss fun, check out Seussville.com or TheLoraxMovie.com

Happy Birthday, Avi!

Happy Birthday, Avi!

Avi (who's name is really Edward Irving Wortis) was born on December 23, 1937, making him 74-years-old today. Avi was born in New York City and grew up in Brooklyn with parents and his twin sister, Emily. He's written more than 70 books for children and young adults and has won both Newbery Honor awards and a Newbery Medal.

To learn more about Avi, check out his homepage.

Or reserve a copy of one of his books below:

Nothing But The Truth

Something Upstairs : A Tale of Ghosts

The Barn

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Iron Thunder : The Battle Between the Monitor and the Merrimac : A Civil War Novel

The Good Dog

Or take a look in our OPAC for more books by Avi!

Happy Birthday Kevin Henkes!

Happy Birthday, Kevin Henkes! The successful children's book author and illustrator turns 51 today!

Kevin Henkes is one of five children and says that many of his storylines are inspired by his family and the neighborhood where he grew up in Racine, Wisconsin.

His first book, All Alone, was published in 1981. Since then, more than 30 books followed, including Chrysanthemum, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Olive's Ocean (which one a 2004 Newbery Honor) and Kitten's First Full Moon (which won the 2005 Caldecott Medal).

R. L. Stine's Birthday

Happy Birthday, R. L. Stine!

Today, the famous author of Goosebumps and Fear Street turns 68-years-old.

Did you know that before R.L Stine wrote horror novels he wrote humor novels? He went by the name Jovial Bob Stine and his first novel, How To Be Funny: An Extremely Silly Guidebook, came out in 1982! You can click here to reserve a copy and see what it's all about.

Then, in 1986, R. L. Stine released his first horror novel, Blind Date, and that's what started everything. His first Fear Street book, The New Girl, came out three years after that, and Goosebumps started with Welcome To Dead House in 1992.

By now, R. L. Stine is the author of hundreds of creepy, scary, twisted books for children. Celebrate his birthday today, and read one of them!

To view all of his works, click here. Or visit his official website, rlstine.com.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Maurice Sendak

Happy Birthday to the author of many, many celebrated children's books, Maurice Sendak! He was born on June 10th, 1928 in Brooklyn, NY. He was the youngest of three children born to Polish-Jewish immigrants.

Today he turns 83-years-old today.

To celebrate, be sure to check out a few of his more famous works:

Alligators All Around: An Alphabet

Little Bear (written by Else Holmelund Minarik, illustrated by Maurice Sendak)

Pierre : a Cautionary Tale in Five chapters and a prologue

Very Far Away

Where The Wild Things Are

And make sure to take a look at this awesome blog inspired by the beloved Where The Wild Things Are, which is arguably his most famous book. It's called Terrible Yellow Eyes and is a collection of works by contributing artists who share a love and admiration for Sendak's work. The pieces presented on this site were done as a tribute to his life and legacy.

Happy Birthday, Maurice!

Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary

Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!

Today the author of over 30 books for young adults and children celebrates her 95th birthday!

Celebrate by learning about some of her books, or playing some fun games on her website: http://www.beverlycleary.com/

Or, if you've never read any of her famous and awesome books, put one one hold! Here are a few suggestions (the complete list of her works can be found on her website):

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Ramona the Brave

Dear Mr. Henshaw

Henry Huggins

Muggie Maggie

Happy Birthday, Kate DiCamillo

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Kate DiCamillo, happy birthday to you!

Kate DiCamillo was born March 25th, 1964 and is the author of many wonderful books, including the Newbery award winner The Tale of Despereaux. Today she turns 47!

Celebrate by checking out one or two of her more famous books:

Because of Winn Dixie

The Tale of Despereaux

The Magician's Elephant

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Mercy Watson to the Rescue

Or visit her website for more information about Kate.

Happy Birthday!