The OBPL's Children & Teen Room!

Pokemon Club

2012-02-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

Are you a Pokemon Master?

Join your fellow fans tomorrow
Saturday, February 18th from 10am-12pm

Watch episodes, decorate Pokeball cookies, and bring your deck to challenge your opponents!

Gotta catch 'em all!

Clifford Comes to the Library!

2012-02-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

Having Clifford here was really great! First we made Clifford ear hats, then we read a story about Clifford, sang some songs, and then Clifford came. Everyone was so excited. If you would like to see our pictures, please visit our Facebook album (and 'like' us while you're there!)

Clifford Comes to the Library!

2012-01-31T13:07:00.000-08:00

Clifford, the big red dog, had been making the rounds on the Island, and will be coming to the OBPL this Saturday, February 4th at 10:30am.

Join Sondra for a story and a Clifford craft as you meet the big guy himself.

We urge you to arrive on time, because Clifford is very busy and won't be here for very long!

See you Saturday :)

Holidays are silver, blue, and white at the library

2011-12-14T12:56:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays from the staff at the Oak Bluffs Public Library. We have decorated the library using all recycled, renewed, or re-purposed items. Our Christmas trees have received lots of attention because we made them out of old paperback books. See if you can guess what publication we used to make the large trees. Hint: think close to home.
We hope to see you during the holiday season.

Limited Service Friday, 10/21, from 10 am to 1 pm

2011-10-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

The library will be open, but only the lower level: Children's and Reference areas will not be available until after 1 p.m. Please call ahead if you need to print a document that morning.
Most of the staff will be attending a workshop off site. We appologize for any inconvenience.

Sondra is a winner!

2011-04-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our Children's Librarian, Sondra Murphy, who was one of only five Librarians in the state to win Massachusetts Library Association's Kay Bader Scholarship to the Annual MLA Conference which is being held in Danvers at the end of this month!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn!

2010-09-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers!

September 1st marked the official end of the Summer Reading Program at the Oak Bluffs Public Library. We had 191 kids & teens sign up for the program this summer: almost 20 more than last summer! I hope everyone got to read some great books this summer. (I know I did!)

Because everyone who signed up read more than 900 hours, the Black Dog KIDS donated enough money to the World Wildlife Fund for us to adopt a sea turtle!

Here he is:

Congratulations, Readers!

Stop by the Children's Room and check out the new material coming in!

2010-06-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

July 1st marks the first day of Summer Reading @ OBPL!
Come in and register now!

Prizes are awarded in three different levels:
Reduce (A lanyard for your library card!)
Reuse (A coupon to a local business for ice cream, hot dogs, and more!)
Recycle (This year's Summer Reading t-shirt!)

In order to get prizes, all you have to do is read either 12 picture books,
or complete three hours of reading- it's that simple. If you finish all three levels, keep on reading to be entered into a drawing to win even more prizes!
The drawing will take place once a week, and 5 lucky kids will be chosen at random.
The more you read, the more chances you have to win...

In Other News...
We have a new summer librarian! Her name is Sondra, be sure to introduce yourself next time you're in!
BIG NEWS: We are now offering Crummy Weather Craft Time!, an option for you if you're looking for something to do when you can't be at the beach this summer. If it's raining, drop into the program room in the Children's department for music, games, puzzles, crafts, and-of course- books! We will be offering this throughout the months of July & August, so don't forget about us when you're rained in!
There are so many great events going on at the Oak Bluffs Public Library this summer, go to our calendar and start planning!
The Teen Room now has a Graffiti Wall!
The Polly Hill Arboretum stopped by last week to put up a display of photos and pamphlets for you to look at, in preparation for their program held on July 22, come check it out!
We just added new pictures to our Flickr page of all the great new displays and bulletin boards that have been added recently. If you're curious, visit our photostream, or just stop by!
Thanks for reading, see you @ the OBPL!

SUMMER READING PROGRAM 2010: Go Green @ Your Library

2010-05-19T12:50:00.000-07:00
We are busy preparing for the 2010 Summer Reading Program: Go Green @ Your Library. This summer’s programming will have an environmental focus including: Felix Neck Sanctuary, Polly Hill Arboretum, and Gus Ben David’s Animal Interviews. July and August storytimes will feature eco themes such as ocean, gardens, and bees. We will use recycled materials in our craft projects.
Our 2010 Summer Reading Program has three levels: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Each level is achieved by reading 3 hours (or 12 picture books for young children). Picture books can be read to a child or baby as well.
Sharkey’s Cantina has generously donated 250 green lanyards with the library’s name on them. One of these library card lanyards will be given to each child who reaches the first level in the summer reading program.
The Black Dog KIDS once again agreed to donate money to the World Wildlife Fund when our combined reading hours total 900. The donation will be used to adopt an endangered sea turtle as part of our charity-based program. Last year we adopted a polar bear.

OLIVIA COMES TO OAK BLUFFS

2010-04-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

Today Olivia was our guest at Olivia Storytime!

STORYBOOK DOLL EXHIBIT

2010-03-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to have a traveling doll and book exhibit by the Green Mountain Doll Club of Vermont. Dolls portray characters from a variety of children's books, both fiction and non-fiction. The exhibit will be in the Children's Room March 11-26.

DRESS-UP STORYTIME

2010-03-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

The children enjoyed dressing up and listening to stories about special dresses. They decorated paperdolls with fancy dresses and pants.

POLAR BEAR HOLIDAY PARTY

2009-12-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

We happily celebrated the holidays and our summer reading adoption of a polar bear. We decorated polar bear cookies, made a polar bear art project, and played pin-the-hat-on the-polar bear!

NOVEMBER SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

2009-11-05T08:19:00.000-08:00
STORYTIMES

Wednesday, November 4 10:30 Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years)
Adoption 11:30 Preschool Storytime (3-5 years)

Wednesday, November 11 Closed for Holiday

Wednesday, November 18 10:30 Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years)
Skunks 11:30 Preschool Storytime (3-5 years)

Wednesday, October 28 10:30 Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years)
Thanksgiving 11:30 Preschool Storytime (3-5 years)

EVENTS

Saturday, November 7 1:30-3:30 Children’s & Family Movie
Princess Protection Program (Door Prize)

Saturday, November 14 11:00 Bilingual Storytime (Portuguese-Eng)
Leaves & Autumn

BOOK CLUBS (Please pre-register)

Saturday, November 7 11:00- 12:00 Middle School Book Club (Grades 5-8)
Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan

Saturday, November 14 2:30-3:30 Children’s Book Club (Grades 2-4)
Billy the Fish by Charlie James

Saturday, November 21 1:30-3:45 Twilight-New Moon Teen Party

Celebrate the opening of the film New Moon at our teen Twilight-New Moon Party. Watch Twilight, wear a costume from the movies/books, eat goodies, and discuss Twilight- New Moon trivia.

HALLOWEEN PARTY

2009-10-31T18:21:00.001-07:00

What interesting visitors came to the library to celebrate Halloween!

HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY

2009-10-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Before you go trick or treating on Halloween, come to the library's Children's Room for some cookies and cider (3:30-4:30), color a picture, and show off your costume!

NEW LIBRARY HOURS ANNOUNCED

2009-10-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Beginning November 3, Oak Bluffs Public Library will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00 AM- 6:00 PM; Thursday 10:00AM - 8:00PM; and Saturday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

Proposed by the town as a cost saving measure, the new hours have been approved by the Library Board of Trustees. Shorter by one hour, the new schedule streamlines staffing and provides two additional evenings of library access.

OCTOBER CHILDREN'S & YA EVENTS

2009-10-15T13:28:00.000-07:00
Storytimes

Wednesday, October 7 10:30 Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years)
Alligators 11:30 Preschool Storytime (3-5 years)

Wednesday, October 14 10:30 Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years)
Leaves 11:30 Preschool Storytime (3-5 years)

Wednesday, October 21 10:30 Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years)
Pumpkins 11:30 Preschool Storytime (3-5 years)

Wednesday, October 28 10:30 Toddler Storytime (1.5-3 years)
Halloween 11:30 Preschool Storytime (3-5 years)

Events

Saturday, October 3 1:30-3:15 Hannah Montana: The Movie

Saturday, October 31 3:30-4:30 Halloween Costume Party

Wear your costume to the library and enjoy some treats!

Book Clubs

Saturday, October 3 3:30-4:30 Middle School Book Club (Grades 5-8)
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Saturday, October 17 3:30-4:30 Teen Book Club (Grades 9-12)
Frostbite (Vampire Academy- Book 2) by Richelle Meade
Saturday, October 17 12:30-1:30 Children’s Book Club (Grades 2-4)
My Haunted House by Angie Sage (NEW TIME)

(Must pre-register for book clubs in the Children's Room.)

LEGOS NEEDED FOR NEW LEGO CLUB

2009-10-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sparked by a recent School Library Journal article and collaboration with the school librarian, we have decided to start a library Lego Club in the Children’s Room. Lego clubs, often led by a father/grandfather volunteer, are springing up in libraries throughout the nation in an effort to primarily attract boys to reading. The tactile and kinesthetic learning provided by the manipulatives, in duet with the creative opportunities for problem-solving, increasing attention and vocabulary, connects legos to literacy. Weekly building themes lead boys and girls to books about legos or books about specific structures, time periods, or science related to the building theme. In order to make this club possible, we need to please ask for public donations of new and used legos. Your generosity would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

KANGAROO STORYTIME

2009-09-16T11:40:00.001-07:00

As part of a three-week series about Australian animals, today's storytimes featured stories and music about kangaroos. Later the children and parents/grandparents laced and decorated pouches. Each colored a baby kangaroo ("joey") and tucked it inside as they wore their kangaroo pouches.

ILLUMINATION NIGHT CRAFT

2009-08-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today thirty children decorated rice paper lanterns for Illumination Night.

SUMMER READING CHILDREN ADOPT A POLAR BEAR

2009-08-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

The children and teens of Oak Bluffs Public Library earned more than 800 Polar Points in the Summer Reading Program. As a result, our 2009 charity benefactor, The Black Dog Kids, donated the money to the World Wildlife Fund to adopt a symbolic polar bear through the Adopt A Species Program. Come to the Children's Room and see our WWF stuffed polar bear and adoption certificate, as well as our display of books about polar bears and climate change. Congratulations to each child who participated! Your reading has helped the world in addition to yourself.

CURIOUS GEORGE VISITS STORYTIME

2009-08-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Curious George listened as we read Curious George Goes to The Beach and he swirled his scarf and danced with us to "Six Little Monkeys Jumping on The Bed." So many children came to see him that we had three storytimes in a row.

LOU BERGER CHILDREN'S AUTHOR VISIT

2009-08-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

It was an honor to be chosen by Lou Berger, former head writer of Sesame Street and winner of ten Emmy awards, as the venue for his author talk. He offered that it is his way of giving back to Martha's Vineyard for 30 years of happy summer memories his family had on the island, where he wrote hundreds of scripts for Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and Between the Lions.

He read his lovely children's book, The Elephant Wish, and discussed writing and his experiences with Sesame Street. Both children and adults asked wonderful questions that led to compelling stories. He even told of when he named Abby Cadabby!

SUMMER READING PROGRAM FINISHERS

2009-08-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

The stars are collecting as those children who finish the summer reading program write their name on a star that is hung at the entrance of the Children's Room.

ROBERT RIVEST, COMEDY MIME

2009-08-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

"Outstanding" is the appropriate word to describe Robert Rivest! What a wonderful time we all had watching his show, Spaceship Adventure: Science in Motion. Laughter just resonated throughout the aisles of the full meeting room.

JULIE AUSTIN CONCERT

2009-08-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

On Thursday July 30, singer/musician Julie Austin entertained a dancing audience with her animated children's songs.

GUS BEN DAVID- ANIMAL INTERVIEWS

2009-08-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, July 23 Animal Expert Gus Ben David, Director of the World of Reptiles & Bird Park, brought in a variety of reptiles including snapping turtles, toads, and snakes. He discussed each one and delighted audience members of all ages!

DREAM TALE PUPPETS

2009-08-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

On July 16, we enjoyed Jacek Zuzanski's performances of Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Pigs, which were narrated by Norina Reif

SHEILA MUDD BAKER, STORYTELLER

2009-08-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday July 9 3:30

We listened to traditional stories about the stars, the creation of the earth, and why humans are the way they are.

Kate Feiffer Book Event Pictures

2009-08-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

2009-08-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

AUTHOR KATE FEIFFER

THE PROBLEM WITH THE PUDDLES

Thursday, July 2 @ 3:30

Join us to celebrate the launch of the Oak Bluffs Public Library’s Summer Reading Program with a puddle jump, cloud-shaped cake and author talk. Author Kate Feiffer will be on hand to introduce this summer’s children’s book club pick, “The Problem with the Puddles.”

Imagine one family with two dogs named Sally. That’s one of the problems with the Puddles. There are others, as you will soon find out…

Oak Bluffs year-round resident Kate Feiffer has been called “one of the wittiest writer’s in children’s books today.”

"The kid-friendly humor (“Just like meat loaf is like a loaf of meat, a conundrum is like a drum of conun,” one of the Sallys “explains,” as the dogs consider what to do), the full cast of eccentric characters and Tusa's black & white spot art should readily win fans for the Puddle family."
-Publisher’s Weekly

“The Problem with the Puddles is a blast from first page to last. My only complaint is that I didn’t write it!” -Sara Pennypacker, author of Clementine

SUMMER READING PROGRAM 2009

2009-07-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you see a spaceship in the middle of the Children’s Room, do not be alarmed. It is only our stuffed animals’ spaceship for Starship Adventure at your Library, the 2009 Summer Reading Program. This year the program is a hybrid of charity-based and prize incentive programs. Children will read through eight levels to complete the program, flying to eight planets, each one further from Earth. For each planet they land on, they will receive a “Polar Point” toward our charity and a raffle ticket for weekly drawings. Additionally, each planet level (one hour of reading or 4 picture books read or read to the child) carries a token prize, culminating with a Martha’s Vineyard Summer Reading 2009 T-Shirt. Prizes were donated by our generous merchants listed below.

Summer Reading Program Charity: Adopt a Polar Bear
We are pleased to be the first island library to introduce a charity summer reading program. Charity-based summer reading programs have become increasingly popular across the nation. Research indicates that children often read more when participating in a charity-based program than a toy-prize incentive program. This year we have a challenge: if the Oak Bluffs children/teens collectively earn 800 Polar Points (800 hours), our charity benefactor, The Black Dog Kids, will donate the money for the Library to adopt a polar bear through the species adoption program of the World Wildlife Fund.

Summer Reading Programs & Performers: Thursdays Are a Blast @ Oak Bluffs Public Library!
In addition to our regular children’s and teen programming, we will offer special programs on Thursdays throughout the summer. Join us to celebrate the beginning of the SRP and Kate Feiffer’s new book, The Problem with the Puddles ,(our July book club selection) on July 2 at 3:30. We will have a puddle jump, cloud-shaped cake, author talk, and cloud craft.

July 9 3:30 Sheila Mudd Baker, Storyteller
July 16 4:30 Dream Tale Puppets: Little Red Riding Hood & The Three Little Pigs
July 23 6:30 Gus Ben David, Animal Interviews
July 30 3:30 Julie Austin, Singer/Musician
August 6 3:30 Robert Rivest, Comedy Mime, Starship Adventure: Science in Motion
August 13 10:30 Birds in Flight (Felix Neck/ Susie Bowman)
August 13 8:00 Astronomer Nelson & Telescope (Pre-Register)
August 20 6:00 Skytellers: Native American Tales & Space Science
August 20 8:00 Astronomer Nelson & Telescope (Pre-Register)
August 27 3:30 Skytellers: Native American Tales & Space Science

2009 Summer Reading Donors:Ben & Bills Chocolate Emporium, The Corner Store, Dinghy Dogs, Flying Horses Carousel, Giordano’s Family Restaurant, Glimpse of Tibet, Good Ship Lollipop Candy Store, Hair by Dana, Mary’s Linen Store, Paeson’s Pizza, Reliable Market,Rose Bud Balloons, The Variety Store.

National Gaming Day @ Your Library

2008-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 15, is National Gaming Day @ Your Library.

Bring your family to the library between 10am-4:30pm to enjoy a selection of new board games, classic games, and video games (Dance Dance Revolution & Guitar Hero will be played from 2pm-4pm).

Hasbro has sent all public libraries a free copy of the board game, Pictureka, in hopes of setting a record for the most number of people playing the same board game on the same day!

Come help us set the record and visit your library to read, learn, and play!

2008-09-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Pre-School Story Hour was visited by MR. HAPPY the clown.

He made us laugh! He learned the Hokey Pokey, and he told us that at the age of 76 he was "young @ heart".

Lantern Painting - Illumination Night!

2008-08-19T12:27:00.000-07:00
We held two sessions of Lantern Painting in preparation for Illumination Night.

The colorful lanterns and the serious work of the young artists made it a fun and joyful event!

Pre-School Story Hour with Jeremy Berlin!

2008-08-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Berlin performed at our Pre-School Story Hour, entertaining us with singing, swinging and
dancing.

What a Jive day that was!

Julie Austin Performs at the OBPL

2008-08-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the library hosted a performance by Julie Austin, renowned singer/songwriter/CD producer. She enthralled a "packed house" in the large Meeting Room!

"Wild Thing" Visits the Library!

2008-07-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

The "Wild Thing" from the book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak visited the library today.

Mr. Thing said that he really liked our Summer Reading Program Theme - Wild Reads!

Visit by Gus BenDavid

2008-07-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Gus BenDavid and his animal friends thrilled a large and enthusiastic crowd!

CLIFFORD the BIG RED DOG visited!

2008-05-17T10:41:00.000-07:00
Action shot while singing: If You're happy Clifford's here clap your hands......If you're happy Clifford's here, then you grin from
ear to ear.....If you're
happy Clifford's here clap your hands!

Clifford the Big Red Dog came to the Oak Bluffs Library today! We greeted him with song, read his stories and made Clifford visors as well as colored 3 different pictures of Clifford. Kristina made red Clifford cookies and tan bone shaped sugar cookies for the children to enjoy! Have fun viewing what a great time we had!

Mother Goose visited on May 7th!

2008-05-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

CELEBRATE MOTHER GOOSE DAY!
The 24 children at the PreSchool Story Time were thrilled to meet their idol, Mother Goose! We also took turns jumping over an unlit candlestick like Jack, acted out Little Miss Muffet, sang and chanted nursery rhymes, and colored pictures of their heroes: Humpty Dumpty (who was repaired in our version of the story!), The Cat & the Fiddle and Mother Goose herself!

[Special thanks to Lois Virtue, a personal friend of Mother Goose!]

****Fancy Nancy Story Time Extravaganza!****

2008-04-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

A bunch of fancily dressed children came to hear 4 stories about Fancy Nancy. We learned some new words from Nancy's fancy vocabulary. Then we enjoyed making a sparkly portfolio/purse/briefcase and eating 1/2 a cupcake with some 'fancy' combination
orange-strawberry-banana juice! It was a wonderful , glittery Saturday morning.

Come name our new Kangaroos!

2008-04-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Come meet our new, giant toy kangaroo and her baby~ or her "joey" as they are called in Australia. We have them on the Children's Circulation Desk with an owl shaped jar next to them. You can write your choice of names, or tell a librarian if you don't know how to write yet, and we'll vote on the name during our Kangaroo Story Time for age 6-10 year olds on Friday, April 11 sometime during the hour of 3:30 - 4:30 PM.

Notice the mural behind these cuties, you can see a bit of an Australian boomerang, the costume of an Aboriginal boy and part of a rock painting.

Easter Portuguese English Story Time!

2008-03-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Easter was celebrated early in 2 languages on Saturday, March 15 here in the Children's Program Room. Amadine and Taynara read stories in Portuguese while Irene read in English. Next we made bunny rabbit masks and ears and enjoyed snacks from a Brazilian store, which included their traditional giant Easter Egg filled with candy! You can see photos of some brothers enjoying the treat!

Get Connected @ Your Library March 2-8!

2008-02-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

Get Connected @ Your Library® March 2 – 8!

Think the library is all about books? Think again.

The library is also about blogs, podcasts, gaming, music, and more.

Stop by the Oak Bluffs Public Library or visit our web site during Teen Tech Week to tune into these technologies.

African Folktale with Barbara Linton!

2008-02-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a wonderful tale of a frog who saved a village through love, written and read by Barbara Linton. Then the children made frogs from paper plates, party blower tongues, google eyes, crayons and shiny, sparkly items for the jeweled effect. Why jewels? Well you'll have to ask Barbara to tell you the story!

THANK YOU ,
BARBARA!

Sing Along with Jeremy Berlin!

2008-02-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

We had a terrific time singing along with Jeremy Berlin at the PreSchool Story Time on Wednesday, February 20th. We talked about the Eclipse and Jeremy let the children try out his keyboard!

Valentine Making Workshop!

2008-02-09T10:39:00.000-08:00
We had a lot of fun making Valentines today. You can see some children and families busily working on their creations, and some holding up their beautifully finished Valentines. We had paper, ribbons, hearts, alphabet letters, sequins, glitter, crayons and more spread out on the tables. Look what wonderful Valentines these people made from the materials!

Corduroy visited today!

2008-02-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

Corduroy's last stop during his visit to the Island was Oak Bluffs! We had a great crowd of children singing welcome to Corduroy, hearing Corduroy's stories and coloring pictures of him. Enjoy some of the photos of our cuties with Corduroy!

AHOY MATEY! Pirate Story Time

2008-01-23T08:51:00.000-08:00
Today we had 23 little pirates and 14 adults help us walk the plank, read pirate stories, sing songs and say the letter R in a wild, pirate voice! Here are a few photos of the kids wearing the craft they made, some saying "RRRRRRrrrrr!" just like a pirate!

We've been having a fun January so far!

2008-01-10T16:06:00.000-08:00
We've been celebrating the New Year with fun filled Story Times for PreSchoolers and Ages 6 - 10, Portuguese/English Story Time, and on Thursdays: Guitar Hero for anyone from 10 - 18! I haven't taken recent photos but we have such a great time, I hope you take a look at our Events Calendar and come to OBPL in person to try out a program!

Last week 25 preschoolers and 13 adults enjoyed reading Caldecott winning books, singing, counting and making little books with stickers and crayons on paper tied with yarn! 13 children and 7 adults enjoyed our Portuguese and English Story Time and made Fox visors and duck pendants after reading about those animals. 6 boys had fun playing Guitar Hero today, we've got to get some guitar girls in here! Come on down!

PORTUGUESE / ENGLISH Christmas STORY TIME !

2007-12-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

Today sweet Amadine, our 9 year old Portuguese Language reader, and Irene the Librarian, read Christmas stories to the families. A wonderful lady named Maria made cheese breads and chocolate balls for us, traditional Brazilian party treats! After enjoying the books and the food, we made gingerbread houses and Christmas "trees"...here are some photos of our fun.

We'll be having Portuguese and English Story Times one Saturday a month all winter long, maybe into Spring. I hope you will join us no matter what language you speak!

Hoje doce Amadine, nosso 9 ano leitor de Linguagem velho português, e Irene o Bibliotecário, lê histórias de Natal às famílias. Uma senhora maravilhosa nomeou Maria fez pães de queijo e bolas de chocolate para nós, partido brasileiro tradicional trata! Depois que gozar os livros e o alimento, nós fizemos casas de pão de gengibre e árvores de Natal ...here são algumas fotos de nosso divertimento.

Teremos português e inglês História Vezes um sábado por mês todo inverno longo, talvez em Primavera. Espero que você não nos unir-se-á nenhuma questão o que linguagem que você fala!

SANTA also visited the Library Friends of OB Party!

2007-12-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

We were thrilled to meet Santa and he even gave out presents!You can see photos of the children getting to know Santa, and even the Children's Librarian snuck in there to meet him!

Gingerbread house making at Friends Open House!

2007-12-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Library Friends of Oak Bluffs threw a Holiday party for the people of Martha's Vineyard! There were delectable home baked goodies, a Gingerbread House making craft and upside down ice cream cone Christmas Tree craft for the kids, along with a visit from Santa, who had presents!

Originally scheduled for Thursday, it was postponed due to the snow and ice storm. But on Friday afternoon we had a wonderful time. Here are some photos of the children working hard on their houses and trees, and then you'll see some finished products...beautiful!

Dragons with Al Hurwitz the Dragon Master!

2007-11-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a delightful presentation from artist Al Hurwitz who told us the Chinese story of a painting of a Dragon that came alive! He painted a dragon as the story unfolded. He explained how to draw a dragon and then the children sat down and drew their own. We also had many different books about dragons on display for the kids to peruse. Have an "inside look" at the program right here!

Here are the rest of the Halloween PreSchool photos!

2007-11-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoy seeing more of the photos of our little Halloween cuties! You'll see them at Story Time, going down the stairs to be in our Halloween parade and enjoying snacks.

Here is an especially scary fairy princess who isn't scared to eat with a dog and two dragons! In fact, she can growl just as loud as the wild beasts!

Halloween PreSchool Celebration!

2007-10-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

Get a look at the cute children who came dressed in costume to our Halloween Storytime, Parade, and Party! We read Clifford's First Halloween and some other Halloween, but not so scary, books! We then made little ghosts which we carried throughout the library saying "WOOOOO" to scare the librarians! In the end, we enjoyed mini cupcakes, baby crackers, chips, popcorn , candy and juice! All served by our trusty Library Friend of Oak Bluffs, Lois Virtue, and "Mother Nature" (Irene!)

More photos will be added later. Here is one for you right now!

The BAT PEOPLE are attacking!

2007-10-25T15:33:00.000-07:00
Our PreSchool Story Time kids got busy making BAT head gear after they read Stellaluna, Bats at the Beach and other books that helped them to learn about bats. Join us for our Halloween Story Time Party and Parade next Wednesday at 10:30 AM.

LOL @ your library! IMPers & Sketchy Teens visited for Teen Read Week!

2007-10-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

The IMPers and Sketchy Teens came for Teen Read Week's LOL @ your library! A lot of fun was had by all. The kids combined reading with comedy, my favorite being when they took lines from books and inserted them into unlikely situations. "Call me Ishmael!" shouted one dude in the middle of a shopping expedition. They came up with crazy schemes and really funny dialogue, some rehearsed & some by the seat of their pants. It was great fun!

We really appreciate and thank these funny teens and their fearless leader, Donna Swift.

FAIRY HOUSES! We made them August 30th.

2007-08-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

For the last Age 6-10 Story Time of Summer....we read about mermaids, mermen, merbabies and fairies! Next, we went outside with sticks and seashells, found some rocks and ferns and made lovely little fairy houses. We're hoping some of the wee folk will come make these homes their own! You can view our fun here.

Music Historian Jim Thomas tells the secrets behind the Spirituals on August 16th!

2007-08-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

We had a fascinating time with Jim Thomas, music historian. We learned all sorts of facts about the songs known as Spirituals, and the true meanings behind them. The Slaves sang the songs so that they sounded like they were being "good" workers (following plantation bosses' rules) and not speaking to eachother, while really they were communicating about ways to escape slavery.

"Follow the Drinking Gourd" told the direction ( follow North Star on Big Dipper) and time: "When the 1st quail calls," meant: begin walking when it's cold and end at the Ohio River when it's frozen (so you would be able to walk across the ice to freedom.) Any train or track song referred to the Underground Railroad. Jordan = the Atlantic. Angels = conductors on the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman = Chariot. "Wade in the Water" was to erase your scent so you can hide from the bloodhounds. Jim Thomas taught us so much more than this today, it was amazing. And he sang with his wonderful deep voice as well.

Thank you for gracing our Children's Program Room, Jim, and to Leigh for arranging for J. Thomas to visit us.

Illumination Night Lantern Painting!

2007-08-14T16:04:00.000-07:00
Today we prepared for the beauty of Illumination Night by creating some beauty of our own. Busy artists watercolored with gorgeous washes of color and designs over white lanterns. We had an image of the Pink Campground Cottage, The Black Dog, fireworks, night skies and rainbows. Breathtaking! We can't wait to get home and hang them in time for tomorrow night.

MOTHER GOOSE visited on Weds. Aug. 8!

2007-08-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Mother Goose flew in on her goose and had a great time with a big crowd on this cloudy morning! We sang to Mother Goose, read her nursery rhymes and a special Humpty Dumpty story with a happy ending! We jumped over an unlit candlestick and acted out Miss Muffet. Then we colored in pictures of Mother Goose's goose who was waiting on the roof for take-off. What fun!

Winnie the Pooh visited on Saturday, August 4!

2007-08-08T09:12:00.001-07:00

We had a marvelous time with Pooh Bear who visited us all the way from the Hundred Acre Woods! We sang to him, read his stories, shook his hand and in some cases, hugged him! Then we made Pooh Bear Badges to wear on headbands. You can see our fun right here on the blog!

August 2 Fiddler Denya LeVine played!

2007-08-03T11:11:00.001-07:00

We had a Multicultural Sing Along with fiddler and singer Denya LeVine! Despite the crowd, she had enough instruments so every adult and child could play along. We danced an Irish Polka, sang Australian, African and Portuguese songs, listened to a Nepalese bell and more! We especially loved the ho-down style fiddling! At one point we named ourselves "The ________ Cookie Planet McCarthy Library Community Band!" The blank is the one word I can't remember in our title. Can anyone help out?

We thank our fearless fiddling leader, Denya!

August 1 we had the FELTED HATS PUPPET THEATRE!

2007-08-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Robin Tuck of the Felted Hats Puppet Theatre and today's assistant Jennifer Langhammer thrilled the children with a puppet show of shapes and nursery rhymes. Then Robin did a hand puppet show of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff with a singing Troll! Lots of fun was had by all!

Deep Blue Discoveries visited!

2007-08-02T13:54:00.000-07:00
Click here to find out what this program was all about: Home

We learned so much from Jeff Croll. Our regular library children plus the Treasure Island Camp participated in this interesting program.

Story Time with Grandparents with Leigh French

2007-08-02T13:38:00.000-07:00
For the month of July, we tried out a Story Time with Grandparents on Fridays from 1-2. The idea was that the grandparents could bring their grandchildren for some special time at the library, while the parents went out to lunch~~(or worked!) Leigh read stories and once had Sheila Mudd Baker as a special guest to tell Wampanoag Tales. It was fun, please let Leigh or Irene know if you'd like more of this in the future.

July 19 Jose "Pepe" Pareja visited from Bolivia!

2007-08-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Jose "Pepe" Pareja brought his handmade instruments and played some wonderful songs from Bolivia and other Spanish speaking countries. The children and adults got to touch the instruments, then we made our own rhythm shakers from paper plates and caps!

July 18 we had a SING ALONG with JEREMY BERLIN!

2007-08-02T13:08:00.000-07:00
See Jeremy and the kids in action!

Jeremy Berlin plays with Johnny Hoy & the Bluefish by night, art galleries and parties by day & evening, and with children at libraries in the morning! This classically trained and all around talented guy has a wonderful way with music and people. Here you can see him playing. View the crowd enjoying him and having so much fun. At the end, the children got to try out the keyboard, just look at the smiles! Thank you, Jeremy!

Story Teller Sheila Mudd Baker visited today.

2007-07-12T11:20:00.000-07:00
We heard a tale about a selkie then illustrated the story with watercolors. We can't wait to hear some Wampanoag Tales tomorrow from 1-2PM with Sheila Mudd Baker.

Baseball Card Raffle Winners!

2007-07-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Approximately 30 people entered our Free Baseball Card Raffle and the winners are

(Drumroll Please………)

Grand Prize – 2007 Team Set of Baseball Cards: Lucie
Second Prize – Red Sox Baseball Hat: Susan
Third Prize – Box of Assorted Baseball Cards: Cameron
Fourth Prize – Pack of Topps 2007 Baseball Cards: Kai
Fifth Prize – Boston Red Sox Pen: Elissa

We called all of the winners this morning, but if you see your name and think that you may have won a prize please call the library 508-693-9433.

Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to everyone that participated!

Remember to read a baseball book and enter the
Step Up to the Plate @ Your Library competition for a chance to win a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame!

Visit www.ala.org/baseball to learn more.

Summer Reading Program Kick - Off !!!

2007-07-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Musician Roger Tincknell wowed the audience as he sang, yodeled, and played his banjo and other instruments. Roger invited audience participation and a good time was had by all 170 people!

Here are some photos of this event at the New Ag Hall in West Tisbury that was sponsored by the Martha's Vineyard Library Association.

Summer Sky Notebook with the Planetarium Director

2007-07-06T13:23:00.000-07:00
Jeannie from the Christa McAulliffe Planetarium came to teach us about the STARS and make a Summer Sky Notebook. We heard some Greek myths and how the gods and goddesses were involved with the naming of our constellations, such as Hercules. We learned how to recognize some constellations and hope we will all be looking at the same stars tonight!

RED, WHITE & BLUE CRAFTS!

2007-06-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today we had a 'blast' making rockets, flag design on heart necklaces with red, white and blue beads and gimp, a clothespin doll Uncle Sam & Besty Ross, and a USA, stars, and flag hats card! It was a lot of fun and everyone worked really hard on projects they could be proud of ! Happy Fourth of July everyone! As you can see from the photos, the OB library kids are ready for it!

Kids are signing up for the Summer Reading Program!

2007-06-26T13:49:00.000-07:00
Come on in and sign up! Next week you can start logging in your time read. Or sign up online if you are 12 or over. You can sign up either way.

I talked to our most generous businesses downtown and quite a few donated items to our reading incentive box. We have friendship bracelets, toys, a paint set, gift certificates for books, new books and used books, carousel tickets, coupons for ice cream, pizza, bananas and more! You will be rewarded handsomely for your reading, something that is fun to do anyway!

Sign-up for the Summer Reading Program starts June 21!

2007-06-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

Get ready for another summer of fun summer reading! The statewide program "Catch the Beat @ your Library" starts July 1 and runs until August 31. You can start signing up online now if you are aged 12 or over, and starting June 21 at the Children's Desk for everyone else.

Pick up your Reading Logs , posters, coloring sheets and more on June 21 and throughout the summer. Check out our online calendar to find out about the wonderful programs planned for you or pick up a calender at the Children's Desk the same day!

Earn prizes, books, toys and coupons for prizes like ice cream, apples, pizza and more when you read 1.5 hours a week. Read for 6 hours and you earn a T-shirt! Have fun!
Sponsored by the Oak Bluffs Public Library, Library Friends of Oak Bluffs, MVLA, Massachusetts Regional Library Systems, Waste Management and our local businesses who donate coupons and prizes to our child readers.

Get ready for Harry Potter!

2007-06-15T08:54:00.001-07:00

Are you looking forward to the new Harry Potter book on July 21? There's a rumour 2 major characters will be killed off. Who do you think it will be? What do you think or hope will happen? Will you miss the series? Are you glad it's ending? You can post your opinions here.

Pink Princess Party Story Time!

2007-06-15T08:22:00.000-07:00
Do you love pink? Do you love Princesses? A lot of little girls do, and they came out in droves to enjoy reading about princesses and people who love pink in fun books such as Double Pink by Kate Feiffer, Pinkalicous by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann, Priscilla and the Pink Planet by N. Hobbie and more!
Some children wore pink outfits, or princess outfits, or outfits with a touch of glitter!
Our children created beautiful, sparkling tiaras then frosted a chocolate or a vanilla cupcake with pink frosting with sprinkles! It was a really sweet and fun program.

Coco the Clown visits

2007-06-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with Coco the Clown during PreSchool Story Time in May! See the photo of a fun PARADE , marching with musical instruments. The children got to see a woman transform herself into a clown before their eyes, they got dressed up, the balanced on a 'tight rope' and had lots of fun.

NEW PUPPETS!

2007-05-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

We've got some new puppet toys at the OBPL! Here is a picture of our peppy penguin, fabulous frog, gorgeous groundhog, miniscule mice, shy squirrel, groovy guinea pig and excellent Elmo!! They'll make appearances at Story Times over the year as well as live in the Toy Box for kids to play with. ENJOY!

Mother Goose Visits the Library on Mother Goose Day!

2007-05-12T10:16:00.000-07:00
Our PreSchool Story Time kids got to meet Mother Goose the first Wednesday in May! They heard and sang her rhymes, got to jump over a candlestick just like Jack (as you can see in the photo!), and got to act out Little Miss Muffet with a "Miss Spider" toy. A good time was had by all!

We thank Abby Bailey from the Vineyard Playhouse and Lois Virtue of the Oak Bluffs Library Friends for their help!

Spotty's Fans come to library!

2007-05-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

We were quite surprised one day this May when a little giraffe girl came into the library! Here is her photo next to Spotty, our Library Giraffe, and her sister!

PETER RABBIT came to town on April 28!

2007-05-12T09:59:00.000-07:00
Beatrix Potter's popular Story Book Character, and very naughty rabbit, PETER came to visit the Oak Bluffs Public Library! We practiced 3 songs to greet Peter with and he was speechless when he heard such good singing from the children! Irene read some of his stories and he seemed like he would try hard NOT to sneak into Farmer McGregors garden again!

After meeting, hugging, or shaking hands with Peter Rabbit, he left us to go back to his rabbit hole. Then we made rabbit ears of our own to take home, and colored in a picture of Peter. Photos show Peter with a happy family and a sample of our rabbit ears!

We have most of the Beatrix Potter collection now, in the little books some of the parents and grandparents may remember from their own childhoods!

APRIL 7 we had Portuguese English EASTER Story Time

2007-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00
We had a wonderful time at the Portuguese English EASTER Story Time. Amadine translated then read in Porgtuguese with Irene who read in English. After stories we made bunny masks and worked on Easter mazes. Amadine's Mom, Adrianna, had emptied eggshells and had us decorate them, then put sequins in a little hole at the top. The children could follow a Mexian Cinco de Mayo game Amadine learned at school, and break the egg on someone's head for luck...after they got home!
In the photo, Adrianna is holding up a traditional Brazilian Easter treat that Irene bought* at one of our local Brazilian stores. Inside the foil was a chocolate egg that was filled with more sweets!
* We thank our Oak Bluffs Friends of the Library who generously provide funding for Story Time crafts and treats!

Felted Hats Puppet Theatre!

2007-03-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Robin Tuck walks a puppet around the room to meet all the children in the crowd at the Story Time on March 21. Then her FELTED HATS PUPPET THEATRE show began. The children thrilled to nursery rhymes read by Trish while Robin worked the shadow puppets. In the end, a French song played while the puppets moved along to the song. Toddlers called out the names of the animals and things in the show. It was so cute and fun! We can't wait to have the Felted Hats Puppet Theatre back!

PORTUGUESE ENGLISH STORY TIME !

2007-03-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

We had a terrific time at the Portuguese/English Story Time! 9 year old Amadine Muniz read the books in Portuguese while Irene read the translations in English. That very smart and considerate Amadine translated them for Irene earlier. We enjoyed some funny stories about animals with peculiar habits! Then we drank lemonade and juice, and ate all kinds of cookies & snacks from the Brazilian store.
We were happy to find 25 people in the audience. We invite you all to come again , or for the first time, on Saturday, April 7 @ 10:30AM for an Easter Portuguese/English Story Time. We'll read about rabbits and eggs!
Voce está convidado a vir para a biblioteca de Oak Bluffs para escutar historinhas sobre Pascoa em português e inglês.
Oak Bluffs Public Library
Sábado, 7 de Abril
às 10:30 da manha
Um lanche sera servido no final do Programa. Pessoas de qualquer idade sao bem-vindas.

TELL A STORY with LEIGH FRENCH!

2007-03-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Leigh French was hired as the new Library Assistant in the Children's Room! I hope you all come up to meet her.

On February 17 she did a program about Mr. Frye, the first black business owner on Circuit Ave. in OB. He owned a cobbler shop, and Leigh created a picture book about him and read it to the children. She also showed them his old cobbler tools (you can see them on the chair at the front of the photo), still being used today by another island cobbler.Then the kids imagined they had magic shoes made by Mr. Frye and made their own books about their adventures. We have their books on display until the end of March, so come see the books while you're up here meeting Leigh!

{In this photo, Leigh is kindly showing her book a child who came late the program, to catch them up on what's going on, while the other children were busy making their books.}

CAT IN THE HAT VISITS!

2007-03-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

The CAT IN THE HAT visited on Feb. 17! We had a very fun time reading about the Cat in the Hat, singing to the Cat in the Hat and making hats like his for ourselves! Some brave children gave him a hug or a handshake.

We are hoping another character will visit us in late April or early May. Maybe a certain rabbit that can't stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden! If not him, I'm sure another cutie will arrive, instead. We'll keep you posted!

Kids Click!

2007-03-03T13:27:00.000-08:00
Have you heard about the website Kids Click! http://www.kidsclick.org/?

KidsClick! was created by a group of librarians at the Ramapo Catskill Library System.

It is a great website to help you with your homework, or to help you learn more about your favorite topics (like Animals, Dinosaurs, Spacecrafts, Pets, and tons more!). Try it today!

EGYPT!!

2007-01-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

Irene, your Children's Librarian is going to Egypt for a 17 day tour. I'm going with my husband to Cairo next week! We're also going to the lost rose city of Petra in Jordan and will sleep on the desert with a Bedouin tribe. While in Egypt, we plan to see Abu Simbel, The Great Sphinx, The Pyramids at Giza and lots of other exciting tombs and places. We'll enjoy a cruise on the Nile as well.
If you'd like to read about the wonders of Egypt and especially ancient Egypt and mummies, look in our non-fiction section J 932. I've added a picture of one of our most beautiful books on Egyptology.
If you don't hear from me sooner, I'll see you all when I come back on February 9!

New Name for our Panda

2007-01-11T16:48:00.000-08:00
The Age 6-10 Story Time kids voted and the official name of our new panda bear is SNOWBALL !!!! And a cute little (or should I say BIG) Snowball he is! She is? We don't know if it's a boy or a girl but Snowball sure is cuddly, come on by and give Snowball a hug!

NEW PANDA!

2006-12-16T13:14:00.000-08:00
I hope you come to the OB Library to meet our newest friend in the Children's Room. We have a cute PANDA now and you are invited to try and name him. There are slips of paper on the desk that you can write your choice of name on, and put it inside the penguin shaped jar. We will vote on the name during the Happy New Year Story Time for ages 6-10 on December 29 at 3:30PM. I have a photo here of Kenny who is very happy to meet this PANDA!

Snow Family Making Story Time

2006-12-16T13:07:00.000-08:00
We had a lot of fun reading books about Snowmen, snow women, snow kids and snow pets! Then we made snow families from 'buffalo snow' on a styrofoam base with orange pipecleaner 'carrot' noses and googly eyes with felt clothing.
Here is a photo of Savanna with her snow family. Check out the Flickr photos on the side panel to see more children's wonderful & artistic snow people!
This is a sample of what we do during the Age 6-10 Story Time. Read for first half hour, then make a craft that reflects what we have just read. It's a lot of fun, I hope you join us sometime on Fridays at 3:30, ending at 4:30PM. It's a creative way to end your school week!

We had fun at the Halloween Parade!

2006-11-01T11:55:00.000-08:00
Check out the fun! See our photos of some of the people who came to the Halloween Parade. We paraded about the library and yelled, "La LUNA!" at the moon while we had our walk in the dark. We enoyed TREATS in the Programs Room after the parade, juice, candy, cookies, cupcakes and baby crackers. We hope you can come to our next fun filled event.

See our computers!

2006-10-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

We have 6 computers for children's use only. Currently, RuneScape and The Sims are the most popular games! You can also use the internet for homework and email!

Halloween Parade - Tuesday-October 31, at 5pm!

2006-10-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

We meet in the Children's room, please arrive dressed in costume! We will parade through the library and if the weather is nice we will march around the outside of the building. Meet for treats in the Children's Program room at the end!