Looking for crafts or games to keep busy this winter?

I have a few ideas that may help! Chess has always been a favorite game of mine. What better way to sharpen your math skill than by playing chess? It’s a known fact! Chess: From First Move to Checkmate by Daniel King is a great book for anyone just learning how to master the game. Each playing piece is fully explained on very illustrative pages and the book also gives you a short history of the game. For beginners, this is a great book for anyone.

Would you like to try your hand at knitting or crochet? The Knitting and Crochet Book by Susan O’Reilly in the Arts and Crafts series shows young beginners how to try their hands at either one. There are patterns for either a knitted scarf or a crocheted vest. Perfect for keeping you warm this season!

Are you interested in cooking? Williams-Sonoma put together a cookbook (The Kid’s Cookbook: A Great Book For Kids Who Love to Cook) with recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner snacks, and desserts. From easy egg-salad sandwiches to carrot fries, this ring binder cook book will give you the confidence to make your own meals and have fun at the same time!

Michelle

I just love fairytales don’t you? Fairytales are as magical as comfort food and can make me happy most days! Some of my favorites are the stories that take me to visit and learn about other cultures. One of my many favorite is the Rough Faced Girl by Rafe Martin. This is a wonderful Algonquin Indian version of the Cinderella story, in which two mean sisters set out to marry an Invisible Being. But naturally, the Rough Faced Girl, or the Cinderella of the story, has the gift that the sister’s don’t: she can see him.

Now if you like the classic European fairytales try this newly published collection by Jan Pienkowski titled, The Fairy Tales. It is faithfully translated from the French Charles Perrault and German Grimm Brothers. Here you’ll find four dangererous, wicked and of course romantic tales of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White. Jan Pienkowski has illustrated all four with dazzling silhouettes lending vintage European charm. You’ll probably treasure this one as a favorite too.

–posted by Debby

When people find out that I’m a librarian, they often ask about my favorite books. First on the tip of my tongue is Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery. Despite my lack of red hair or living in Canada in the early 1900’s, I was, in many ways, Anne as a child. And I still carry part of her in me as a grown-up. Her imaginative spirit, so like my own, propelled me through my growing up years to the point where reading this book is like coming home.

Surprisingly enough, I first discovered Anne at about 9 or 10 years old at my school library. Her story is familiar to many: a freckled, red-haired orphan is presented to painfully shy Matthew Cuthbert and his matter-of-fact sister, Marilla. But upon picking Anne up at the train station, Matthew knows there’s been a terrible mistake: for the Cuthbert’s wanted a boy to help Matthew around the farm. Marilla, driving straight to the point, wants to send the girl back, but Matthew has already been won over by her and fights to keep her. Eventually they do, and she changes their lives forever. Anne, who is more often than not likely to be found lost in a daydream of tragically romantic moments while she’s supposed to be doing her chores, is a constant source of amusement for the reader. Whether it’s putting liniment into a cake, or breaking a slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head, Anne has no shortage of adventures. Her warmth and imagination quickly win readers to her side, making them hope that she comes out all right in the end.

While I never did the things she did, I certainly felt like I could have! And her world of dreams and fancy mirrored my own, nearly 100 years later. As I grew older, I was delighted to find that Anne did, too, and I could follow her adventures on through adulthood in all eight books of the series. Although the language is a bit old-fashioned her story is still as relatable now as it was when it was first written. So if you haven’t discovered this delightful classic, try it on for size. You may just find a bit of yourself in Anne, whether or not you have red hair.

–posted by Necia

No, I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read the book, but this was a fantastic end to the series.  Lots of questions were answered, and I was glad that I was happy about Snape!  If you haven’t read books 1-6, you should definitely do that first.

Oh my goodness, you must read this book! Clementine is a plucky third grader who is always getting in trouble for not paying attention. The thing is, she IS paying attention, only it’s to different things than other people, like the shape of clouds and growing a beard. The author lives in Massachusetts, and there are at least two more books planned about Clementine. Pick her up–you’ll love her!

This series is the best since Harry Potter. No, really. The first book is Gregor the Overlander, written by Suzanne Collins. Gregor is an eleven-year-old boy who falls “underland” in New York City. He and his two-year-old sister Boots have grand adventures with the humans and creatures that live underneath New York City. You will meet giant flying bats, huge friendly cockroaches, and powerful rats who guide Gregor as he learns about his warrior powers.  There are five books in this series, and I’m sad to see it end.

Andrew Clements writes books about real life, or the genre “realistic fiction.” He writes about kids at school, mostly, and the things that could happen there, like test stress, questioning authority, having a family member work at the school, and other subjects. These are great topics to talk about with families, so I recommend them for book groups.

Did you read Ella Enchanted? If you did, and you loved it, try this one too. A young girl has a beautiful voice but thinks she’s ugly. Find out how she uses her voice to find true beauty and help her community.