New Materials for Greek Mythology Lovers

Calling all ancient history buffs and Percy Jackson fans! We have some new materials for you! These new items go into greater detail about the Greek Myths that many books for young readers are based on. Here are some opportunities to explore these wonderful stories in new ways.

3 New DVDs (Call Number: J 292.12)

Greek Mythology for Students:

This is an animated video series that captures the drama of Greek myths and illustrates the ancient's beliefs about the wonders of the universe. Each show is enhanced by an informative on-camera host, who helps highlight some of the common mythological themes threaded throughout ancient culture and history, and shows students how these powerful myths still relate to our lives today.

New Book

"Greek Myths"

By Ann Turnbull

Illustrated by Sarah Young

Call Number:

J 292.2 TUR

Enter a world where anything is possible. A god might be a mountain or a shower of gold. A nymph may be a stream or an echo in the wind. The myths of ancient Greece are full of such wonders, as well as a host of courageous heroes, cunning heroines, and terrible monsters. Ann Turnbull's compelling prose enlivens sixteen of the most celebrated myths, from the sadness of Persephone to the ill-fated love of Orpheus and Eurydice, from Pandora's unlucky curiosity to the greed of King Midas to many more age-old tales filled with drama and romance. In vivid, expressive detail, Sarah Young's fine-art illustrations bring this golden world to life, capturing creatures from Cerberus, the three headed dog, to the sinister snake-haired Medusa!

Shel Silverstein's Birthday

Come to the "Where the RFPL Sidewalk Ends" party this Friday from 4-5pm at the library. All ages are invited to celebrate Shel Silverstein's birthday. We'll be sharing favorite Silverstein poems, writing and drawing on the sidewalk, and having birthday cake!

The writer and artist would have been 81 this year. A brand new collection of Silverstein poems, Every Thing On It, is being released posthumously this month.

You can find Shel Silverstein books in the RFPL childrens's room.

Come See Geronimo

The Big Cheese--Geronimo Stilton--will be at the library! We're having a party on Sunday, Sept. 18th from 3-4pm with games and activities featuring our favorite mouse secret agent from the popular Geronimo Stilton series. This event is for children in grades 2-5.

Registration is required. Stop by the Children's Room or call (708) 366-5205 to sign up!*

*You can also "Text a Librarian" for reference services, including registering for this event. To get started, text "askrfpl" to 66746. Then send in your question or request! A librarian will text you back promptly. (Standard message rates apply.)

From the Shelf to the Stage

The lineup of children's theatre in Chicagoland this fall includes a couple of children’s literature greatest hits. If you love theatre and reading you’re in luck. Two theatre companies are taking on stage adaptations of Walk Two Moons and Goodnight Moon. Before you check out these upcoming productions on stage, stop by River Forest Public Library to check out the books!

Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech

In this Newbery Award winning book, friends Sal and Phoebe must deal with mothers who have left home. Sal and her grandparents retrace her mother’s path to discover the truth about her absence. Sal recounts their cross country journey to Phoebe as Phoebe learns why her mother has left.

Find this book at RFPL

See it on stage at Adventure Stage, November 5 - December 8, 2011

Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrations by Clement Hurd

Goodnight Moon has been a children’s bedtime mainstay for decades. In this rhyming picture book, a child bunny says goodnight to the things around its room.

Find this book at RFPL

See it on stage at Chicago Children’s Theater, October 27 - December 23, 2011

Two Great Biographies

Two of America's great artistic icons of the later part of the 20th century are profiled in these outstanding children's biographies. Even if you think you know about Andy Warhol or Bob Dylan, check these books out and share them with the whole family.

In Fabulous! A Portrait of Andy Warhol by Bonnie Christensen you learn about Andy Warhola's childhood and the development of his unique and ground-breaking approach to art. He comes alive in these pages as something more than just a celebrity with kind of crazy hair.

When Bob Met Woody by Gary Golio chronicles folk artist Bob Dylan from his childhood till the early part of his career when he travels to New York and meets his hero, an ailing Woody Guthrie. The illustrations and quotes from Dylan's songs and poems make this a great read.

Rockin' Out

These recent additions to our CD collection are for kids who like to ROCK!

Billy Kelly's new album The Family Garden offers a refreshing, peppy mix of pop music fun. This is happy music you can jump around to! With plenty of originals, Kelly also does a cover of the B-52's classic "Rock Lobster" that should make parents smile too.

 

Grandkid Rock by Daddy A Go Go features driving electric guitar and drums on most tracks and makes you want to roll down the windows and let your hair down! With a sound reminiscent of Mellencamp and maybe even a little Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but lyrics in tune with kids, this album definitely rocks.

 

Rock & Roll Playground is another great compilation release from Putumayo Kids. Kids' music all stars like Peter Himmelman and Dan Zanes deliver upbeat songs in a rock 'n' roll style on this CD.

Choose some rockin' music at RFPL to kick off the new school year!

Not Your Average Audiobooks

We have some impressive new audiobooks. What makes these two special? Not only are these engaging stories, but they are read by award winning actors! Here are reviews of two hot new titles that explain just how amazing they are. Come check them out @ the library!

The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex

read by Bahni Turpin

Get ready to laugh out loud while enjoying a rollicking road trip starring a wisecracking alien and an eighth-grader with attitude who join forces to save the world. Twelve year-old Gratuity "Tip" Tucci is assigned to write an essay that explains the significance of the day that aliens took over earth. She tells about rescuing her mother, kidnapped by space-invading extraterrestrials (the Booy), and reluctantly joining a renegade alien named J.Lo. Turpin channels Tip's sassy sparkle, conjuring the youngster's personality and natural tweenspeak style, sending Tip's voice right into your ear buds. But wait! Without a pause, Turpin miraculously morphs into mangled alien-accented English, complete with an oddball cadence of throat tics and tongue clicks, to bring forth J.Lo's fidgety self right into your brain. The result is pure entertainment, as Tip and J.Lo banter back and forth in stereo, taking listeners along for the ride. - Mary Burkey

The Emerald Atlas
by John Stephens

read by Jim Dale

Wizards, dwarfs, enemies, witches, and more appear in this fantasy story, impressively read by Dale, well-known to listeners as the impeccable voice of the Harry Potter titles. Fourteen-year-old Kate and her younger siblings, Emma and Michael, have grown up in a series of horrible orphanages. But after they find a mysterious book, in which Michael tucks a historic photo, the children are transported 15 years in the past. In a quest to save the town, which is held captive by an evil witch, the children embark on a dangerous journey that tests their courage and resolve. Not surprisingly Dale's British-laced reading is masterful. He handles a multitude of characters with skillful panache, altering accents, pitch, and vocal texture, with seamless consistency. Dale's facility at differentiating characters allows listeners to easily follow the complex plot and shifts in time and place. With Dale reading this satisfying first title in a proposed fantasy series, expect high demand. -Lynn Rutan