Aliens from Outer Space Invade The Wheatsheaf Library

Families from Newbold Children's Centre came to The Wheatsheaf Library to join in the fun today.
Q Pootle 5 with his alien voice machine and flying saucer was the star of the story show, putting Hebden Rat's nose out of joint as his retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin came a close second in popularity despite a rousing chorus of "Dem rats, dem rats, dem bad rats!" We told that story as we had travelled down a time portal to Hamelin.
Speaking of time portals, don't forget to check out the kids' portal on our website. click here
you will see the entrance to the kids' portal on the top line of the screen.
When we got back there was just enough time to make an alien mask, I'm sure it was modelled on me!

Pondering Ponds

I teamed up with Touchstones and Bob Bevan, the Broadfield Park Warden for a pond dip.




As well as learning about some fascinating wildlife right on the doorstep we found dragonflies, ramshorn snails, water boatmen, beetle larvae and many more! I was able to show the families that came along where they can discover more about ponds at their library.
As well as stories there are books on building your own pond, the creatures that live in them and how to identify what you might find on a pond dip. Don't forget there are some brilliant websites that you can find free by asking to use one of the computers in the library, for example
click here

Space Hop - The Rochdale Frontier

I've been telling as many people as I can about Space Hop - this Summer's Reading Challenge. I've been sharing my favourite stories along the way too. Here's me sharing "The Wide-Mouthed Frog"
Even if you're not a wide-mouthed frog there's still plenty of time to hop to your library and join Space Hop - we don't re-enter the Earth's atmosphere here in Rochdale until Saturday 25th September.

Wardle Tenants and Residents Association had a fun day so I took along "Uninvited Guests" from the Bag Books. A story with a water pistol on a hot day goes down a treat!

Rochdale Readers made "Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer" finger puppets - and I finally learnt the tune to go with the rhyme.

Two and a half thousand year old story found at library!

It's true!
Not many children know about Aesop's Fables these days, at least, not under that title but tell them about
"The Hare and the Tortoise" and the nods of recognition and "Ah yes!" goes round the audience. There's been a good book around for quite a few years now "Aesop's Funky Fables" stories retold by Vivian French and illustrated by Korky Paul.
You'll find "The Hare and the Tortoise" in the collection but my own favourite is "The Fox and the Crow" I like to tell it with puppets as it is a very visual story, especially the punchline where Crow opens his beak to sing and the cheese falls to the ground for Fox to eat - OH NO!- I've given away the ending! The picture shows Charlie Chough (he's the one with the cheese in his beak, mmmm! Looks like a nice piece of Gruyere!) and Basil in their favourite roles.

Cheering up a tearful vampire whilst calming tigers

I knew Bag Books were good but today I really did cheer up a tearful vampire and keep three tigers spellbound!
You may have guessed already but the stories were told at an event where face painting had been one of the attractions. I've been twice this week to tell stories at a get together for looked after children and the looker afterers! The three tigers said they had been earlier in the week! I know my memory is getting worse but I really think I would have remembered if tigers had sat down to listen before!

It's Magic at the Library!

Guy de Paul's magic show is out of this world. Here's a picture of him at The Wheatsheaf Library today. There are many more pictures of the fun things that go on in our libraries. Click on the link below to see just how many more.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34967699@N07/4842906885

He still has many more to visit, find out where at

http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/libraries/childrens_library_service/magic_in_the_library.aspx
Would you like to be a magician yourself? The library has books to show you how to do magic tricks. Your first trick could be to make them disappear from the library shelves!

Bookstart

Every child in the borough is entitled to have a FREE Bookstart Bag at around nine months, eighteen months and thirty six months. They contain books for the child and other goodies too.

The health visitors usually gift the first two bags - the first is a nice cotton bag with long handles so it fits on the back of a pushchair, the second is a smart red briefcase style bag in hardwearing nylon. Then the Library Outreach Workers step in to gift the Treasure Chest, this is done in a nursery or playgroup setting and we gift the Chest to children who will go to reception class at the start of the next school year.

If for any reason you do not get your Bookstart pack in this way you can always call in to your nearest library in the borough and ask them for the pack. As you can see from the picture, the Bookstart bags last well, the one on the table has seen good service.

Mobile Youth Facilities (Youth Bus)

I've also been working with secondary schools and the Youth Service to take the Youth Bus to schools in the borough.

The bus (in fact there are three of them but we tend to use just one or two at a time) has internet access, so we could demonstate all the goodies we have online 24/7 on the library website. We also asked for opinions on the new library that's planned and some very good ideas came through.

If you see any of the three buses in your area take a look - they have X Box on board as well as computers with internet access.

Bag Books

Here's Suzi and me with "Kofi" at Smallbridge Library. I've been to Sandbrook with "Sea Rescue" this week and will go again with "Kofi and the Magic Shaker" and "Uninvited Guests" these holidays.
During the last term Redwood School and St. Peter's school have enjoyed me sharing Bag Books with them - especially the water pistol from "Uninvited Guests" on a very hot day! (yes, we do get very hot days in Rochdale)

Space Hop Magic

It's been a long time since I've blogged. The truth is so much has been going on that I've not sat down to record it!
I'll tell you all about the Youth Bus, BagBooks, Bookstart etc. etc. that's been going on but first, I'm really excited by our Space Hop activities so far, lots of libraries have rung up for more alien masks, we have a drop in activity at all our libraries for six weeks, the calls mean that loads of children have been through the doors.
We've had just two magic shows from Guy de Paul and numbers have been great, let's hope they keep coming back for the rest of the fun!