Sports Illustrated for Kids and Stone Arch Books are teaming together for a great new contest for kids. Here’s the scoop according to their website:

Developing a strong character is critical to any story’s success. Picture a character in your mind – what sport does he or she play? Think about all of the traits and characteristics that your character might have. Describe these to us by answering the questions in the entry form below. Your entry should make your sports star come to life! After all entries have been submitted, the contest judges will choose the top five entries. Sketches will be drawn for these five entries and posted to www.capstonekids.com. Kids will then be able to vote for the sketch of their favorite sports star.

The sports star from the winning entry/sketch will be featured in one of the upcoming Stone Arch Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novels.

For the official entry form and more details checkout their website at http://capstonekids.com/contests/sikids/

Grades 3-6
Accepting entries until March 1.

Registration for our 2010 Winter Reading Program begins on Monday, January 11. We’re celebrating all things pizza in our Any Way You Slice It: The Library Has All the Right Ingredients! Children (teens and adults, too!) can sign up for the program beginning Monday. Stop by the Youth Services Desk to pick up your log and start reading. Each child that completes the set reading goals will earn a FREE  book. Kids can read or listen to any book - any subject, any format and from any location. Older Readers will need to complete 8 books; Beginning Readers, 12 books and Read-To-Me kids, 50 books during the six-week program. The final day for registration is February 13 and the last day to turn in for a guaranteed award is February 20.

We are thrilled to bring Godfather’s Pizza on East Kimberly Road on board as a sponsor this year. You’ll notice all sorts of things they loaned us for display, but in addition they are going to host a Library fundraiser. Make plans to stop by their location on Friday, February12 between 2 and 10 p.m. A portion of all dine-in and carry-out orders will go to the Library Foundation for future programs. Be sure to tell them you are there to support the Library!

We want to always thank the Friends of the Bettendorf Public Library for supporting our reading programs. Their funding allows us to purchase all of the wonderful books that we are able to award and to make sure we have such a great variety. THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS!

We have many collections of Mother Goose rhymes and I have given many of these as gifts for new babies. I try to introduce them to kids as a part of our oral history. But, I find that sometimes the complete rhymes are very difficult for me to remember. I’m not sure if I ever learned some of them completely as a child or if it is the ease of the words that made me remember some better than others. Whatever the reason, I was delighted when I discovered a new series of Favorite Mother Goose Rhymes and its companion of Children’s Favorite Activity Songs. Each book (eight in each series) contains a delightfully illustrated version of one rhyme or song. Short and sweet! You’ll find old favorites like Little Miss Muffet and Hey, Diddle Diddle but may also discover not so familiar ones like Grey Squirrel and Round and Round the Garden. Great for young children that need a short good night story or for helping them visualize exactly what those words mean. Worth a look!

Have you noticed the push for playing games in the media? While the ads are generally produced by the game makers, they have the right idea. Spending time together with family and friends playing games can be a great experience on many levels. Many of my best childhood memories are the times we spent playing games - board games, car games, card games, guessing games, etc. There are so many to choose from that sometimes it can be mind-boggling. And, standing at the rows of games in the stores is even worse - how do you know which are good ones and which will be donated to the Goodwill after only one time out of the box? I’ve located a couple of sites to share with you about gaming. Take a look and see if you can find a new one to challenge your family and friends.

http://www.boardgameswithscott.com/ - Scott Nicholson, professor at Syracruse University, provides video reviews of games. A great way to get a taste of a game without the purchase. Scott gives you information about contents, strategies, playing time and more. You’ll see new games introduced but can also search for reviews of older releases.
http://www.thegamecrafter.com/ - Have an idea for a game yourself? Here’s the spot for you! You can find all the things you need to produce your own idea. Whether you want just one copy for your family to play or you are interested in marketing it to consumers - you’ll want to check out this site. NOTE: Have a game with lost pieces? They have a place to purchase pawns, dice, etc.

(NOTE: If you don’t see the web address, mouse over the blank area and the link appears.)

We are always looking for ways to connect our youngest readers and their families to literacy. We have discovered that providing a reading program just for them has been a big hit the past few years and we are pleased to announce the theme for our 2009 program. Discover the Treasures in Reading will give us the opportunity to share some “gems” with our young patrons throughout the month of October. Registration begins on October 5 and the program will conclude on October 31. Stop by to pick up a reading log (beginning on the 5th) to keep track of the books you read aloud to your child. Be sure to return with your completed log by October 31 to be guaranteed a reading award - a new book! Sponsored by the Friends of the Bettendorf Public Library.

Hey kids! Martha the talking dog is coming to the Library! Join us for our “Martha Speaks” program on Tuesday, September 15 from 4-5 p.m. For those of you unfamiliar with Martha, she is the star of the books by Susan Meddaugh and also of her own PBS show (4 p.m. on WQPT). Staff from WQPT will join us in presenting this event. Participants will have the opportunity to have their picture taken with Martha (don’t forget your cameras!), listen to one of her tales, make a simple craft and try a few activities. No registration is required but the program is geared toward kids ages 4-7. 
Sponsored by the Friends of the Bettendorf Public Library.

It seems like we get multiple requests for the Thomas the Tank Engine books every day. I know we have tons of fans out there, so when I came across this site I definitely wanted to share the information. The website is actually Random House Publishers, but they have many games and activities for children - Thomas is just one of them!

Plan to spend some time with Thomas and Friends at
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/thomas/activities.html.