Kids

12-year-old Carley Connors is angry! She doesn't trust anybody...and with good reason! She has been placed in foster care after being beaten severely by her stepfather, along with her mother, who wound up in the hospital. Sure, Mrs. Murphy seems nice enough, even loving; and the kids and their dad are gradually accepting her into the family... but Carley is still on the defensive. Then something happens that changes everything...will Carley allow herself to find happiness after all?

And the winner is...If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen! Kids from all over New Hampshire chose this title overwhelmingly... Bedford kids included! This book won by a landslide 10,231 votes out of the 23,093 ballots cast statewide. The second most popular title was The Very Inappropriate Word, with 2801 votes, followed closely by Outfoxed, with 2670. All 10 books received a respectable number of votes.

Naughty or nice? The holidays are coming, and we'll soon have a new addition in the Children's Room!
Brary the Elf has been adopted by the Bedford Public Library as its own official "Elf on the Shelf".
She'll be watching for kids who treat our library books with care, share iPad time and show nice
library manners, so she'll have a good report for Santa. She's full of mischief, too...you never know
where she'll show up next, so keep your eyes open when you visit the Children's Library! Hint: You

Maddy, our sweet, patient golden retriever, will be joining us on Thursday, November 20, for Paws to Read. She loves to hear kids read her stories!
This is a great opportunity to practice reading to a very appreciative audience of one...it helps you to gain confidence for reading aloud in school.
Maddy will be at the library from 4:00 - 5:30pm...private sessions last for 15 minutes. Please sign up on-line if you get a chance, so we'll be expecting you.
Walk-ins will be taken if there is space available.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, let us be mindful of our troops overseas, who can't be home with their families for the holidays. During the month of November, the Children's Library will have a work station set up, so that you can make holiday cards to send to our soldiers. A word of cheer and an assurance that they haven't been forgotten can mean a lot. Come on by before December 1st and help us let our military members know how much we all appreciate their bravery, and the sacrifices they make to keep our country strong and free.

Read any good picture books lately? Were any of them on the candidate list for the Ladybug Picture Book Award? November isn’t just for political polling…it’s for library voting, as well! Instituted in 2003 by New Hampshire’s Center for the Book, the Ladybug Picture Book Award is uniquely New Hampshire. Each year, kids from age 3 to grade 3 throughout the state are invited to vote for their favorite title, guided by a list of ten recently published books selected by a statewide committee of librarians who specialize in children’s literature.

We had some very creative entries in our pumpkin contest on October 28...first prize was shared by  Angelina Ballerina and Olivia, with Pippi Longstocking coming in a close second. Zog, an adorable little dragon, placed third. Other excellent entries included Coraline, Jasmine, the witch from the Wizard of Oz, Dumbledore and more.

Boo! Halloween is just arond the corner...have you signed up for the Library Pumpkin Contest yet? It's time for your family to get creative and decorate some pumpkins to represent favorite characters from kids' books. You can use real or artificial pumpkins, and enter as many as you wish, using any materials you can conjure up. We will have a big party on Tuesday, October 28th at 4:00pm. Prizes will be awarded, and there'll be lots of cider and munchkins and such. Wear costumes, if you'd like, to add to the fun!

Donovan Curtis, widely acknowledged to be the biggest troublemaker in his school, has just pulled the wildest stunt ever, and it's really run amok. This time things have gotten out of hand, and have caused colossal damage to the school doors and the new gym. He knows he's going to be in an amazing amount of trouble, but the dreaded axe never falls. Instead, his parents receive a letter informing them that Donovan has been selected for entrance into the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, much to the surprise of one and all.