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What's Math Got To Do With It?

Throughout the month of February, stop by the Library to help build Sierpinski tetrahedrons.

A tetrahedron is a pyramid with three sides and a base. A Sierpinski tetrahedron is a repeating pattern of small pyramids assembled into ever larger pyramids. A single tetrahedron is called stage 0; a pyramid of four tetrahedrons is stage 1; the pyramid shown in the picture, consisting of 16 individual tetrahedrons, is stage 2.

Pre-cut colored paper, tape, and instructions are located at stations around the library. Patrons are encourage to fold a few tetrahedrons of their own, and leave them in the bins at each station.

No mathematical knowledge is necessary. Just enjoy the shapes, the symmetries and the similarities you find.

Please make some each time you visit in February, because the goal is a stage 6 pyramid - 4,092 individual tetrahedrons! We will need the help of many teens, and children ages 10 and older, as we put all the small tetrahedrons together during February vacation to make a giant structure.

This project is named for Waclaw Sierpinski, a Polish mathematician. While researching set theory, he developed a Sierpinski Triangle, which is an example (as is our tetrahedrons) of a self-repeating set of shapes. Notice in the picture how the overall pyramid looks like a bigger model of the smaller yellow or blue or red sets, which are themselves pyramids just like an individual tetrahedron.

If you have questions or need help, tape, or more pre-cut paper, please ask at any desk in the library.

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2008 Newbery Award Winner Announced

The 2008 Newbery Medal winner is Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz.

In this book, a thirteenth-century England springs to life using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of village and manor. Schlitz's elegant monologues and dialogues draw back the curtain on the period, revealing character and relationships, hinting at stories untold. Explanatory interludes add information and round out this historical and theatrical presentation.

2008 Newbery Honor Books:

• Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
  In Elijah of Buxton, Elijah is the first free-born child in Buxton, a Canadian community of escaped slaves, in 1860. With masterful storytelling, vibrant humor, and poignant insight into the realities of slavery and the meaning of freedom, Curtis takes readers on a journey that transforms a “fragile” 11-year-old boy into a courageous hero
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
  In The Wednesday Wars, seventh-grader, Holling Hoodhood, is convinced his teacher hates him. Through their Wednesday afternoon Shakespeare sessions she helps him cope with events both wildly funny and deadly serious. “To thine own self be true” is just one of the life lessons he learns.
• Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
  Feathers tells the story of how a new boy's arrival in a sixth-grade classroom helps Frannie recognize the barriers that separate people, and the importance of hope as a bridge. Transcendent imagery and lyrical prose deftly capture a girl learning to navigate the world through words.

To see lists of other award winning books, school reading lists, and library staff picks, visit the Children's Featured Books page.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Children's Room Mural Unveiled

Sunday's reception to unveil the new mural in the Children's Room was a huge success. 150+ people were in attendance to see the mural painted in memory of Steve Maloney.

Read the Chelmsford Independent's story on the day, watch their video (also below), and see photographs of the mural as it was being painted.

But above all, stop by the Children's Room and enjoy the mural yourself!

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School Summer Reading Lists

The summer reading lists for Chelmsford schools have been published, and are now on the school's and Library's websites.

The school's website lists the official forms and logs for middle school and high school.

The Library's website has the reading lists, and also includes book descriptions, links into our catalog and more. We have lists for the elementary school and middle & high schools.

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Summer Camp Information

The Library received information brochures about recreational camps for children in Massachusetts. It is published by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and is designed to help parents make informative decisions when choosing a camp for their children.

The MA DPH also include a booklet from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control entitled "Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety." This was included because most summer camps include strenuous outdoor activities, and this guide outlines ways parents and children can prepare for, recognize and treat heat-related health conditions.

Both of these items are available on the lower level of the main library, near the Reference Desk, and on the State's Recreational Camp website.

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