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Summer Reading Begins June 6

Chelmsford's 2009 Summer Reading program is here!

This year's program has been tailored to fit with the 2009 One Book Chelmsford, Three Cups of Tea and author Greg Mortenson's picture book edition, Listen to the Wind. There are many aspects to this year's Summer Reading program, but the two main themes are collecting Pennies for Peace and outdoor adventures.

1. Everyone is encouraged to keep track of the time you spend reading, and for every 5 hours of reading, the Friends of the Library will contribute 100 pennies for peace. Our goal is to donate $500 by the end of the summer to Greg Mortenson's foundation for building schools
2. Enjoy hiking through Chelmsford! Chelmsford has many open spaces and trails, and hiking and exploring our community is a great way to start your own trek towards K2 like Greg Mortenson. The summer challenge for children is to hike 5 miles and record your adventures in your passbooks

For reading logs, hiking passbooks, book suggestions and links to trail maps of Chelmsford, visit the Summer Reading webpage or stop by the Children's Room.

New History Book Group

There is a new History Book Group starting on at the library on Thursday, April 30th.

Do you have an interest in history? Library volunteer Bob Hanlon will be leading a new book group on the last Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the conference room. This group is for people with an interest in history - local, U.S. and world history.

The titles will be determined by the participants in the group. Attend the first program April 30th and help choose future titles. For this first meeting Bob suggests reading
The Old Middlesex Canal, by Mary Stetson Clarke.

For more information on the new book group, visit their webpage or contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks at kcryanhic@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x109.

For information on all of the book groups at the Chelmsford Library, visit our book groups webpage.

Holiday Book Guide

The Youth Services staff of the library put together this list of books that would make nice gifts this holiday season. These books are divided up into type of book and age groups.

Following this listing, there are links to book guides from other sources around the internet to provide additional ideas.

Pop-Up Books

• ABC3D, by Marion Bataille
• The Castaway Pirates, by Ray Marshall, illustrated by Wilson Swain
• Brava Strega Nona!, by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart

Picture Books

• Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears, by Emily Gravett
• The Little Bit Scary People, by Emily Jenkins
• That Book Woman, by Heather Henson
• Wave, by Suzy Lee

Ages 5-7

• Nicholas (series), by Goscinny & Sempe
• Keeping Score, by Linda Sue Park
• Alvin Ho Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things, by Lenore Look
• Owly (series), by Andy Runton

Ages 8-10

• Home of the Brave, by Katherine Applegate
• The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, by Jeanne Birdsall
• The Willoughbys, by Lois Lowry
• 100 Cupboards, by N. D. Wilson

Ages 10-12

• The Underneath, by Kathi Appelt
• Savvy, by Ingrid Law
• The Way We Work, by David Macaulay
• Alive: The Living Breathing Human Body Book, from DK
• Trouble, by Gary Schmidt

All Ages

• Wabi Sabi, by Mark Reibstein and Ed Young
• Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, by 108 renowned authors
• The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry and illustrated by P. J. Lynch

Here are a few lists from other sources on the internet, listing their top book picks for the holiday season:

Other Book Gift Guides

• From the editors of Boing Boing: Kids Books, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels, and Humor
• Recommendations from National Public Radio staff
• Suggestions from Book Store Owners, as interviewed on New Hampshire Public Radio
• First Lady Laura Bush's Family Favorites
• The New York Times' 10 Ten Best Books of 2008

MP3 Audiobooks Available

Starting on Dec. 1st, 2008, Chelmsford patrons can now download audiobooks in MP3 format.

For over a year, the Library has offered downloadable audiobooks through our Overdrive subscription, which we share with other MVLC libraries. However, until now, these audiobooks were only available to people with Windows-based computers, and they could not be played on iPods.

But now, we're very happy to offer audiobooks in MP3 format, which is compatible with iPods and many other popular MP3 players and cell phones. Also, Overdrive has released a new version of the Media Console that runs on Mac computers.

Searching for and downloading the new MP3 format audiobooks is the same as the previous formats, so if you've used Overdrive before you should have no problem. The format of the audiobook is displayed in each audiobook's search record (displayed below), along with what kind of devices on which that audiobook can be played.

If you'd like more information about using the new MP3 audiobooks, check out the Dec. 2008 issue of the MVLC newsletter [pdf]. If you have questions about MP3 audiobooks or need assistance using Overdrive, please contact the Reference Desk.

Books for Parents of Teenagers

When I couldn't see the apple on the picnic table, I knew I was in trouble. I was twelve. It was the school-wide eye exams. The tests involved looking through a device somewhat like the old Kenner toy projectors - the ones with the removable slides. As you gazed, the nurse would ask, "Is the apple on the picnic table or is it off? On, off, I could barely see the apple - never mind its placement. Four Eyes - I thought dispiritedly, they are going to call me Four Eyes. I needed glasses and I was not looking forward to it.

Some of us remember when Jan Brady got her glasses. Marcia may have had to wear the braces, but she still got Davy Jones and her date for the dance turned out to have braces too -- it was Jan who we really worried about. The path from clear-eyed to bespectacled can be rough. Adolescence can be a road filled with bumps where self-image is a sensitive issue.

Navigating your child's course through these years can be challenging. Many parents have turned to books like Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher, and Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon and Michal Thompson. These two books came out in the 90's but are still relevant and helpful today. Another updated and popular title is How to Talk so Teens Will Listen - and Listen so Teens Will Talk by Adele Faber - its original version was directed at younger kids and came out in the eighties.

If you are mystified as to why your child went from being a chatterbox to responding in monosyllables, then Not Much, Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers by Linda Perlstein might give some insight. And if you want to hear what kids really think - in their own words - try Real Boys' Voices by William S. Pollack or Ophelia Speaks by Sara Shandler. Both feature the unfiltered voices of adolescents talking about their struggles and passions.

Books to hand to your teens directly include Am I Weird or Is This Normal? - a girl's 411 on what happens to your body, feelings and relationships during adolescence by Marlin S. Potash or The Teenage Guy's Survival Guide by Jeremy Daldry - a humorous but practical guide on everything from shaving to peer pressure and why girls make guys crazy.

For fictional titles that deal with self-esteem and self-image in these formative years, some oldies but goodies include One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte and The Goats by Brock Cole. More recent titles include: What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and Peter Cameron's Someday this Pain Will be Useful to You. These titles and others are all available at the Chelmsford Public Library. Check out our website at www.chelmsfordlibrary.org for a complete list.