Last week was not only Winter Break, but it was Volunteer Week. You were great! The library and the community are lucky to have so many wonderful volunteers. Whether it was reading to children, helping out with a program, or teaching adults how to use computers & cell phones; it was amazing. Be proud! We have a TON of pictures from the events.
Check 'em out @ http://www.rvclibrary.org/teens/photos.html and http://www.rvclibrary.org/kids/fall%20photos.html Enjoy!

BTW, if you signed up for the Read-A-Thon (or didn't sign up and want to come/need the volunteer hours) it has been rescheduled for March 24 1-5pm. See Mrs. Ain for details and for a sponser sheet.

In these days of the 24/7 news channels, it's hard to believe that there might be some things that we don't know about the presidental candidates. Just in case Chris Matthews, Wolf Blitzer and the rest of the pundits may have missed something, the following are books either about or by one of the politicians in the 2008 presidential campaign -- Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Barack Obama. And, as of this past Sunday, add Ralph Nader to the list!

Because of the snow storm on Friday our High School Musical Marathon will be rescheduled for some time in March. Be on the lookout in the Children's Room for flyers with the new time and date. We will be showing both movies on the big screen and during the intermission we will have a simple craft for everyone to make. Make sure to wear your Wildcat colors -- RED and WHITE!

If you are a literary fiction fan and enjoyed Motherless Brooklyn and/or The Fortress of Solitude, you should head on over to Hofstra University on Wednesday, Februrary 25th @ 11:30 a.m. to hear author Jonathan Lethem speak as part of the Great Writers, Great Readings series. For more information on this interesting program, please call 516-463-5419.

The comic book hero Iron Man is getting his own movie. The movie is out by May 2008 and Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark.

Laura Vaccaro Seeger - get sneak peeks at her new books, not even out yet -- like Dog and Bear: Two's Company due this spring!
Jan Brett - This site is chock full of fun, there are pictures of the author with elephants in Botswana, and so much more including games that you can play on the computer as well as games to print out and play.
J. K. Rowling - She just can't be left off this list! Her brilliant site shows her cluttered desk and sometimes contains suprise information about her latest work -- it is more of treasure hunt then a website.
Cornelia Funke - Much like J. K. Rowling, her site is no less magical then her books. Check out the fun quizzes to find out which character you are.
Patricia Reilly Giff - It's not the flashiest of web sites, but it has great information about the author and her books, plus we went to the same high school so I had to include my fellow Hilltopper.
Beverly Cleary - Always a classic, her site has a neighborhood map where you can visit Ramona's house plus trivia quizzes and ideas about throwing a Ramona party.

This is a pic of the new player's guide. There are going to be major changes to the system. In just a few months the first books for the Fourth Edition of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) will be released by publisher Wizards of the Coast. What should the library do?

We all know the Oscars, but have you heard about the EDGARS? The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars) are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America. They honor the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film and theatre published or produced in the past year. Check out the nominated books on their website if you're a mystery lover. Who knows, you just may discover a new author or title to pique your interest.

Brian Selznick - his site for The Invention of Hugo Cabret has so many great things that you just have to check it out for yourself, but be warned it could take hours to get through all the cool stuff, especially the links.
Jarrett J. Krosoczka - author of Bubble Bath Pirates and Punk Farm, his site features a funny "fake" bio, his childhood drawings and even how to pronounce his last name.
Mo Willems - the hysterical author of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny has a special Pigeon contest and coloring pages on his site; and Mo's blog is full of sketches and funny stories from his everyday life.
Guy's Read - it's not really an author site, but it does seem to be the brainchild of author Jon Scieszka, who is the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. The site, which also inspired a book called Guys Read, has lots of great book suggestions for little and big guys.
Tomie dePaola - see pictures of his dog, Bronte, some of his non-book art, coloring pages and more!
Stay tuned for the ladies next week!

*NOTE: The winner of the Three Apples Book Award, a New York State children's choice award, has just been announced: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere! The movie that is coming out is based on a book we have!

February 14th is St. Valentine's Day! Why not establish a romantic mood by joining our favorite opera expert Bernie Mann as you discover the beauty of The Elixir of Love? The music begins at one o'clock, join us and be inspired!

Looking for a book written in a fresh, new voice? Every day books by first-time novelists arrive at the library and here are just a few that we recommend:

Beginner's Greek by James Collins - a romantic man's version of chick lit, in which love conquers all, everyone lives happily-ever-after and a guy and girl see fate triumph over circumstantial twists and bad luck.

Beautiful Children by Charles Bock - The disappearance of a 12-year-old boy brings together the lives of a group of seemingly unrelated strangers in Las Vegas--including his parents, an illustrator, a stripper, a teenage anarchist, and a group of street runaways.

Gardens of Water by Alan Drew - The lives of two families living in Istanbul are changed by an earthquake that brings them together and forbidden love blossoms between a Kurdish Muslim girl and an American.

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite - the story of 13-year-old Penny and her mother who run a bed-and-breakfast for literary heroines on vacation from their plots, among them Madame Bovary, Catherine Earnshaw, and Ophelia.

In order to reward our young readers year round we have just started a new program that we are very excited about. If a child checks out two books from our "Staff Picks" display they will get a special prize. All they have to do is check out the books and bring their blue due date slip to the children's reference desk to get their surprise. If it's a hit, we hope to continue it with our other seasonal displays. Here's a hint about the surprise gift: