Stuffed Animal Sleepover

On Thursday, July 7th we will be hosting a Stuffed Animal Sleepover! Kids will bring their stuffed animals for an evening of treats, stories, and songs. Then, we'll tuck of stuffed friends in for a night at the library. We'll set up our cameras to take pictures of all the fun our animal friends have over night! Kids can pick up their stuffed animals and photos the next day.

Online registration for the event is closed, but call the library at 608-882-2275 to see if there are still open spots!

If you just can't wait for our Stuffed Animal Sleepover Party, have a special sleepover of your own with some of these great books!

Picture Books
Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues by Kimberly and James Dean
Pajamas Anytime by Marsha Hayles
Let's Sing  A Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
Arthur's Really Helpful Bedtime Stories by Marc Tolon Brown\
Bedtime for Frances by Russel Hoban
Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli
It is Night by Phyllis Rowand
I Dare You Not to Yawn by Helene Boudreau
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Easy Readers
Just Five More Minutes! by Marcy Brown
Clifford's First Sleepover by Norman Bridwell
Stellar Stargazer by Jane O'Connor
The Berenstain Bears' Sleepover by Jan Berenstain
Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover by Cynthia Rylant
Snail's Good Night by Anne Whitford Paul
Annie and Snowball and the Grandmother Night by Cynthia Rylant
I Will Take a Nap! by Mo Willems

Camping

Planning on enjoying some time in the great outdoors this summer with a family camping trip? Get ready with these great resources!

Stories for Young Kids
Whistling by Elizabeth Partridge
Olivia Goes Camping by Alex Harvey
Biscuit Goes Camping by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Stellar Stargazer by Jane O'Connor
Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt
When You Are Camping by Anne Lee
Camping Day by Patricia Lakin


Stories for Older Kids
Piper Reed, Campfire Girl by Kimberly Willis Holt
Sipping Spiders Throw a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters by Kelly S. DiPucchio
A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
The Case of the Marshmallow Monster by James Preller
The Camp-Out Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
Nature Calls by Jessica Young


Non-fiction Books for Kids
Field & Stream's Guide to Camping by T. Edward Nickens
Go Out and Play!: Favorite Outdoor Games from Kaboom!
Camping by Sara Green
Camping for Kids by Melanie A. Howard
Be an Adventurer by Chris Oxlade
Camping by the Boy Scouts of America


Books for Teens
Dan Versus Nature by Don Calame
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Great Falls by Steve Watkins
Lumberjanes Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson
Save Rafe! by James Patterson
The Way Back from Broken by Amber Keyser


Resources for Parents
Camping Made Easy: A Manual for beginners with Tips from the Experienced by Michael Rutter
Cool Backyard Camping: Great Things to Do in the Great Outdoors by Alex Kuskowski
Best Tent Camping Wisconsinby Kevin Revolinski and Johnny Molloy.
The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids : How to Plan Memorable Family Adventures and Connect Kids to Nature by Helen Olsson.
The Camping Cookbook by Annie Bell
National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States by Phil Schermeister

On Your Mark, Get Set, Blast Off!

This week our Summer Library Club is blasting off! It's our first week of events and we are so excited. We'll be having lots of intergalactic fun at the library this week! Here is a list of some space themed books for kids to enjoy as well.


Books for Grades K-2
Mousetronaut & Mousetronaut Go to Mars by Mark E. Kelly
Space Boy and His Dog & Space Boy and the Space Pirate by Dian Curtis Regan
How the Meteorite Got to the Museum
How Many Planets Circle the Sun? by Mary Kay Carson
Robots in Space by Nancy Furstinger

Books for Grades 3-5
Cakes in Space by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Record Breaking Earth and Space Facts by Jon Richards
Outer Space by Ken Jennings
How Do You Burp in Space? : and Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know by Susan Goodman

Books for Grades 6-8
Welcome to Mars : Making a Home on the Red Planet by Buzz Aldrin, with Marianne J. Dyson.
Women in Space: 23 Stories of First Flights, Scientific Missions, and Gravity-Breaking Adventures by Karen Bush Gibson
Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System by David A. Aguilar
First in Space by James Vining
Dove Arising by Karen Bao

Teen Battle of the Books!

The Eager Free Public Library is one of the seven libraries in Rock County and the Arrowhead Library System that is participating in the second annual Rock County Teen Battle of the Books this summer. Last year was a great success with 11 teams from all 7 libraries, and we’re excited to be doing it again.  The purpose of this program is to promote the libraries of Rock County, encourage a life-long love of reading through good books, and have competitive and friendly fun during the summer.

Youth Services Librarians from the Arrowhead Library System have once again come up with a fantastic book list that offers a little bit of everything for readers of all reading levels. The books are:

Schooled by Gordon Korman
Cap Anderson has never watched TV, eaten pizza, or attended a traditional school in his life. Raised by his hippie grandmother, his life changes big time when his grandmother is hurt and he is forced to attend the local middle school. Cap must learn to navigate bullies, crushes, and school work without the guidance of his grandmother.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Twin brothers, Josh and Jordon Bell, love basketball. In this fantastic coming of age story they must learn to grow up both on and off the court. This Newbery Medal winner is told in verse with the rhythm of the game jumping off the page. The brothers deal with first crushes, their parents' expectations, and some difficult changes that hit their family.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Book 1): The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Fans of Percy Jackson will love this new series by Rick Riordan. Magnus Chase has lived through many great tragedies in his short life, including looking his mother and his home. While living on the streets he starts to learn about his family's history and how they might be connected to the Norse gods of Odin, Thor, and more.

Ms. Marvel (Volume1): No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life until one strange experience changes her life forever. This first volume of the new Ms. Marvel series tells the origin story of a brand new super hero. 

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

"Stargirl" moves to the beat of her own drum when she starts at Mica High where the other students aren't quite sure what think of their new classmate. Overtime, Stargirl captures the heart of Leo and his life is altered forever. This story explores the idea of being true to yourself, popularity, friendship, and love.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Miranda is obsessed with the book A Wrinkle in Time. She has read it over and over again, and fans of that classic will certainly enjoy this heartwarming, intriguing, and wonderfully told story. Miranda is busy helping her mother prepare for a game show when she starts to receive mysterious letters from an unknown writer warning her that he needs her help to save her friend's life. Miranda must figure out how she can help before it's too late.

You can find out more about the Teen Battle of the Books, including how to register, here!

SUMMER READING

Summer Reading is just around the corner!  This year we will be offering a reading program for children, teens, and adults!  Children and teens will earn prizes based on the amount of hours read throughout the summer (up to 60 hours).  Adults will once again have a Bingo card to complete.

Want to start planning your reading list now?  Take a look at the summer themed lists below!

Children's Fiction:
Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D. Beil
Zoomer's Summer Snowstorm by Ned Young
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Cam Jansen and the Summer Camp Mysteries by David A. Adler
The Night Before Summer Camp by Natasha Wing
Summer School!: What Genius Thought That Up? by Henry Winkler
Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope Osborne
A Horse for the Summer by Michelle Bates
Colorado Summer by Larry Bograd

Young Adult Fiction:
The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton
Ferocity Summer by Alissa Grosso
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
That Summer by Sarah Dessen
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte

Adult Fiction:
The Summer of Us by Holly Chamberlain
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank
The Girl From Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux
Summer Secrets by Jane Green
That Summer by Lauren Willig
Summer House With Swimming Pool by Herman Koch
A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
Secrets of the Lost Summer by Carla Neggers

Need more inspiration?  Check out bestseller lists, Book Page, or previous and upcoming blog posts.

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ICE CREAM SOCIAL

The Friends of the Eager Free Public Library's annual Ice Cream Social will be held on Friday, June 24th starting at 6:00 p.m.  At this year's event, you can expect cake, ice cream, a raffle, and old fashioned carnival games.  In honor of the City's 150th anniversary, the Library will be running old carnival games outside of the Masonic Temple.  Inside the Masonic Temple, you can enjoy cake, ice cream, and live music.  The raffle drawing will take place at 7:00 p.m.  Raffle items include beef, a health club membership and Fitbit, Visa giftcards, and a grill! 

Can't wait for the ice cream social?  Here are some books to get you ready!

No-Churn Ice Cream: Over 100 Simply Delicious No-Machine Frozen Treats by Leslie Bilderback

Ice Cream and Iced Desserts: Over 150 Irresistible Ice Cream Treats by Joanna Farrow

The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, and More by Bruce Weinstein

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer

Frozen Desserts: The Definitive Guide to Making Ice Creams, Ices, Sorbets, Gelati, and Other Frozen Delights by Caroline Liddell

Children's books:

The Ice Cream King by Steve Metzger

Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems

Ice Cream Cones for Sale by Elaine Greenstein

Clifford and the Big Ice Cream Mess by Josephine Page

Yum! by Sami

The Chocolate Sundae Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

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THE SNOW QUEEN

With the success of Disney's Frozen, we have seen an increased interest in the story of the Snow Queen.  Whether you want to read the original work by Hans Christian Andersen, or if you want to read some retellings of the tale, we have some options for you.

For the original story, check out The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.

Retellings and adaptations:

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce - When her boyfriend disappears with a strange woman, Ginny leaves her home and fights wolves, thieves, the cold to rescue him.


The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman - A woman survives a lightning strike to find that her once frozen heart has thawed.  This will be the start of a love affair between two opposites joined by a common thread.
 The Snow Queen by Joan Vinge - This science fiction work won the Hugo Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel.  Based on the fairy-tale, The Snow Queen takes place on an oceanic planet whose sun orbits a black hole.


The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey - After being falsely accused of unleashing evil on nearby towns, Aleksia, the ice fairy and Queen of the Northern Lights, sets out to find the imposter who is ruining her reputation.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Four children find their way into the land of Narnia and help Aslan to defeat the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.


"Ice" from the short story collection The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block - This collection of fairy tales is set in modern times and are retold with a twist.

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