1. Got Olympic Fever?

    Check out this Olympic reading list by Librarian Robert Gibbs, of St. George Library Center. Included are many memoirs from current and former Olympic medal winners.

  2. A selection of fiction about the immigrant experience, via NYPL Collections →

  3. 10 Caldecott Award Winners That Have Stood the Test of Time

     A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka, just won the 2012 Caldecott Medal! Youth Materials Specialist Betsy Bird shares her picks for 10 winners that have stood the test of time.

    1942: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (Viking)
    These ducklings don’t age (and how great is it that one of them was named Ouack?).

    1943: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (Houghton)
    A story where urbanization intrudes on the surrounding countryside? 1943 is starting to feel a whole heck of a lot like 2012.

    1954: Madeline’s Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans (Viking)
    Saucy without being snarky, headstrong but never bratty, this is the ultimate Can We Get a Dog? story.

    1957: A Tree Is Nice, illustrated by Marc Simont; text: Janice Udry (Harper)
    Trees make for good subject matter, particularly these days when we need them more than ever.

    1964: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Harper)
    The best picture book ever written in the English language for children? You decide.

    1968: Drummer Hoff, illustrated by Ed Emberley; text: adapted by Barbara Emberley (Prentice-Hall)
    Written at the height of the Vietnam War, this rhyme makes a subtle statement about armed conflicts.

    1976: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon; text: retold by Verna Aardema (Dial)
    This enjoyable folktale’s language is matched only by its stunning visuals.

    1982: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton)
    Like an episode of The Twilight Zone for kids, you’ll never look at your board games the same way again.

    1990: Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young (Philomel)
    Little Red Riding Hood gets a whole new twist in this retelling. See if you can spot the wolf hiding in the illustrations.

    2000: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (Viking)
    Mr. Taback left us just this past Christmas but his fabulous die-cut extravaganza lives on in hearts and minds.

  4. This Sunday is Mother’s Day! Have you bought your mom a card, planned a picnic, or arranged for a flower delivery? Kristy Raffensberger, Children’s Librarian at the Webster Library, has picked out some books for toddlers and young children with the “mommy” theme (and “mom” and “mama”). Getting one or more of these from your local library and having them ready for reading on Mother’s Day would be a sweet and inexpensive treat for a mom with a young one. If the child wants to help in the kitchen, Kristy included a few cookbooks (geared towards the tots). Have a great Mother’s Day, everybody! Recommended Mother’s Day Reading (for toddlers) Mommy, Carry Me Please! by Jane CabreraMommy Hugs by Karen KatzThe Mommy Book by Todd Parr (for ages 3-6) My Mom by Anthony BrowneThe Mother’s Day Mice by Eve BuntingAre You My Mother? by P.D. EastmanMama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara JoosseAnything for You by John Wallace Make Your Mom Breakfast in Bed! (with adult supervision) Kids Cook 1-2-3: Recipes for Young Chefs Using Only 3 Ingredients by Rozanne GoldYou Can Cook by Annabel KarmelPretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up by Mollie Katzen The above image is from our New York World’s Fair 1939-1940 collection. The back of this photograph states that it is of “Mrs. Alice Bowen (right), 93, the oldest mother at the Mother’s Day ceremonies at the World’s Fair of 1940 in New York with Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, widow of President Harrison.”

    This Sunday is Mother’s Day! Have you bought your mom a card, planned a picnic, or arranged for a flower delivery? Kristy Raffensberger, Children’s Librarian at the Webster Library, has picked out some books for toddlers and young children with the “mommy” theme (and “mom” and “mama”). Getting one or more of these from your local library and having them ready for reading on Mother’s Day would be a sweet and inexpensive treat for a mom with a young one. If the child wants to help in the kitchen, Kristy included a few cookbooks (geared towards the tots). Have a great Mother’s Day, everybody!

    Recommended Mother’s Day Reading

    (for toddlers)

    Mommy, Carry Me Please! by Jane Cabrera
    Mommy Hugs     by Karen Katz
    The Mommy Book     by Todd Parr

    (for ages 3-6)

    My Mom by Anthony Browne
    The Mother’s Day Mice     by Eve Bunting
    Are You My Mother?     by P.D. Eastman
    Mama, Do You Love Me?     by Barbara Joosse
    Anything for You     by John Wallace

    Make Your Mom Breakfast in Bed! (with adult supervision)

    Kids Cook 1-2-3: Recipes for Young Chefs Using Only 3 Ingredients by Rozanne Gold
    You Can Cook     by Annabel Karmel
    Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up     by Mollie Katzen

    The above image is from our New York World’s Fair 1939-1940 collection. The back of this photograph states that it is of “Mrs. Alice Bowen (right), 93, the oldest mother at the Mother’s Day ceremonies at the World’s Fair of 1940 in New York with Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, widow of President Harrison.”