Follow the Iditarod

If you love adventure, the thrill of a race, cold weather (!), and dogs you will enjoy following The Iditarod. This race pits teams of sled dogs on a race from Anchorage to Nome Alaska over 1150 miles of rugged, frozen, terrain. Stop in the Children's Room to select a book on Alaska or the race and follow the progress of the sled dog teams online. Check a blog written by a wonderful canine reporter who will put you close to the action.

Tuesday's Movie

will be back next week!

D4D!

On last Saturday's Day for Donuts, some amazing paper sculptures were created! Come join us again this Saturday. Same time as always - between 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 - but this week we'll be in the children's room. There will be more opportunities for amazing paper scultpture, games, books, and more! And, of course, donuts and delicious Blue Max coffee and treats. Hope to see you there.

Tuesday's Movie - Fairy Tale: A True Story

Frances and Elsie believe in fairies - they know all their names, and they've actually seen them, playing in the garden. Their parents just think of them as fanciful girls, but when Frances and Elsie produce actual photographs of the fairies, their parents, and soon the whole of England wonder - are fairies real? Based on true events which occured during World War I in England.

Fairy Tale: A True Story is appropriate for all ages - those who love fairies will especially enjoy it, obviously. Lovers of Peter Pan may also enjoy, and those who are interested in Sherlock Holmes and Harry Houdini, who are actual characters in the story.

About a Book - 100 Cupboards

Life seems ordinary enough in Henry, Kansas, where young Henry York has been sent to live with his Uncle Frank and Aunt Dotty. Ordinary enough, indeed - until the plaster in Henry's room begins to chip away and he discovers 100 cupboards hidden behind the wall; cupboards that are actually portals to other worlds. Henry, along with his cousin, Henrietta, secretly begin to learn the secrets of the cupboards, and Henry's true identity.

100 Cupboards, by N.D. Wilson, is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. Read it and you'll be waiting anxiously for the second volume to come out next year. We also have a great audio version of this story on cd - how do you like that?

Tuesday's Movie

Based off the book of the same name by Cornelia Funke, The Thief Lord is an adventure tale about two orphaned brothers who have run away to Venice, Italy, to escape from their cruel aunt and uncle. There, Prosper and Boniface are taken in by a mysterious boy known as the "Thief Lord" who leads a band of kids living in an abandoned movie theatre. In between dodging the bumbling detective who has been hired by the boys' relatives to find them, the children embark on a fantastic new adventure which involves a wooden wing and a carousel which can make the young old or the old young again.

This movie has fun and adventure, and really cool scenes of the beautiful city of Venice. Bonus: it also has a movie within a movie! (you'll see.)

You may want to read the book before you catch this flick!

Did you know?

You can use Novelist K-8 to find your next great read! You can find the link from the electronic resources page on our website, under "Literature and Reader's Advisory." (If you're outside of the library, you'll need your library card number to sign in.)

It's a great resource that tells you all about great books for kids in grades K through 8. If you're just looking for information about a book, you can find a summary and reviews. You can also explore lists of good books that Novelist has created. For instance, if you like stories with animals in them, there are a whole bunch of book lists created to help you find a book you'll love - a list of books in which animals tell the stories, books about horses, books about cats, and so on. There are book lists for horror, fantasy, mystery, adventures, graphic novels, and much more.

And remember, if you find a great book that's not here in the library, tell us and we'll put a hold on it for you!


To get to Novelist K-8 from the River Forest Library homepage, go to "Electronic Resources," then "Reference Databases," and under "Literature and Reader's Advisory" you'll find the link.

Tuesday's Movie

Willa: An American Snow White

Part of the From the Brothers Grimm series - a collection of folk and fairy tales retold in American settings - Willa: An American Snow White is an adaptation of the Snow White story, set in the rural South around the year 1915.

After her father dies, Willa is left to live alone with her stepmother - an aging woman who was once a beloved and beautiful stage actress. The vain woman grows increasingly jealous of Willa, who, in addition to being young and beautiful, is a budding actress herself. To escape her stepmother's evil wrath, Willa leaves home and falls in with a travelling medicine show, performing every night and selling Chief Tonka's magical (and, as Willa finds out, horrible tasting) "elixir of life." When the evil stepmother finally catches up with her, we hope Willa's new friends and a handsome movie maker will be able to help protect her.

Beautifully filmed, humorous, and haunting, this movie will be especially appealing to older kids and adults who enjoy fairy tales. Included in this dvd's special features are two documentaries about the type of travelling medicine show depicted in the movie, and which were popular in the early 20th century. Also included is a Spanish language version, "El Elixir De La Felicidad."

If you like this movie, be sure to check out another film from this series, Ashpet: An American Cinderella.