Wave a magic wand and enter a fantastical realm of magic, wizardry and other-worldly fun. Families are invited to attend our Magical Creatures program, taking place at many KDL branches this spring. Bring the whole family to enjoy crafts and games with elves, giants, fairies, unicorns or other fabulous creatures! Imagination and creativity required.

Schedule
Alto branch – Saturday, March 12, 10:30 AM
Kentwood branch – Tuesday, March 15, 10:00 and 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM
Kentwood branch – Wednesday, March 16, 10:00 AM
Byron Township branch – Saturday, March 19, 11:00 AM
Alpine Township branch – Tuesday, March 22, 10:30 AM
* Plainfield Township branch – Monday, April 4, 10:15 AM
Gaines Township branch – Tuesday, April 5, 2:00 PM
Englehardt branch – Wednesday, April 6, 2:00 PM
Tyrone Township branch – Thursday, April 7, 6:00 PM
Cascade Township branch – Thursday, April 7, 7:00 PM
Krause Memorial branch – Monday, April 18, 6:30 PM
Grandville branch – Tuesday, April 19, 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM
Spencer Township branch – Thursday, May 5, 6:30 PM
Sand Lake / Nelson Township branch – Saturday, May 14, 10:30 AM
Caledonia Township branch – Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 PM

* Registration is required at this branch.

The Spring 2011 issue of the KDL Kaleidoscope is now available at your local branch library. Or check it out online. You’ll find all you need to know about spring programs and get some great information on library resources and staff recommendations.

It’s sure to be an exciting spring at KDL, and you don’t want to miss a thing. Check out the KDL Kaleidoscope today!

The Search for WondLa by Tony Diterlizzi is one of the 20 Michigan Thumbs Up! Award book selections of 2010.  The complete list and voting information is available from the MLA website or at your local library.

Eva Nine has lived a very sheltered life.  She has never been out of her sanctuary and has never seen another human being.  Her only companion is Muthr, the robot who takes care of her.  All that is shattered when an unknown creature attacks her home and Eva Nine is forced to discover what lies above her sanctuary.  Her quest starts with a slip of paper she discovers with the only legible letters being W-O-N-D-L-A and takes her on amazing journey of discovery.

This book is the first of a planned trilogy.  Tony Diterlizzi is also one of the authors of the popular Spiderwick Chronicles.  If you like this book, you might also like the Edge Chronicles series by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell.

Congratulations to the winners of our Love Your Library contest. Eva and Julie both received $25 gift cards to Schuler Books & Music. A big thank you to all of you that participated. We so enjoyed hearing why you love the library!

Please take a minute and read some of the responses. One thing is sure, the library is positively impacting people’s lives!

Parents and caregivers of children are invited to participate in the Early Childhood Essentials classes at KDL this spring. If you have young children or if you work in child care and need professional development hours, the Early Childhood Essentials series is for you. The classes are for adults and childcare is not provided. 

Workshops will include:

• “Stress and Parenting” – Tuesday, March 8 at 6:30 pm at the Krause Memorial branch
• “Activities to Get Kids Ready to Write” – Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 pm at the Plainfield branch
• “Love and Logic” – Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 at the Krause Memorial branch
• “From Rattles to Writing” – Thursday, March 17 at 6:30 pm at the Byron Township branch
• “Batter Up!: How to Build a Winning Parent-Caregiver Team” – Monday, March 21 at 6:30 pm at the Grandville Middle School (3535 Wilson SW)
• “Discipline for Young Children” – Tuesday, March 22 at 6:30 pm at the Krause Memorial branch
• “Play, Grow, Read – The 6 Basic Skills” – Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 pm at the Kentwood branch
• “Social Skills for Preschoolers” – Monday, April 18 at 6:00 pm at the East Grand Rapids branch
• “Healthy Snacks for Kids” – Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30 pm at the Plainfield branch
• “Healthy Snacks for Kids” – Wednesday, April 20 at 6:30 pm at the Kentwood branch
• “Let’s Talk: Connecting and Communicating with Children” – Monday, April 25 at 6:30 pm at the Grandville Middle School (3535 Wilson SW)
• “Play, Grow, Read – The 6 Basic Skills” – Thursday, April 28 at 6:30 pm at the Byron Township branch
• “Speech Concerns” – Tuesday, May 3 at 6:30 pm at the Plainfield branch

Registration is required and participation is limited. Classes are filling up fast, so sign up today!

Actor Alex Pettyfer is cornering the market in YA books-turned-movies, as he presently stars in “I Am Number Four” and “Beastly.”  He previously starred as Alex Rider in a film version of Anthony Horowitz’s Stormbreaker and is slated to star as Jace in a movie based on Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments. 

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

In rural Ohio, friendships and a beautiful girl prove distracting to a fifteen-year-old who has hidden on Earth for ten years waiting to develop the Legacies, or powers, he will need to rejoin the other six surviving Garde members and fight the Mogadorians who destroyed their planet, Lorien.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

How does your garden grow?  Find out at the Going Green program taking place at several KDL branches this spring. Come share in crafts and activities full of gardening goodness. Kids will learn about the life cycle of plants, how insects and people help the earth, and new ideas for going green. This program is for families with children of all ages.

Schedule
Spencer Township branch – Thursday, March 10, 6:30 PM
Tyrone Township branch – Thursday, March 17, 6:30 PM
Cascade Township branch – Monday, April 4, 2:00 PM
Gaines Township branch – Wednesday, April 6, 10:00 AM
* Plainfield Township branch – Thursday, April 7, 2:00 PM
Wyoming branch – Friday, April 8, 10:30 AM
Sand Lake / Nelson Township branch – Saturday, April 9, 1:30 PM
Kentwood branch – Saturday, April 16, 2:00 PM
Englehardt branch – Thursday, April 21, 10:30 AM Rescheduled for Thursday, April 14, 10:30 AM
Grandville branch – Tuesday, April 26, 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM
Krause Memorial branch – Saturday, April 30, 10:00 AM
East Grand Rapids branch – Sunday, May 1, 2:00 PM
Comstock Park branch – Monday, May 2, 10:30 AM
Byron Township branch – Monday, May 2, 6:30 PM
Alto branch – Saturday, May 7, 10:30 AM
Caledonia Township branch – Thursday, May 19, 10:00 AM

* Registration is required at this branch.

Each month KDL staff join Shelley Irwin on the WGVU Morning Show to talk about what’s going on at the library. This month, listen to Program & Outreach Specialists Diane Forbes and Allison Brito talk about upcoming children’s programs and the free early literacy presentations available for organizations in the KDL service area. Enjoy!

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Download WGVU3-3-11.mp3

(photo courtesty of Shelley Irwin)

Research shows that birth through age five is the most important time for children to develop their brains and attitudes towards reading and learning. At KDL, it’s our goal to provide activities and resources that educate and stimulate the imagination of our youngest learners. From our KDLville interactive learning centers to our Early Childhood Essentials classes for adults, we’re committed to providing parents and caregivers the tools necessary to help children succeed in school and in life.

This season, we invite you and your child to explore the resources available at your local KDL branch. With these, as well as a variety of activities for all ages, it’s never too early to Grow Your Mind @ KDL. 

This year, KDL celebrates its 75th anniversary! As we look forward to a bright future, we also look back to see how far we’ve come. Join us on a small trip down memory lane to the 1950s.

A group of library leaders, including former director Joyce Pleune, hold a meeting at a library branch.

The Kent County bookmobile makes a stop at a local schoolhouse.

For more 75th anniversary photos and archival media, visit KDL’s Flickr page.