Novel Ideas:

It's Monday, and that means ... Novel Ideas! Every Monday, we take a look at a juvenile fiction/chapter book. They won't always be brand-new books - sometimes we'll take a look at old favorites. Looking for a good read? Check out our Novel Ideas posts. Have a suggestion for a great book to review? Let us know!

This week's found novel is:

Rules by Cynthia Lord

New Lenox Public Library Call Number: J LOR, JP LOR

Everybody's got to follow rules, but for 12-year-old Catherine, rules are even more important. She's got a younger brother who is autistic. Autism is a developmentally disability that makes communication harder for people who have it, so Catherine and her family have to give her brother David very specific rules for behaving. Catherine loves her brother, but as she tries to fit in, she gets frustrated that David is so much different than everyone else. When she befriends another "different" kid named Jason, she sees that differences make people special.

This is a great read for anyone who knows someone with autism, but also for any kid who gets frustrated with siblings, families, or all the rules we have to follow every day.

If you want to read more about autism, feel free to ask staff members for more information.

This Week @ NLPL

Here's what's happening this week at New Lenox Public Library!

Monday:
Wiggle Worms @ 10:30 a.m. for babies (pre-walkers)
Movers & Shakers @ 11:15 a.m. for babies (walkers)
Treasure Hunters @ 1 p.m. for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years
Family Bingo @ 4:30 p.m. for all ages

Tuesday:
Itsy Bitsy Toddler @ 10:30 a.m. for toddlers between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years
Pajamapalooza @ 6:30 p.m. for ages 6 & up (registration required)

Wednesday:
Simply Silly Storytime @ 10:30 a.m. for all ages
WordPlay @ 4:30 p.m. for grades 3 and up (registration required)
Happy Books, Happy Cooks @ 7:00 p.m. for ages 3 and up (registration required)

Thursday:
Tales & Tunes @ 10:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. for ages 2 to 3 1/2 years

Saturday:
The hunt for the 39 Clues @ 10:30 a.m. for grades 3-8 (registration required)

To register for programs, stop by the library or call 815.485.2605.

Hoppy Easter!

To celebrate Easter, here's some fun facts about favorite spring treats!

* Easter is the second-biggest candy holiday in the United States - the first is Halloween!

* Nearly 90 MILLION chocolate bunnies are made each year! That's a lot of hollow ears!

* Speaking of ears, that's the first part of the chocolate bunny that most people eat.

* Each Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps, shaped like chicks, as well as Marshmallow Bunnies and Marshmallow Eggs, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

* The most popular flavor of jelly bean is cherry.

* If all of the jelly beans eaten at Easter were laid end-to-end, they would circle the globe THREE TIMES!

All of these fun facts come from www.factmonster.com.

Friday Fun @ New Lenox Library

It's Friday, and that means .. Friday Fun! Check back every week for cool activities, fun finds at the library, stuff going on around town, or just interesting things on the Web!

This week's fun find is on the Web - www.factmonster.com.

This site, especially for kids, has answers to all kinds of silly trivia, like wacky state holidays, lists of albums by American Idol contestants, a special section where you can play Hangman and more!

As always, ask your parents about visiting any Web site before checking it out, and remember, Internet safety is just as important as being safe when you cross the street or ride your bike.

Picture Book Party: Meet the Pigeon

Let's party, picture book-style! Looking for a fun, fast read to make you giggle? Want to see some really cool illustrations? These books are great for kids of all ages ... from 1 to 100!

This week's Picture Book Party Guest of Honor is: the Pigeon

He's sassy. He's silly. He's ... a talking pigeon. And boy, does this pigeon like to talk! In Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, our feathered friend tries to trick readers into helping him steal a bus, because he really, really wants to drive it! In The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, Pigeon promises to feed and water his pet puppy once a week. Silly Pigeon!

Parents, author and illustrator Mo Willems creates laugh-out-loud stories to read about the petulant Pigeon, and they are great read-alouds for preschoolers, but the silly pictures and funny stories are perfect for anyone who needs a giggle.

You can find him in: Check out the Pigeon's many adventures, written and illustrated by Mo Willems, in our Easy section, under New Lenox Public Library Call Number E WIL