Mark Your Calendars!

The annual Rhode Island Festival of Children's Books and Authors will take place on October 13 from 9 - 5:30 at Lincoln School in Providence, R.I. You can meet the people who wrote some of your favorite books! Like...

Michael Buckley, author of THE SISTERS GRIMM

Tom Angleberger, author of THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA

Chris Van Allsburg, author of THE POLAR EXPRESS and JUMANJI

And the grilled cheese truck will be there too in case you get hungry!

Summer Reading Events at the Public Library

Have you all signed up for the summer reading program at the public library? This year’s theme is “Dream Big. Read.” Related activities explore dreams and nightmares, what kids want to be when they grow up, and how to make North Smithfield a better place to live. Each week, kids who read 80 minutes or more will be entered into a raffle. Did you know that the library hosts weekly events for different age groups?

Sign up for stories, booktalks, and crafts:

7-8 yrs - Tuesdays @ 1:00 or Thursdays @ 1:00 
9-10 yrs - Wednesdays @ 1:00
11-12yrs - Wednesdays @ 3:30

And you can sign up for special events, too:

July 23 – Moira Richardson - Find your inner artist and create a painting of a nighttime scene using Van Gogh’s Starry Night as inspiration.
July 30 – Mat Franco - Throughout the show, some of the magical effects exemplify how reading has played a role in Mat’s success in following his dream to be a professional magician
August 2 – Ric Morin - Let your imagination run free to create rhythms using buckets, cans, voices, hands, recyclable materials, real percussion instruments, and more
August 17 – Greg Cooney - Join the musical fun with as you learn about people who had BIG DREAMS that changed the world.

Kids Reading Across RI

We’re just about done with our library giveaways for the year, but that doesn’t mean you are out of chances to get a free book! The KIDS Reading Across Rhode Island program encourages students across the state in grades 4 through 6 to read the same book, and engage in community discussions and programs.

This year’s selection is Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine. On June 16, a kickoff celebration at the State House will include crafts, games, and a free copy of the book (one per family) while supplies last. Levine (who also wrote Ella Enchanted) will speak at 2:15 and 3:30 p.m.

Visit the OLIS web site for more information.

Summer Reading Kickoff - June 1 Event

Ready for some REAL family fun? Reading Aloud in Rhode Island (REAL) will kick off the 2012 Statewide Summer Reading Program at the Providence Children’s Museum on Friday, June 1 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm.

Ten local picture book authors and illustrators will read from their work, answer questions, and sign and sell their books as local children's librarians offer engaging book-related activities.

Learn more about this FREE event, which is recommended for families with children from ages 4-10.

National Spelling Bee is Coming!

Mark your calendars for May 31, when the finals of the National Spelling Bee will air on ESPN2. Rhode Island's contestant is from Cumberland!

Anyone who leaves a note in Ms. Moore's mailbox by the last day of school with the name of the 2009 winner gets to pick a free book from the donation box! (Hint: Fourth graders just found the answer last week when comparing whether the table of contents or the index works faster when searching for specific information in the Kids' World Almanac. You can also find it on the Spelling Bee site.)

Fun fact from their web site: XANTHOPHYLL is the word Laura Ingalls Wilder misspelled in an 1880s community spelling match. Read more about it in Little House on the Prairie.

Read Across America 2012 - March 3 at the Warwick Mall

From the National Education Association RI web site:

"NEARI will celebrate Read Across America March 3, at Warwick Mall. The fun begins at 10:00 a.m. and continues until 4:00 p.m. Read Across America is free to the public and includes stickers for every child; a chance to register to win prizes donated by NEARI; puzzle and activity sheets, and reading advice for parents; a book give-away table, sponsored by NEARI education support professionals; and an opportunity to visit and pose with Cat in the Hat herself."

Learn more about Read Across America.